Forever Mine

10. Lucius

After leaving the office I came straight home did some work from my home office,at nine o'clock I  cooked some ramen ate and then went to bed. It's now one in the morning and I've barely slept a wink. I've just been staring into the darkness of my colossal room the day's events replaying again and again.  This woman from my past is back. For one she's even more beautiful than I remember. Secondly she can't work for me not because I think she's below the job but it's because I still blame myself for what had happened to her and I wasn't going to let her stick around and  expose her to more harm. I still didn't know why she didn't seem to remember me .  Well  having hot coffee poured all over me was definitely not the way I wanted us to meet. Something wasn't right.
Maybe it wasn't Serena and it was just Andrea?
I didn't know really but I still needed her away from me. As I stared into the darkness a familiar but long forgotten memory unfolds in my mind.

                        ✨✨
          ( Fourteen years ago)
School had come to a close and I just wanted to  go home . I walked to the parking lot and headed to my spot to wait for James ,my driver. On the way  I saw a girl who was pacing and she was muttering angrily to herself. I stood there and watched her wondering whether I should go to her or just ignore her . Before I knew it my legs were moving towards her as if they had a mind of their own.
I stopped a few feet from where she was standing and she turned around and then looked at me. And by looking I mean outright staring. The fury on her face faded and it was replaced by something much softer . Surprise or was that shock ? Besides the sudden shift in emotion she had gone completely still like a deer caught in headlights.
" You okay ? " I ask her . The response doesn't come immediately. She takes about a full minute to recorver , she blinks a few times and then says
" How long have you been standing there ?"
" Long enough ," I say .
Surprise flashes across her face and then it turns to anger.
" Well can I help you ?" I almost smile but I refrain from it . We both know that I'm not the one who needs help.
" I should be the one asking you that ,"
" Nah I'm fine," her voice wobbles at the obvious lie.
" Well in that case that is one fine and mangled bike ." I place emphasis on the words fine and mangled.
She narrows her eyes at me and looks at said bike. She closes her eyes and and pinches the bridge of her nose as if she is trying to come down .
" Well  then since you wanna help go ahead and fix it." I can tell that she is frustrated and I don't blame her. I mean I would be  if that happened to me.
" Well I can't fix it but I can give you a ride ,"
She makes a show of looking around the empty parking lot and then asks with mockery
" Really in your air mobile? "
My lips twitch because I want to smile.
The black  Porsche  Cayenne that drops and picks me up everyday at school is  not an air anything it's very real .
I can't  wait to see her reaction when she sees it.
As if on cue I hear the quiet thrum of an engine nearby  and I enjoy watching her smug expression wiped off her face so fast it's almost comical.
The vehicle stops a few feet from us and then James steps out and greets us both.  I request  James to put the disfigured bike in the back and the I hop in the back seat and leave the door open.
For a few minutes she doesn't move not untill I  say
"Don't make me come and get you ."
After a few moments of waiting she gets in and then the door is firmly shut behind her.
She's quiet so I decide to poke at her.
" How do you like my air mobile ?"
She doesn't respond but she looks at me like really looks at me like when she first saw me.
I then realize that she's beautiful with emerald green eyes raven black hair that faintly glows in the evening sun. Her nose is straight  and she has fine lips.
She's more beautiful than any angel  ever imagined.
Curiousity finally has me asking her the question I have been meaning to ask for a while know.
" what's your name ?"
She looks away and  she's silent and then I think that she really won't answer my question. I heave a quiet sigh and pull out my rather abused copy of Paradise lost from my bag .
" Serena " comes her  soft reply .

              ✨✨✨
My eyes open quickly and I suddenly sit up with her name still dancing on my tongue. I look at my bedside clock and it's 4:00 am. Great that beautiful goddess will also ruin my sleep not that I sleep alot any way.
I kick the blankets aside since I know that going back to sleep is out of the question . As I take the stairs to my gym something is nagging me and I can't quite  put my finger on it.
When I get to the treadmill that's when it hits me.
I didn't have my usual nightmare instead I  was graced by an angel . It's a reprieve I'm thankful for. It brings a smile on my face and it feels real. It's not like the sacarstic , fake and savage I flash every now and then .