Darkness

Chapter 20

I gasped in front of her. She never wanted to come to my house, she usually made up messy excuses to decline the invitation.

"Hi Selene, can I come in?"

I shook my head to push those thoughts away and I scarce to let her in.

"Sure Rebecca, you're welcome?"

She looked around curiously, carefully examining the living room, it was almost disturbing the way she observed every point of the room. I walked over to her and offered her something to drink. On our way to the kitchen, we were joined by my cousin who had heard us speak. After introducing them, we spent some time talking about school and of course Rebecca updated us on the latest events among the students. Ginevra found herself quite prepared on some gossip, in fact I felt a little excluded since I didn't know anything. After a while my mother called me and asked me to make dinner just for us since they would be staying at work.

"You can continue, in the meantime I'll prepare dinner."

"Oh do you want a hand Selene?"

"No, don't worry, I'll do it alone. Do you want to stay for dinner Rebecca?"

"No, thanks, I have to escape."

"Then I'll just prepare for the four of us."

"Four?"

"Yes, me, Ginevra, Richard and Marika."

"Right Richard." His smile lit up with an almost insane light that I couldn't understand what it was due to. "Anyway Marika isn't there, she stops by George."

I whirled around and stood staring at her.

"And what do you know?"

"Oh well, I met her and she told me."

He replied nonchalantly, shrugging.

"I'm going, see you tomorrow."

"Wait, I'll take you."

Rebecca and Ginevra left the room, leaving me alone. I could not understand what had happened or what Rebecca and Marika wanted to do but I was not convinced that their friendship was very solid or that it did not have double ends. After all, this had only recently begun and Rebecca knows more about my sister in these weeks than I in these sixteen years that I have lived with her.

"Hey Sele, are you all right?"

"Oh yes sure."

"Richard is back, so if we want to set the table ..."

"Yes, take the cutlery while I take the tablecloth."

As I bent down to take the tablecloth from the bottom drawer, Ginevra opened the freezer door to get the glasses. When I was bent, a hand slipped along my shoulder, caressing it making me jump and hit the open door. I touched my aching head and then turned to stare at him in anger.

"Couldn't you have revealed yourself differently?"

"It wouldn't have been fun spark, what have you prepared?"

He tried to wrap his arms around my waist but I moved quickly so he wouldn't touch me. I took a ladle that lay near the kitchenette lifting it up and playfully threatening Richard. I didn't understand why but Richard's action didn't bother me much.

He raised his hands above his head in surrender.

"Ok, don't worry, I won't touch you ..."

At his words, I was distracted and took the opportunity to take me by the arm and squeeze me to my chest. I felt my heart beating faster and faster. It was a different feeling from what I felt when I was with Ares, it was a slower but still heated heartbeat.

"...or maybe not."

"Richard, leave me! I'm with Ares and ... "

"Hey Selene quiet," he loosened his grip just enough to let me free "I understand, stay with him and be fine, mine was just a game ... between friends, can we be right?"

I smiled. I was happy with what he had just said.

"Maybe we started off on the wrong foot, don't you think?"

"I think yes." I answered with a shy smile.

"So let me introduce myself miss, my name is Richard, yours?"

I shook the hand he had extended to me.

"Selene called me."

"Will you let me have dinner with you?"

"With pleasure."

He took the tablecloth and spread it out on the table, still smiling at me. She had a fantastic smile, so bright it lit up the whole house. Maybe it wasn't wrong if we had spent some time together, the two of us. There was nothing wrong with that. We had made our relationship clear and clear.

When we ate, we spent dinner in serenity between stories, laughter and the story of our day. She had been gallant all evening, no awkward jokes, no insinuation, nothing at all, just simple pleasant conversations. Guinevere also seemed slightly astonished at Richard's sudden change of character. After watching a movie, I retired to my room and, while I was making the bed, the piece of paper I had hidden that afternoon fell out. I picked it up and again, like the first time I read it, my heart sank. I squeezed my eyes tight as if hoping that, when I opened my eyes, that piece of paper would go away as a distant memory and yet it was still there, in my hand. He crumpled it up and threw it on the floor, as far away from me as possible. Just before falling asleep I was shaken by someone who threw open the door. I sat up instantly but, when I saw him, I immediately relaxed.

"Did I scare you?"

"No it's just that I wasn't expecting you."

"Anyway I wanted to wish you goodnight."

"Well goodnight then."

He approached slowly, his confident gait advancing towards me making me swallow slightly. She came to my ear and sensually whispered to me:

"I really wanted to kiss you goodnight."

Before I could say anything, he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. I felt his lips like fire on my skin which then spread all over my face.

"Have good dreams Selene, see you tomorrow."

I remained motionless, even after he was gone. I felt this was so wrong. I shouldn't have reacted that way when he kissed my cheek.

After settling on the pillow, I pulled the duvet up over my nose, settling into a fetal position, hugging my whole body as if to restore the lost warmth that was gone. I arranged the blankets like a barrier to protect myself from something, as if I wanted to hide from the source of all this chaos that was creating inside me. I wanted to hide from Richard