𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️

♡ Chapter 12 ♡

July 12th.

~ Celeste POV ~

Last night, I had a question of morality.

Of who I am.

Of if two wrongs, make a right.

A puddle of guilt fills my stomach as I sit up here, on the rooftop. I agreed to this. I agreed to make Nic fall in love with me, no matter what it took.

But now, after last night, I'm questioning my own decision.

I had sex with him. For hours. I moaned his name, as if on the 31st, I'm not going to drive a knife through his chest. To watch him bleed out, simply to get myself closure. 

Betrayal always hurts more when it's from somebody you trust.

My phone rings in my pocket.

"What!" I spit into the phone without looking who it is.

"By that tone, I'm going to assume things aren't going so well," Hades spoke from the other end.

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes, running my hand through my hair and gripping it at my scalp.

"Things are going according to plan," I reply. But maybe that's the problem.

"Perfect. Don't forget about the art show. Hans uses his artwork to launder money he makes from selling drugs," he shared. "Don't mention this. Let him bring it up, I need to find out who he sells to and how much."

"Okay, I'll let you know what El Chapo says," I mutter. "When are you going to tell me why you want Nic killed? The exact reason - not just because you hate him."

He went silent for a moment, even though I heard his mouth open.

"Sometimes, Celeste..." he trailed off for a moment. "The less you know, the better."

My irritation skyrocketed when he ended the call. I screamed into the phone even though he hung up, "Oh, eat shit grandpa!"

I removed the phone from my ear, and caught a mom giving me a judgy look from her pool chair beside me. I crossed my arms at her, "My grandpa killed 10 people on his way to McDonald's. So don't look at me like that."

She kept giving me a judgy look. I leaped up and started, "You know what-"

A strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back from the lady that started yelling for security. Nic speaks while pulling me away, "Relax, Mrs Jones. No need for an assault charge."

"Cunt deserves it. What was she staring at me like that for?!" I continue as Nic pulls me into the elevator.

He releases me and presses the button. While the door closes, he shrugs, "Maybe because you look like you're going to kill somebody."

"I do not-" I stop talking when I catch my reflection on the shiny elevator wall. "Shit, maybe I do."

I let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall. I didn't say a word to Nic this morning, I just left and went to the rooftop pool.

And as we ride in the elevator, I remain silent.

But my eyebrows lower as the elevator stops on the ground floor, and not our floor.

"Where are we going?" I ask him as I step out behind him.

Without turning around, he replies, "To explore the city."

╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝

California heat is way worse than the Italian heat.