Page 75 of Kings of Desire
‘Good night, Bea,’ that damn line again, ending my evening in complete mystery, leaving me like a fish that slowly finds its demise on a bank of sand.
Chapter 17
The room was spinning, the bed was spinning and I was spinning along with them as my head seemed to be tightly tied to my pillow.
‘Take this,’ I recognized Ferris’s voice as a hand appeared in front of me, opening to reveal a white pill, but as much as I wanted to move, my pupils seemed to be the only things working inside my entire body. ‘I have orange juice,’ a glass appeared in front of me, swirling an orange liquor. But how on earth was I supposed to change position until my lips would be able to meet that glass!?
Impossible, I thought, until Ferris’s large torso leaned on me, helping me up on the pillows. It felt like an earthquake, breaking every cell in my body. ‘The wine got to you,’ he laughed, rubbing last night’s mistake in my face as if I didn’t already feel the consequences enough. ‘But I lived for every second of it,’ the memory of me, lustfully unzipping his pants rapidly brought color to my pale cheeks and by the wicked grin so proudly displayed on his face, he was referring exactly to that moment.
‘Never drinking again,’ I mumbled, convinced that I won’t set my mouth on an alcohol glass ever again.
‘You’re drinking this though,’ he put the glass on my lips right after slipping the pill inside my mouth. ‘Now, sleep for another hour. You’ll be as good as new when you wake up.’
I’m not sure if he was talking from personal experience, but he seemed to know exactly what he was saying, talking about, turning his words into my commands.
My eyes closed as if I had been awake for days before, allowing me to find that all too desired rest once again.
I wasn’t entirely sure what time it was when I woke up, but it was dark again. What the hell had happened!? And where did my day go?
‘Ferris!’ I called out for him as soon as my eyes were fully open, desperate to understand how I managed to sleep for an entire day.
‘I’m here,’ he quickly returned from the balcony, putting out his cigarette to take a seat next to me on the bed.
‘What happened? What time is it? Why did I sleep for so long!?’ The questions just kept rolling as a sudden state of anxiety was taking over me, but at least the alcohol fumes seemed to have dissipated and my body was resuming its normal functions.
‘Slow down. It must be from the fatigue mixed with the wine. It’s actually my fault. I shouldn’t have left you to sleep for so long, but you seemed to need the rest so badly.’ He brought his hand to slide through my hair, tugging a few loose curls behind my ears.
‘My clothes...my phone,’ I rushed to stand up, roaming around the room to find them, completely unaware where I had left them.
‘Why are you in such a hurry to get dressed, I’m pretty sure the Academy courses are over by now?’
‘Ferris, I still need to leave,’ I called out to him as soon as I took hold of my dress, slipping right into it while I was staring at my phone. Six missed calls from Brax and a voice message. I was in deep-shit trouble as we speak.
‘I was actually hoping you’ll join me on a short business trip. I have to go to the next town in the morning, and I hate being out of the house. Your company would do me good. Besides, it’s only for a couple of days. I’ll talk to the Dean myself if that’s what worries you.’
‘It’s not only about the Academy...as I told you, I have other...agreements as well,’ my voice almost whispered, ashamed to admit whatever that might imply.
Exactly as I was expecting, his dark eyes flared with a chilling gaze that pierced through to the deepest place within me. It was jealousy coated in doubt, though no matter what he felt or what I felt for him in those seconds, I couldn’t change my mind. ‘My family will be arriving here soon. Maybe even in a couple of days. I need to be in town when that happens.’
Still, no word left his lips as I decided to completely seal them with my own.
‘I wish things were different,’ I whined, catching his torso between my arms with the thought of the voice message on my phone was sprawling my mind like a hurricane. I needed to get out of there, no matter what damage I may cause in the end. We had a deal and I, so far, was keeping my part of it the best way I could.
‘Things will be different at some point, I’m sure of that.’ his smile suddenly reappeared, though lacking any real sign of warmth. It was as if I said some incantation to cast him into a spell... A spell that I was starting to believe I was no longer a part of.
‘I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise,’ smashing my lips on his again I pulled him into a final kiss then ran out the door without looking behind. I felt like Sodom and Gomorrah, one last look, and I will turn to stone when, in reality, my heart was supposed to be of stone to go through with everything I did by now.
The second I closed the car door behind me, I pressed the phone to my ear, hitting voicemail. One message from Brax.
You must not care as much as you pretend about your family.
His tone so full of anger that it immediately instilled a trembling sensation into my flesh. I felt the car wasn’t going fast enough, even if there was only a three-minute drive, and the second it had stopped, I jumped right out, walking straight to my new apartment.
I must have called him five times before his ego finally let him answer ‘What the fuck do you want?’ He barked as I was already an hour late to ourdate.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whimpered, hoping that my mistake won’t have consequences that will affect the mission of bringing back my family.
