CRYSTAL POVOne more time. Just a little more time.With the little time I had on my hands, thanks to Duncan’s absence, I took my moment to bathe in fragrant oils and bath salts he had bought for me. I scrubbed my body until I could see the white appearing beneath my caramel skin, trying to remove the feel of the green algae as it dragged me down the deep abyss. By the time I stepped out of the tub, my skin was silky soft smelling like belladonna and sunshine. I had enough time to think my plan through, and I wanted to make this night as memorable and as pleasing as possible. Not just to me, but to the man who now had the keys to my soul. I swallowed down the rising emotions as I selected the skimpiest attire of them all. It was a black lace thing resembling a bra while baring my nipples outside and a matching thong that covered everything except the wet slit between my legs. The material was soft on my skin, kissing me gently and hugging me like a second skin. I added just a tinge
CRYSTAL POV“Are you sure everything is okay?” Duncan drawled eyeing me from the corner of his eye as I helped him into his black suit coat. I swallowed the rising tiny knots of guilt down my throat and pulled on my best smile as I beelined around him and placed myself before him, smoothing the tie and failing to look into his eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to look into those beautiful blues because I was going to break. I was barely standing on my own feet right now as I used the remaining strength in me to hold my shit together. “You should try and stop being skeptical and just enjoy the ride, mister. Can’t I take you to dinner?” I attempted a smile before leaning on my toes and kissing the corner of his lips, lingering a minute longer so I could get the taste of him. For the last time. My throat tightened with unshed tears as the future flashed through my eyes. How would I wake up on a cold empty bed? I wasn't used to it. I was no longer used to a life of solitude and loneliness.
CRYSTAL POV It hurt. It hurt to a point where I felt like my soul had been ripped into tiny little shreds. The tears coating the apples of my cheeks mingled with the cold night, entrapping me with a cruel sensation that resembled walking through a scorching tunnel of hell.I bawled my eyes out until a snort bubbles out of my nose, and my chest heaved uncontrollably with soul-shattering sobs. When Uber finally dropped me off in front of Dom's house, I was nothing but a ghost shell of what I used to be. This pain that rattled through my body, tearing my senses until I felt bloated was too much. I wanted it to stop, to go away even for a second so I could breathe.Before I could even take a step into the white picket fence, Anna came spilling out of the house and charging towards me. She didn’t need to be told, one look at me and she knew that shit had hit the fan. The look of concern on her face was enough to snap the last strap of restraints around my heart. And when she pulled me in
DUNCAN POVI would be lying if I said I knew how I got to the bar. Everything was a giant mess of blur and murk, and nothing seemed to make sense. The whiskey was a memory of warmth as it settled in my stomach, heating up my icy cold chest on its voyage down my internal pipes. I raised my head to look around the dimly lit bar, before dragging my eyes back to the amber and golden liquid in the glass grasped in my hand. I traced my finger on the rim of the glass, admiring the warm taste that resembled a tinge of normalcy. I nursed the liquid steadily, listening to the voices in my head as they bickered back and forth, trying to come up with one simple answer that would put a full stop to all of this mess. I was tired of question marks. “So what are you going to do?” Yet another question I didn’t hold an answer to. If only Apollo knew, then he wouldn’t have asked. I remained quiet for a minute longer, listening to it as it fell into a jumble of mess in my head. “I don’t know. Move bac
CRYSTAL POVThe man in the dark blue suit sitting across from me had his entire gaze on me, to the point where I was squirming uncomfortably in my seat. When I was called in for an interview, I just figured out it would be the HR manager and well, some of the HR personnel. What I did not expect was to find Mr. Dankworth in all his glory sitting in the middle of the HR personnel, his amber gaze hot and sizzling as he pinned it on me. But I have been under far more intimidating gazes that I barely registered it. The interview went fairly well, considering I knew all there was to know about Hues and Lawyers. Honestly, I have been quite obsessed with the firm even way before I got to meet Duncan, or even know he had some dealings to do with him. And if it was considered shameless to ride the wave of connection into the firm of my dreams, then the nerve of shame was long plucked from out of me. I didn’t know if it was a good thing, but for some reason, Mr. Dankworth seemed to have a l
DUNCAN POV“Uncle-daddy?” My heart skitted to a stop, bitterness gripped my throat in a tight vise. I plastered a small smile and turned to look into the blue eyes and a cute plump face.“Just call me daddy.” I inched lower and picked Aurora up before plastering a kiss on her cheek. She dipped her head into her chest and giggled...“Why? You don’t like uncle-daddy?” The bubbly face was quickly replaced by curiosity, and I found myself chuckling, despite my heart which felt like it was being hammered repeatedly.“No. But I am your daddy.” “Nooooo…” She shook her head rapidly, causing her curls to brush her shoulders, “You are uncle-daddy, Uncle-daddy, uncle-daddy…” She began chanting while pumping her small clenched fists up and down, causing inquisitive glances to be cast our of the way.“Okay, okay. Uncle-daddy.” I acquiesced causing her to giggle. She wrapped her arms around my neck, planting a huge kiss on my cheek. Little things she learned from HER.“Is Fairy not coming with u
CRYSTAL POVIT'S A GIFT FROM DUNCAN...IT'S A GIFT FROM DUNCAN...IT'S A GIFT FROM DUNCAN...The words were like a song on repeat in my mind, reverberating with a steady hum of my pulse as it raced through my nerves, causing my heart to skitter now and then. My eyes stayed locked on the dotted numbers inside the electric cubicle, absent-mindedly counting with it while it skipped floors. I was not one with motion sickness, but the more it sowed through the floors and reached for the heavens, I felt small fingers of nausea poking the base of my stomach; not too rough to want me to hurl everything I didn't eat out of my body, but hard enough to cause tingles inside me. Domenico was silent and ghostly by my side, you would have thought he was not even there with him. Yes, he and I were not really 'friends', we just got along fine because of Anna and Duncan but that was it. And right now, I was so thankful for the peace and quiet because I hadn't wrapped my mind around what was happening.
CRYSTAL POV"So let me get this straight..." Anna mused while shifting into a much more comfortable position on the grey L-shaped velvet couch,"He left aaaaaalll of this for you?" He gestured to the space around us with a benignant wave of her manicured hand, her amber eyes snapped wide at me. I sighed heavily before rolling onto my stomach, laying my head on the white fur cushion, and nodded. "And his cars?" She continued, chewing on that gum like she was punishing it for some deadly sin. "Yahp." I deadpanned, "And he paid the cubbies tuition throughout middle school, all the way till high school." I wish she could just get to the point and stop trying to spell out every little thing Duncan did for me. I was already guilty enough, and I didn't need her to gage everything up and shove it down my throat. It was all bitter enough. "Do you still think you should keep the whole pregnancy thing from him?" She puffed some air through the hard thing, causing it to form a bubble in fro