Liya
"That's a weird way to say I have made quite an entrance on social media Chase," I rolled my eyes at his nervousness.
Except he wasn't nervous at introducing me to the unknown man covered in a mask in front of me. Rather, he was nervous about the comment he made about me randomly going viral after the international runway.
"I didn't recognise you?" Chase changed the topic still having me by his side.
Now logically, I expected this to be a conversation about some weird stock market or finance business. Investing properties and what not. Chase had made the news for his huge deal which had been circulating.
Ellah had explained why he was a part of the collaborative shoot. If it wasn't Chase, then it would have been another guy. Now that I reflect back, I'm a bit relieved it was Chase. It was at least somebody I knew, even if it was someone I hated.
"David," the man spoke when the realisation came to hit me.
"David Dalton," a familiar voice introduced.
My head sprung to him immediately. My uncle... The smirk his lips had turned into. He had recognised me. His sons must be here too then.
"It's unusual to have models at a business masquerade," he further commented but my body couldn't react because it was frozen.
"Well Liya and I have been friends for a while. I'm sure you're aware of Luka Kelp. We all are mutuals," Chase explained.
"Well it was nice seeing you Ms Liya," David snickered putting his hand out forwards.
My teeth chewed on the inner corner of my lip and my thumb pinched into my other hand hardly. It was getting hard for me to stand here. I hadn't seen David in years.
Never after Luka had taken me. This was my first time encountering him after years. I was going to have a panic attack. My lungs tightened refusing to let air pass through.
"Liya," Chase nudged my arm lightly.
"I need to use the restroom," I panted with fear and left without another word.
No, no. I shouldn't have left. David would follow me. I had rushed my body in the bathroom as fast as I could and locked the door. My hands were shaking and my body started to quiver.
After minutes, after what seemed like a long enough time I had slowly unlocked the bathroom door and peeped out. No one was there. I slowly stepped out and walked away. My brain was still in slight shock and instability. I couldn't go back there.
There was room right before the hall where the masquerade was. It was unlocked but it hadn't been used. The furniture had cloth over it but there was an open window. Fresh air. A light sound of steps reached my ears and my body froze. David... my chest ravened again with fear. My eyes were wide open, refusing to fill in with tears.
'No one can do anything to you, without your permission. You belong to yourself only', Luka's first words echoed in my head when I had told him everything.
They were getting closer and closer. The pair of arms had snaked around my waist and my body had immediately relaxed. It wasn't David. David had never held so much warmth in his arms but Chase did.
The smell of his breath, light wood was circulating around my nose as he held me close. In this moment I couldn't think about David even if I tried to. I couldn't think about the hatred I had for him either.
"Strawberry," he softly called for me.
"Hm," I responded holding my hands at his that were locked over my belly button.
"I wasn't trying to charm you earlier. You really do look beautiful tonight," his deep voice complimented again, making my heart flutter.
Something about is words felt so pure that everything in me was dancing. Why was my body reacting to him in this way? How have I adapted from being unable to bare the scent of cigarettes and alcohol to easily having it near me.
"Everyone in this room would stop everything they're doing to admire you," the charm flickered like a light onto my heart.
He wasn't drunk. I couldn't smell any alcohol. My body turns against his and I look up to his face. His eyes travelled around my entire face and dropped to my lips at the end as if they were his destination. This was exciting me even more and it shouldn't.
"Can I kiss you, Strawberry?" he gently asked.
The warmth of his body increased against mine and it acted like a shield of security and protection. The sole thing my body failed to find in Luka but found in him. Maybe because Chase had never physically hurt me.
Ever since he has touched me he has been gentle all the way, unaware of anything. But his words, his mindset and attitude always comes across this feeling he's offering to me right now.
Those things about him make me feel threatened because David also once said, 'Nobody is going to kiss that filthy mouth unless they want to feel your body'.
Even David and his sons never kissed me. Not that I wanted them to. I never understood what was so filthy about my mouth and body. Even when they took turns raping me during the week they would call my body filthy.
They never touched my body. All they had to do was hold a knife to my throat and have me spread my legs to have their dicks wrapped in condoms stick in me.
Once they were done, their semen would be dripping from my forehead down my entire face, or either on my body. This is why my body is filthy because even today I see gross semen dripping over my body when I see myself in the mirror.
Chase wants to satisfy his ego. He wants to show me that he can easily screw me over and throw me away. He wants to show me that I am no different to other women that are at his feet. A gulp travelled down my throat as all these thoughts ran through my mind.
I turned my head from him and freed myself from his sincere warmth and security. Without looking at him, I had left the room and out into the hall. I didn't hear him follow behind me.
But he was soon found around other women, kissing them instead. Dancing with them, flirting with them. A burn lit in my heart remembering his sweet words. Fake. All of it was fake.
"Let's go home, Liya. It's getting late," a man dressed exactly like Chase, same mask appeared next to me.
"But you're there," I pointed out into the crowd towards the guy that was grinding himself against a woman now whilst kissing another.
"Disgusting. Just because I fuck a lot it doesn't mean I'll be doing it everywhere," he growled with anger towards me.
"Lets' go now," he commanded walking ahead of me.
A weird ease had filled my heart knowing it wasn't him and they certainly need to change attire colour for masquerades because everyone looks similar. The ride home was very quiet but the question he had asked me was driving me insane.
'Can I kiss you?'
My brain was creating its own fantasies. Though I was looking straight out of my window, my brain portrayed a whole movie of him kissing me. So passionately that I could start to throb. His hand gliding against me as his lips were on mine. My hands in his hair, us against the wall.
Oh God, it felt so hot and sexy. I shook my head and changed from Chase to Luka. I just couldn't seem to get us to kiss. It just didn't make sense. It wasn't comfortable thinking of kissing Luka.
OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO FRUSTRATING! Why am I even thinking of kissing Chase? That's so absurd. I could cry at my own psychotic mind right now.
"We're home, Liya," Chase interrupted holding my door open for me.
I grabbed my purse and got out of the car. Chase walks in behind me silent until he says, "hello."
Sounds as if he's talking to someone on the phone. Before I reach the stairs, Chase stops me. The phone in his hand shows Luka's name and for the first time I wasn't that happy to hear Luka called. I took the phone from his hand and held it at my ear.
"Hey Liya, how are you?" he asked.
"I'm tired. It was such a boring party," I softly smiled, lying too because it wasn't boring at all.
"Haha, it's business. I bet all they talked about was investments and building properties," Luka laughed over the phone.
I responded in a light laugh to which Chase's lips turned into a small smile. My heart quivered because I had never seen him smile, even the slightest bit. His smile made my heart flutter. It was adorable.
"I've missed you so much Liya. I just can't wait to get home to you tomorrow," Luka expressed over the phone.
"I missed you too Luka," I spoke which erased the smile on Chase's face.
"And I can't wait for you to get home too," I dully spoke.
Chase takes the phone out of my hand and walks away from me, talking to Luka. I walk up the stairs into my room, confused. What am I doing?
A while ago I was in the arms of his best friend feeling great and getting butterflies over his flirty words that seemed so sincere and the next I was telling him how much I missed him. That's so immoral and I only sense that this was going to get worser.
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