A Beautiful, Terrible Love - Lucky 97 (electronic reader txt) 📗

of genuine emotions. She was constantly putting up a facade, as if she didn't want to show anyone how she really felt. I felt disgusted constantly whenever I was in her presence.
Abruptly, she got up from her seat, her chair screeching as it scraped across the floor. Her eyes had a crazy glint to them, a tint of mischief.
She crossed over to me, her eyes focused on my face. I could feel stares, the easygoing manner in the room evaporating. She smiled at me once, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.
In one easy movement, she swooped in over my form and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. Carefully, she put her hands around my neck, angling us both so our audience would be able to get a good view.
For we really did have an audience. All talk in the dining room had stopped, even the waiters and waitresses. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see their gaping faces, their frenzied whispers. I could understand their surprise. No one, and I mean NO ONE, has tried that sort of thing here before.
Serena had just embarrassed me in front of everyone.
And her kiss was as bittersweet as could be, her true feelings finally shown in her embarrassing action. She, I could tell, was happy about my demise. The reputation I had that was going to seriously take a beating because of her. Her kiss was not of caring, but destruction.
If I went against her, though, she wouldn't just destroy me like she did now. She would annihilate me.
With only a few words.
I pushed her away, unable to bear it any longer. She looked at me, a grin on her face, then casually returned to her seat.
Normal chattering resumed, although people still threw looks at me, at my form as I slumped at the table. I had been kissed by Serena. Serena.
I shot them all a grimace, hoping they would get the message.
Serena, ignoring my obvious disgust, reached across the table and grabbed my hand. At our contact, my hand shook, a nervous tremor that shot through my entire body. Sensing my reluctance, she gripped it tighter, signaling that I shouldn't disobey her.
Quickly, my shudders ceased.
"Dex, have you made your decision yet?" she leaned in and whispered, shock flooding through me at her words, "Are you going to let me tell everyone your secret and run towards your love? Or are you going to stay with me?"
I pondered silently. Which one was the best choice? I would lose my career and my love if I let her tell my secret. However, if I stay with Serena, I would lose my love and possibly my sanity. It was a lose-lose situation.
I looked at her evenly, a strand of my red hair falling into my eyes. Carefully, I brushed it away, preparing myself mentally for the actions I was about to commit.
"I've... made a decision," I said finally, after a long, arduous pause. She looked at me, hanging on my every word. Time was suspended between us, stopping as I finally determined which path I was going to go on.
The chair behind me squeaked as I pushed it back. Serena's eyes widened as I stood up, my red hair sparkling in the sunset. I took a minute to look at the scene outside, staring in wonder at the ripples of purple, pink, and splashes of pure gold that stretched across the wide horizon. The clouds were illuminated by the wondrous colors, seagulls flying to their homes to chomp on their delicious meal. The sand was soft and white, little crystals that spread across the beach. The waters, speckled with light, was a calm, baby blue that was rapidly fading into a midnight black.
At least, this way, there was some hope for me. At least, I won't have any regrets.
I walked out of the beautiful restaurant, never looking back.

Chapter 21
Eve

It was time.
I blinked as I surveyed Peter's form, spicy hot with a dash of gangster, his sandals adding a casual look. He was wearing a t-shirt with no sleeves, as if the sleeves had been cut off, and then he also had on black, baggy skinny jeans that ended at the ankle. Some chains danced along the side of his pants, his black flip flops making the whole outfit so crazy, it would look horrific on the wearer.
But not Peter.
He had constructed his outfit carefully, I could tell, but it was HIM who made the outfit look so good. His muscles strained against the t-shirt, his heavily tanned, bronzed arms coming from underneath the white fabric. His legs suited skinny jeans, a curious look I had not seen him pull off before, but it was an interesting change. It was loose, so it didn't fit to the form of his legs, but that would have been breathtaking even if it had. His face peeked out from layers and layers of his brown-blonde hair, bits and pieces specifically spiked to make himself more intimidating.
He led me out the door, his hand touching mine gently as we trooped down the stairs. He looked at me and grinned, his eyes skimming over my outfit in return.
For this occasion, I had chosen a deep red, sleeveless top. It was sparkly, shimmering with sequins, dancing down her form until it ended and my skirt started. It was puffy, a little, coming to the knee, with roses all over it. The puffy flares of the skirt boomed around me, boosting my figure somewhat, and giving myself the comfort that not everything I was wearing was skin-tight. Somehow, I didn't want Peter looking too much at me.
I would feel uncomfortable if he did so.
"Hey," he finally said as we both stood before his car.
"Hey," I replied, a strange silence filling the air. Quickly, almost robotically, he opened the car door, beckoning for me to get inside the extravagant luxury. My spirits lightened as I complied. The car always managed to cheer me up.
I sunk into the plush seats, waiting as Peter came around the side. He opened the car door, entering, then slamming it behind him. I watched his finger slide in and out, starting the engine.
We began driving to the amusement park which was about twenty minutes away. Peter looked at the road only, a careful, responsible driver. Words were not spoken, silence reigning.
Is this how it was going to be like on our whole date?
Peter looked at me, his eyes grave, then quickly returned his gaze to the road. "Do you know why Jared was sulking today? Did Sadie turn him down or something?" he queried, his rough voice caressing my listening ears. He seemed thoughtful, thinking carefully as he drove about Jared's previous strange behavior.
"You knew?!" I asked, frightened suddenly. Sadie had told Peter?
Peter laughed, sending tingles through my body. "Of course," he said gently, "I can see what's on my best friend's face." Relief flooded through me at his words. Now Jared could not get mad at me for telling someone.
"Kind of," I replied quietly, brushing a strand of my brown hair behind my ear, "she has a boyfriend, and she doesn't care for Jared."
Peter frowned. In the moonlight, shining onto the vehicle, Peter looked so much like Dex, his perfection illuminated by the white orb hanging above us. His brown hair was dark, the whisper of the wind brushing past us and ruffling his hair as it said goodbye. I watched him, wonder in my gaze. How can one normal guy be so beautiful?
If I squinted hard enough, I could briefly make out reddish hair, framing a paralyzed face, with a pair of green eyes set into them. He... when I did this... looked like him.
What are you doing, Eve? I scolded myself quickly. Peter was not, COULD not be a replacement for the man I was imagining.
I guess I was going crazy these days.
I decided to spit out the juicy gossip to distract myself from my wild thoughts, full of longing and desire. "Peter, Sadie.... she is getting married soon," I told him softly. Peter's eyes widened, his grip loosening off the steering wheel, nearly causing the car to veer off the road.
"Married?!" he incredulously exclaimed, "but she is too YOUNG to get married," His voice, though shaky at the thought of such young marriage, had no anger to it. I could tell he wasn't in love with Sadie like Jared was.
I felt a little fluttering in my stomach. Was... this relief?
"I know," I said plainly, watching the flowers as we zoomed past them, shining brightly, a pale white that caught the moonlight and distributed them onto each one of their delicate petals. They had tints of purple on the inside, resembling the midnight sky, speckled with soft, starry white until the purple overcame it all. Many of these beautiful midnight flowers grew here, scattered among the meadows and trees, around almost every home and on every porch. They were the pride of our town, being the only place where the nighttime wonders bloomed.
"How old is the guy?" he inquired, curiosity peaked.
I smiled, though it didn't quite reach my eyes. My hair waved in the whip of the wind, thrown back by its force. "20," I shrugged. It really wasn't much of an age difference.
"What does he do?"
"Well..." I pretended to be thinking about the question he asked, when in truth I was wondering about all the questions he was asking. Why did he not want to let the topic go?
I soon came to realize that he was trying to hold a conversation with me, and this was the only way he could keep me talking.
"He was Dex's former bodyguard," I said, choking suddenly as all the breath was suddenly knocked out of me from that one name. Every time I said it brought a bunch of fresh tears, fat from all the sorrow shoved into every drop. However, there was no way around it this time.
Peter glanced at me once, his facial expression mirroring my own. Carefully, timidly, he lifted a single hand from the steering wheel and placed it over mine. It was warm, offering more comfort than I could possibly imagine. The heat from it spread through my body like wildfire, sending tingles to my heart. I slowly felt the icy cold, the biting sadness, crawl back into its hidden depths, ready to emerge another time.
"Eve, you will be okay. I just know it," he gently smiled, then returned his probing gaze to the road in front of us. I followed his movement, craning my neck like him as I looked upon the endless stretch of road sprawling out before me. It seemed to go forever, winding as far as I could see. Trees as tall as the sky were on either side of us, the blackness consuming them all as we were all introduced to the deep, dark night. I could hear the frantic caws of a raven as it soared to its nest, the hoots of owls as they search for their prey.
In the far distance, I could spot bright lights, cutting through the darkness, amazingly powerful beams that climbed high into the sky. The tops of flashing rides and movie screens could be spotted, taking my breath away as it illuminated the hilltops. Screams, loud and high-pitched, could be heard from even our distance, about five hundred feet from our goal.
A small silence followed while he pondered, then he opened his mouth once more. "I know, for certain, that your dreams will come true," he smiled. His smile brightened his face as he looked out through the night,