love & war | in progress

16 - invitation

angelo 

She is flawless.

Elizabeth walks around looking absolutely and entirely magical as she talks business with all of our partygoers. In her left hand is a glass filled with a sizzling drink I identify as champagne, and her right is looped in my arm. Her hair is straight today, and I can't help but feel a slight tug on my heart; I have found a flaw.

Because she looks so much prettier with her natural hair.

Usually, she has her hair down and coily, sometimes pulled back into a gelled bun, and sometimes in braids. But still she looks truly appetising. My cock twitches when she smiles at what Kyran Smart said and I see that singular dimple pull through her cheek. God, she's a dream. No, a nightmare. Because it is absolutely terrifying what it is she's doing to me. All shits and giggles as if she just didn't give me the blow of my life in the hallway.

I don't notice her asking a question until she squeezes where she's holding me, slightly.

"Hm?"

"Kyran and I, we were just talking about the race that's coming up. You'll be racing won't you?" She looks at me through her eyelashes, innocent and bubbly and not at all her. I'm so lost in her eyes that I barely notice when a 'yes' falls out of my lips. 

Smart slaps me on the back. "Hey, that's great man! Good to see you driving again, I'll get Diane to put you down for the racers list." I want to call out to him, retract my answer but he's already left us and is jogging over to where the woman taking down names is.

"Shit."

Elizabeth turns to me with a suave smirk etched onto her mouth. "So? I didn't realize you're into racing, Mr. Stone." She says my name mockingly, then takes a sip of her drink. I can't wait till this is over so I can fuck that smirk off her mouth.

"Well, Miss. Gray, there's a lot you don't know about me."

A moment of silence passes between us. "Is that an invitation to find out more?"

"Do you want it to be?"

She opens her mouth to speak, closes it, then lets out a laugh decorated with nervousness. "Well, Angelo-"

I don't get a chance to hear what it is she has to say, because Annaliese appears out of nowhere, scolding the both of us for going missing. "Come on, guys. Where have you been? It's time for you to give your speech, Angelo." Her eyes turn to Elizabeth, looking at her expectantly. "Do you have the envelope, Liz?"

Elizabeth nods her head and then lets go of my arm to reach into her small clutch bag.Despite the cold, November air, I still feel the tingle of heat from where her skin used to be.She hands me a small white paper, which holds the amount of money we had managed to raise. I felt the need to open it right there, and get it over with but I couldn't do it right there and then, Elizabeth deserved to feel the relief and congratulations upfront. 

"Thanks, Elizabeth. You coming with?" I tuck the envelope into my pocket and extend my arm for her to hold again.

Her head tilts to the side in confusion, but she takes my hand anyway.

"Of course."

-

"Thank you, everyone for coming here tonight. I am- I have no idea how this outcome came to be. This year's turnout has doubled, maybe even tripled with people, and for that, for all of you; I am immensely grateful..." More words fall out of my lips, but my eyes sidetrack. Turn to the side. Focus on the beaming ray of gold, taking up my vision. Elizabeth is watching me with a wholehearted smile plastered on her face.