That One Night

- Ⅸ -

I closed myself to the people.First person I ever talked to after everything was Ruby.She's my boss and my roommate.I had to speak to her some day!

Second one was Anastasia and the third lastly,Zane."It was Damien's orders.I couldn't have just break them.It took me five months to get his permission to fucking ask you out."

"You haven't asked me out,Zane."He got nervous."Hey,I'll go out with you."He sighed in relief."Great.Tonight?"Ruby came out of the kitchen."She can take the night off."

"I'll make the reservations."I smiled."I guess,that leaves me with the getting ready part."I got up and left the living room.I went inside my room and started getting ready.

I came out of the building and Zane was waiting out there with his car."Looking fancy,Remington."I smirked."What did you think?"

He opened the door for me and then we left to the hotel's restuarant.We ate some dinner and after some chattering,I got real.

"Can I ask you some questions?""Sure."I took a deep breath as my hands had already started shaking out of fear.

"Is it safe?Right now,he's trying to deal with Viktor and I see guys in black suits every where but...How safe is it for you guys?For...Damien?"

He put his hand on the table and I gave him mine."We've been through this and we have been going through this for years.We'll be fine.I get that you are worried about Damien."

"I mean,how could I not be,Zane?He's my brother.He's all I have right now."He smiled."I just want to make it clear to you that we are all safe.Right now,you are the targer,unfortunately."

"Honestly?I wouldn't really mind if you were my personal body guard."He smirked."I could be.But I was thinking more of a special training.Alone,with me."

"I wouldn't say no to that either."We were all sweet and cute togather after that.I asked whatever I needed to and he patiently answered.Which was a massive relief.

"Thank you for tonight.It was really fun and I felt like a human again.I didn't realise how much I closed myself until tonight.Thank you,again."

"My pleasure.May I?"I nodded and bit my lip as he leaned down to kiss me.It was amazing in a whole new level and I really enjoyed it."Good night,Zane."

"Good night,Cordelia."

I came back to the house to find the girls waiting and I spilled the beans."Zane is a good guy.Really,he will treat you so good,like the way you deserve."

"You look like you speak from experience.""You're not his first girlfriend,Cordelia.We've met others."I sighed."I asked him a couple things and can I ask you guys a few things too?"

"If it's going to help with you and your brother,yes!I hate grumpier Damien.He's bossier than ever and such a pain in the ass."I scoffed."Still my brother,girls.""Right,sorry.Go on."

"Zane said he was responsible of the trainings of this...gang?Mafia?Mob?I don't know anything at this point but...What are you guys responsible of?"

"I'm the chameleon.I'm the basic turist type in wherever I go,which helps me blend in with the annoying and undisturbed crowd."Anastasia spoke up after her.

"I'm responsible of the things with blades.Like knives,daggers and types of those two.I always carry a set with me.Just...Not around you as Damien ordered."

"What about the others?""Jeremiah is our sharpshooter.Assassinations are mostly on him."Ruby jumped in."I love watching him assemble his rifle in 10 seconds!You would too!"

"Coming on a little strong there,Ruby.She's new.Anyways,Bruno is the hacker.Hence,the job as the head of the IT department.And Carter is responsible of the explosives."

I nodded."What about my brother and Roman?""They are both better than all of us at what we do.That's why they always fight.They claim to be at least friends but...Lie!Enemies,for sure."

"They've been like that since they were sixteen!So like...11 years.If someone could figure out why,there'd be no fighting."Anastasia and Ruby turned to each other.

"I think we know who it might be.""Will this information help Roman so he would stop beating and fighting with my brother?I don't like seeing Damien in a hospital bed,girls.I hate it."

"Roman's ex from high school."I backed away."You mean Georgia?"They looked at me like a weirdo."No.He has a back tattoo.A rose but as it's peduncle goes down it writes 'Adele'."

I sniffed."Girls...Uhm...I don't kno-I don't-"I took a deep breath."I don't know how else I could say this but uhm..."I took another deep breath and let it go slowly."My middle name is Adele."

Their eyes widened."You think it's you?That girl doesn't sound like you.I mean,I heard him talk about how she broke him.That doesn't sound like you.It really doesn't,Lia."

"Yeah,well,it was ten years and two months ago.Not something I can change anymore.And,weirdly,I wouldn't want to change how things happened."

"What happened between you two?Was it before you left?"I sighed."I was in seventh grade.Sophmore year for my brother,he moved here from Italy."

"I knew they became rivals because of how greedy they both were to be in power.They would constantly fight.I only witnessed it for two years.Then I graduated from middle school."

"I wasn't happy at home because I couldn't live up to whatever expectation my parents had for me.I offered to live and learn abroad for a year.And,I lied to Damien."

"How?!"

"That 'a year' thing was a lie.I was meant to finish high school abroad.Then mom and dad said I shouldn't come back,so I finished collage.After that,I felt too distant to my past."

"Four years high school,four years collage...You were gone for ten years?""Two years of internship,it makes ten years.But...the night before I left...That one night...Game changer."

"You realised you liked Roman or...Did you guys kiss?What happened?!"

"Not only did I let him have my first kiss,I uhm...I slept with him.That's not even the game changing part.It's that...I left before he woke up without a note or anything.Just like that,I left."

I snapped my fingers."Just like that,I was gone.""Oh...God..."I had to explain further."I wasn't supposed to be with him that night,I was supposed to see my friend that lived in his building!"

"Ruby,I know what you're thinking but...Cordelia's departure was set in stone before she slept with him."I nodded."I had to cut all contact with my life here.My parents said so and at the time,I did what I could to please them."

Anastasia sighed as Ruby wiped her tears."Believe me,we all tried.We get it,Lia.Parents are hard."Anastasia chuckled out of anger.

"I'm Viktor's cousin but he's not even aware of that fact because my father was ashamed to have a daughter as his first born.If I was a boy,Viktor wouldn't be the Bratva's leader.I'd be."

"I think we all deserve some whiskey.Neat?"We both nodded as Ruby left and came with a bottle.We drank it all away.The heartbreak...The disappointment...The broken dreams...All of it.