Austin's POVI turn to the man on the hospital bed, and when he sees the look on my face, his smile dissolves immediately like ice under the sun. Now that I look at him in a different light, not the one of complete reverence and respect for a man of his worth, but one with suspicion; like he might be guilty after all.I pick up the reporter's chair and carry it close to Bernie's bed. His eyes follow me every moment and I'm concerned that they might just fall out of their sockets if he keeps up with that.I don't sit on the chair. I put one leg on it and rest my arms on my knee."Tell me something, Professor Bernie Halstead. How has it been ever since you lost your wife?"Those eyes of his stop darting around like a rat and seem to focus. But not on my face. They are on my arms."Losing Elizabeth was... a tragedy.""I guess so, after I lost my parents at an unusual age."He says nothing to that. I check my phone."And how have you been coping without her, Bernie?"He shrugs. Delays. "C
Austin's POVI walk her to a bench as Beta completes his phone call. When I try to make her sit down so we can talk, she disagrees."Can we just get out of here? The place makes my skin crawl."I nod in understanding. "Alright, Ellie."We walk through the lobbies and I don't leave her alone. My hand is around her shoulders. Beta follows in tow dutifully. It's like a select world outside here. The sky is the colour of a dog's vomit. Seems like it's about to rain hail or something.We sit in the silence of the Range Rover Sport like someone stole the car radio. Both of us in the backseat. However, Ellie keeps her distance. And to me, she seems far away. Close, but far away.The feeling in my heart right now is one of regret, and like the devil's winnowing sickle, is tearing me apart. If I had listened to her initially, she wouldn't be this distraught."It's all my fault, Ellie. I want you to know this. And I'll be willing to make up for it. Anything you want me to do for you, Ellie. You
Unknown POVWhoever said aristocratic banquets are a bore, must have a melancholic temperament. I know all about the black and white suits and ties and the dinners and the need to look the taste for the bigwigs. But that's how you would feel if you just sit on the sidelines and watch. Me, I get involved.I turn off the engine of my red Maserati, and kill the lights. This banquet has been better than the last one I attended at the Chevron Hotel. That one was a pure waste of time, considering our unannounced visitors.I alight and unlock the door to my house. It's a duplex and it's all mine. The loneliness is a good advantage. I get to turn myself on however I want.I turn on the lights as I go. Stop by the kitchen to grab a lighter and a pack of Malboros from a wall cabinet. Then I move upstairs and help myself into my room. The design is animalistic. Of the woods. Not just any, but a special one. One I have been to. I'm the wolf and this is my jungle.I let my handbag drop onto a couc
Ellie's POVIf mistakes happen all the time like this, then I'll be glad if they never stop. The waitress has no idea that Austin and I are not married. But now that she has made the error, I begin to feel that we might as well be.She walks away to get our orders. Austin is staring at me and I put on a facade that should tell him how calm I am. That what the waitress said doesn't mean anything to me.But only the Moon Goddess right now knows how I feel. Hearing the waitress say that lights my dark mind up like a fucking high wattage bulb. I'm too conscious of myself and what I feel that I try to hide my eyes from him. Can't be entirely sure if they seem to glow brightly like the inside of my head.The friendly waitress brings our orders with a smile. "You both didn't order for what to drink so I added milk and chocolate shakes. Don't worry, that's on me. You can place your order when you want.""I think we'll go with the shakes for now," I say, snatching the chocolate cup from Austin
Third POVHe feels like he's walking up the staircase to heaven. Just one more step and he is in.But he can't eat his cake and have it because it is at this critical moment that Ellie suddenly wakes up.He quickly pulls his face backwards before she can notice that he had been so close to kissing her on the lips. In a show of pretense, he reaches out a hand instead to press some strands of her hair, putting them back into place."Nice hair you have here, Ellie. If they weren't so stubborn as you are."Ellie rubs her eyes with her fists. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. You know just how to make a girlie feel goodie.""Now, what would you have done without me," he says, sarcasm dripping.Her brain seems to take on a different approach to sobering up. "Wait, did I fall asleep?"Austin sighs. "You really want me to answer that question, Ellie?"She rolls her eyes. "Never mind.""Sure about that? First time we do this and you doze off on me. I see the future is looking
Ellie's POVI'm stunned. The whole crowd is stunned. And when I look at my friends, they are stunned as well.The only person on the stage who isn't stunned is the guitarist. He just stands close to the curtains with his head positioned at one angle, looking at Ethan's decreased height. His countenance makes me feel like he shouldn't even be part of humanity."What the hell," I say to Ethan. I have no idea if he really meant what he just said or if it's just a stunt he's trying to pull.He repeats himself, and his face is a little bit amused by the shouts of glee, but I do notice some awkward sincerity nevertheless."Get off the stage, boy," someone shouts. "You're ruining the moment.""Get a room, yo!"Okay, I want all of this to end right now, popularity cemented or not. It's not as if I asked for this or planned everything to happen this way. It's all Anna's idea."Ellie?" Ethan prods. "Say something, Ellie."Fuck him. What the hell does he want me to say? I don't even love this gu
Ellie's POVHer voice zooms out of my head and it feels like all I'm hearing is an indistinct beeping sound.I told you.I knew there was a catch all along!I'm so used to evil that I can smell the devilment off someone miles away. I'm a natural. Takes one to know one.Why else will Cathy want an insignificant girl like me at her birthday party? Come on, she has all the freaky company she can ever need, except if she has ulterior motives to embarrass me publicly. Check. No need to ask why. Her spite and pretense are so fucking obvious, the stench of it makes my skin crawl.I look at my white dress with a clap of shame, as Cathy drones on about how careless she is. She even bothers the waiter for something to wipe the stain off my outfit. Yeezus, I look like a bleeding Jesus Christ.My eyes turn to her, and her voice comes back to me in real time."I think you should go to the restroom and wash up, Ellie," Cathy offers, her tone dripping with so much sympathy, you'd think she grows the
Third POVAnna looks at the earring in between his thumb and index finger, lost at first and ignorant to what he is talking about. Then, like a keyboard clacking the memory right back into her brain, she remembers Ellie's intimate story about how she had sex with a stranger in a hotel room.No way.Anna looks at the Alpha King the way a male patron will espy a hooker for the night.Ah, so you are that wonderful male who made her climax all night right?The truth comes out like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, and Anna is no fool to let it fly away without catching that which is real.She is about to tell him that the earring does not belong to her, when she stops herself. Austin has brought her here for one reason. To ascertain if she was the wearer of the earring. Telling him that she isn't the girl he had a one-night stand with will just make him look at her as insignificant once again. And for once, she means something to him.Plus, just look at the man. Handsome and good-lo