𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️

♡ Chapter 30 ♡

July 30th.

~ Celeste POV ~

"Where are we going?" I ask Nic. 

I was sitting on the couch, watching Bad Girls Club and minding my own business, until Nic freaking grabbed me and started pulling me with him.

He doesn't answer, and the elevator doors part. The sun hits my dark skin as we get off on the rooftop, and I look around to see what he could possibly be wanting to do. I don't take him as the type to want to go over to the kids face painting table.

"I owe you a plate of french fries. Remember?" he says as we approach the restaurant beside the pool. 

I felt my eyes widen slightly. I had no idea he remember that, or that day even. Well, I guess I did bother him a lot that day so maybe it's hard to forget. 

We sit down, and I'm thankful that there's an umbrella to protect my skin from the sun. I didn't put sunscreen on today. I may not be scared of killing people, but wrinkles make me shake.

When the waitress comes over, Nic asks for one plate of french fries. She brings them out quickly, and I smile while popping one into my mouth. 

He told me he loves me last night. I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since.

I agreed to this mission because I wanted to know who killed my family, and I didn't care that I had to kill Nic to get the answer. But now, not only do I have the answer, but I'm also not killing him.

I don't know what's going to happen when we return to Italy. Tomorrow, we're going to kill Hades, as well as every single one of his men there. Because if we don't, they'll kill me once we're back in Italy.

I don't know if we'll ever talk again, after this trip. I love him. And he loves me. 

But he's leaving Italy. And he's not my boyfriend. 

He hasn't asked me to go with him. But I also haven't asked if I could.

Maybe we're both thinking the same thing, but are scared to say it. Maybe he wants me to be his girlfriend, but is nervous that I don't want to be. Maybe we're just both nervous idiots who have never been in love before, until now. 

"Nic?" I speak up. A warm breeze blows my black hair behind me. 

"Yes, baby?"

I eat one more fry for comfort, trying to build up the courage to ask.

"What....are we?" I ask, and I think that my nerves were shown in my voice.

He leans forward on his elbows against the table. His black hair gets blown from the wind, and I sit there while I wait for him to reply. 

"What do you want to be?" his deep voice asks. 

I want to be yours.

I want to be the person you want to see every day. I want to be the person you sleep beside, every night. I want to be the person you bicker with every day. I want to be your fucking girlfriend.

"I want to be your girlfriend," I say bluntly. And as embarrassing as it is to admit, saying the words made me so nervous. 

God I think I just shoved 100 french fries into my mouth for comfort. 

"Celeste," he says sternly, making me stop eating the french fries and look at him.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he tells me, and it feels like a weight gets lifted off of my chest. "I want you to be mine so fucking badly."