Prehalia's Demons(Completed) I #Wattys2019

28 I THE MORNING AFTER

I didn't think I'd fall asleep, but I guess the fatigue of the previous day told its word and my eyes close, letting me sink into unconsciousness...

When I wake up, the sun is shining bright outside already and I'm suddenly scared that I have overslept. I look around for my phone and I find it next to me on the bed. Strange. I'm pretty sure I had it in my hands- Oh. That's precisely when the memories of last night take over and with a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, which scares the crap out of me to say the least, I jump out of bed, forgetting about my phone completely. My heart beats fast, as I rewind the images of those grey eyes and black hair which were uncomfortably close, yet made me feel safe. How can a human be this perfect? Even those tiny freckles seem more than adorable and render Leonardo's face far more friendly and likeable from up close. Last night I didn't see the monster, I saw the boy. And I wish I didn't, because by the looks of it, that only made me weaker.

"Morning, miss." I hear Mr. Lawrence's muffled voice from the other side of the door and I jump in my spot, my mind trying it's best to return to reality. I can't let my guard down even for a minute while I'm here and the events from yesterday's night only confirm it further. "There's breakfast awaiting you in the living room. Please come out." He announces with his usual level voice and that lack of visible emotion of any kind reasserts that he's even less trustworthy than Sanchez.

Far too late, I realize that I didn't answer, so I clear my throat in attempt to indicate that I'm awake without having to say a word. A loud sigh comes from behind the closed doors. "I know you don't like me anymore, miss, but you need to eat. You should prepare for our trip."

Trip. I let out something in-between a laughter and a hiss at that word. How can he reffer to me trying to save my sister as a 'trip'? As if we're going to a five star hotel, and not the absolute worst place a person can find themself in.

I keep my anger behind the bars of its rotting cage and no words are allowed to escape my mouth. Instead, I try to distract myself by changing into whatever I packed the day before. I put my hair in a loose bun, as messy as my thoughts and I open the door right when Mr. Lawrence is about to walk away. His eyes widen only slightly and he smiles at me. I shiver. "You've changed already?"

"Obviously." I answer and curse at myself for being the sarcastic ass I always am. "Yeah, I am." I paraphrase but we both know how hard I'm trying not to be mean.

As we approach the dreadful living room, my skin crawls and the palms of my hands begin to sweat uncomfortably at the possibility of meeting Leonardo. Whatever happened during the night in that bed, I certainly hope he forgets about it.

"Mr. Sanchez isn't here. He's out for work." Jim Lawrence adds, as if he's reading my thoughts and I shudder once again. This guy always succeeds in giving me the creeps. I don't ask what job Leonardo has to do, because it's something that I most likely don't want myself involved into.

"Alright. I wasn't searching for him anyway." I reply as neutral as possible but the look Mr. Lawrence gives me suggests that he knows something that I don't want him to. I shut my eyes in annoyance and embarrassment. Leonardo Sanchez has quite the big mouth for a billionaire with a questionable occupation.

I eat alone on the table that's placed next to the fancy chair which Leonardo seems to be keen on. There are no guards in the room but I'm no fool—I'm sure they've found a way to spy on my every move. Still, I stand up from my place, the food in my plate untouched, and carefully make my way to the chair. I sit on it and half expect for someone to burst in the room and press a gun to my temple for placing my butt on here, but nobody comes. It's still just me and the magnificent view over the entirety of Nevarium. I can see why Leo likes to spend his time here. The landscape is calming and makes you forget what you have on your mind.

"Enjoying the seat?" I hear a voice which catches me off guard and instead of taking a proper breath, it stops in my throat and I proper choke. I am just about to stand up when a pair of pale hands pushes me back onto the seat. The contact, even with the fabric of my shirt in-between, makes me feel warm on the inside again and I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad feeling that's evoked. "Just stay where you are, I'm not going to bother you."

My eyes fly open and I look up at him. Leonardo smiles at me but something about it is different. I can't help the blush that creeps on my cheeks as I look away from him.

He doesn't bring up what happened between us and I find myself being thankful to him. I can't really concentrate on our mess when my sister is still being held hostage. Right now she's my top priority.

"We're leaving this evening, right?" I stare at the scenery outside. "What time?"

"I have to prepare some luggage and I have to choose the two men I'll take with me, but we should be ready to go by seven." He states matter-of-factly.

I nod and after he realizes that I have no intentions of saying anything else, he simply grabs his jacket and leaves the room. The click of the door behind him reminds me of the way he left last night.

"Will it be this awkward from now on? I almost miss him getting all crazy on me." I murmur and cross my arms like a sulking kid.

I finally turn on my phone and I wait in fear for a new message to pop on the screen. There is nothing. I take in a deep breath, relieved. I guess it's not one of those days today.

Not receiving a message from Jean-Jacques I can confidently consider the start of a good day.

I scroll down my inbox, not sure why I'm doing it, but I end up searching for my conversations with Leonardo subconsciously. It takes a while, however the familiarity of the action makes me more relaxed. At this point I can't even count the times I've re-read those messages, even though the thought of me knowing them by heart makes me feel quite conflicted. I suddenly catch a glimpse of our conversation that includes Jessica's name and that brings me back to the present and all that is messed up in it.

"Jessica I'm coming to save you. Please hold on a little longer." Murmuring those words as if they're my mantra, I stare ahead at the landscape of Nevarium.

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First author's note! I'm here to thank absolutely everyone who's following Keelian's journey with interest, no matter if you vote and comment, or you just silently read, I really appreciate absolutely every reader and it motivates me to move forward :)
A special thanks to shine_light  who has been here since the beginning and is still one of the most active readers!