I was standing in a mirrored hall that was located at the end of our garden, staring at my reflection.
This place was built just for me and yet, I haven't been here in ages. Ever since my brother left.
I don't know where I've got the courage from, but I took off my ankle boots and socks, took off my coat as well as my black hoodie and let loose my hair to my waist from high ponytail.
After throwing all of my stuff to the corner of this spacious room as well as my backpack, I walked over to the audio player to turn it on.
At the sound of those first tones of piano, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in and out.
Music, to me, was like turning back the clock, traveling and returning to a previous life. First, full of warmth and happiness and later, full of agony and lose. I embraced the music and in turn the music took control. I found myself in a different world. A world of pain from losing the loved one.
My movements flowed with a dazzling grace that used to take away the breath of every person watching me. I used to feel my soul becoming one with the music and I unleashed my emotions into my dance every time. I used to need this as badly as I needed to breath.
My entire body started to move with a purposeful clarity. With each stride I made, it became more painfully obvious how much heart I used to put into my routines and how punishing it was for me, dancing without him.
Fortunately, no one could see the tears I let roll down my pale cheeks.
It was my dream to become a professional dancer. My brother was the one who convinced me to go and attend dancing classes. Since he was the first one who noticed and since I didn't want to go alone, he attended with me.
Soon, it became our passion and we danced every day, since the day one. Later, I was noticed by Juilliard and they offered me a scholarship. I was just sixteen then, but I took the opportunity and attended until my brother left me.
Kicking my right leg forward with pointed toes and flexed calf muscles, I pivoted in a revolving whirl of sharp precision and accurate grace.
The entirety of my being began advancing in movement with purposeful clarity and absolute control. I continued my dance, in synchrony with the music.
I advanced, retreated, pirouetted, my arms waving from side to side, above my head. Pirouette after pirouette, jeté after jeté, again, and again, and again, until I was sweating blood.
I thought that the audio player was my only audience but as I turned, my eyes caught Diego standing in the doorway, him less adept at hiding in the shadows than me.
He was still wearing his tuxedo but the mask was off. He dropped his eyes for a second or two before looking back, his head tilted to one side and a small hopeful smile played on his lips.
I felt naked. I felt like he just took something important from me by watching me without my permission. I haven't danced in front of anyone in years. He had no right to watch me. How did he even know where to find me?
I walked over to the audio player. Wiping tears from my cheeks, I turned the music off before completely turning to face him.
"How dare you spy on me?" I gritted out, irritated with him.
And what was he doing here anyway. He was supposed to be with his father, celebrating this stupid engagement.
"I was looking for you." He spoke up casually and his expressionless mask was back on. "I never thought I'd see you cry. Didn't think you can, to be honest."
For a second I was taken aback as I touched my cheeks, checking if they were still wet. They weren't. But then I thought my eyes must have looked all puffy and red. So I needed to shield myself.
Clucking my tongue in annoyance, I spoke up. "Yes, I can, but right now I'm practicing for your early funeral!" I retorted dryly.
Nevertheless, he ignored my anger towards him and asked: "Where did you learn to dance like this?"
"Not that it's any of your damn business but I attended some group classes."
Was I lying? Absolutely. Did I give a damn about it? Absolutely not.
"You know—" His eyebrows sloped downwards and lips were drawn into a hard line across his face. "—I was wondering this whole time, but I just couldn't come up with the answer. What were you doing in the Ghost town? And why were you looking for Blade?"
He walked slowly towards me while the adrenaline flew over my veins like a carp through the river, but I couldn't move a single muscle, not even to blink.
Did he already know and now was just testing me? But how could he? From where? No, there was no way he knew.
Diego didn't stop, instead he walked slowly around me in circles, like he was analyzing his prey. My mouth was almost too dry to speak as I stood there, hands by my sides, too afraid to move.
Finally, he stopped in front of me and ran his eyes up and down my body.
"I just can't stop thinking about it. What's yo-" He trailed off when his eyes landed on my neck.
Well, my necklace to be exact. His dark eyebrows sloped downwards in serious expression. Raising his hand to my neck, he touched the necklace, taking it between his two fingers.
It was just a simple thin golden circle-locked-pedant necklace with engraved two small identical flames attached to each other in the middle of a triangle. Under the triangle laid the infinity sign.
The twin flame pendant reflected and harnessed the power of the twin flame union. It was a beautiful and powerful symbol of love and unity.
It wasn't a usual necklace you could see every day and it was one very important necklace to me, since it was the last thing my brother gave to me before he left.
And after so long, I decided to wear it after I had changed from the masquerade outfit. I just wanted to feel my brother's presence again.
Inside the necklace was a piece of paper quoting - Their Eyes Were Watching God - by Zora Neale Hurston.
"She had waited all her life for something, and it had killed her when it found her."
I never understood why he chose this book but God forbid me to end up having a life like the girl from that book had.
At the slightest touch of Diego's fingers on my skin, my heart started beating faster and my head started spinning. My mouth suddenly felt dryer as my fear dragged me down. I needed to take a breath but I couldn't under his spell.
I watched as his eyes darkened and when he raised his eyes to meet mine, it was as if he wasn't really seeing me, as if he just lost himself in his own thoughts. I wondered, what did he find so interesting in that necklace?
But then, without a word, he let go of my necklace, nevertheless, he didn't pull away his hand. On the contrary, his hand found its way to my face as he removed strands of my hair that fell into my face.
"Look, Prim." He started, using my nickname again as he stepped a bit closer, still not removing his hand.
Instead he placed it under my ear, as if he wasn't zoned out just seconds ago.
"You're my fiancé now but more importantly, you're my sister's roommate. I have to know everything about the people my sister is surrounded with and for some reason I don't trust you. You still don't know who I am, yet—"
I abruptly tossed his hand away from my face with the back of my hand as I laughed ironically. "Oh, I already figured you out."
I've had enough of this bullshit. I straightened my shoulders in confidence and started talking.
"At first, you seem calm and reserved. You don't really talk much, but you observe everything. However, when you talk, you always go straight to the point that's why you're a good manipulator. You manipulate others by giving them no other choice, cornering them until you can read them. You never go for the wrong buttons to push but instead you figure out all the right ones in your victim and push those instead. When you get the reaction you want, you use it against that person. It's how you get everything you want without lifting a finger. You've tried doing this to me."
He stared at me with pale expression. It was my first to see him like this which just confirmed my statement. His expression that usually consisted of cunning displeasure was now replaced with something more frightening than I thought possible.
It was probably a first for him. I was first one who figured out his tactics. However, now was not the time to lose my confidence, so I continued.
"You're trying to manipulate me so you get what you want. But I think you're already getting it. I'm already engaged to you for who knows why. You're trying to find out something but instead, you forgot about something, or you just haven't observed enough. I am a strategist. Every time you corner me and think I don't have other choice, I will always find my way out without telling you a word of what you want to hear. You and I are very observant people, Diego. But the difference between us is that I always look for the small unimportant things that makes a person readable. The small things that they always tend to forget about and consider them unimportant. You observe the obvious."
His lips formed into a lazy smile as he leaned towards, into my personal space, in more than intimidating way.
"No. The difference is that you observe the small things while I observe the smallest and the obvious. Right now I've got everything I wanted and you don't even know about it. The only problem here is that you're the first one that uses brain too much, that's why it takes me so long to figure you out completely. You're too wise for your age. There're so many secrets around you it drives me crazy. The more you hide the more I dig. Sooner you give up, the easier it will be for you. So tell me now or regret it later."
I sent him my fake smile as I placed my one arm on my hip.
"Don't think about my age. It has nothing to do with my wisdom. Some people might die with brains so young and ones without a single wrinkle on them might live for ages. I'm wise because I learn from people's mistakes and then later on I avoid making them. So I have a better idea. Since my life has nothing to do with your curiosity, I'll stay quiet, won't regret it later on and you'll leave me alone." I said sternly. "You better think about getting my uncle out of prison. That's the only thing you need to worry about instead of questioning me."
He pursed his lips as he shook his head slightly. "I don't think that's possible, Prim." He spoke up and I swear there was a hint of irony in his tone.
Raising my eyebrows at him, I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Oh, really? And why's that?" I asked, trying my best to keep my anger under control.
For a long second he was just looking at me as a small smirk played on his lips, but then he spoke. "I want you to move in with me first."
I think my brain just blew up. Was I hallucinating? There was no way he said that. What was he planning? Was this some kind of his manipulative game? There's no way I was moving into his house before that damn marriage was actual.
I stepped backwards, away from his calculating eyes and his clever mind, looking at him wide-eyed. "Have you lost your mind?!" I hissed at him.
"No. I want to keep an eye on you." He stated as if it was a normal thing to say.
I wondered what he would do if I'd actually cut his balls off. I felt this sudden need to slap him. Just one slap, what would he do? Someone had to give him a lesson.
"You can keep an eye on your grave that I'm already digging for you!" I growled out. "You possessive oaf!"
His jaw clenched as he looked down at me and was about to say something but was stopped with my finger that I shoved into his chest.
"You have no idea what you've got yourself into." I seethed through my clenched teeth. "I'm not the person who follows. I'm the person who leads. I will never allow you to boss me around, Diego." I barely kept my calmness.
His eyebrows sloped downstairs, sending me his cold stare.
I didn't wait for a second. I turned, walked over to my stuff and grabbed them from the floor, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. As I held my stuff, I turned and walked towards the door, our eyes locking on my way.
I stopped just a few steps away from him and sent him the best generous smile I could force into my face.
"Marry Christmas, Diego." I said and without waiting for his reply, I passed around him, leaving him standing in the dancing studio, choking with frustration.