Love Sucks

Agreements - Chapter Ten

"Having been given so much, we reason, how could we expect not to be brought as low as Lucifer for the staggering presumption of our love?"

Stephen King

***

It was evening when Abbi started to get tremendously bored and uncomfortable.

They had sat in his room while the sun swelled and sunk into the horizon, he reading to her and she sprawled across his bed, drunk in each other's company. His smooth low voice was the sweetest of lullabies, she wanted to lose herself in each syllable, but Abigail tried not to think this way. Listening intently to the story, Abbi tried not to admire Nate from afar, to not focus on unrequited romance or trysts. Unfortunately, the book was a romance, a romance at it's finest.

Already, the "L" word had been mentioned seven times, and couple in question were now exchanging it once again as they blinked into each others ungodly stares. Or so Nathaniel had read.

She was starting to get uneasy. Whether it was the feeling of love that had squashed her spirits, or the fact that Nathaniel wasn't looking at the page when he said; I want to spend eternity with you, our love is undiminished and pure, and nothing could make me happier than to love you. His eyes were, instead, focused solely on Abigail.

She sat up on the bed, running a hand through her hair as she looked anywhere but his face and his burning gaze.

"Nate," said Abbi, sounding impatient, "Can we do something that doesn't require strong emotions? I have the sudden urge to stab someone."

Nathaniel cocked his head and set the book down, eyeing her up and down and ultimately making her squirm.

"Well, I could try and find a big enough knife to suite your needs, but I do have to ask, who do you plan on stabbing?"

Abbi sighed, closing her eyes for briefly. She thought about it for a moment then responded with a dramatic sweep of her hand. "Society."

Nate cracked a smile, the act making his eyes ignite like blue fire."Oh. How nice." He said, most likely to humor her.

Abbi sat back down, ignoring his pleading eyes for her to join him on the floor. Ever since her confrontation with Alexander, plagued thoughts had weighed down her mind, and she didn't want to be caught near him.

"Is something bothering you?" Nathaniel asked, his tone comforting, yet overly curious.

She shrugged innocently. "No, why would you think that?"

He rolled his eyes pointedly, and rubbed his chin. "Well, it was just a guess, considering that you want to stab someone with a considerably large knife and you're not interested in the literature I'm so gratefully reading to you."

It was her turn to look him over, her eyes trailing over the expression on his face. "First of all," Abbi started, her voice disgruntled, "it was your idea to use the considerably large knife. Secondly, I am not that interested in romantic literature." That was a lie, and he knew it; any romantic novel was her favorite.

Nathaniel gave her a demeaning glare at the excuses."Is it what my father said to you? Is that what's bothering you? Why you locked yourself in the bathroom?"

Abbi blinked, his bombardment of questions catching her off guard. She opened her mouth but nothing came out, and so, Abbi sat there like an idiot before Nathaniel stood up started toward her.

"Abigail," Forgetting how fast he moved, Abbi didn't know how to react when suddenly, he was standing in front of her.

With the back side of his hand, he brushed the side of her face, letting his fingers linger underneath her jaw. The brought a wave of heat in it's wake.