Mercury

Twenty Three

After a few short weeks, Mercury found herself dating Joel. Violet strongly approved of him, emphasizing his wealth and normalcy compared to Dean. In the midst of their burgeoning relationship, Joel remained blissfully unaware of Mercury's intricate past, including medications, appointments, and the complexities tied to her family, particularly her father. For Mercury, Joel represented a semblance of normalcy in her life, a balance she desperately needed.

"Are you done yet?" Joel's voice called from the bathroom door, interrupting Mercury's thoughts. "Almost!" Mercury replied as she rinsed her hands and patted them dry, stealing a glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her attire, chosen to please Joel, was a departure from her usual style. The black dress pants and flowery blouse highlighted her noticeable weight loss, a transformation she was grateful Joel hadn't witnessed in its entirety.

Joel, not a fan of makeup, had convinced her to abandon it, arguing that it obscured the beauty underneath. As they exited the room together, his approving smile at her attire added a layer of elegance to the evening.

"You look elegant", he approves.

"Thank you", she almost sounded liked her mother with her father, yet she paid no mind to that.

Their journey to the restaurant in Joel's sleek navy Rolls Royce was filled with small talk. As they pulled up to the exquisite restaurant with glass walls and a fountain surrounded by neatly trimmed grass, Joel's charm seemed to intensify.

As they sat down Joel got straight to business, he called the shots. "The pork they have here is splendid, adorned with quill and the duck sauce—"

How the hell could she even eat all that?

Sitting at the table, Mercury struggled with the elaborate menu, the cursive writing and expensive prices a stark reminder of the stark differences between her past and Joel's world.

"I recommend the—"

"I'll just get a Greek salad."

And with that, the night ended before it begun.

Back at Joel's house after a night of strained conversation, Joel retired to bed, leaving Mercury alone in the living room. Uncomfortable in her attire, she ventured into the kitchen, only to be haunted by mysterious sounds from the living room.

"You're dreaming. This is not real" whispering to herself she slowly steps towards the figure who rises and turns to face her. Letting her hand slide against the wall as she walked, heartbeat in her throat, she flickers the lights on.

Even with a hooded mask she recognised those emerald eyes staring back curiously at her. "Are you just going to stand there?" Mercury's head was swarming with questions and emotions foreign to her. Her hands shook against her sides slightly as she watched him take off the mask to reveal his dark unkept locks.

And it was everything she missed.

"I didn't know you're staying here ". He crawled out, yet she didn't miss the venom in his voice at the end.
. "I'm not." Deans heart was pumping faster than it was when he did cocaine. He knew his pupils were dilated because just the sight of her was enough to make him dizzy. Or perhaps the sight of her and the two lines he took beforehand had him on an adrenaline rush.

There was a heavy silence between them that seemed to be so loud as their eyes spoke a language only they would understand.

"Are you stealing?" She questions in a harsh whisper, although she couldn't say she was completely surprised.

"Perhaps."

"What're you actually doing here Dean?"

He sighs before rolling his eyes at her questions, "maybe I was going to steal, make a couple threats or so..."

Mercury felt her heart flutter, torn between the past and the present. In Dean's deranged mind, he missed her, and the intrusion of Joel, the "rich snob," only intensified his determination to reclaim her.

Of course he was, within his deranged mind he missed her. How could he let this guy come along and woe her? He wasn't Dean, there was nothing special about him besides his wealth, thus, it made sense to get rid of the only thing keeping her from him.

Dean was selfish however, he hadn't spoken to her in a while ever since the rich snob came and swooped her off her feet. But Joel doesn't know her like he does, and there was no way in hell he was just going to sit around and let her be taken away.

If he couldn't have her, nobody could.

She stared at him, because truthfully she missed him. She missed his fucked up morals and his unkept style and his recklessness. Quietly she picked up the satchel near his feet and held his hand leading them out of the front door. She could see the familiar red mustang down the street as they walked to it. "How much did you get?"
Helping themselves into his car and his one of his hands immediately going to her thigh he stares at her lip curling up into a smirk as he hit the accelerator.

"Enough for us to reach the stars".

Because he would even rob Egypt's greatest temples if it meant having her in his arms. She was making him go retrograde.