The plane ride had been as expected, incredible. The entire time, I sat in my chair, watching the clouds outside drift past, feeling the constant to reach out.
For a few minutes, towns whisked past below, and then it became harder the see. Landscapes of mostly green and blue became the main focus, equally as beautiful, fields of natural life.
After hours of eagerly sitting forward, looking out of the window or chatting with Duke about our plans, I felt a wash of hype begin when the plane began to descend. My eyes were sore from the amount of times I had forgotten to blink, my back aching from the uncomfortable position I'd remained in. I was keen to exit into new adventure.
"Where are we landing?" I asked waiting for the roads and town to appear
"A small private landing strip just outside of town"
I turned my head back to the window and watched as the plane became lower and lower, eventually edging close to the visible tar landing.
There was but one building on the area and another two small planes.
I watched and felt my hand grip the seat as we fell, the tyres of the plane lightly brushing against the ground.
Soon, the plane came to a complete stop and I felt myself sigh.
We had arrived. Here I was, in Paris.
I smiled to myself as Duke got up
"I'll meet you outside" He told me before walking back towards the pilots area again
"Lets go" Riley jumped as he pulled up from his seat, followed by Jaymi who linked her arm with mine, pulling me up from my seat to exit the plane.
I felt my legs wobble and my vision blur, so I naturally took more of a hold on Jaymi.
She had noticed my unsteady condition when I could hear her asking me what was wrong, the sound ringing. Immediately, I felt my body rely on jaymi a lot more than normal to remain upwards.
"Dizzy" I waved, barely audible, slurred. I tried to regain myself when we were greeted with outside cool air, sucking it in when my lungs breathing constricted.
"My luggage" I stumbled again, distracting myself from the tightening of my chest
"It'll be taken to where we are staying, don't worry about it" She gently smiled as she moved me forward
"What's wrong with her?" Riley quizzed, unsure
"She's dizzy because she's been sitting down for so long" Jaymi replied, calm and unbothered "She hasn't eaten properly either"
"Humans" Riley muttered as I rolled my eyes, noticing my breathing and vision slowly return
"You alright?" Jaymi asked, turning her attention back to me
"Where are we staying?" I asked, forcing my body to forget it's poorly state
"One of Darius' complexes" She answered
"Complex?" I asked, creasing my eyebrows as Duke reappeared from the plane
"Yeah, one of those cute little risers with vines and flowers hanging from the windowsills" She continued with description
Jaymi led me towards a waiting car where I hopped in beside her and Riley. I closed my eyes as I settled my head against the leather seat.
"Your excitment seems to have worn off" Riley snickered as he looked me up and down
"I don't feel very well all of a sudden" I mumbled. I felt my stomach twist, forming knots that would pull and push on my intestines. My head was aching and I felt the need to throw up the lonely water and crackers in my stomach.
I tilted my head to squint out the window, darkness shrouding over the horizon.
It was nightfall and a small part of me sighed in relief. The night gave me an excuse to crash out for a few hours, or more, when we arrived at the complex.
We had drive for about twenty minutes, until the car slowed down and pulled into a narrow street.
The road patterned with light orange bricks. The sides of the streets were lined with houses, tall and near glued to each other. They were all similar, almost the same design when we pulled into a small driveway. The driveway sat at the end of the street, beside the last house which sat next to a small flowing river.
There was just enough light from the tall street lamps to see the water gliding beneath a bridge connected by a footpath.
It was within walking distance and I knew that it would be somewhere I would spend some time standing on during my stay.
It was simple, yet beautiful.
When we had stopped, I saw Duke exit the drivers seat, followed by Riley in the back, then Jaymi, I followed her, pulling myself out slowly and gently as my stomach screamed in protest.
I walked ahead, following Duke and Riley, Jaymi walking behind me, probably ready to catch me if I fell.
I was disappointed in myself for being sick. I wanted to enjoy the arrival, not matter what time of day or night it was. I didn't want to sleep, I wanted to explore the city even in darkness.
I wanted to go with Jaymi to the cafe she talked about, I wanted to stand on the bridge I had spotted on the way in, but instead I felt my insides exploding with pain, almost doubling me over.
I gripped my hand on a twisting metal hand railing lined up the porch steps for support, worried I wouldn't make it inside.
"Are you okay?" Jaymi asked as she noticed. Riley's head turned around in front of me, looking at me, his face concerned.
Duke had been too busy unlocking the door, flicking through keys to notice, twisting the correct key into the door.
I kept myself straight and casual as I passed Duke walking into the house.
It smelt strongly of wood, almost like a pine forest or the cabin I had stayed in. Riley flicked a light on and I was brought face to face with the small home.
The living room was quaint, simple and cosy. The lounges were vanilla coloured, matching the carpet. No television was present, only a small coffee table in the middle of the room, along with a fireplace off to the side, just like the cabin.
The sudden bright light made my head spin, that's when Duke came up beside me.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he lifted a finger, placing it under my chin, angling my face up towards his. His gaze darted over my features, stopping on my eyes as my stomach took another churn
"You've lost colour" He commented
"Yeah, I just feel a little sick" I admitted, knowing there was no way or reason to lie to him
"Maybe you and Jaymi should start your adventures tomorrow, you should eat something then get a good nights sleep, it was a long flight and your body isn't used to it" He spoke, never moving his eyes from mine
"Okay" I gave in" Weakly smiling
He moved his hand from my face, taking a hold of my hand by my side. He led me up towards a narrow staircase, the top dark and eerie as we edged closer upward
"Does your head hurt?" Duke asked, his hand practically dragging me forward
"Yeah" I answered, the darkness soothing for my brain.
Once we reached the top of the stairs he led me through the darkness, continuing with only a few beams of light from outside giving me direction. I continued in tail, following into a room the furthest down the hall to my right. He pushed open the door and pulled me inside lightly shutting it behind us.
From the window to the far right, I could see the front of the street. I looked down and could see the lights hovering below, lighting the road with a glow, the water from the river to the left glistening.
I turned around and could see that Duke had turned on a small lamp, igniting the room with a soft glow of light. He moved towards me and drew the red curtains closed.
Turning, I took in the room.
There was a double bed in the middle, neatly made up, the covers and pillows a crimson satin. I glanced around the room and noticed a single framed picture hanging on the wall opposite the bed. The frame was red and inside the glass, it held a photograph of the Eiffel tower, it was lit up with lights like a Christmas tree.
"This is where you'll be sleeping" Duke spoke, breaking me from my trance
"It's nice" I commented, the sudden thought of what he'd said registering.
"You're staying in here with me too, right?" I asked
"Only if you'd like me too" The corners of his lips teasing upwards into a grin
I nodded, thankful that with the dim light he might not have been able to see my cheeks turn the same colour as the bed spread.
"You want to have something to eat before you get some sleep?" He asked, moving towards me, placing his hands on either side of my face
I shook my head feeling my stomach groan in disagreement, it was protesting and I wasn't about to go against it.
"I'll skip food tonight, I will just have to eat a big meal tomorrow morning"
"Want me to stay with you?" He lightly pressed his lips to my forehead, sending a shoot of warmth through my tense brain
I nodded, his hands pulling me towards the bed. We peeled back the neat covers from their tucked in position and sat on the edge. I threw off my shoes, using the heel of each foot to pull the other off and then, I slid myself under the cold covers, soon joined by Duke.
He lay beside me, his body close, but not close enough. I scooted toward him as my stomach kicked me in the ribcage, causing me to cringe and squeeze my eyes shut. Immediately Duke's hands were wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest while I waited for the pain to subside.
"Jt must have been something you ate, typical of Rileys cooking" He joked, trying to make me feel better
I smiled and opened my eyes, pressing my cheek against his cold collarbone. The coldness felt good against my skin, the tense muscles in my brain slightly relaxing.
"I hate this" I mumbled
"Hate what exactly?" Duke asked
"Feeling sick on the first day of my holiday"
"You can't help it" He shrugged, kissing the top of my head.
His hands were rubbing soothing circles on my back and I felt myself relax further.
"What are you and I going to do while we are here?" I asked, my voice muffled by his shirt
"Anything you want, I have a few little things in mind" He replied, playful
"Care to elaborate?" I asked, edging for more
"No, where would the surprise be in that?" He smiled. I tilted my head up to look at him
"It'd be nice to have some good surprises for once"
"Then you will be very happy with what I have planned" He continued, lifting a finger to move away a piece of hair on my forehead "Even when you are sick, you're still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen" He whispered
"You're just saying that to make me feel better, but thanks anyway" I smiled
His smile faulted "You're unnecessarily insecure Rosalie Jean"
"There's always reasons for insecurities" I pointed out, cringing as another hit of pain shot through my insides.
Duke's face turned stern, watching as I tried to control the pain shown on my face - it obviously wasn't going well.
"Okay?" He asked, watching me carefully with his golden eyes
"Mh-hm" I mumbled
"Maybe we should talk tomorrow, sleep for now" He suggested, sighing as his hand gripped around my body
"I'm fine" I answered, attempting to regain my composure "I want to talk"
He hesitated, the then continued "What are these reasons for your insecurities?"
I shrugged, burying my face into his neck, lightly pressing my lips to the bare skin
"Boys I have been involved with, bitchy girls, my mother, society..." I trailed off, his body seeming to fidget in the slightest
"What have they done to you?" His voice was raspy and somewhat concerned
"The girls, they judge everything about you, your hair, your make-up, your clothing, your parents, your house. And the boys, the boys are just as bad, they're only after one thing. If you aren't what society wants you to be, you develop paranoia, insecurities and loss of self-worth"
"You shouldn't worry about what people say about you, in the end the people at your school aren't even going to be around you when you leave. You are who you are, and to me, you are everything, and more" He leaned his face down to kiss the tip of my nose
"I do hope however, that you havn't given in to any man's request when you weren't comfortable with it" He added, his face serious as he edged on the uneasy topic
"Deffinitely not" I answered nestling my nose into the nape of his neck
"That's good" He whispered, continuing the circling of his thumbs on my back.
I pressed my lips to his neck, pressing my cheek against his skin, feeling the cold transfer through my face.
It was soothing as I relaxed against him, wishing for tomorrow to be a healthier day.
-
When I woke, I could felt the coldness remain on my cheek. I hadn't moved my face from Duke's neck.
I could hear the easy breathing through his throat as my eyes flickered open, a new light entering the room in rays from the sides of the window.
The lamp had been switched off, the covers pulled right up over me as Duke lay on top of them.
He was always paranoid about me getting too cold.
I tried not to move, for two reasons.
One, I didn't want to wake Duke.
Two, I was too scared of my stomach.
My head seemed repaired, all pressure points released.
The nausea was no longer there either, so I decided to shift my hips, also shifting my stomach.
Slowly, I realised there was no pain, only the sudden grumble of hunger shaking my core.
"Hungry I hear" Duke's voice sounded, raspy
"I'm making you food this morning, not Riley" He joked, lightly shuttering when I kissed the hollow of his throat. I felt myself smile, relishing in the way he reacted.
It was strange yet empowering to feel I had some form of control over him.
I teasingly kissed him again, leaving my lips on his skin longer than I had before.
I repeated it again and again until I heard him groan frustratingly
"What's wrong?" I asked, my lips brushing again the skin of his adam's apple
"You're far too tempting, and far too confident in my self control" He stated, a smile playing on my lips
"I think that you don't have enough confidence in yourself" I defended, challenging him as I leaned down again with a kiss
"You're right, I don't, and for good reason" He continued, removing himself away from me.
I rolled my eyes, but smirked when I saw that his eyes were dark, almost black.
The muscles in his arms were tense, standing out.
Valiantly, I scooted back to where he had moved, which was right on the edge of the bed
"You can't escape me forever" I smiled, edging closer than I knew I should have
"No, but for now, I have too" He continued, playing Mr. Sensible
"You shouldn't have to do anything you don't want to do" I continued
His lips slightly curled upwards, obviously running out of remarks to subdue me.
I moved my eyes over his face, carefully watching his smoldering black eyes as I pushed the blanket off my body with my legs. My hand lifted, resting on the side of his face, while moving in closer to his lips.
I was teasing him and I knew it was dangerous, but life was short, and I was in Paris.
"Stop it" He mumbled, barely audible.
It was clear that I was having an affect on him and it only made me want to continue the charade further.
My lips were barely an inch from his when I replied with a simple "No"
"You care for me too much to hurt me Duke" I whispered, brushing my lips against his as I spoke.
I could feel his breath on my face, seemingly hitching and rigid. I lightly pressed my lips down on his, and gently, he responded by moving against the pressure
"Rosie" He mumbled against my lips, again in an attempt to gain control of the situation
"What's the matter?" I shortly pulled back "Afraid that you aren't in control of things anymore?" I teased gently kissing his mouth.
Before I knew it, he'd reacted, my body had been spun around, falling on the bed with my back pressed down against the satin sheets. Duke was hovering on top of me, his breathing heavy, his eyes a deep charcoal black as they stared down at me.
His knees supported him his weight, one on each side of my waist, his hands gripping my wrists pinning them above my head.
I smiled widely and kept my eyes on his, never giving up the battle.
"Stop it" He repeated, his face serious, fighting the urges that beckoned.
I couldn't move, attempting to wriggle free from his grip, but it was impossible.
His eyes were slowly fading back into a lighter shade.
I felt disappointment wash over me, as soon as he was in control again, he would move away from me and it would be over.
"Stop fighting what we both want" I continued, trying to gain back what I had lost. It wasn't working, without my physical touch it was impossible.
His eyes gradually returned back to a dark gold as he tilted his head side ways at me.
"You shouldn't do that" He continued, his grip loosening a little on my wrists "I could hurt you"
I rolled my eyes and sighed "Get off me then" I demanded, frustrated.
"What's the matter? Afraid you've lost control of me?" He mocked proudly.
I didn't smile.
I narrowed my eyes at him "Yeah, I am actually" I admitted
He smiled and jumped up from the bed, standing next to the bedroom door, confirming game over.