C o l e
I feel like I don't say this enough but these situations I continue to get myself into fucking sucks.
I had to pretend to be a hitch hiker for a long, long time before some good samaritan stopped to ask me if I needed a ride. I felt bad about hijacking their car and leaving them stranded but I couldn't exactly have a civilian drive me back to the manor.
I at least made sure he had his wallet and phone before taking it, so that counts for something right?
But now I found myself swerving in and out of lanes, almost hitting others, and running a red light every once in a while. I'm surprised the cops haven't come to stop me yet but that would just be more of an inconvenience to me.
I really had no idea where I was going but I knew some names so I took exits with familiar names. I needed a map or something this is ridiculous. I think the car has a built in map but I'm not about to sit around and fuck with it til it shows itself. My brain already hurts from the stress of being on the road and possibly crashing in to something.
Did I also forget to mention that I hate cars? Well if I haven't, I hate cars.
It took a while before I started seeing more familiar streets and I let out a sigh in relief when I was finally on the right track to the manor. This was such a stressful situation that I felt like I could just pass out the moment I got inside.
I felt like I heard birds singing when I finally made it to the manor but the singing died out when I saw no cars near the drive way or in the garage which was open for some reason.
Shutting the car off, I got out of the death machine and walked up to the front door. I tried turning the knob and to my surprise, it was unlocked. It was deadly silent inside and my footsteps were the only thing I could hear as I walked throughout the manor.
I checked a few rooms on the first floor and that just confirmed my suspicions.
The manor had been abandoned.
That was the only answer I could come up with as it didn't look ransacked and the rooms I had gone in were bare of any personal items that may have belonged to the member occupying it.
I headed up to my room, I didn't have much in it but I was pretty sure anything I did have in there was gone as well. I noticed my door was open and I walked in, as I thought, mostly everything was gone.
My eye caught sight of something on the nightstand and I walked closer to it.
A tulip?
This was one of the tulips from the garden in the backyard, I'd sometimes pass by them and admire them from time to time when I went on my walks.
This was deliberately placed here because I would never pick a flower from its bedding. Seeing as there was nothing else here, I assumed that this was just a clue left for me so I headed to the garden.
I walked for a bit until I finally reached the tulips section of the garden. Nothing seemed out of place so far but then my eyes caught sight of something white peeking out in the dirt. I knelt down and pulled at the white item, which turned out to be a paper with some stuff written on it.
On the front was an address and on the back were some numbers. The first few numbers seemed to be an apartment and I guess the second set was the code? The paper was folded and felt a bit thick so I opened the fold and found some money inside.
Oh thank the heavens, I won't have to get back in that contraption again.
I pocketed the paper and covered the hole I had dug back up. I was gonna miss seeing these beauties every now and then but I guess this is for the best.
I started my trek to the main road and when I got there, I looked for a busy street before flagging down a taxi. After a few minutes, one finally stopped by and I got in and told him the address on the paper.
I felt my back cry in relief as I rested on the seat. It had taken me forever to find myself on that highway from that stupid place, and then it took even longer for someone to let me hijack their ride. The sun was already far past gone and now the moon was just beaming down and illuminating the streets.
"Sir? We're here" I jolted awake at the sound of my driver's voice.
"Thank you" I mumbled before just handing him all the money, not really caring for the change.
Stepping out of the taxi, my head craned all the way up at the sight of the huge building. I thought I would break my neck trying to look all the way up.
Heading inside, I noticed that someone had immediately come to greet me as soon as I came in.
"Mr. Azure! We've been waiting for you, here is your key card, please use it in the elevator to access your floor" a woman said and handed me a white card.
"Thanks..." I said and she bowed before leaving.
Walking over to the elevator, I pressed the button and it immediately opened. This place was so white, even the elevator was sparkling white, I felt like I was going blind.
Tapping the keycard on a sensor, I clicked floor fifteen and the elevator doors shut. I was glad no dumb elevator music was playing, the silence was very comforting after hearing car horns all day.
Once I was out, I followed the letters on the doors and reached 15B very quickly. Typing in the code on the keypad, I heard the click of the lock and opened the door.
The first thing I was greeted with was a sleeping Eros on the couch. At least I thought he was sleeping but as soon as the door shut behind me, his eyes opened.
Seeing me, Eros sat up quickly and came over to me with a smile on his face.
"Darling! You're finally home" He cheered and I let the pet name slide, feeling way too tired to argue with him.
"Mhm, thanks. I wanna sleep" I said and tried to move past him but Eros blocked my path.
When I looked up at him to tell him to get out the way, I was surprised to see his face full of something I hardly ever see.
Worry.
"Are you alright? You look exhausted" Eros asked and I froze when I felt him touch the bags under my eyes. His touch was light, barely there but from the warmth lingering on my face, it was very clear to me that it was.
This was the first time anyone's ever greeted me after coming back from a dangerous situation, and what's even more surprising is being asked how I was.
"I'm fine" was all I said, not thinking it was important to share the details of my journey to get here. I was also feeling a weird sensation that kept me from thinking straight as I wondered what the hell was wrong with my brain.
Maybe it was the sleep deprivation...yeah, that's got to be it.
Suddenly, I was brought into an embrace and all the alarms in my body started going off. Why was he hugging me? My heart started to thump faster and it felt a bit uncomfortable, I didn't like this at all.
"Thank you..." Eros muttered in my ear and it twitched at the warmth of his breath fanning it.
"For what?" I asked.
"For being alright. I actually was worried about you, you know?" Eros said and I pulled away from the embrace.
"Don't be. I told you, I can take care—"
"Stop" Eros cut me off with a sharp look and I listened. The serious face he had on was unusual and it made me wonder what he was getting so worked up about.
"Cole, there's going to come a time where you won't be able to say that and because you sat there and pushed away anyone that could have helped you, you won't have anyone when you need them most" Eros said, his hands falling to my shoulders and I felt them tense under his touch, the foreign warmth was honestly making me a bit nervous.
"I can't fault you for being this way, it's clear you've been on your own all your life, so I understand it's just natural for you to be independent. But Cole, you're with us now, I'd figured by now that you've realized that Harvey, Jamie, Mikhail, and even some of the others have come to appreciate and like your presence"
"I'm not worried about you because I pity you or think you can't handle yourself, I'm worried because I care about you" Eros finished his lecture with a stare down that dared me to say anything in protest to his words but I truly couldn't find anything to say.
"..." I could only stare in shock as those last words left Eros' lips. He cared about me? Why? I wasn't anyone special, I'd never done anything for him that deserved his care.
But that look on his face and the way he stared directly into my eyes told me that he was one hundred percent serious and I felt a tickling sensation arise in my stomach.
"So just let me worry, alright?" Eros finished and I nodded.
"Okay...thank you" I muttered, thanking him because I didn't know how else to go about his words.
"You're much more adorable when you're being honest" Eros said, his usual grin returning and I felt the atmosphere go back to normal with it.
Though I couldn't help the heat that raised to my cheeks when hearing his comment. I've never paid much mind to his stupid jokes before so why in the world was it affecting me now?
"Are you blushing?" Eros asked and I shoved his face away from mine, afraid that he'd probably hear my heart too if he came any closer.
"You're seeing things" I grumbled.
"So you do have a cute side after all!" He said with a chuckle.
"You're delusional" I said and let out a sigh after. I really just wanted to sleep now, my heart and body has been through enough for today.
"I know you're tired but you need to eat. I'll make you something quick" Eros offered but I shook my head.
"I'll eat later" I said and Eros raised a brow.
"I'm not taking no for an answer" those words were so damn familiar and it's because they were the exact ones I said to him back then.
I know he said them on purpose as a way of getting back at me so I just kept my protests in my throat.
"...fine"