Tainted - Chapter 9

The entire time Theia stood waiting for Feya to return was unfortunately spent in an unnerving worry. Everything irked her, and she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her. She had to stop being so paranoid, it was a nightclub, of course, there were going to be people watching her. Fiddling with her fingers and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, there it was. That spine crawling chill sent something uncomfortable through her body, the same way she had felt that day at the university. Snapping her head back and trying to search in the darkness, there was nothing beyond the drunkards and nothing near her either.

Paranoia filled her brain, she would give anything to stop that feeling inside her and when her phone lit up with Alexander's name on the screen, Theia couldn't imagine the relief she found. He said to call him... She could call him, she wasn't completely alone. The minute she answered the phone, her chest rose and fell, a bit comforted by the man's familiar voice on the other end of the line. She hadn't heard him clearly but whatever he was saying was not going to be good.

"Xander... Shit" was all she could get out when the sight of Feya running out from the corner of her eye had distracted her.

"I'm waiting" he continued, but Theia couldn't find the words at the moment, not when her blood was boiling at the sight of her friend looking ghastly as she came towards her. 

"It's complicated... Just don't tell my brother please!!" 

"I'm on my way" strangely, those words were comforting. It was probably not the reaction he was expecting from her, but she almost thanked him, if not for him ending the call.

"Fey? Everything okay?" Theia watched her friend force herself to straighten as she nodded and hugged her arms around her.

"I'm good... I just need fresh air... We should leave" from the sound of her trembling voice, and the way she looked sick to her stomach, anyone could tell the girl was not good at all.

"A friend of mine is coming... What happened?"

"You were right, both you were right and I'm just stupid" that had done it.

Fey erupted in tears, bending her head forward as if to hide her shame from the taller girl as she covered her face with her hands. Theia didn't hesitate to bring her in for a hug, pushing the girl's hair back and hugging her into her chest with a breath. Everything she had hoped wouldn't happen, did and it broke her on the inside to see Fey in such a helpless condition.

"You're not stupid, let's go home yeah?" Theia suggested, letting the girl dry her eyes a little with the back of her hand until she was calm again and her sobs had turned into soft hiccups.

"No... I am stupid... I acted like an idiot, I was blind, and I look so dumb right now!" she threw her hands down and shook her head.

"Should I go kick him in the balls? Or do you think a few missing teeth will be better?" Theia asked, half-joking, but if it was really up to her with no legal consequences, she would not have hesitated to give that asshole a welcoming stab to his precious ballsack. The question did evoke a small smile from the shorter girl who only shook her head and then said nothing. 

"What the hell are you wearing?" the voice took Theia by surprise, immediately turning to look up at Alexander who seemed as blank as always, this time he looked just a bit upset. There was no telling what went through the man's head, maybe it was a hundred ways to get rid of annoying people or maybe he just didn't think anything at all. 

"Christ... Can't you approach me normally?" 

"Let's go," he said, wasting no time in getting the girls to go with him. At the side of her eye, Theia could see the questioning glance from her friend who was no longer in tears. Ignoring the little nudge Feya gave her, she followed him out the backdoor deciding not to ask how the hell he managed to get it open in the first place. Once they were finally out and rounded the corner to where Alexander had parked the car, she stopped him shortly and looked at Feya. 

"Wait! Xander... Can I stay with Feya? Please?"  

"As much as I want to applaud you for your bravery in asking that question pixie, do you think you deserve the approval hm?" came his response as he unlocked the car and held the back door open for them to get in. 

"No. I don't. But I-" she started once the man only raised a brow at her, refusing to give in. 

"It's okay, you don't have to stay with me... I'll be fine tonight" Feya interrupted her. 

"No... How can I just leave you? Fey..." she insisted, guilt burrowing in her stomach once she saw the girl in a bit better light. It was not much, but the street lamp had shone bright enough for Theia to see what a mess Feya looked like. Her eye makeup was ruined, most of her lipstick gone and she looked drained. 

"I'm going to shower, cry my eyes out and sleep... I'll be fine" her friend shrugged, brushing her curls out of her hair and then giving Theia's hand a gentle squeeze. 

"I want to be there for you" it was not fair of her to ask for even more leeway, but just once she felt horrible that Feya was going to be alone throughout the night just weeping herself to sleep over some asshole who didn't even deserve her time. 

"You're doing enough for me. Xander was it? I'm sorry, this is all my fault, please don't be upset with Theia. I dragged her here knowing that it was a bad idea for my selfish needs" 

"It wasn't selfish!" 

"The car, both of you" was the only thing the man replied with as both of them got in and Feya immediately turned to Theia before Alexander could get in. 

"When I'm finished crying over that asshole, you better spill the tea about your 'friend' yea?" she quickly whispered and as much as Theia hated the reaction she had made over it, her heart sped up in her chest, a bit of sudden nervousness running through her body as she swallowed. There was nothing to spill about Alexander, or so she tried to convince herself. As far as he was concerned, whatever they shared was solely his way of getting her riled up and bothered because he didn't like that she had a thing for his brother. 

The rest of the drive was set in silence after they had dropped Feya back and saw her in, neither Alexander nor Theia spoke to each other. They had both been stubborn, one was visibly upset and the other was both guilty and frustrated. So many things had gone wrong in such a short space of time, and the worse part about it was that she was still hung up like an idiot over that dumb kiss they shared. When the car came to a stop, Theia broke away from her thoughts and looked up to see they were already home, getting out of the car and walking in after Alexander. 

"I'll give you 10 minutes to shower and then I want you in my study. Got it?" Alexander said, pushing the front door shut and then turning to her with a frown. She had already expected something like this, she was surprised he even let her shower. Well, he was probably doing it for his own sake than hers, the club was not the best place for a man like him who hated contact with people, much fewer strangers in an open vile area. Returning to her room to shower, Theia stripped herself of the dress, his words haunting her for a second as she stared at the fabric bunched in a corner of the floor. She didn't know why he hated it, it was a pretty dress... Maybe he didn't like her in it because she looked like an idiot. That had to be the only reasonable explanation-- hold on. Why the hell should she care if he hated it? 

A hot bath and some fresh clothes later and Theia found herself in his study, awkwardly shuffling in and closing the door before glancing about the room. Unlike its usual look during the daytime, the study was dark with only the dim lamp on near his desk and the electric fireplace that sat opposite the couch inside the wall. The soft hues cast a golden Aura around the room and it almost felt cosy. When she finally saw him, he was on the couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he leaned back and looked at her. 

"Did you tell Thian?" came her voice once she neared closer to him and sat opposite him on the empty couch. 

"No Theia, I did not tell your brother" he pursed his lips, lifting the glass to his mouth and drinking the liquid in one shot. Well, that's nice of him. 

"Does Cael know?" 

"Why? Worried you'll ruin your sweet innocent Mary Sue reputation before him?" Alexander rolled his eyes and set the glass down a bit harder than needed. 

"Will it kill you to not give me shit for once?" 

"Why don't we start with you Theia? Care to explain tonight?" 

"I helped a friend when she needed me the most, I have no regrets and I would do it again... But I admit I should have been honest from the beginning, but I know you wouldn't have agreed so..."

"So you felt the need to leave that piece of information out hm?" 

"Yes." she got it. She was wrong, he didn't have to keep rubbing salt into her wound. 

"Fine. There won't be a next time, once this situation is resolved you can do whatever you want, as long as you live here there will be no more of that, got it?" he got up and turned away from her on the couch to walk back to his desk when she spoke. 

"I bet you can't wait to get rid of me" yea, she was certain the man would jump for joy the minute her brother said everything was a-okay again. 

"The sooner the better" 

"Then why the hell did you kiss me? Huh? What the hell was that about Alexander?" this time she got up and walked straight to him, her hands fisted as she blocked him before he could walk around the study table and firmly pressed a finger into his chest. It took both of them a second, neither Alexander nor her expected them to be so close and from the way his body stiffened, she could tell he was a bit surprised. That short moment she had over him was washed off the second the man composed himself once more, attempting to step aside and walk around her. 

"Our discussion is over Theia. Go to your room" he brushed it off but the girl was not taking no for an answer. 

"Just answer the question" every step he tried to take around her or away from her, she mirrored it, not afraid to invade into his personal space. 

"I said what I needed to say tonight" she could hear the sound of impatience in his voice but it hadn't scared her away. 

"Don't you ever get tired of that fat stick up your ass all the time?" 

"Watch your mouth" 

"No, you can do that for me since you were so desperate to have it on yours last time" she scoffed, jabbing a finger right into his chest. The man's hand grabbed her at the wrist and pulled her in, forcing her to meet his gaze as his frown deepened. Now would have been a great time for the warning bells in her head to go off, to stop her from making a stupid mistake and then regretting it, but instead of fear, there was a small throb in her chest that coaxed her further. 

"Is that an invitation?" his eyes dropped to her lips, the grip on her wrist tightening. Suddenly there was very little room between them and instead of the desk, Alexander had backed her right into the large bookshelf, holding her wrist up near her head and pinning it down while he leaned in. Three hours ago she had been far too afraid of getting her ass caught by this crazy guy who would rat her out to her brother, not have her pinned to his bookshelf in his study with the eyes of a predator ready to strike. 

"You don't have the nerve" she narrowed her eyes, her free hand grabbing at his shirt as his hips pressed right up against her.

"I must be hearing things because it sounds to me like you want to continue where we left off, and if that's the case, I hope you know that I hate leaving my business unfinished" he was closer, speaking over her mouth and then against her jaw until his lips brushed over her ear, a spot she didn't know was a weakness until now. 

"You hate me, remember?" Theia swallowed hard, either she had to convince him that her words were true or herself, because one of them was a very bad liar. 

"Sure I do" he whispered, cupping her chin and dragging his thumb along her bottom lip. Theia's eyes found themselves to his mouth, it hadn't been that long since their last kiss and she could still remember how it felt, how his lips had tasted, how he had responded to it.