The dinner table was eerily silent as Mrs. Blades stared at my left hand. It became creepier when she began to tap her index finger on the table in a steady beat. Even Alexander, who usually didn't mind his mom's interrogation, was silent and frozen still.
No one was eating.
"What's that?" Mrs. Blades eyed the ring on my finger.
Neither Alexander nor I dared to answer her.
"Have you found anything?" I heard Alexander ask his father. Without even confirming, I knew he was talking about my parents.
"Nothing substantial. I'll get back to you after I check something out," Mr. Blades answered back. "Your end?"
"Nothing yet."
Silence fell upon the dinner table once again. I was about to eat thinking that I had evaded the brunt of the questioning from Mrs. Blades about the ring, but I was wrong.
"What. Is. That." Mrs. Blades' voice was getting colder and more aggressive as she asked once more.
"A ring," I answered back stiffly as I put the fork back down, feeling my appetite vanish.
"I can see that. Why?"
I cleared my throat, folded my hands and put them on my lap under the table, trying to look innocent. "It was pretty." Immediately after saying that, I tightened my lips into a thin line, regretting what came out of my mouth.
"You never wear jewelry."
I nudged Alexander's leg with my own, trying to get him to talk to his mother so that I wouldn't need to.
"What's going on?" I could feel the ice in Mrs. Blades' voice nip at my soul, sending a shiver down my spine.
When Alexander remained quiet like his usual self, I stomped down on his foot as hard as I could without his parents knowing. I took a quick glance at him, thinking he might have winced but I noticed that he looked calm and in control.
"We're engaged."
There. He said it. Well, legally we were married already but she didn't need to know that.
"Is this some ploy to get me?" Mrs. Blades eyed both of us extremely carefully and goosebumps rose on my skin.
"Of course not." I smiled brightly and simply hoped that it passed off as real smile. The moment I opened my mouth, I regretted it because she stared into my eyes. "Absolutely not. What ploy? Why would we ever lie to you?"
Suddenly, I felt a hand squeeze my thigh and I jumped a little in my seat. Alexander was warning me because I had started running my mouth off again.
"I don't believe either of you." Mrs. Blades narrowed her eyes at us.
Alexander reached over at my hand, laced our fingers tightly together, then raised it up so both Mr. and Mrs. Blades could see.
"I love her." The fake smile dropped off of my face and I probably looked as shocked as his parents. I cursed my heart for faltering a millisecond, almost forgetting that he was laying on the act to convince his mother.
I tilted sideways and leaned on his shoulder stiffly, trying to help our relationship look as real as possible, since convincing his mother was a part of our contract.
A few moments of silence later, Mrs. Blades smiled. "Okay."
When I heard that, the breath I had felt like I was holding, flowed out of me and I could finally breathe normally. I would have began to slouch in my seat from relief if I didn't have to worry about Alexander's mom start thinking that I was being odd. Sitting up a little straighter, I slipped my hand out of Alexander's grasp.
"Hm, you know, that's a shame." Mrs. Blades began to eat and Alexander and I eyed our plates wearily. "I already got blind date number... what's our count at?" She looked over at her husband.
"25."
"Right." She chewed carefully. "I already got the cell number of your next date. Shame really."
I almost choked on my food. Mrs. Blades must have seen the look on my face because she started to explain.
"Our son Alexander here, doesn't go out to meet people and socialize. So I, as his mother, tried finding him dates."
I burst of laughing. "The count is at 25?" I looked over at Alexander who was clearly starting to get uncomfortable with this discussion topic. "Your mom found you 24 blind dates and you attended?"
Alexander looked irritated. "Blackmail."
There was a small smile on Mr. Blades' face as well and only for the third time this evening, he added in a little comment. "After 24, Alexander ignored his mother until she promised to stop."
Even as my laughter died down, I couldn't stop smiling. The determination of Mrs. Blades is amazing.
"We were rooting for you two to end up together a long time ago." Mrs. Blades began with a sad smile. "When I could see that it would never happen, I tried to push him to see other people. But, I guess life is full of surprises."
"Indeed." I stared at my food as I went back to eating.
*
We were on our way home and the smile was still on my face.
"That's why you wanted marriage? Because of your mom?" I started laughing again. "You should have told me."
Alexander sighed, absolutely aggravated.
"If you asked me nicely, I might have said yes." I tried my best to bother him. It was just so amusing to see him get riled up.
"Is that so?"
I tapped a finger on my chin. "Nope. I would have loved to watch you suffer."
Silence soon filled the car.
"Red."
"Hm?"
"What did you mean when you said that Emmaline and Victor were also personally involved in this case?"
He didn't answer but his posture stiffened.
"What did Victor mean when he said what happened last time won't happen again?"
"If you tell me about your necklace, I'll tell you."
"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow. "You can't use that as leverage every time you don't want to tell me something."
When he didn't answer again, I gave up. For now.
I have my secrets but I guess so does he. Time sure changed both of us.
*
As soon as I got home, I went up to my room, changed into sleepwear which were a pair of shorts and a large t-shirt, then resumed my task of narrowing down the list of places my parents could be held. It was the middle of the night when I decided to stretch my legs out for a few minutes.
I went towards the kitchen, ransacking the cupboard for anything interesting to eat. Not finding anything, I checked in the fridge and a bottle of juice caught my attention. I took it out gingerly, avoiding the other things in front of it, and got a cup.
It looked something like a fruity drink. Interested, I peeled off the plastic and seal, then poured the drink three quarters full. The first thing I noticed was the odd smell so I read the packaging again, wondering if this was expired. Seeing that it was not, I gulped the whole thing down in one swallow and began coughing. Whatever the hell it was, it burned my throat as it slid into my stomach.
I checked over the label again and the packaging showed me that it just a simple bottle of juice but it sure didn't taste like it. Sniffing over the bottle at the odd aroma, something clicked in my mind and I cursed as I figured out what I might have just gulped down.
Reading over the label carefully for the fourth time, nothing indicated that it was anything other than juice and seeing that it was sealed shut before I opened it, I didn't understand why it tasted like a very potent alcoholic drink.
Sliding the drink back into the fridge, I tried to make my way to my room but I gave up near the bottom of the stairs. My vision was getting hazier and my brain, foggier, by the minute.
I didn't know how long I sat slumped over the stairs, the effect of whatever I drank in full swing.
The front door opened and I felt a bit of the cool night breeze slip in. With my eyes half open, I stared at the tall figure entering and staring at me. In a few moments, Alexander knelt down to my sitting level. His stormy grey eyes searched my eyes as he wore a perplexed look on his face, eyebrows drawn towards the center.
"Wh-" Alexander started but I cut him off by putting my left index finger on his full lips.
With my right hand, I trailed my fingers lightly from his cheekbones to his jaw.
"I despise you," I whispered quietly as I slid my arms to lie on top of his shoulders.
Alexander's eyes softened and a look of guilt passed over his features.
"But." Holding the nape of his neck, I pulled him closer towards me. Even through my hazy vision, I couldn't help but be pulled in by the color of his eyes. "I missed you, too."
*
I could feel the slight pounding of a headache brewing as I slowly became more conscious. Somehow, the bed was a little more comfortable than what it felt like yesterday, the pillows softer and I felt much warmer. Surprisingly, I slept pretty well, too.
Lazily opening my eyes, I soon registered that a heavy weight rested limply at my waist. I immediately froze and trailed up the arm to the owner.
Grey eyes stared right back at me.
There was a pause. We were lying down, lying down on our sides, facing each other with our legs tangled together. While his arm was casually slung across my waist, I seemed to have curled up at his chest, as if seeking warmth.
I fiercely built my walls up and covered my emotions. "What are you doing here?"
Alexander didn't answer but I noticed something different. His eyes were mellow. All traces of distance and the icy exterior he had built wasn't there as he stared silently at me. It was like he just changed overnight, back to the boy I admired and stuck with as a child. I felt nostalgic as memories of our past resurfaced. The time when we both thought nothing could go wrong, so shielded from the world, so innocent.
I took a quick glance around and I realized that I wasn't in my designated room. From the black furniture, cream walls and thick navy blue curtains, I was in his room. Taking a quick look at myself, I let out mentally a sigh of relief when I realized that I was fully clothed, so was he. I quickly slithered out of his arms and sat up straight, as far away on the bed from him as possible.
"What am I doing here?" I pressed the palms of my hands onto my eyes as I tried to remember what had happened last night, but there was nothing. I felt the bed move a little and I knew that he was sitting upright as well. Looking at him wearily, I noticed a red mark on his neck. "And what happened to your neck?"
There was amusement in his eyes and his lips curled up slightly to form a small smile. "You."
Blinking at him for a moment, puzzled, I eyed his neck again. When I twirled my index finger in a circular motion, he turned his face slightly so that I could see it a little better. "Did I..." At this point, I was mortified.
I think I bit him.
Feeling my face get warmer, I cleared my throat and looked away from him so that he wouldn't be able to see.
Pressing my fingers on my temples, I tried to ease the pounding headache that was forming. "I could have sworn I drank juice." I groaned as I tilted my head side to side. Remembering the odd smell, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Were you out to get me? You know the reason why I decided to never touch alcohol."
Amusement twinkled in his grey eyes and it irked me. "One of my friends, he owns a specialty drink company. He thought it would be funny to package alcohol in a juice container and send it to me."
"You don't drink."
"Exactly."
My mouth slightly dropped open, confused. Why in the world would his friend do that?
Alexander looked up to the ceiling. "Inside joke."
I rolled my eyes.
Suddenly, through a foggy memory, I remembered showing him the dog tag. Ice seeped into my veins.
I tackled him and slammed his shoulders solidly onto the bed and sat down on his stomach. "What did I tell you?" I growled out as my heart pounded against my ribcages from the rising alarm at what I might have said to him.
Alexander reached out to me and as he cupped my cheeks. His touch unbelievably gentle and soft. "I'm sorry."
I blinked at him. "What?"
"I never meant to hurt you."
When I heard this, I immediately slapped his hands away from me with my jaws clenched and my body burning in resentment and bitterness. I held his body down by his shoulders.
"I needed to stay away from you." His eyes never wavered away from mine. "Or else, you would find out from me what your parents wanted to hide from you."
I studied his dark, piercing grey eyes. "Time passed, but it seems that I haven't lost the ability see if you're lying."
To Alexander's credit, he didn't flinch at my implication.
I let out a humorless chuckle. "You're not telling me the full truth, but I could care less. You know that's not what I meant. What did I tell you last night?" I growled at him but I felt myself falter when I saw the apologetic look on his face.
"Angel-" I fiercely cut him off.
"Don't call me that and don't look at me like that. What did I tell you last night about... about..." I trailed off because I couldn't even bring myself to ask.
Alexander glanced at the dog tag then looked back up to me. "Her name."
Silence fell upon us for a moment.
"Cadence Reyes."
One of my eyes twitched as I heard her name. "Anything else?" I could feel myself becoming vulnerable. The lack of knowledge of what I said to him was slowly eating me. I despised myself for not being able to remember what I had revealed to him last night.
He paused for a moment as he continued to stare into my eyes.
I grasped his shoulders so tightly that my knuckles turned white. "Anything else?" At this point, I was almost yelling at him.
Alexander didn't seem too disturbed by my lack of sanity at the moment. Instead, he looked at me tenderly. "You told me she died."
I tensed and I cursed at myself, unable to believe the extent of information I gave him. Slowly unclenching my hands from his shoulders, I laid one hand threateningly on his throat and used the other to point at him.
"Forget about her. It's none of your business." I jumped off of him and the bed, then quickly walked towards the door.
"You also told me," Alexander's baritone voice made me pause for a second, "that it was your fault."
I spun around with my arms by my sides and my hands tightly clenched into fists. "None of your-"
"You told me it was your fault she died."
My breathing quickened and I quickly reached for the doorknob. I couldn't listen to this anymore.
"More specifically, killed."
I wasn't fast enough. I heard every word before I slammed the door shut and walked into my temporary one.
This was bad. Alexander was never supposed to know anything about Cadence. However, I wouldn't have been too bothered if what he said wasn't true but unfortunately, everything he said was true.
I closed my door and leaned my back against it.
Damn it.
What disturbed me even more was the fact that Alexander was withholding information from me. He had only told me bits and pieces. I must have told him much more last night, but I just couldn't remember.
I buried my face into my hands.
What in the world did I tell him?
****
Thank you so much for reading.
What really happened? Maybe a bit more will be revealed in someone else's point of view in the next chapter. ;)
Please comment, leave feedback and vote if you liked it.
Until next time,
InvincibleBunny