camouflage [h.s]

48

"Harold!"

I can't help but laugh as a stout man comes walking up to Harry and I, using the nickname I know he absolutely despises.

We have been at the art gallery for barely ten minutes and nearly twenty people have already come to talk to Harry. So, I don't pay particular attention as he speaks with this man.

Instead, I focus my attention at the art pieces which hang dormant on the white walls of the gallery. I have to admit, each of them are extremely beautiful in their own unique way, leaving me wondering how such a cold man like Nikolai could be so intuitive with artwork.

I'm brought back to reality when Harry slips his arm around my waist, pecking my cheek in the process.

"I just love you in this little black dress," he roughly whispers into my ear.

"I may just have to show you what's under it later," I say, deciding to join in on his games.

"I'd be honored to be the one taking it off." He chuckles, resting his chin on my shoulder as we stand amidst the crowd of prospectors.

People around us seem infatuated with the art Nikolai invited us all here to see, and I can't blame them. Just a few moments ago I could barely peel my own eyes from them, but Harry is much more appealing than all of these pieces combined.

"Now that you've made that proposition I can't help but want to leave earlier than planned."

It's my turn to laugh, "we may just have to stay longer so I can enjoy watching you suffer."

I turn slightly to find him pouting, a facial expression which I have always fallen in pity to with him. "That's just not right."

"Maybe we shouldn't be showing this much affection in front of Nikolai's workers." I suggest as his hand moves to my lower back.

"He told me to bring you here as my date, so I'm sure as hell going to treat you like one. Plus, I'm pretty sure he didn't believe that whole broken up bullshit."

"If you were a better liar he would have."

"I did lie to you about who I was for a long time." Harry mutters, dragging up the past that I'd rather leave behind.

"Please, I was onto you after a week of knowing each other. You were clearly hiding something," I say.

"Whatever Ms. Know It All." He says, and I know he must be rolling his eyes right now.

Harry still has his grip around my waist when a hush comes over the gallery, and I find the source as everyone is looking at Nikolai walk into the room. He's wearing all black, almost as dark the shade of his hair. You can hear the click of his heels as he walks across the marble floor of the gallery.

"Each piece you see here tonight is a part of my personal collection, something that I am very proud of." His voice is echoed around the room, some sort of surround sound system allowing everyone in the room to hear his words.

"So tonight let's drink until the room is spinning, and maybe even head up to the VIP room for some extra activities." Nikolai smiles sideways, winking at a young woman listening to his ridiculous spiel.

"I'm sure you all are tired of me speaking, so enjoy my collection!" He gives a fake smile to the crowd, music mow turned on to fill the void left without his voice there to annoy us any longer.

The crowd gets back to normal, chatter becoming even louder than before Nikolai arrived.

"He's such a complete prick." Harry huffs, reminding me of his presence.

I pull away from his embrace grabbing his hand and moving towards the artwork hanging on the walls, "he is a prick but we can still enjoy the art."

"We had our first kiss here," Harry says softly, eyes fixated on the painting in front of us.

"Right in this exact spot I think." I say, remembering where the picture of a man and woman depicted in a scene of chaos hung all those months ago.

I'm cut off from looking at our surroundings when Harry presses his lips to mine, hand moving to my cheek as my eyes close in ecstasy of our close proximity.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I've been looking for you two." We both pull away, finding Nikolai grinning at us.

"What do you want?" Harry snaps.

"I'd just like to show the two of you something, I think you'll appreciate it when we get there." He says before turning on his heel, hand beckoning for us to follow.

Harry glances at me with a worried look before walking after Nikolai, hand around mine as we walk towards the glass elevator.

Nikolai is impatiently tapping his foot when we step inside, pressing the button for the highest floor and continually checking his watch.

Something about this seems off, and I think both Harry and I can already feel that as the glass doors slide shut.

I lean into Harry as we quickly go upwards, the sea of people below looking like a colony of ants by the time we get to our selected floor. We follow Nikolai out of the elevator and up a flight of stairs, him opening a door to reveal the roof of the building.

The setting sun is the first thing I notice as we step outside, wind whipping my body and most likely doing a number to my hair.

"What the fuck do you want Nick?" Harry asks once again as we stand there in the cold of the late afternoon.

"Why must I always have different motives for the things I do, Harry? Maybe I just wanted to show the two of you a nice view, and congratulate you once again for signing the contract."

"Forget that contract bullshit, what do you actually want? Why the fuck would you bring me to the roof for something as simple as that?" Harry asks loudly to make his voice heard over the wind, stepping directly in front of me as he speaks.

"I think you forget sometimes that I've given you everything. Without me you would be nothing, I made you everything you are today!" Nikolai spits with the veins of his neck throbbing. "I could easily make you disappear Harry, don't forget that."

"Fuck you!" Harry screams repeatedly, finally losing the one thing he'd been trying so hard to hold in, his anger.

The same charming, kind, loving man I fell in love with is now ferociously shoving the man that ruined his life with a force which was fueled with everything he'd been holding inside.

All the years of being used have led up to this exact moment, the one where he finally got to stand up for himself, no matter what the outcome may be.

Now everything seems frozen as I watch as the scene unfolds, Harry repeatedly pushing Nikolai, bringing them so near the edge of the building that it is unsettling. I run up to stop Harry, but by the time I do it's far too late.

Nikolai begins stumbles backwards with no time to catch himself. His dark eyes turn to panic as he goes over the side of the building, no time for Harry nor I to reach him. We both watch in horror as he falls hundreds of stories, such a long stretch that he is out of view about halfway down.

As I stand there in shock Harry turns around, an unsettling fear in his eyes which matches my own.

"Run."

_____________________

Next chapter is the last of the book, then an epilogue!

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-Jo x