I glanced up at Mr. Dean, the ice pack still resting on my sprained ankle, and a heavy feeling of guilt settled in my chest for an unknown reason. He hadn't uttered a single word since we returned from the party, his attention focused solely on my sprained ankle. I watched as his phone continued to ring, but he ignored it in favor of tending to me.
"Can you move?" His voice cut through the tense silence, and I nodded, not wanting to burden him further. But as I gingerly placed my foot on the ground, the searing pain shattered my facade, and a soft sigh escaped my lips.
"Rest a bit, I'll be back," he stated calmly, picking up his phone before leaving the room.
Alone now, I sank onto the bed, the echoes of laughter and the lingering scent of the party drifting into the room. What had begun as a promising evening now felt like a distant memory, overshadowed by my overwhelming sense of guilt.
It gnawed at me, a relentless reminder of the events that had led to my sprained ankle. I had meant my words innocently, a harmless joke to elicit a laugh. But somehow, it had all gone awry.
The image of Mr. Dean's face flashed in my mind the brief flicker of annoyance before he masked it with a polite smile, helping me back to the room. Had I gone too far? Had I offended him beyond repair? The unending questions of had I echoed in my mind, each one adding to the weight on my shoulders.
As the party continued outside, I found myself retreating into a corner of the room, the silence deafening in contrast to the lively chatter I could still hear. It was a stark reminder of the discord I had introduced into the evening.
Suddenly, Mr. Dean re-entered the room, grabbing his jacket. "I have some clothes in the closet. Change into them, and you can call room service if you need anything," he said, the tone f his voice unreadable as he slipped on his jacket.
I seized the opportunity to steal glances at him, trying to decipher his mood, but his expression remained inscrutable. Was he avoiding me? Angry? The uncertainty gnawed at me, amplifying my guilt until it threatened to consume me entirely.
I wanted to apologize, to make amends, but the words caught in my throat. What could I say? How could I explain my thoughtlessness, my carelessness?
Why did his anger even burden me in the first place? I'm mainly an item he purchased and..
I could no longer keep up with my thoughts any more, as it all felt like a raging storm.
With a heavy sigh, I limped towards the closet, changing into one of the white shirts he had left for me. The fabric felt cool against my skin as I crawled into bed, the weight of guilt still hidden in a conner of my chest now settling over me like a suffocating blanket.
As I lay there, the events of the evening replaying in my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had irreparably damaged something..our so called relationship or maybe something more.
But amidst the guilt and uncertainty, a small glimmer of hope flickered-a chance to learn from my mistakes, to prove that I was worthy of forgiveness or better still worthy of still being kept under his roof.
With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes, hoping that sleep would bring clarity and perhaps, a way to make things right.
Nix's heart raced as he surveyed the eerily quiet surroundings. The location he had been sent to was supposed to be a simple retrieval, but something felt off. He turned off the engine of his sleek black car, the silence deafening in contrast to the usual bustle of the city.
A chill ran down his spine as he scanned the area, his instincts screaming at him to leave but he refused. Then, like a lightning bolt of realization, it hit him-he had walked straight into the trap he wast trying to avoid.
"Not again" he muttered under his breath, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. With a quick, practiced motion, he undid his seat belt and reclined his chair, trying to make himself a smaller target.
His heart pounded in his chest as the first shots rang out, shattering the windows and windshield of his car. Glass rained down on him, leaving stinging cuts on his skin. Nix gritted his teeth against the pain, his mind racing with thoughts of escape and survival.
As the gunfire subsided, he cautiously stepped out of the car, brushing away the fragments of glass clinging to his clothes. His senses were on high alert as he scanned the area for any signs of movement.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips despite the danger. He knew those attacker just like he knew the back of his palm and also knew their tactics. They had underestimated him, thinking he was an easy mark.
His gaze landed on a conspicuous red box placed before his car. With wary steps, he approached it, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. But after a tense moment of hesitation, he lifted the lid.
Inside, a letter awaited him, the words written in crimson, stark against the white paper.
"Return it in three days unless you seek death."
Nix couldn't help but chuckle, a dark humor bubbling up within him. "Is this what they call a threat?" he murmured to himself, his voice laced with amusement. "They've forgotten what I'm capable of since I decided to live a quiet life...tsk tsk"
With a dismissive flick, he tossed the letter aside, his confidence unshaken. "Too bad I'm not in the mood to play nice," he mused, his eyes gleaming with something more than determination..
Turning back to his car, now riddled with bullet holes, Nix couldn't hide his annoyance. "So, I came all this way for nothing," he muttered, running a hand over the dented metal. "But at least they've reminded me of who I really am."
With a smirk, he climbed back into the driver's seat, the engine growling to life beneath him. As he drove away from the scene of the ambush, a sense of exhilaration coursed through him.
"Good for nothing idiots," he muttered with a shake of his head, the thrill of the chase already beginning to stir in his blood. This wasn't over-not by a long shot. Nix had been awakened from his quiet life, and he was ready to unleash his demons he buried careful once again.
As Carmela slowly blinked awake, the first thing that greeted her senses was a familiar scent enveloping her. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she snuggled closer into the warm embrace of the person she was so accustomed to waking up beside. A sense of peace washed over her, and she found herself unwilling to let go of this moment.
"It's already 10 am. Are you planning to stay in bed for the rest of the day?" she heard Nix's calm, mild voice arousing her from her sleepy haze. Opening her eyes, she was met with his lazy yet vibrant gaze, as if his eyes were trying to capture every detail of her being.
"Did you sleep late after I left?" he inquired, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. Carmela remained silent, lost in the comfort of his presence, her mind still swimming in the memories of the night before..still expecting the worst but none of it came.
Nix's brows furrowed slightly, wondering if the incident from the party had left her feeling unsettled. But then, with a casual ease that only he possessed, he spoke again, "How about we go on a vacation after we get you a new pair of glasses?" His fingers rubbed against her knot brows
Carmela's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected proposal. A vacation? Just the two of them? Her rational mind tried to intervene, questioning the appropriateness of such a trip, but her heart had other ideas. It fluttered wildly in her chest, sending waves of excitement and anticipation coursing through her veins.
A small smile tugged at the corners of Nix's lips as he noticed the myriad of emotions playing across Carmela's face. "Go and freshen up. We'll be leaving in thirty minutes," he declared, sealing the decision with a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Carmela could only stare at him, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red. Her mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, but all she could manage was a nod, her voice lost in the intensity of the moment.
"You don't want to go? You want more?" Nix teased, pulling her even closer to him. His lips brushed against hers in a teasing caress, sending shivers down her spine.
With a soft laugh, Carmela leaned into the gentle kiss, her heart soaring with a newfound sense of joy and contentment.
And in that moment, surrounded by the warmth of Nix's embrace, she knew that everything would be alright.. even if it was just for a moment.
And as their lips met in another tender embrace, Carmela couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn of events that had brought them here, together, in this perfect moment..she wished could last forever.
All she could hope for was that this journey would open up a new chapter in her life-one where she would be free from the weight of her insecurities and fears. She found herself opening up to Nix in ways she never thought possible and secretly wanted to maintain their relationship.. although she knew it was next to impossible due to her current status.
With a smile on her face and a heart full of gratitude, she leaned into Nix's embrace, knowing that she was finally free,free to love even though she has to keep it a secret for as long as she can,free to live, and free to embrace the beautiful journey that life has lay ahead of her.. even though it was temporary, she wanted to lock away the bad memories in a box and focus on the good ones.
She took one more glance and Nix and the thought came like a passing wind
Could he be her key to happiness?
She wondered not getting any specific answers to her rhetoric questions