𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️

♡ Chapter 16 ♡

July 16th.

"No. Switzerland is far prettier than Portugal," I disagreed while twirling my pasta with my fork.

"You say that because you've never been to Portugal," Nic argued back.

I lay on his bed on my stomach, holding the bowl of pasta that Nic made for me. He lay upright against his pillow, in the same position that we'd been in all day.

Talking about random stuff. TV shows. Where we've traveled. Random celebrities we hate for no reason. Turns out he hates Gwyneth Paltrow and Dr. Phil.

What I've learned about him, is that he lived in several different countries before settling in Italy. When he was twelve, he committed his first crime, which was stealing someone's car.

He wasn't being a huge asshole like usual right now.

"Why do you have so many angels tattoed?" I point with my fork at his arm. "And why are some corrupt?"

He doesn't answer me at first. His tattoos are beautiful and very detailed, which makes me think that there's a reason behind them.

"They start off good," he points to one on his lower left abdomen and then slides his finger up to one on his shoulder. "And slowly get corrupt. It's a story, of how easily good can turn to evil."

I stare at him. For the entire time that I've known him, I've known him as evil. A killer. A heartless man.

To imagine him good, before he turned to crime, feels weird. But nobody was born a criminal. There was a time in my life when the thought of killing terrified me.

He grabs my now empty bowl from me and rises to his feet. I keep my ankles crossed in the air and play with the edge of the sheets as I hear the sink turn on in the kitchen.

Buzz. I turn my head to look at my phone.

Seeing that it was Hades, I turn my head around quickly to see if Nic was paying attention to what I was doing. But he was just washing the dishes.

"Not great timing," I say quietly into the phone.

"Fine, then I'll ask simple yes or no questions," Hades spoke. "Is Hans suspicious of you two?"

"No."

"Have you two been following the rules? No killing?"

My teeth hold my bottom lip for a moment.

"Yes," I lie. We said we'd take the secret to our graves.

"And is Nic starting to fall in love with you yet?"

Sometimes, I forget that I'm even supposed to be having him fall in love with me. I just talk to him, as if he's a normal person.

"I don't know," I answer.

"Time's running out, Celeste. Don't fuck this up; or else you'll never learn anything about your parents."

He hangs up the call on me as Nic re-enters the room. He questions while pulling a white t-shirt over his head, "Was that Hades?"

"Mhm," I hum, leaning my cheek onto my hand while I started to think.

"Been thinking. We should go somewhere tonight," he says while leaning against the wall, opening a window, and lighting a cigarette.

"Yea?" I say, a little surprised since he never wants to go anywhere with me.

He nods while exhaling smoke, and I start playing with the ends of my black hair.