ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Eva seemed to leave in such a hurry it didn’t give Arthur a chance to protest. However, it wasn’t his place to stop her from using the restroom. Primarily, he didn’t want to be alone with his cousin. But off she hurried away, and Arthur sighed, taking another sip of his wine. “It seems she has a lot on her mind, to me at least.” Julius spoke and Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Well, her mother just died. Her funeral was this morning… Don’t think I walk around dressed up like this all the time.” Julius chuckled slightly, taking a sip of his own wine. “I wouldn’t be surprised, honestly. It is a suiting look for a hitman in my own honest opinion. If I could have it my way, we’d all be walking around in dress suits.” Arthur simply rolled his eyes, how long had Eva been gone now. Only a few seconds and it was already beginning to feel like a lifetime.

“Was it hard killing your own girlfriends mother?” Arthur almost spat out the wine in his mouth at the quiet question uttered from Julius. In fact, it caused quite the coughing fit out of Arthur that several heads had turned. But when Arthur settled himself with the glass of water, the low mumble of conversations throughout the restraint continued. How did Julius know about that? Shit, he had probably been home all day and Arthur hadn’t known. More than likely he probably would have discussed it over breakfast with his father, or even possibly his mom. However, how did he know that Evelyn was Eva’s mother? His own mom hadn’t even known that Evelyn and Eva were related… Or at least, she tried to now show that she had known.

“For your information, I didn’t… get to. It was taken care of by the time I arrived… supposedly by my ‘Godfather’.” So I don’t know what that would have been like.” Arthur crossed his arms, feeling his phone begin to buzz in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he saw that it was a message from his father. They were almost done with dinner, and it seemed Victor wasn’t going to be spending the night. One less stress on Arthur’s mind. However, Noah seemed to have other maters that needed to be discussed when the trio finally made it back to the house. “Ah! What a pity… Do you think you would have had the guts to do it, if you hadn’t been to late?” Arthur shot a glare towards Julius, stiffening his jaw in response. What the hell kind of question was that. One he didn’t know the answer to, that was for sure. Arthur sipped his wine again. But at the same time, he couldn’t show to his cousin that he was going soft in any ways. “Without hesitation, as always. A mission is a mission and a hit is a hit, regardless of who it is on.”

“Oh yeah. How about Eva? You said it- hit is a hit, mission is a mission.” Instantly, the dream he had about this exact scenario flashed into his brain, and played through fast forward. He didn’t even know how deeply he had been in love with Eva at that point, and he hadn’t been able to do it. The silent pause was enough answer for Julius and he simply laughed, while mayhem seemed to rack inside Arthur’s head and heart. “I don’t blame you. I don’t think I could pull the trigger on a girl with such a fine body as hers.”

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Arthur growled through grit teeth, his annoyance really showing through at this point. The server carrying their dishes seemed to notice the tension and was very quick to just drop off the dishes and top off their wine and Eva’s water.


His warm smile didn’t waiver as he ordered a round of sake for the two of them. The chef was going around the table, starting to take everyone’s orders and Alexander was beaming. “Oh, I’m not necessarily partial to any specific food. I love cooking and all food in general. Asian, European, Latin, African. In fact, I dreamed about going into culinary school one day, opening my own restaurant. But as you know, our line of work tends to… be detrimental to these desires.” There was a slight waver in his smile, as if the realization that this dream of his would never come true. But in true spirit, he shook it off. Dreams are just dreams. They don’t all come true. The chef got to the couple, and they placed their orders, and the cups of sake also reached the table. Alexander eagerly picked up his and toasted towards Gigi. “To a wonderful date, huh?” Alex smiled brightly and took a big sip.

“Have you ever thought about that stuff before, Gigi? How life would be different if we were normal? What could you see yourself doing?” It sounded like a serious question from Alex, but he was just genuinely curious. No one really dreamed of being in their positions, or at least Alex didn’t believe anyone would. Of the group, Arthur and Terrance were probably the only two who were satisfied with their current occupational position they were born into. However, Jacob and Alex both had their own dreams.

Speaking of which, Jacob shot a bright smile towards Alyssa in his car, shutting it off as he found a spot to park. “You always remind me how much I love you.” Reaching in the glove box, Jacob pulled out, a rather comical, black, fake mustache. That didn’t match his dirty blonde hair in the slightest. He stuck it to his upper lip, and through on a pair of fake glasses. “I can’t disguise myself nearly as good as Terrance can. But, I’ve been known to dabble. Let’s go!” He took Alyssa’s hand and pulled her towards the back of the restaurant, watching as different servers came and went, throwing out trash in the nearby dumpster. One of them hadn’t closed the door all the way, and the two got to sneak in. Hanging on the wall were two white aprons, and Jacob was quick to snatch them, throwing one to Alyssa. “Act like you belong. I don’t know how long we can get away with this!” Jacob had to work hard to stifle any laughter.



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:...
✖✖ I Feel... Annoyed
✖✖ I am At... Italian Bistro
✖✖ I am With... Julius
✖✖ I am Thinking..."Punk..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...Black suit

Forcing herself to come out of the bathroom, Eva sauntered back to the table, relatively neutral. As she approached, she noticed the waiter hurriedly taking off, though it didn't take much to notice why. Arthur was visibly annoyed--not a good sign, all things considered. After taking a breath to calm herself down, she quietly sat down next to her boyfriend, taking his hand in hers. "Sorry, lady emergency," She said it to both of them, but she was mainly apologizing to Arthur. It tickled her pink to know that Julius managed to get on his nerves, though the pleasant thought got shot down rather quickly as she remembered Julius' claim that Arthur was more loyal to him than he was to her. Clearing her throat, she took a swig from her cup, the coolness helping her somewhat, though the tense silence was rather unnerving. Julius must have said something to upset Arthur again, and once more that terrible anxiety gripped her. She made a mental note to see Dr. Galen tomorrow, she wasn't really able to handle this stress. At least the silence wasn't about their previous relationship, since at least she was sure Arthur would have probably strangled him.

Deciding to play the reluctant peacemaker, Eva thought a change of topic was due. Figuring that she wasn't going to be rid of Julius so easily combined with actual curiosity, she thought she could ask him an innocent question. "So...what're your plans for the future?" She asked, her index finger tracing the rim of her cup.

---

She had to admit that she was having quite the pleasant time. The sake felt warm going down her throat--just the way she liked it--and as she listened to Alexander, Gigi wondered why she didn't see it before. Then again, she had always seen him bringing in his mother's leftovers, so she had just assumed he didn't cook. But that flan he made that day had been to perfection, so knowing that was his passion was endearing. Still, mentioning his dream almost made her feel a little sad for him. It sounded like he wanted more out of his life than the one he had, to follow his passion. Before she could dwell on it, however, he threw her for a loop by asking what she would do if her life was normal. Alexander had a way of making her question everything about her life, but she never expected him to come out and ask about it.

The dark haired girl could only stare at Alexander for a moment, searching his golden eyes for some kind of answer. Or rather, searching for an answer different than the one she had. No matter how many scenarios went through her head, she just couldn't imagine herself as someone normal. A normal high school girl thought about boys and lipsticks and grades. Gigi thought about guns and the best way to disable her opponents. She wasn't even close to being normal. Unless it was a normal psychopath. And she was fine with it, she was fine with the way she thought. No, that wasn't completely true, was it? "I don't know," She finally admitted to both him and herself for the first time. "I can't see myself doing anything that doesn't involve..." Violence? Blood? Murder? The words she had long gotten used to now felt foreign, like saying them in front of Alexander was wrong. She found herself unable to maintain eye contact, as if she was ashamed to admit her dirty secret. "I guess I've been doing this for so long that I don't know anything else. I literally can't picture myself doing anything different." And for the first time in her life, it left an extremely bitter taste in her mouth.

---

Tapping her finger nails against her phone, the usually jovial Helene was deep in thought. Now that she was wide awake and her head was functioning, her mind was back in business so to speak. Well, for the most part. She still wasn't sure why she had felt so groggy earlier, but she dismissed it as she was much more clear headed now. For some reason, Evan's message came off as rather omnibus. He wasn't picking up his phone, either, so he was probably working on something. Alyssa had said that Gigi was with Alexander, so it wasn't like she could ask her. If she was being completely honest, all the secrecy and half-truths were making things just a little too complicated for her taste. Helene wasn't entirely sure if she was making the right call, but as Evan kept telling her she could make her own decisions, this was probably the best way to start. In her mind, everything could be cleared up rather easily; trust needed to be established. And for that, the truth needed to come out. She was wary of Arthur and Alexander, but had no idea what it was that Terrance did. And if Terrance wanted a relationship, he needed to hold up his half--she had already come clean, after all.

Running a hand through her hair, she sat back down on Terrance's bed, humming lightly. The best thing to do was to ask Terrance first. Why was she so nervous about this? They were fine. Sort of. Admittedly she still had her doubts about having a relationship, but anytime she saw his smile, every single second thought she had went flying out the window. Putting so much trust in him actually made her nervous now that she had the chance to think on it. Tracing her lower lip with her thumb, she figured it was now or never. "So, I was thinking..." She began slowly, eyeing Terrance to gauge him for a reaction. "Since we're together, and the Patrone family has also welcomed mine into theirs, maybe it's time to...air out the laundry?" That made it seem so trivial, really. She let out a sigh, scratching the back of her head. "I think it's better if we all work together, and I mean all of us--mostly," She corrected herself. "By that I mean you, Jacob, Alexander, and Arthur. Considering you're the one that connected me to Jacob, I can't think you're as innocent as you look," Did that sound accusatory? "What I mean is--I've laid all my cards out. I'm not hiding anything anymore. I was hoping with that in mind, maybe you could do the same for me."

ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Julius watched with attentive eyes as Eva returned, and was now tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. Little things like that seemed to remind Julius of the things form their relationship they had missed. But, those little things didn’t matter now, and Julius was surprised how Eva asked him about what he planned for the future. How far ahead did she want to know? His plans for tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Retirement. He chuckled slightly, rubbing his chin as if to think it over. “I don’t know if you remember, Eva. But I used to tell you about how my father runs a family business. Arthur’s family is involved in it as well. Our family has been doing this for several generations. My intentions are to go back to Sweden to study, then come home and take over for my father. It is interesting you ask that. I imagine Arthur has the same intentions.” Julius began to dig into his own food, and Arthur ate at his slowly. It was lucky Julius kept his mouth, for the most part, shut about their family affairs. Otherwise he would be getting another swift kick to the shin. However, Julius wasn’t wrong. Though Arthur didn’t really have intention so leaving the country like Julius did, he was fully intending to continue down into the family business alongside, if not one day surpassing, his father. The only hardship now was figuring out how to get through it all without Eva finding out. Could Arthur hold up a façade from her for her entire life?

“Do you still dream of being a concert violinist?” The question quickly caught Arthur off guard. How had he known something about that? But the conversation seemed to continue with the flow from there. It was strange to Arthur. Eva and Julius seemed to be getting along relatively well, besides the occasional spouts of annoyance Julius would demonstrate. Otherwise, one would consider this to be a relatively pleasant evening. The sun seemed to set faster as the trio returned to Arthur’s car, and returned home. Arthur wanted nothing more in this world than to collapse on his bed and fall asleep holding Eva in his arms. However, this dream seemed to be slightly stunted by Julius. It came as a rather last minute announcement that Julius would be sharing Arthur’s bedroom, sleeping on the futon against the wall. Arthur didn’t have to make sure that Eva was well concealed from her normal night ware, or occasional lack of. She wore the same large t-shirt that he had got her at the beach, and the two climbed in h is own bed, while in the slight distance, across the room, Julius was trying to get comfy on the rather lumpy bed.

It seemed like instantly that Arthur had fallen asleep, but the slight buzzing of his phone beside his ears stirred him. It was almost one in the morning, as he looked down at the illuminated screen in the darkness of the room. A quick side glance towards Eva and Julius told him that they hadn’t be stirred by his phone, and Arthur looked at the message. Come to my office. Shit, Arthur had completely forgotten about the message from his father that they needed to talk. Moving slowly out of the bed, Arthur threw on some shorts, and made his way out of the bedroom, closing the door silently.

Rather than to continue sleeping peacefully, as he should, Julius had stirred at the sound of the opening and closing bedroom door, and he peaked his eyes out from his covers. Arthur seemed in a hurry… wonder what that was about. As the minutes continued to tick by, Julius began to realize that it didn’t seem that Arthur would be coming back anytime soon. Perhaps, it was time to instill a bit of mischief. Tiptoeing out of the futon, Julius snuck his way over to the side of Arthur’s bed where he had been sleeping. With the faint amount of moonlight that was drifting through the blinds of Arthur’s window, Julius could just see the sleeping outline of Eva on her side of the bed. Moving slowly, Julius climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over himself, and softly scooting closer to the sleeping Eva. Sorry, Arthur, this was nothing personal towards you. Julius moved his head towards the back of Eva’s neck, placing a gentle kiss on the back of Eva’s neck. His hand moved slowly through the sheets and rested on her hip, pulling her body closer to him.


Alexander scratched his cheek slightly when Gigi mentioned she couldn’t see herself doing anything else. This was hard for him to believe, he could see her becoming just about anything. As a hired gun, she had to be skilled with weapons, calm, cool, collected, she had a level head, she was realistic. Perhaps in another life she would be a cop, or even a FBI or CIA agent. Alexander could definitely see her as something along those lines. But, perhaps Gigi was really happy doing what she was doing. Which was fine with Alexander. Besides, if he were the normal one, and wanted to go on to be a chef, how hard would it be for Gigi to tell him the truth about what she did for living? Perhaps it was a lot better, in their favor, that their lines of work made it easier for them to get to know one another.

The chef was preparing on the fried rice, and started to ask around the table if anyone wanted to attempt catching the rice in their mouth. Alex’s hand instantly shot up in the air, eagerly hopping up and down in his seat. “I’m a pro, do your worst!” The chef gave him a sharp glance and with no warning, threw up a ball of rice to be caught in his mouth. Alex had to lean far back in his seat, the chair standing on its two hind legs, as to catch the tiny clump of rice in his mouth. He could feel the chair about to fully tip, but he was quick to get himself upright, happily munching on the sticky rice. Alex looked at Gigi, a slight hint of mischief in his eyes. “Her next!” He pointed towards Gigi, playfully grinning towards her.


Terrance’s eyes glanced at the clock on his night stand, running his fingers through is messy bed hair. Damn, had they really spent the weekend in bed like this? Ah, who was he kidding. He wouldn’t trade the past 24 hours for anything in the world. Good thing she was on the pill- or at least she had once been vocal about this fact before. He began to pick up his phone when Helene spoke to her. Her voice was so sweet and charming, yet this time there was a hint of seriousness in it. She wanted to air out dirty laundry. Terrance felt a slight tinge of panic in his chest, his finger somewhat nervously rubbing the side of his phone. She mentioned all four of them coming clean with their secrets to Helene. She was being fair, Terrance knew significantly more about Helene than Helene did about Terrance, or any of the others. But it wasn’t Terrance’s place to make a call like this. In fact, it rested more son in the hands of Mr. Patrone. Though Terrance had no doubt in his mind that Mr. Patrone would be more than willing to appease young Helene and answer any, if not all of her questions.

“I-I’m fine with that. But I will have to check with Jacob’s dad, and…” Terrance’s brown eyes locked with the warm eyes of Helene. Oh god, he could feel his heart melting in his chest. Don’t give him that look! He bit his lip slightly. “It isn’t my place to tell you about Arthur and Alex… though you already know enough about Jacob’s family… If you really want to know about me though…” Terrance twiddled his thumbs slightly. It was weird, him being so nervous to reveal his secret to her. He had never told anyone, and this was one of the first few times he actually felt nervous in front of a girl.

“My parent’s line of work… Well, they are international spies. In fact, they knew about you, the rest of the Carbones, and Bastien before you even came over here. As such, being a spy is also… my own duty. I knew who you were before you told me under the school bleachers that one day, Helene. My job from my parents was to keep an eye on you here. Learn more about you and your family. That kind of thing. But don’t think that is the only reason I was ever near you. Besides my line of work, I wanted to be around you. Y’know, I… I love you, Helene.” Terrance was supposed to feel better telling his secrets, but for some reason he didn’t feel better. It was as if telling the truth was an admission of keeping secrets from her, and he felt guilty.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner… But I just don’t want to get on Mr. Patrone’s bad side. At least, not again so soon… You can’t let anyone know what I’ve told you, unless he gives me the permission to.”



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:...
✖✖ I Feel... Tired
✖✖ I am At... Home, Downstairs
✖✖ I am With... Myself
✖✖ I am Thinking..."Shit, what does he want?..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...Pajamas

Getting back to Arthur's house had been a godsend, her aching body begging for sleep. Eva let out a happy sigh as she got into Arthur's bed, though as she got comfortable, her thoughts briefly wandered back to the evening's conversation. Why was it interesting that she had asked about Julius' future? For a second Eva had assumed he was annoying her again, but something Julius said caught her attention. Arthur was involved in the family business, too, but this was the first she was hearing about it. Did it mean she would see more of Julius? There was a depressing thought, just how long would she be able to keep this from Arthur? She was struggling enough as it is! Just as she felt herself slipping, Julius caught her attention by mentioning her wanting to become a concert violinist. It was hard to admit that Eva was actually somewhat touched when Julius remembered her dream, especially when it made her feel a little warm. That was the future she had wanted for herself, the one she had strived towards, but despite being the one to ask, Eva felt uneasy talking about her own future. But the conversation went well enough to the point she had almost forgotten how irritating he was. It was...nice. Not that she would ever admit that out loud. The thought accompanied her for all of two seconds until her head hit the pillow, at which point her grogginess caught up to her.

She wasn't usually a light sleeper, but the feel of a pair of lips on her neck made her shudder slightly. It must've been Arthur's subtle way of apologizing for the day. They really didn't get a chance to talk about anything today, did they? As she felt herself getting pulled to him, she let out a small sigh as she placed her hand on his, slightly making herself more comfortable. Pulling his hand up to her chest, she squeezed it lightly, letting his warmth lull her back to sleep again.

---

Alyssa didn't know what surprised her more, the fact that they had actually gotten in, or no one questioning Jacob's rather ridiculous mustache. Stealth wasn't his forte, and it showed. Still, as Alyssa looked around and took a few plates, handing some to Jacob and taking the rest herself, she had to admit he had a point about having confidence. No one gave them so much as a second glance, even if Jacob's disguise did earn him a few odd looks. The brunette chose to focus on finding the dynamic duo, though it was hard to ignore people giving her orders. "Do you see them?" She asked Jacob.

As Alexander skillfully caught the rice in his mouth, Gigi couldn't help but clap. It reminded her a bit of Alyssa and Helene trying to catch popcorn, often trying to outdo the other. Once he looked back at her, she nearly missed what he had said, her eyes widening as she looked at the chef. Oh no. Of course, for once her instincts led her right, and as she ball came at her, she copied Alexander and leaned back, attempting to hook her foot with something. However, she realized too late that there was nothing for her to grab, and she had leaned back way too much. Still, falling back was a much too common feeling, and she landed flat on her back. Ow. She watched the rice ball hit one of the waitresses, who let out a squeak of surprise, whipping around. Wait a minute, was that Alyssa? She hurried away before Gigi could ask, the dark haired girl blinking in confusion.

---

He knew?

Of course Helene could understand him not wanting to talk about Arthur and Alexander as it was best to hear it from them. If she was being honest, she really would have been satisfied knowing Terrance's role in all this. But Terrance had long since known about her--and he didn't say anything. To think she had actually been nervous to confess when he knew! It made her feel like a complete idiot, the revelation making her sit upright. There she was actually worried about them and he knew! He fucking knew all along! Helene stared at him incredulously, shaking her head slightly. She wasn't going to ask for how long, because if he answered and she didn't like it, she was probably going to lose her temper. It then hit her that this was what Gigi was talking about, and her jaw dropped slightly. Gigi had been trying to warn her, and she fell for his entire act.

"Well you kept an eye on me, alright," She replied somewhat bitterly, crossing her arms across her chest. "Was sleeping with me part of it, too? Seduce the heiress of the family and get her to spill everything?" She couldn't help but scoff, unable to even look at Terrance. "I was putting everything out there that day under the bleachers because I felt like I couldn't lie to you any longer, because it tore me up inside to think we could potentially end up on opposite sides, but there you were, knowing everything about me--I can't believe this." Putting her hand to her head, she couldn't quite wrap her head around it for some reason.

ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Julius’ lips formed a mischievous grin as he felt Eva moving under his gentle touch. She pulled his hand to her chest and squeezed his hand. Eva was being so sweet and innocent. But that wasn’t going to quite do it for Julius. After she finished squeezing his hand, he moved his hands towards her breast, taking on in his palm and giving it a soft squeeze. Ah, an all too familiar feeling to Julius. It had been a while, he almost forgot how absolutely sexy Eva was. Especially with how vulnerable she felt laying beside him. His lips continued to roam along Eva’s neck, leaving several little kisses here and there. He got closer to the side of her neck, gently biting her in the corner of her shoulder and neck. Releasing her breast, his hand slid down the side of her body, feeling the smooth skin underneath the large baggy t-shirt. It really didn’t do her body any justice. His fingers reached the edge of her panties on her hip, playing with the band.

Arthur moved into his father’s office rather stealthily, being sure to close and lock the door behind him. Though he was sure he hadn’t woken Eva when he left, he didn’t want to risk having her possibly stumble around looking for him. Noah was sitting at his desk, a stack of several thick manila folder beside him. “Glad for you to finally join me, Arthur. Please take a seat.” Arthur looked at the chair and slightly nodded, taking a seat and watching as Noah’s fingers tapped across the stack of files. No doubt, information and intel gathered on several new contracts.

“You have really been slacking these past few days, Arthur. You used to take out someone almost every night- and now, you hardly seem motivated in your work. I hope you aren’t losing your passion for the family business?’ Arthur was quick to shake his head. Of course he wasn’t losing interest! The thrill of having a man’s life in your hands, and crushing out the light. That is what he practically lived for, and he didn’t want any other profession in the world. “Well, you have a lot of slack to make up for the next few weeks. In these folders I have information on multiple hits- primarily targets from the Patrone family. Every night you must take out one. You are getting soft, and we have to work on getting you hardened back up. Your mother says it is a girl…” Arthur tensed slightly, remembering how Noah had threatened last time that if he had continued seeing Eva, then he would be disowned.

“But through your mother, I’ve decided to allow you to continue seeing the girl. So long as you keep up with your work! Besides, this will be good practice now for when you continue to keep your secret from her.” Noah pushed across the manila folders to Arthur and he picked one up, glancing over the pages. His father wasn’t wrong. Arthur knew he could never allow Eva to know his secret, just as well he knew he couldn’t stop doing what he did. He flipped through the pages of the first manila folder, a hit already scheduled to be taken care of tonight- no doubt Noah would want Artur to start now than never. Noah rose from his seat, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temple. “I expect you to get that first one done tonight… and the rest for the next following nights for two weeks. You need the practice now while you’re still young.” With that, Noah left, and Arthur’s eyes continued to scan over the document for his next target- one Enrique Munez.


Alexander was quick to get to his feet, helping Gigi back into her seat and getting her hair out of her face. “Woah! You really tried to go long for that one! I would think you would have more balance than that!” Alexander helped dust off any dirt from Gigi’s dress due to the fall, his hand whipping across her thigh for a brief second. His eyes at this point became locked on her small waist and her legs. She was so irresistible, it was taking almost all of Alex’s self-control not to pounce on her right there and now. However, he quickly brought his eyes back up to Gigi, a pink blush painting his cheeks. The chef had just loaded everyone’s plates with rice, and Alexander decided to quicken his drinking pace with the sake. As if it would cool him down, but the warmth of the drink only caused him to feel more hot and fuzzy.

“Let me bring you more drinks… and on the house for the lovely couple!” A waiter with a rather discolored mustache and weird glasses moved by, dropping off two more hot containers of Sake. Alexander grinned, turning to say thanks to the waiter, but he seemed to scurry away quickly. That was strange, but Alexander shrugged it off, turning his attention back to Gigi, as a large flame erupted on the countertop by the chef. The warm light bounced off of Gigi’s hair in face in such a romantic way, and all he could do was goofily grin. “Well, that was nice don’t you think? Cheers!” He took another sip of his drink, and got to work on the rice, and the slowly collecting amount of vegetables, shrimp, and chicken, that began to pile on his plate.


Terrance could feel his heart sinking into his stomach as Helene turned away, obviously pissed at these revelations. Shit, what else had he expected? That everything would be fine and dandy? Not in this universe! Terrance let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. It really wasn’t fair to Helene, the dynamic of their relationship and work. She made a comment about him sleeping with her, as if to gain some kind of advantage over her, and Terrance jumped. “H-Helene, I just told you, it wasn’t like that.” He moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Yeah, I had to keep an eye on you. But I wasn’t just with you because of my mission… As I got to know you, I realized how fun you were, how kind and caring you are… How beautiful you are. And, I don’t care who you are or where you come from. It wouldn’t have changed how I felt about you then or now. But know that I was never using you for anything.” He pulled Helene closer to him, embracing her in a tight hug.



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:...
✖✖ I Feel... Tired
✖✖ I am At... Home, Noah's Office
✖✖ I am With... Myself
✖✖ I am Thinking..."Munez..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...Pajamas

A small moan escaped Eva as she felt his lips trail down, though he earned a little squeak out of her as she felt his hand on her breast. Frisky, wasn't he? She briefly contemplated if she should reciprocate as she let his hands explore, but she still felt tired. Arthur usually let her sleep in so it was a pleasant surprise, but she realized it was still dark as she opened her eyes briefly. It wasn't quite time to get up yet, but Arthur seemed wide awake. Closing her eyes again, she stifled a yawn as her body tried to get her to sleep again, though she didn't realize how loud she was until he gave her a gentle bite and she let out a louder moan. Crap, there she was enjoying her boyfriend and her stupid ex was across the room. So much for a late night romp, or any kind considering their little safe haven was being occupied by another person. That much seemed to make her grumpy, and she tried to go back to sleep as a result.

"Not tonight, Arthur...your cousin's right there..." She mumbled in protest, trying to remind him of stupid Julius. Opening her eyes again, she let out a small sigh, looking across the room. The moon outside illuminated the room a little, though as she squinted she noticed the futon was empty. Had he gotten up? Frowning to herself, she inhaled slowly as she rubbed her eyes, trying to see better. Maybe Arthur was taking advantage of the fact that Julius wasn't around.

---

Taking Alexander's hand gratefully, Gigi let him pull her up, momentarily distracted by that waitress she thought was Alyssa. She wasn't quite expecting him to brush her hair off her face, momentarily feeling the heat rising, though she managed to calm herself for the moment. Considering she had scaled buildings without missing a step before, falling backwards off a chair was actually pretty embarrassing. But that was what normal girls did, right? Why was she thinking about that again? Just as she was about to berate herself, however, Alexander's hands pulled her back to reality as she felt one on her thigh. It was brief, but it immediately dumped her into the same mindset she had this morning. Alexander didn't help as she locked eyes with him, noticing the look on his face. Wow, she was pathetic, though for a split second she really did think she was going to have a heart attack again. He looked so innocent that she almost forgot where they were and had no idea how she managed to sit again.

As the waiter presented him with a drink, Gigi's previously fuzzy feelings dropped like a ton of bricks. The mustache was so fake she was genuinely impressed the guy would go out of his way to wear it. It was a terrible disguise, and she could have sworn he looked familiar. Was this because of the sake? No, she knew how to hold her liquor. Furrowing her brow, Gigi felt that seeing two familiar faces should be more than coincidence, but as Alexander spoke to her, she figured it probably wasn't a big deal. She returned the gesture by downing the rest of her drink, copying him and digging into her food. Wow, it really was good. She enjoyed the flavor, though she found herself occasionally glancing at Alexander. He had told her a lot about him, but she didn't really return the favor, did she?

"I thought you brought me here because you figured out I was Japanese," She admitted with a small shrug.

---

It wasn't like that, but it still hurt her feelings a little. Helene didn't move, but she wouldn't quite look at Terrance as he rested his chin on her shoulder. After constantly being backstabbed and always having to look over her shoulder in paranoia, she really went out of her way to put her complete trust in Terrance. Maybe she had been expecting too much. Maybe she was overreacting. As he would pull her closer to him, she couldn't deny how safe she felt with him. How was she supposed to stay mad at him when he was so good at buttering her up? He really was perfect for her, though he may not have been aware that he was saying everything she wanted to hear. Still, her mischievous self wanted to let him ask for forgiveness for just a little longer. "I hope you weren't," She replied rather seriously, finally looking right at Terrance as she spoke. "I'm used to getting thrown aside at a moment's whim. But I...don't think I could handle it if you did the same..." It was a rather vulnerable admission, but it was the truth.

ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Julius bit his lip haring Eva call him Arthur. Ah, she was fooled. Perfect. She began to rub her eyes, looking towards the empty futon across the room. Perhaps she would think he had left the room instead, and Arthur was just taking advantage of the private time- while it lasted. Julius was determined to take advantage of it himself though. He moved his hand down towards Eva’s thing, running his fingers along her soft skin, continuing to kiss up her neck, and to her jaw. He snaked his hand into her inner thigh, slowly brining his hand up her leg. He playfully grabbed her thigh, squeezing the soft flesh in his palm. He sort of missed the feeling of Eva’s body. It was so curvy, soft, and inviting. It had been so long since he felt her skin on his. It almost reminded him of a simpler time. His hand’s journey did not end as it reached her panties, pressing his hands against her.

Arthur, downstairs in his father’s office, sighed loudly, rubbing his temple as his eyes scanned the folder. Easy enough, it seemed. This Enrique seemed to be patrolling a little to close to the Patrone’s territory, and a message was needed to be gotten across. Arthur stood moving towards the gun rack on the wall, pulling his own, personal, engraved pistol. He threw on his shoulder holsters, holstering his gun, and making his way out into the walkway. Arthur stopped at the stairs, looking up at the door to his bedroom. He wanted to be back in bed with her, but he needed to do this. He needed to prove that he wasn’t going weak, like his father believed.


Alexander raised his eyebrows at Gigi’s statement. “Oh no. I had no idea you were part Japanese… Though I guess your hair could have been a give away.” Her rubbed his chin, his eyes looking her over a few times. He was starting to see it in the little features of her face and body. His eyes once again tracing over her body and figure. Words couldn’t describe how gorgeous Gigi was at this very moment. Alex simply smiled and turned back towards his food, eating his dish and finishing his Sake that was on the house. “I don’t know. Since I and all my friends are Swedes, I simply assumed you were French like Helene.” He was finishing up the rest of his dish, taking a deep breath and rubbing his stomach. He looked at Gigi with bliss, shooting her his signature sweet grin. “I could explode right now… No worries, I have a plan for what we can go don before we go back out for some desert.” He waived his hand, signaling for a check, pulling out his wallet.


“I could never…” Terrance felt as if he didn’t have the strength to finish his sentence. Sure, he could use any girl. In fact he had, several times before to other girls. He was always able to get his way with his girls. But Helene was different. He didn’t want to use or abuse her like he had all of the other girls. He rested his forehead against the back of her neck, taking a deep breath and holding Helene closer. So much regret was washing over him. It almost seemed like Helene didn’t trust him anymore… and no doubt with good reason. He had abused her trust. She had told him her whole truth not long ago, and he decided to still keep his life a secret from her. It wasn’t fair for her. And he had let her worry about him for no reason.



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:...
✖✖ I Feel... Tired
✖✖ I am At... Home, Hallway
✖✖ I am With... Myself
✖✖ I am Thinking..."Eva..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...T-Shirt, Shorts, shoulder holsters.

He was determined to change her mind it seemed. She didn't know if she was unintentionally egging him on with her reactions or was just trying to change her mind, but it was working to his favor. It was getting hard to keep quiet, biting down on her lip so hard she was surprised she hadn't drawn blood just yet. Eva loved the way he kissed her, the feel of his hands on her skin driving her crazy. The threat of Julius returning was still going strong for her as she tried to resist the temptation. Her own body was combating itself between wanting to sleep and wanting to jump on Arthur, her mind a puddle until she thought of Julius walking in on them. An unwelcome surprise all things considered, but they were under the covers, and despite his earlier claim that Eva belonged to him, it was one way of showing him that she was Arthur's, not his. Geez, when did she become such an exhibitionist? She had to be more careful with her grudges, she still needed to be respectful as a guest of the house. All that flew out the window, however, as his hand reached its destination, and she arched her back slightly in anticipation.

Unable to fight it any longer, she shifted as she decided to turn to face him, slightly breathless as she got as close to him as possible. As she leaned in to kiss him, however, the light from outside gave her an image that made her blood run cold. At first she thought she had been mistaken, but she knew that face too well to be mistaken. "Julius...?" His name came hushed, a pit forming in her stomach. "What-When did you--" It was like someone had slapped her out of her thoughts, her hand flying to her mouth as the harsh realization kicked in. Oh god, he just did all that with her permission thinking he was Arthur! She felt sick, though her terrified expression quickly became anger as she pushed him away from her. "Who the hell do you think you are, touching me like that?!" She asked, furious at him and herself, though she was still somewhat shaking, his touch a ghost on her skin.

---

Entering the darkened room, Ariadne tossed her coat onto the nearest armchair, stripping off the many layers she wore as she walked through the room. As she was about to take her dress off, she came to a halt, eyeing Evan seated at the computer in front of him with one of his hands on his chin. After leaving the room and telling her had something to take care of, he had come back and remained in the same spot. Saying she was less than pleased to see Evan sitting so idly was an understatement, especially after her own bad day. He was completely unfocused, a slight frown on his face as his finger would occasionally tap one of the keys purely out of habit. Ariadne's eyes fell onto Evan's computer screen, several numbers showing what looked like an auction, though she ended up letting out a scoff. "Es-tu sérieux? C'est ce que vous avez fait toute la journée?" She huffed, marching over to him. He slowly looked away from the screen for a moment, as if just noticing her arrival. Did he even hear what she had said? "You're still bidding on Giselle's services? Really?" She decided to get right to the point, walking up to the desk.

Evan didn't respond right away, choosing to look at the monitor once more, green eyes lost in thought. "I couldn't do it," He would admit to her as he lowered his hand.

"Do what?" He hesitated for a moment, eyes downcast, and it seemed to hit her. "Negotiations were still ongoing and you decided you'd try to get rid of her preemptively? Are we back in high school making stupid decisions?" She scolded him.

"Tying up loose ends isn't stupid," He pointed out. "She hasn't been informed, but she's smart enough to know exactly where the tide is throwing her. She didn't seem too surprised to see me, either. It's a damn waste, I thought that maybe I could convince her or--"

Ariande couldn't believe what she was hearing, although she slammed her hand onto the table to cut him off, finally grabbing his full attention. "You want to know how people like her leave their agencies? In a body bag, Evan, that is how they operate. The only reason they even agreed to lend her to us in the first place was because of the ridiculous amount of money Uncle Gaspard threw at them." She reminded him, finding his lack of a reaction rather unsettling. "What the hell is going through that brain of yours right now?"

Seeing Giselle act so coldly to him earlier was what really bothered him, but Evan wasn't about to admit that to an already angered Ariadne. He assumed he had gotten more attached to her than he had realized, but it wasn't exactly something he could act on. His hands were tied, metaphorically speaking. In order to get some of his sister's heat off his back, he decided to change the subject. "I'm wondering if you've asked our new friends for help, seeing as you're struggling with Bastien," Evan replied, raising an eyebrow at her as she let out a huff.

"No. Apparently they've overstepped their boundaries on the Patrone territory. I'll take advantage of the commotion, go in, complete the job, and finally be rid of him." She defended herself rather fiercely, and Evan couldn't help but smile at her irritated frown. She was such a perfectionist that when things didn't go her way, she would throw a fit. He understood where Helene got her temper tantrums from."Once that's done, I can go home and leave Helene to you. Assuming you won't be chasing after Giselle, that is," She stated sharply, showing him that he wasn't exactly as home free as he thought. Chasing? Was that what it looked like to her? Evan's eyes widened in surprise, Ariadne's comment hitting him hard, though he returned to staring at the monitor, watching the numbers. It certainly would explain a few things, wouldn't it? The thought seemed to bring a smile to his face, and he surprised Ariadne by getting up. Instead of continuing the conversation, however, he chose to walk to the door. "Imbécile!" She called out as he left, placing her hands on her hips.

As he approached the elevator, he brought out his phone, dialing Giselle's number, and waited.

_{[1]Are you serious? This is what you have been doing all day? [2]Idiot!}

---

It was a very kind assumption Alexander made, all things considered. Of course he would assume Gigi and Helene grew up together, or at least, came from the same place. Alexander's network of friends and family were closely intertwined, the families fiercely loyal to one another. It was a multi-generation relationship, something completely foreign to her considering the way her agency worked. She nodded in understanding, but something else hit her. Jealousy? Maybe. It must be nice not having to constantly be on alert and waiting to be taken out depending on the situation, to have others you could put your trust in and depend on. He probably didn't mean it that way, but she felt strangely hesitant about it. But that's what Alexander did to her: make her constantly second guess things that were supposed to not even be a passing thought.

Placing her elbows on the table, she rested her chin in her hands for a moment, her eyes not looking at anything in particular. "My father met my mother in France, although they didn't exactly have a romance or anything when they conceived me," She said, her voice somewhat airy as she spoke. "He was from Japan, she was French or Italian...I think. So I guess I am French, technically speaking," Leaning back in her seat, she tilted her head slightly, as if trying to think. "I've never really thought about it before. Although..." Gigi trailed off as her phone went off. Taking it out of her pocket, she was surprised to see it was Evan. What could he want at this time? After letting it ring for a moment, she silenced the call, pocketing her phone once more. No, she had promised this was going to be her last normal day.

Meanwhile, Alyssa watched the couple, particularly the way they interacted with one another. Alexander wasn't as hyper as usual, looking very collected even when he was excited. It was actually somewhat of a shock to her as she remembered Alexander in his 'prime' with Terrance, the former playboy having no shame when it came to picking up girls. She was also a little proud of him since he didn't look like the usual excited puppy begging for attention either. He was just a guy on a date, completely at ease. Gigi surprised her too, and while her expression never really shifted from its usual neutral one, she was much more talkative, which was a real treat as she never uttered more than a sentence to anyone that wasn't her, Helene, or Eva. Alyssa looked to ask Jacob if he noticed, although one of the waiters was watching him intently. "Is that one of the new guys? I don't remember him at orientation." Uh oh. Sauntering her way over to her comically disguised boyfriend, she nudged him. "If this was a stealth game, this would be the part where the music gets really ominous as the enemies start to notice you," She whispered as she realized just how many people were looking at him. "They're about to go, let's get to the car so we can follow them." She let out a small 'eek' as she noticed Gigi peering at them, and once Jacob's hands were free, she took his arm and dragged him with her, practically throwing her apron aside as she ran.

"That boy with that mustache...he was bizarre..." Gigi commented, watching the pair run.

---

Oh shit, Terrance was actually feeling guilty. Helene had expected a witty comment, maybe a cheeky touch, but the way he was now was something she didn't see coming. Terrance was sorry--maybe she had hit the nail on the head more than she had thought? Now there was a downer thought. The silence that lingered was one full of regret, and although she probably should have felt bad for eliciting such a reaction, something about it made her strangely feel better. It was actually somewhat relieving to see him so sorry, even if it wasn't for the best reason. Gently prying his hands off her, she turned herself around and sat on his lap. Despite the not-so-innocent implications, she placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her, her own eyes looking directly at him. "I don't care if you did," She corrected him, her hands slowly moving down his neck and onto his shoulders. "I said every complication, remember that," She told him sternly, her green eyes fierce. "If that's what it means to make you mine, then fine. Use me however you want as long as it means I can be with you. I've wasted too much time being in denial and never coming forth with how I feel to suddenly turn around and leave for something that happened in the past."

ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Julius sat up quickly with Eva, moving a hand to her mouth quickly as to not let her get too loud. He listened out for a moment, to see if he could hear approaching footsteps. But instead, he heard them receding, and the sound of a car starting. Julius could only assume it was either Noah or Arthur going out on a late-night mission. But, considering the hot water that Arthur has been in with his father recently, as Julius had been informed by his Aunt Alyssa, he had a pretty good feeling that that car pulling away contained Arthur in it. Julius watched Eva with preening eyes, a sly grin growing on his lips. ”Ahhh, Min älskling… Why did you stop me? We were just starting to have a fun time, don’t you think? You were so receptive too!” Julius continued to close in on Eva, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. His free arm snaked around her waist, trying to ensnare her in his arms as a trap. ”Don’t deny it, Eva. You miss my touch, don’t you? I could feel it in the way your body shook.” He lowered his hands from her mouth, allowing her the chance to speak.


The check was brought and Alexander handed over his plastic card. He listened closely to Gigi. So part French, part Japanese? That was a very interesting combination, and how fitting for her to be French! Such a romantic culture. If he weren’t proud of his Swedish blood, he would probably want to be French as well. But what she said following seemed to off put Alexander slightly. No romance? How could someone not be in love, when making love. Though, at the same time, Alexander wasn’t really in a situation to judge. He had had many ‘love-less’ relationships with girls around school or the city. Promiscuity wasn’t a far off word for what Alex used to be. However, to conceive a child with someone… Alex could only imagine doing that with the woman someone loved. Alex’s eyes drifted towards Gigi again, looking at the phone he held in her hand. A single name was painted across the screen ‘Evan’.

…

Who the hell is Evan?? That is a boy’s name!! Evan is masculine! Never in his whole life, had Alex met a female Evan. That is another boy! Alex had never seen Gigi hang around with anyone besides her close knit of friends. Never seen Gigi standing around with another boy. And in fact, it was probably for the best that didn’t happen! If Alex ever saw Gigi standing together, with another boy. Well, he wouldn’t go apeshit like Arthur would. But he would be pretty miffed about it! Alexander bit his tongue, getting back his card and escorting Gigi out of the restaurant. Well, whoever this ‘Evan’ was. It was very apparent to Alex that he wasn’t important, as she simply ignored the call. It relieved him slightly, but the question of ‘Who is Evan’ seemed to continue tickling the back of his mind. Escorting Gigi into his SUV, and climbing into the driver’s side himself, Alex began to pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road. ”That was delicious, wasn’t it, Giselle? I really hope you got to enjoy yourself… I know I always enjoy myself when I’m around you!” He smiled kindly, and a bit flirtatiously towards Giselle. He loved using her full name, than the cute nickname of Gigi. Her name rolled of his tongue so sweetly. He had to take a mental picture of this moment. She looked so beautiful, and so calm. This couldn’t be far from the happiest moment of his life.



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:1. My Darling
✖✖ I Feel... Tired
✖✖ I am At... Out, on a mission.
✖✖ I am With... Myself
✖✖ I am Thinking..."..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...T-Shirt, Shorts, shoulder holsters.

At firsst, Eva had the urge to scream purely out of spite, but it wasn't until silence came that she realized why Julius did what he did: footsteps indicated that someone was there. Soon after, they quieted down, though she could hear a car turn on and drive away. Was it Noah? Now that she thought about it, she had no idea what Arthur's father did for a living. Unless...it was Arthur that left. But why? No, Arthur was going to come back any second, he was going to see Julius, kick his ass, and hopefully Eva would never have to deal with him again. The denial was pretty strong at the moment, though Julius would (with a hint of pride, she noticed) ask her why she stopped him. God, he was awfully cocky for a guy that had to resort to trickery just to touch her. Feeling his arm around her waist, she placed both her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her. She was receptive because she thought he was Arthur! But once he mentioned how she must have missed his touch, she couldn't help but scowl at him. There was a tiny part of her that believed what he said, that blamed her entirely for letting him get away with how much he did. How could she have not noticed it wasn't Arthur? Did Julius have a point? His touch was familiar, too, and for a split second, memories came rushing back.

Of course, the bad memories came, too, and without thinking, Eva ended up raising her hand and slapping Julius's face in anger. "I can't wait to see you try to talk your way out of this," Eva snapped at him. "Arthur's going to lose it!" As much as she was trying to use it as a threat, the thought actually made her very anxious. If his loyalty was to his family, would he blame her? No, he wouldn't do that...unless Julius decided to expose her by revealing he was the ex she had mentioned. The thought alone made her heart race, and she lowered her scathing gaze. Her temper slowly seemed to subside as she realized the situation she had put herself in, and she ran her hand through her hair nervously. "I don't understand what it is that you want, you didn't want me anymore. You broke up with me!"

---

Alexander was right, Gigi had genuinely enjoyed herself. She was completely at ease with him, comfortable in his car, her eyes on him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her not to look at him. The way his eyes practically shined when he spoke was intriguing, and she found the way he spoke somewhat calming. How was this even possible? At the beginning of the school year she couldn't stand to be in the same room with him, much less hold an entire conversation. She was always so curt with him, but he persisted anyway. Was this what he wanted? Was he okay with it? He had to be. But at the same time, she wondered if he just liked the challenge. She remembered asking him what it was that made him chase after her, and his answer at Helene's house seemed genuine enough. The way he said her name was another thing she found herself enjoying immensely, though the reasoning behind it was...complicated.

Tapping her phone with the tips of her fingers, Gigi looked at Alexander once again. He was awfully calm all things considered, nothing like his flustered self from this morning. There were a multitude of thoughts running through her head, though she supposed that she owed him an apology. "Listen...I'm sorry for earlier today," She said quietly, brushing some of her hair off her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴ'Ｓ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe тнe вαd мαɴ
тσ вє тнє ѕα∂ мαη

ＡＮＤ ＮＯ ＯＮＥ ＫＮＯＷＳ ＷＨＡＴ ＩＴＳ ＬＩＫＥ．．．

тo вe нαтed
тσ вє ƒαтє∂

Julius jumped, grabbing onto his cheek where Eva had just slapped him. He shot her a quick glare from the sudden smack, but it didn’t stop him from having that smug smile on his lips. “Oh, how sweet you’re so worried about me. But I won’t need to talk my way out of anything, if Arthur thinks my ex-girlfriend was coming on to me. Perhaps mentioning how she only pursued Arthur because he so much reminded her of her ex.” He chuckled, leaning back on the bed and resting his elbows. His eyes continued to look over Eva’s body, remembering all the little curves that were under the large t-shirt she wore. Even the outline of her plump breasts were enough to keep him going. He looked at her, with a slight puzzlement at her questions. ”Oh, Eva. There is so much you don’t understand. I didn’t completely stop wanting you.” He sat up again on the bed. He seemed a bit more serious than he had before, his face almost becoming as strict as Arthur’s.

”I did break up with you. But that didn’t stop me from…” Julius seemed to bite his tongue at this point. Perhaps some things were best left unsaid. Besides, there was still Victoria waiting for him when he got home… But the things that happened when he was out of town, and away, were meant to stay there. Julius was getting too carried away, and instead tried to shift back towards the pouncing tiger he had been earlier. “You’re not stupid, Eva. I can see it in your eyes. You heard that car too, and we both know it was Arthur. Wonder where he is running off to, so late at night… hopefully not another girl, hm?” He leaned in closer to Eva, his steady breathes brushing over her skin.


Alexander raised an eyebrow at Gigi’s statement, his mind creeping back. This morning? Oh, that. A bright blush decorated Alexander’s face at the memory of the morning. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. N-No need to apologize, I’m the one that needs to apologize for, uh.. y’know. Pouncing on you and all.” Alex rubbed the back of his head, his eyes focusing on the road. He felt kind of dumb for this morning, not that he wouldn’t do it all again if he had the chance. His heart was pounding in his chest, glancing over at Gigi. She hadn’t made him uncomfortable in the slightest, in fact, he would have loved to continue their moment. It was just, he wanted it to be better for Gigi, more intimate, more loving. He still felt like he had so much to prove to her.

It didn’t take long for the couple to reach their next destination- the same downtown park that Julius, Arthur, and Eva had been at earlier in the day. Except now it was late night, and the stars littered the sky. “Let’s walk off this food for a bit. Besides, there is a great spot towards the top of the hill I’d like to show you.” Alex jumped out of the car, once again getting the door for Gigi to help her step out. He guided her into the park, sticking close to the marked paths that went through trees and open field. Keeping an arm around her hip, Alex kept Gigi close to him, his other hand placed in his pocket. His fingers could feel the Alexandrite ring in his pocket, playing with the gems and the smooth metal. It didn’t take too long to reach the park bench that sat alone at the top of a nearby hill, overlooking the rest of the park, and showing the tops of the buildings of downtown. The sky was bright with stars and the full moon. Alex took a seat, pulling Gigi onto the bench with her, and keeping an arm wrapped around her. “It is almost as beautiful outside as you are.” He grinned sweetly, still turning over the ring in his pocket.

“I really hope you have had a good night tonight with me. I know I have. Um… I really hope you don’t find this too forward but…” Alex felt extremely nervous suddenly, his hand moving from his pocket and procuring the color-changing gem. His eyes looked over it a little, before presenting it to Gigi. “I’d like to give this to you. Just something to show how I care for you.”



ＢＵＴ ＭＹ ＤＲＥＡＭＳ．．．

ＡＳ ＭＹ ＣＯＮＳＣＩＥＮＣＥ ＳＥＥＭＳ ＴＯ ＢＥ

Ｉ ＨＡＶＥ ＨＯＵＲＳ， ＯＮＬＹ ＬＯＮＥＬＹ．．．

ＴＨＡＴ'Ｓ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＦＲＥＥ

✖✖ Translations:1. My Darling
✖✖ I Feel... Tired
✖✖ I am At... Out, on a mission.
✖✖ I am With... Myself
✖✖ I am Thinking..."..."
✖✖ I am Wearing...T-Shirt, Shorts, shoulder holsters.

Her heart jumped up to her throat as Julius spoke, reminding her that she still withheld that information from Arthur. She hated the way Julius looked at her, unable to ignore the way his eyes traveled over her body, and she raised her arms to cover herself. Despite dumping her, it didn't stop him from wanting her physically, she was certain of that, and willing to bet that was the end of his statement, too. There was little time for her to think about that as he would mention the car they heard. Arthur was the one who drove away? Julius had been mistaken, Eva initially assumed it had been his father, although now that he mentioned it, if Arthur was the one that had left the room then it would explain why he hadn't come back. But where would Arthur be going at this time of night? 'Hopefully not another girl'? Julius seemed a little too sure about that, and she found herself gripping the sheets nervously.

As Julius got closer to her, Eva didn't move, though she turned her head away, choosing to look at one of the posters on the wall. Arthur was different. He wouldn't betray her. But there was no denying that she hadn't been giving him a difficult time lately. Her mother's death, homelessness, and pregnancy were all overwhelming to her, so she couldn't quite imagine how Arthur felt getting saddled with all her issues. If he was finding relief from it with someone else, could she really blame him? "He wouldn't do that to me," Her voice was heavy with uncertainty, and she shuddered lightly as she felt him getting closer. Well, she had initially believed Julius wouldn't leave her for another, either, who was to say Arthur wasn't the same? Julius did claim the two were alike. She turned her face towards him, looking at him directly as her blue eyes searched his. "I feel like you know why he's gone. If you really know...please tell me," Her voice came out as a plea despite her trying not to, her hand on his chest.

---

So she hadn't made him uncomfortable? Hmm, maybe Gigi had yet to understand Alexander after all. Then again, it had been extremely out of character for her to reciprocate, so maybe she was the problem? Wow, that actually bothered her. Well, she wasn't nearly as charismatic or sweet or bubbly as her friends, so she shouldn't have been too surprised. His apology was nice, at least, though she shook her head, signifying that she didn't hold it against him. But it was increasingly difficult for her to admit that she had actually liked it. It was better to keep that little bit to herself, though, at least for now; she was enjoying herself right now, no need to ruin it with any potential awkwardness on her part. As his SUV came to a halt, she recognized the area and followed him gladly. The closeness between the two was foreign, but not unwanted. Should she say something? Put her hand on his? Would they be able to move okay? Couples did it all the time, how hard could it actually be? The actual execution did seem a little cumbersome, though. He seemed to have it covered, if she did something wrong, she could probably ruin it just like she did earlier. Ah, crap, why was she still thinking about that?

The good thing is that Alexander is infamous for charming girls, so all you have to do is follow his lead. Don't overthink, go with your gut, and you'll be fine. Alyssa's voice seemed to pop into her head as he pulled her onto the bench. Right, Gigi was definitely overthinking again. This was more nerve wracking than infiltrating an enemy's headquarters. Inhaling quietly, she tried to empty her mind and focus on him. Easier said than done, of course, especially as she continued to over-analyze everything they did. His compliment made her feel somewhat warm, and she found herself diverting her gaze for some reason. He was always bombarding her with things like that, but this one made her heart skip a beat. Ah, there were those symptoms again...at least if she had a heart attack then hopefully Alexander would take her to the hospital.

Her ears perked as he spoke to her once more, quirking a curious eyebrow at him as he fumbled through his pocket. Yeah, she was having a really good time, though now she was wondering what he was up to and why it made him so nervous. As he presented the ring, her jaw dropped slightly. Where the hell had--no, that was a stupid question, he probably swiped it from somewhere. But why? What did he expect from this? A token of how he felt, but it was so...much. Holy shit was he proposing?! Her brain seemed to completely freeze up, the multitude of possibilities and a lack of reasoning momentarily halting all of her thoughts. Her eyes flickered from the ring to Alexander, her heart picking up the pace.

Stop overthinking! She mentally told herself, slowly breathing in and out to recollect herself. "No wonder they say you're a charmer," She admitted, shaking her head slightly as she raised her hand to cover her mouth, hiding the smallest of laughs as she gently took Alexander's gift and examined it closely. "Quite the gem...easily worth thousands alone. A little bonus procured from a mission?" She asked, looking back at him and still smiling. Presents were certainly one way to show care for one another, but she didn't have anything for him.