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"I cannot believe that I am celebrating Thanksgiving in a club," Apple giggled.
She had decided to stay back at school instead of going home all the way to North Dakota for Thanksgiving. Chace too decided to skip Thanksgiving even though he was from New Jersey. In his defence, his parents were in Canada back at his grandmother's place. It was only Natalia who went back home and would be back by tomorrow afternoon. Sebastian was missing her terribly, the way he downed those shot glasses were a proof.
It had been more than a month, and Apple had finally started to move on from the tornado she had experienced; a tornado called Romulus Riccardo. She turned to her friend Sophie and her eyes widened.
Sophie was already gyrating against a dude on the dance floor. Lucky dude, Sophie just didn't gyrate with anybody.
This time she had succeeded in using the fake ID. They were at one of the most happening clubs in NYC, courtesy Sebastian's influential connections. All in all, Apple was excited. She felt a bit naughty too, she had never done anything illegal in her life but today not only had she entered a club specifically for that above twenty-one, but she would also be treating herself to some alcohol.
It was wrong she knew that, but she also knew she was young and wild and free. She hooked her arm with Chace's and dragged him to the bar.
"What do you suggest?" she giggled.
A smirk came on Chace's lips, and he ordered six shots. Soon the little glasses came in front of them, and Chace downed three of them before turning to Apple, she had a look of awe on her face.
"That was so cool, like in the movies," she squealed in delight. Chace shook his head, Apple was beguiling in her own little way. He turned to the rest of the three glasses.
"Now you do it, take it down in one shot," he instructed, "it is going to burn your throat but try not stopping in between,"
She nodded and rubbed her palms and stared at the shot glasses in excitement. Apple picked up a glass, brought it to her lip and just like Chace had said, downed it in one gulp. She shut her eyes as the liquid burned her throat. She jumped a little as the exhilarating drink woke her senses.
"Attagirl," Chace roared, "another one."
She laughed and downed another one. Her entire body was buzzing.
"I think you are good to go for the evening," Chace commented.
Apple nodded and giggled when Chace pulled her to the dance floor. If she hadn't had the drink in her body, she would've probably been too shy to even dance, but the liquid was taking out the Beyonce in her. She slowly began to move as he placed her hand on her waist and looked down at her with a silly smile on his face.
"You are so drunk already," he grinned.
"Whose to be blamed for that sunny boy?"
"Sunny boy?" he asked, a brow quirked up.
"Well, you have nice sunny blonde hair and mesmerising blue eyes, and you happen to be a frat boy," she slurred, "you are a complete package."
"Well, thank you," he replied, "you are a complete package too."
She giggled and wrapped her arms around her his neck and looked into his eyes and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips and then parted away.
Apple didn't know how to feel about that, for her Chace was a good friend. Unfortunately, the alcohol was clouding her judgement, and she pulled him down by the collar and kissed him again. He deepened the kiss this time, and she moaned. She was utterly intoxicated, a voice in her mind yelled that she was wrong, that she shouldn't be doing this.
But maybe she should be doing this, wasn't Chace perfect? Affectionate, understanding, her age and most of all a friend. He wasn't dark and brooding like Rome, he was like sunshine. So bright and pretty.
A tap on the shoulder brought her back, and she parted away. She turned around and found the bouncer standing. Sophie and Sebastian too stood behind him, they looked nervous.
"Out before I inform the police," he snapped, and Chace immediately nodded. He took Apple's hand and started to walk out before the bouncer stopped them again.
"The girl has been called in the office,"
"What?" Sebastian snapped, "why?"
"That's none of your business," the bouncer said, "the three of you out while the girl goes to the office. Our boss wants to see her."
"No way, we are all leaving," Sophie said.
"The Boss..."
Someone's voice stopped the bouncer, Dave, mid-sentence. Dave turned around to the source of voice.
"Thank you, Dave,"
All the alcohol drained from her system. Suddenly Apple felt like she was hyper-aware. She swallowed hard and as if in slow-motion she saw the bouncer, Dave, step away. Her eyes fell on him, and it was as if all the feelings that she had tried to bury for a month came rushing through her system, amplified and magnified. Rome stepped in front.
"Oh shit," Sophie whispered.
"Escort her friends outside, Dave," he said in his heavy and deep baritone.
"She is going with us," Chace said. Apple's eyes widened, and she turned to him, he had a steely expression, and he even kept his hand on her shoulder. Rome's jaw ticked.
"She stays here," he said in his cool and calm tone. Rome didn't have to get angry, he already had that intimidation vibe going on for him. Chace's hands, however, were cold, he was hanging by threads. She had to take him out of the jeopardy.
"I will stay, you guys go," she whispered.
Chace's eyes shot to her.
"Please," she whispered
She vaguely observed her friends leaving the club. Such was Rome's effect on others, the fear and intimidation that he conjured in someone's mind were enough for them to step away. He took her hand, his deep and dark eyes boring into hers. It was only when he touched her that she realised that the entire club was silent and watching the drama unfold.
He expertly pulled her outside the crowd and took her towards a room aptly labelled office. There was a mahogany desk in the middle and a few shelves holding files. The room was clean and minimalistic. Just like Rome. Her eyes fell on a mirror, and they widened.
Her lipstick was smudged, her lips were mussed and hair messy. She looked she had, had a wild night.
Talk about young, wild and free.
He sat down on his chair, and Apple stood in the middle of the office. She felt like she was under interrogation.
"Good evening, Apple," he said. He picked a glass filled with whiskey and took a sip.
"H-Hello," she mumbled.
"So innocent now are we,"
She looked down at her shoes.
"For the past one month," he said while getting up from his chair, "for this past one month. I have tried to forget you, bury you in the deep crevices of my brain but somehow you always bounced forward with those bee-stung lips of yours smiling at me."
He sounded mad.
"And today I see you, in a club ironically, dancing, drinking... kissing. I realised one thing, it doesn't matter whether we didn't see each other for one month," he shrugged.
She frowned, confused.
"You know why? Because you never stopped being mine, Apple. You always and you always will belong to me. Kissing that boy, it didn't feel right, did it?"
She didn't answer. He kneeled down in front of her.
"Did it feel right?" he asked.
"No," she admitted.
"Why didn't it feel right?"
She didn't answer that.
"Because you belong to me," he whispered in her ear. His hand wrapped around her waist and he pulled her to him.
"That's not true. We are not together Rome," she mumbled.
"We will be together Apple," he said, "if you want to stay in college and if you want your friends to stay in college then you will be with me."
"Are you blackmailing me?" she cried.
"The Dean of Columbia needs to know that the students despite being underage are drinking,"
"Is that how you get girls?" she sobbed, " by blackmailing them. You are the worst, I hate you."
His eyes narrowed, and he scowled.
"I have no other choice," he spat and moved away from her.
"What do you mean?" she asked, wiping her tears away.
"I want you," he said, "very bad. I want you with me."
She looked at him, a small gasp leaving her lips.
"I don't understand," she said, still reeling from what he admitted, "you know I want a real relationship."
"I know that, and I do too. But I cannot necessarily give you the affection that you crave. I am not an affectionate man, Apple. I am cold, I am rigid, and I have always been like this. I am the same with my family. My mother is big on hugging and kissing, but I never reciprocate. This is me," he said, "I know that you are a sweet girl, I know you want the cliché, and you want the cuddles, but I cannot be that. I can just assure you that I like you very much, but I cannot express it as much as you want me to."
Even when he said these sweet words, he was standing like a pillar, straight and upright. Even his voice was super-clinical, and she sighed. Over the past month, she had missed him terribly, constantly revisiting her decision and analysing it.
But today he was really letting her know, he wanted her with him.
"So like... will we be a couple?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he said, a small smile on his face, "we will be a couple. An exclusive couple."
"I don't know Rome," she said
He scowled.
"What is there to know? I am telling you, we will be exclusive..."
"It is not that, I am scared Rome, you control me, you told me to not hang out with Chace,"
"And you will not, that boy was mauling you on the dance floor,"
"No, he was not,"
"I will not have that boy near you,"
"Then I don't want to be b-be with you," she said.
Rome narrowed his hooded eyes and cocked his head to one side.
"Are you blackmailing me?" he asked.
"Two c-can play this game," she said in a small voice.
A small smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded.
"Fine," he relented, "the boy can be your friend."
"Thank you," she said, "I think I should leave now,"
"Leave? I just got you back,"
And with that, he swooped her into a kiss. The kiss that was she craved: hot, wild, possessive, hungry, dark and so consuming. It was like a deep sea, and she was drowning.
Had she done the right thing?