Lucian

Chapter 21

[Madelyn]

"Are you tired?" He pulls away from the hug with his hands resting on my shoulders. I nod. I am tired. Physically and mentally. "How about we go to bed then? Are you hungry, do you want to eat something first?" I have lost all my appetite and I'm sure that if I eat now I'll just throw up later. I just want to go to sleep and forget that this day ever happened. Well, most of this day. I don't want to forget what happened between me and Lucian.

"No, I just want to sleep please." Lucian searches my eyes for something and when he finally finds it he nods. His hand goes to the small of my back and he leads me to his bedroom. I haven't seen it before. But it is very much like I imagined it. A big room with dark colored wallpaper. The bed is king sizes with a black, thick duvet. The moonlight coming through the big window casts a dim light over the room.

"Do you want light on or off?" Lucian asks and his compassion makes my heart melt. I want to run to his arms band kiss him. I want him to hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright. I want him to stay with me when I fall asleep and I want him to lay next to me when I wake up. I want him. I just want him. Is this how you are supposed to feel when you are in love?

"Off, please." Lucian nods and his hand leaves my back. He pulls down the curtains and the room goes pitch black.

"Lucian.." I whisper. A soft hand touches my arm and I recognize the heat.

"I am right here Madelyn." He tugs on my arm and I follow him to the bed. He guides me to lay down on his soft bed as my eyes begin to adjust to the light. I watch him take off his pants and shirt before climbing into bed with only his boxers on. My cheeks heat and I look away.

He pulls the sheet over both of us and we both lie down in each side. After five minutes I turn to face him and he notices and does the same. "Do you want to play twenty questions?" I ask. I see him smile in the dark.

"What is that?"

"It is basically just asking each other twenty questions. And you have to answer." I explain and wait for his response.

"Okay.."

"Okay..." I inhale a sharp breath. "I'll start easy, have you ever been in love?" I swallow hard as the room goes quiet. Maybe I made it too obvious.

"Yes, but it was a long time ago." He finally answers. I don't know why but sometimes in my stomach drops.

"Who was it?" I don't want to seem too eager but I want to know. Lucian chuckles.

"Isn't it my turn?"

"Yes." I frown. I want to know who it is he was in love with.

"Okay, were you happy with Nick?" Oh okay, we're going with the hard questions.

"No." I answer truthfully. I was not.

"Did you ever love him?" I shake my head. No.
"Then why did you stay with him for so long?" I can see Lucian's eyebrows frown through the darkness.

"I-" oh, that was a hard one. "I don't really...know." I don't know actually. Why did I stay with Nick?

"Did he ever hurt you?" Lucian's voice sounds more serious. It takes time for me to answer and I can hear Lucian growing angry. Maybe he thinks Nick hit me or something.

"No." Not physically. But mentally, he did. "But I do remember one time when he got home drunk..." I feel Lucian tens next to me. "I kissed him and told him to go and get ready for dinner. And he..got so mad." My voice breaks and I cringe. "I don't know why but I have been scared to kiss him ever since. It's weird, I know-" I let out a dry laugh and sigh before realizing that he has gotten way more questions than me.

"Hey! You cheated." I gasp and look at him. He is grinning, his white teeth showing. And those dimples. I want to reach out and touch his face but I am supposed to be upset with him now. I like that he let me change he the subject. "My turn." I say.

I want to ask him about the girl but there is something nagging in the back of my brain. A question I need him to answer.

"Lucian," I gulp.

"Madelyn."

"That day when you came by our house. The first time I saw you...what did Lucian want me to give you? What was in that envelope?" Lucian's face turns serious and I am a little afraid that I asked. Maybe I don't want to know the answer.

"Money." He says quickly. Too quickly.

"Wha- why?" Why would Nick give money to Lucian?

"I found out he had been stealing form our accounts. When I confronted him he told me that he would have the money by the end of the week so I went to his house at the day he said he would have it. Then I saw you. And I knew instantly that Nick hadn't given me all the money he owed me. He knew that if he would be delivering half of the money he stole there would be...consequences. But if you did then I wouldn't be able to do much." I breathe in the truth. Nick stole from his work? But why? He made enough money as it was.

"Why didn't you just...fire him?" I whisper. Lucian yawns and puts a warm hand on my shoulder.

"Sleep. Try to get some sleep and we'll talk about this later." I nod and look at him. He is looking at me. Neither of us are trying to sleep. Suddenly the memory form our time in the bathroom washes over me and my cheeks heat. I am lucky that it is dark in this room or he would see my crimson colored face. Is he thinking about it? Maybe I'm just making it weird.

"Good night." I whisper and he nods.

"Good night." We both continue to look at each other. My heart is thumping loudly in my chest. Does he love me? The word seems weird in my mind. Love. It's a big word. Did I ever love Nick? No...yes? I don't know. I never felt like this with Nick.

"I remember you, you know." The words leave my mouth before I get the chance to think them through. I guess there's no turning back now. I wait for Lucian's reaction but he doesn't give me one. Instead he reaches out a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Go to sleep love. We can talk in the morning." He says instead. In that voice I like. The one that makes my eyelids feel heavy. I suddenly feel very tired. What is this witchcraft? My vision becomes one big blur and I feel my dreams pulling me in.
Go to sleep.

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