Vengeance

||11|| Her Wings

"Then why are you being all nice guy, hmm?" My eyes followed him as he walked over to me around the bed. "If you expect me to believe for a second that you went through all the trouble to drive me up here, bring me up and... and take my heels off, then you—"

"Is it so hard to believe that I can be nice? Even to you?" He questioned, his tone low as he approached me. His eyes flicked to my lips then back up, sending a pathetic flutter through my stomach.

I shook my head as I looked up at him, "Not a chance."

"Tell me, angel," He started.

That name. That god damn name.

"What are the terrible things I've done to you so far? Enlighten me." He continued.

I pressed my lips together as I searched my mind for an answer to his question.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Around three times.

He lifted his hands to my face and held a lock of my hair from each side of my head, "Exactly."

"You stopped me from killing Apollo," I finally said, my eyes trained on his close lips... so close.

"It was to protect you, is that so terrible?"

"I don't need someone to protect me. I never have all these years, why would I need it now?" My eyes went to his. They were a dark shade of brown, but I could still see them dilate as he shifted them across my face.

"So what is it that you need, Oakley?" He lowered his head and grazed his lips on my jaw, I fluttered my eyes closed and inhaled silently. "What do you want?"

I put a hand on his shoulder to stable myself, my head spinning from his breath fanning over my skin.

"I—"

He kissed my neck gently, his lips lingering on my skin.

"I want to forget." I continued. He paused, not asking what, or who, but stayed silent.

And I was glad he didn't ask because even I wasn't sure what I wanted to forget. If I had a choice, I'd wipe my memories clean of everything. Maybe then I'd find the girl deep inside that isn't forever scarred and wounded by the forever-lasting movie in her head of her parent's murder.

"I can help you forget. Or at least try to, if that's what you want," August said. "All you got to do is say the words."

I suddenly felt my body stiffen. I don't like this, I don't like our closeness or the sensitivity of this conversation. I felt vulnerable and he was trespassing in a territory made only for me.

I lifted my lips to his ear slowly and paused, "Fuck off," I whispered. I leaned back, pushing his chest away from me.

He let out a huff through his nose and shook his head. He was trying to play unbothered but I caught a glimpse of his tensed jaw. Ticking him off brings me joy; It's like taunting a snake with a mouse. Bring the mouse just a slither away from the snake's mouth, then once it goes to snap, pull it back.

I examined the room, and my mind went back to the first night August and I met. I had seen his car and wondered what job he worked that let him afford that. Well, now I know the answer to that. The same job that helped him afford this stunning apartment.