Chapter 7

Chapter 7

ALLESIA

A rough tap woke me up, my eyes shot open with a force that surprised even Renzo, who was still holding his hand up mid air to tap me again. I shot him a hard glare, rubbed at my eyes and sat up.

"What do you want?" I asked irritably.

He rolled his eyes, "You asked me to remind you to pay Elletra a visit by 12pm, it's almost 1pm and you are still sleeping."

I exhaled sharply and shook my head several times. "I guess I was too tired."

"And why didn't you just sleep in your room? I mean, I wouldn't have bothered waking you if you did not sleep in the parlor."

I rolled my eyes, "Thank you, Renzo. I'll go prepare."

I stopped up from the couch and walked towards my room.

I’d been dreaming about Russel doing sick things to me.

How could I have such a stupid dream? It felt so real…so real.

Involuntarily, my hand traveled to my lips and I touched it dreamily. I could almost still feel his lips there, he'd kissed my jawline, my face… and my neck.

God, what's happening to me?

It's been one week and everyday for the last week, I was seeing Russel in my dreams, doing the weirdest, dirtiest things to me.

And each time I woke up, there was always a box of gifts with a note telling me he was still waiting for my reply.

Lord knows I’m losing my fucking mind.

___________

THREE HOURS LATER

“Oh! I'm so sorry, Miss!" The man apologized for the fifth time in the two minutes of our unfortunate meeting.

I took one longing glance at my bleeding arm and bit my lower lip to stop the small scream that was threatening to escape my throat.

“I'm really sorry, Miss." The man apologized again, he took out a white kerchief and wiped the blood that was trailing my bare arm and I cringed, "I really didn't mean to."

I sighed and pushed his hand away, "It's fine– you really should watch where you are going next time." I hissed and walked away.

I just came back from Elletra's house and was on my way going back home when that dude bumped into me. Weird enough, he had been holding something sharp, whatever it was, I didn't bother finding out. All I knew was that the minute he bumped into me, my arm started bleeding.

“Sorry once again, Miss!" His voice echoed behind me, but I didn't bother looking back.

I stood there, waiting to flag down a taxi when my phone rang, as I fidgeted with my bag I suddenly heard the loud honking noise of a car in front of me and when I looked up, my eyes widened in their sockets.

“Hey!"

I looked around to be sure he was really calling me and my mouth literally dropped when he pointed at me.

“Come on, kitten! You think I'd forget a face like yours?"

I opened my mouth and closed it again because for some reasons I didn't know, people were staring at us.

“Hey, uhm–" my words were coming out in stutters and I didn’t know why. “Good afternoon."

“Hop in." Nikolai commanded and I gulped.

“Huh?"

“Come on, Allesia,” he motioned to the car with a slight tilt of his neck. “Get in."

Oh, he even remembers my name.

“It's not a big deal, really. I can walk."

“Don’t be like that,” he persisted, "People are watching. Just pretend to be nice.”

I glanced at my phone screen, it was just a few minutes past 4pm. I glanced around again and true to his words, so many eyes were on us. Not enjoying the attention at all, I quickly entered the car.

We drove in silence for several minutes until he pulled up in front of a very fancy restaurant. I gulped down hard and stared down at my bruised hand, not knowing what to do.

“Let's go in." Nikolai offered sweetly, "Lunch sounds better than dinner."

"Actually– I don't like crowded places.

Nikolai looked at me like I had suddenly grown horns, "What? I mean, if I remember correctly, you work in a bar. Right?"

I swallowed. Problem is, with all that was happening with Russel, I was finding it really hard to accept Nikolai’s advances. It felt like a curse, suddenly having these two hot, intimidating rich guys interested in me.

I quickly texted Elletra: “Emergency exit in 20 minutes. Call me."

It was a system we had perfected over the years for uncomfortable situations like this one.

I glanced at my watch discreetly. Any minute now...

"I mean—"

My phone buzzed with a text. I quickly snatched it up, using it as an excuse to shift away from him.

Elettra: “Calling now. You owe me coffee tomorrow.”

I suppressed my relief and kept my face neutral as I slipped the phone back into my purse. Just as Nikolai started to speak again, my phone rang loudly. I jumped slightly, putting on my best startled expression.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, fumbling for the phone. "I'm so sorry, I need to take this."

He gave me a sweet smile.

"Elettra?" I answered, injecting worry into my voice. "Is everything okay?"

I turned slightly away from Nikolai, but made sure he could still hear my side of the conversation. Elettra was playing her part perfectly, her voice urgent on the other end.

"Oh my god," I gasped, my free hand flying to my mouth. "When? How bad?"

I could feel Nikolai watching me intently, he was worried. I turned to him, eyes wide with manufactured shock, my hand trembling slightly for effect.

"I'll be right there," I promised into the phone. Just as I was about to hang up, my phone buzzed with another text. This time, it was from Renzo.

Renzo: “You done yet? Need you to come to school. Important.”

Perfect timing. This was even better than I'd planned.

"Oh no," I whispered, letting the genuine surprise of Renzo's text blend with my act. "Now Renzo..."

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, his hand reaching for mine. I pulled back instinctively.

"My brother just texted," I explained, my voice shaking. "Right after that call... I'm so sorry, but I have to go. It's an emergency with my family."

"I can drive you," he offered, starting the engine.

"No!" I said too quickly, then softened my tone. "No, thank you. I appreciate it, but I need to go to my brother's school first and then... somewhere else. It would be out of your way."

Nikolai's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's no trouble."

My heart raced. Why was he being so insistent? The small warning voice in my head grew louder.

"I really can't impose," I insisted, reaching for the door handle. "We'll reschedule, I promise."

Just then, my phone rang again. Renzo's name flashed on the screen. Thank god for my brother's impatience. I answered immediately, turning away from Nikolai.

"What's up?" I asked, my tension real now.

Renzo's voice held a note of annoyance as he asked, "Where are you?"

I glanced at Nikolai through the corner of my eye, "I went to Elettra's place, why?" The lie came easily, bolstering my escape plan.

“Something happened. I’m waiting for you.”

"What happened?” My shock was no longer feigned. The act dissolved instantly as real panic set in.

"Come on. It’s urgent.”

The phone slipped from my suddenly numb fingers, clattering to the car floor. Nikolai reached for it, but I snatched it up quickly, my mind racing.

I fumbled with the door handle, desperate to get out now for entirely different reasons.

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, genuine concern in his voice, his hand on my arm.

"It’s an emergency," I managed to say, my throat tight with fear. "I really need to go."

He nodded, "Okay– but I can drop you off."

"No." I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. "I'm really sorry, but I don't want to bother you."

My hand was on the door again, but Nikolai's covered it, preventing me from escaping. His eyes caught the wound on my hand and a deep frown settled between his brows.

"What's wrong? What happened to you?" His voice had an edge to it I hadn't noticed before.

I pulled my hand away. "It was a small accident. Look, I don't really have the time right now." I placed my hand firmly on the door and pushed. "We'll have that dinner I promised sometime soon. But not today, I'm sorry."

Not waiting for another word, I burst from the car and ran to the main road, frantically waving down a passing cab. As I slid into the backseat, I glanced back to see Nikolai watching me from his car, his expression unreadable in the gathering dusk.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

I gave him the name of Renzo’s school, before finally letting out the breath I'd been holding.