Destroyed For All Others

Chapter 12 - Fireworks

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Niklaus

Allegra inhales deeply, closing her eyes for a second before they fly open, and she looks at me. I look away, pretending not to notice the way she has just lost herself in the warmth and smell of my jacket. She is already such a skittish thing. If I make fun of her about that, she may just up and leave. It was nice to know though that I had an effect on her.

I wonder if she has always been this high-strung or if someone made her that way. My mind goes back to her reaction to what Alistair had said about her being a social hermit for the last three years. He never got an answer to his question regarding the name of the guy he thought was the cause, and Allegra's demeanor at the question bordered on a nervous breakdown. Which guy was he referring to? Nothing came up when I looked her up on the internet. No past relationships. That in itself was suspicious, though, considering her age. At twenty-nine years old, she was bound to have some sort of dating history.

"I'm curious about something, but at the same time, I don't want to intrude or make you feel uncomfortable," I say, looking at her to gauge her reaction.

"At the table earlier, when Aashiv bailed you out of that awkward situation, what was it about?" She visibly tenses up, her eyes going big as she stares at me.

I can see her having an internal battle with herself. The way she starts checking on her lip is an outward indication of the turmoil within.

"It's clearly distressing you, so let's forget I asked." I look away, a little frustrated that she won't confide in me but also not surprised as I am practically a stranger to her.

"I'm sorry, Niklaus. It's not something I am ready to talk about, and it's really nothing. You know Alistair can talk nonsense," she says, trying to keep her shaky voice steady.

"Allegra, don't ever lie to me. There's no need, and you're not good at it. You are allowed to say you don't want to talk about it but don't downplay the impact it has on you. It doesn't do it justice. I hope that as we become better acquainted that you may one day trust me enough to confide in me. It's okay. I can wait." Her mouth opens to say something, but whatever it is, is cut off by the loud bang of a firework, signaling the start of the show.

Her eyes shift from mine, lighting up with the reflection of the fireworks painting the night sky in front of us. She is so beautiful. I've dated models and actresses, some featured in the top ten hottest women of the world, but none of them can compare to Allegra. When I look at her, it's like looking at a morning sunrise or evening sunset. It stirs something in my soul, almost like an awakening. She grounds me. Makes me forget about everything that occupies my time when I am not around her. The movement of her eyelashes as she blinks, the tug of her lips as she is about to smile, the red tint of her cheeks due to my scrutiny, all of it is happening right now. Right next to me. I feel lucky to be experiencing her. Every bad thing in my life can be written off as good as it has led me to her.

Aashiv's loud counting pulls my attention and lets everyone know that in ten seconds, it will be Christmas day. I find it amusing that she is treating this like New Year. As she reaches zero, everyone starts clapping, hugging, and kissing, their faces alight with joy.

Aashiv and Ade come over to us, both of us standing to give them a hug and wish them a good Christmas.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Allegra says, clapping her hand to her mouth. " I was sitting right next to you and didn't wish you. Happy Christmas, Niklaus," she says to me as Ade and Aashiv move on to the next group of people.

"Happy Christmas, Allegra," I take a step forward, my hand going under my coat that still hangs on her and around her waist as I pull her forward into a hug. Her hands are on my chest as I embrace her, pulling back to gently kiss her on her cheek. Her breath hitches, and when I look back at her, I can see she is flustered.

"Breath, Allegra," I say to her, not moving from my position as I hold her. Slow music from the band comes floating through the balcony door. When I look up, I see Aashiv with a mischievous smile on her face as she winks at me—no doubt her doing. Couples start dancing, their chatter dying down as quieter moments are shared.

"Shall we dance?" I ask her, the small nod of her head the confirmation I need as we start swaying gently to the music. Her hands have not moved from their position on my chest. I pull her closer, demolishing the distance between us as her body is pressed against mine.

She takes a deep breath, her words coming out breathless. " You make me nervous," she says, her eyes meeting mine briefly before moving to my chest.

I put my finger under her chin, gently pushing her face up so that she is looking at me.

"Why do I make you nervous?" I ask her, her brown eyes big as she contemplates her answer.

"I don't know. You're good-looking and intimidating, and I'm not really sure what you are doing with me. I'm not exactly your usual type." Her words make me smile.

"And what is my usual type?" Clearly, she knows more about me than I thought, as misguided as the information might be.

"Models and actresses. Really beautiful women who have social skills and are not...me," she looks away, her eyes filled with confusion.

"How do you know who I've dated?" I'm hoping this question steers us away from wherever her thoughts have taken her. I wanted to address the statement of her seeing herself as less than those women, but not now. Not when she still didn't trust me. It would lead nowhere but to a dead end.

Her cheeks turn bright pink under the evening starlight as she answers my question. "I looked you up on the internet."

"I looked you up too though you have managed to keep a lower profile than I have," I admit, her head snapping up to look at me.

"You did?" She looks genuinely surprised.

"Well, it's not every day I kiss someone in an elevator, regardless of what you might think of me. That situation was unusual for me as well."

Talking about the kiss has my thoughts going back to that moment, the taste and feel of her lips still lingering in my memory like it had happened yesterday. She must be thinking about it too, her eyes darting to my lips as she captures her bottom one between her teeth.

"Don't do that, Allegra, unless you want me biting that lip here in front of everyone." She shudders, her teeth releasing the right side of her lip which now glistens with moisture.

"You wouldn't," she says, looking at me and then around at the other people dancing on the balcony.

"You know I don't back down from a challenge," I say to her, causing her head to whip up. I lean down, whispering in her ear, my lip grazing her earlobe, "Is that a challenge?"

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