River

3: next to you

in disgust I scrunched my nose at his remark.

if he thought him still calling me nicknames was cute, he's delusional. only a man who had amnesia and had forgotten what transpired between us all those years ago would be acting the way River was now.

it's as if a ghost had possessed him and he was an outsider to his own deranged body.

"now who the hell is Bella?" i asked pretending to be oblivious to his reference, turning my head slightly over my shoulder to look at him.

immediately I noticed how close his face truly was to my sitting figure. he was crouched down to our level, maintaining his stance with the help of the pool chairs that were behind us. I could see all specks of neon colours from the lighting of the party in his blue eyes. he maintained a poker face but these colours that were shining across the venue were giving him a warmth I forgot he could even possess.

he looked radiant. foolish but nevertheless glowing in the ethereal light of the combination of the moonlight and all the colourful flashing lights at the party. but he didn't say a word. instead he chose to offer one of his infamous all-telling smirks as a way of telling me he wouldn't budge.

I rolled my eyes at his annoying presence. Was it that he couldn't take a hint or he insisted on making my life more miserable?

"and please distance yourself, i'd hate to catch whatever you've got- you smell like the streets" i mocked him by waving a hand under my nose indicative of the hypothetical smell he produced and noticed his eyebrows going up in displeasure.

finally a reaction. that too a reaction that was reminiscent of the River who was the big bad wolf in my eyes all these years.

he quickly stood up off the ground, brushing his back from any imaginary dust that might've collected on his expensive suit and offered his hand in my direction. 

confused by his action, I looked over at my friend who couldn't help but stifle a giggle at this awkward exchange. with her eyes she motioned me to accept his offer. I shot her a glare before deciding to just get whatever he wanted over with.

letting out a rather loud sigh for dramatic effect, I reached out my hand, grasping his and he pulled me up. my heel twisted from this sudden pull and I lost my balance, falling into his frame and steadying myself by grasping his shoulders.

noticing our rather intimate embrace River leaned into my shoulder. " now's no time to exchange pleasantries. come with me let me show you something" he softly whispered into my ear, making sure Lianna couldn't hear a word.

he was surely going to kidnap me. I just knew it. what else could he want from me besides my money? but then again, he was a billionaire himself so that thought was just foolish.

I needed reassurance that I would get my way if I complied.

From my experience less than an hour ago of being alone with him, I didn't want to relive being away from the rest of the party with him. "if I agree to come with you, do you agree on not ever contacting Roman or I again?" I drilled back to him, making an offer he was sure to not resist.

offers always warrant counter offers. that's what he had told me himself when I first began taking part of the business meetings at our hotels. he was the one who taught me to strive for more than what's on the table.

he could have this final conversation and that's it. he has no business meddling in Roman and I's affairs. we were a united front and nothing or no one could break our bond. we had forged our connection out of love and not material aspects like Roman did with me when getting engaged to me for the expansion of his family business.