THE DEVIL HERSELF | NYX ULRIC [UNDER HEAVY EDITING]

QUATTORDICI

ELENA

EXHAUSTED and annoyed, Elena decided to blow off some steam in the nearby park. Fortunately for her, her home was situated near Central Park, a large enough area for her to relax in. It was midafternoon, her day already swamped with work and there were no signs of slowing down.

Back home, Elena would seek refuge in the gardens her family's manor had. The gardens were vast, having every flower you could imagine. All New York had was Central Park. Although it was beautiful in its own way, it could never compare to her home.

She slowly walked through the park, watching as people mingle with each other. A sense of longing filled her as she realized that almost every person in the park had someone. Everybody but her. As Elena was looking around, she bumped into someone. God, she really needed to take a break if she didn't notice the person in front of her.

"I am so sorry" Elena froze at the familiar voice, cursing as she closed her eyes, hoping that she was just hearing things.

When Elena opened her eyes, she saw that her shirt was stained with chocolate ice cream, probably his. She took off the coat she was wearing, crumpling it up as she attempted to wipe the cold dessert off of her clothes.

"It's fine" Elena replied as she brushed him off as she continued her futile attempts of cleaning the stain.

"Let me buy you a new shirt," Nyx said as he took a small step towards her, motioning to the park's exit, presumably where they could purchase a replacement for her.

"There is no need for that" Elena sighed as she shook her head, turning down his offer.

"I insist-"

"Nyx-"

"I promise to leave you alone if you let me buy you a new shirt" Nyx abruptly said, with a hint of sadness in the tone of his voice.

"Fine," Elena sighed, having no energy to argue with him. Nyx gave her a weak smile as he grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her out of Central Park. As they entered the busy streets of New York, she caught the gaze of Dante.

The blond quickly advanced towards them but Elena shook her head, silently ordering him to keep his distance. He complied with a curt nod of his head, leaving the pair alone at a distance. Nyx guided her through the crowded streets, weaving in between the sea of people.

"Welcome to Artemisia's Boutique!" They were warmly greeted as they entered the store, a staff member smiling at them from behind the register. The shop was quiet, despite the amount of people just outside. "Just holler if you need any assistance!"

Elena quickly looked for a replacement for her ruined clothes, wanting to return to the safety of her own home. She browsed through the racks, a few pieces of clothes catching her attention. She knew she should've just chosen the closest clothing there and be done with it, but a part of her wanted to stay a bit longer.

"So," Nyx cleared his throat as he stood across her, just on the other side of the rack she was inspecting. "See anything you like?"

"I'll let you know when I do" Elena replied, cutting their conversation short. She kept her eyes on the clothes, knowing that if she looked up at him she'd indulge him.

"I was surprised to see you the other day" Nyx said, ignoring the fact that she had no interest in continuing a conversation with him. She could feel his gaze burn to her skin, and she didn't know how to feel about it. "And today too"

Elena hummed in response with a nod of her head. She continued to browse through the racks, pushing aside clothing that she didn't like. After a couple minutes of searching and Nyx attempting to speak with her, Elena finally found a shirt that suited her tastes.

"Is that what you want?" Nyx asked as he watched her pull the hanger from the clothes stand.

"It is," Elena replied curtly as she walked towards the register, placing the shirt onto the counter.

"Don;t you want to try it first?" Nyx asked, watching as the shop clerk rang up the item.

"I'm sure it's in my size" Elena shook her head, her fingers tapping impatiently against the counter.

"That'll be $24.99" Nyx pulled out his wallet from his pockets, giving the right amount of paper bills towards the clerk. "Would you like a paper bag?"

"Yes, thank you," Elena replied with a nod of her head. She looked around the shop, sighing when she didn't find what she was looking for. "Do you have dressing rooms here?"

"Yep, just go straight down here and it's right at the end" The clerk replied, pointing down the right way. Elena nodded her head in thanks as she briskly walked towards where the dressing rooms were.

"Elena-" She ignored Nyx, entering one of the dressing rooms as she shut the curtains on his face. She moved quickly, pulling out the newly bought shirt and shedding her ruined clothes. She stuffed them into the paper bag and pulled the fresh shirt over her head.

In the nick of time, she was out of the dressing room. Elena smoothed the imaginary creases out of her shirt, relieved to finally be free of this situation. Any longer and she'd be making irrational decisions.

Nyx was sitting on a chair just across from the dressing room she was in, waiting for her to appear. Elena stared down at him, not knowing what to say to end their interaction there. Though he did promise to leave her alone when he bought her a new shirt, Elena had a feeling he wouldn't fall through with his promise.

"I-"

"Signora" Madam The familiar voice of Dante interrupted their conversation, if you can even call it that. Elena let out a sigh of relief as she turned her attention towards the blond. She nodded her head, signaling him to continue. "Hai bisogno di te nel tuo ufficio, Signore Lorenzo ha detto che ha bisogno di parlare con te urgentemente" You are needed back at your office, Sir Lorenzo said he needs to speak with you urgently

"Bene" Alright Elena said as she brushed past Nyx. She turned towards him last minute, and nodded her head in gratitude for the shirt he had bought her. "Thank you for the shirt"

She didn't wait for a reply as she quickly exited the shop with Dante in tow.

APRIL 03,2021

edited: APRIL 09, 2021; APRIL 14, 2021; JUNE 10, 2022