The Curse ✔️

Chapter 38: Bitter Disappointment

I knocked on the door, each of my nerve-endings tingling with anxiety and anticipation. Situations like this one were rare; situations in which I knew, with every fibre of my being, that I was about to make a mistake. Awful, irreversible mistake. But I couldn't, for the life of me, walk away.

"Come in."

The warm limelight mixed with the moonlight spilling into the room over the black carpet. The bed was unmade, grey sheets hanging carelessly over the edges, and the warm breeze came from the open window.

Leon was sitting on the sill, smoking and staring out at the forest.

I closed the door behind me, my heart pounding in my throat. I felt completely transparent in the silk nightgown, the lust charm still flowing under my skin.

He grinned at me, "Hi, Jade."

"Hi, Leon."

I wanted to act smug so badly, and even forced a tight smile to my lips, but walking right into his bedroom at 2AM gave my intentions away.

He raised the bottle of gin, "Want some?"

"Please." I walked straight to the sill, anxiety sliding off me in layers. "It was a weird night."

"Right." Leon gave me the bottle, then ashed his cigarette through the window. "Can't say I wasn't expecting you."

My first reaction was, once again, anger. I thought he was trying to prove I wanted him more than he wanted me, but I was wrong.

"Fine, I get it." I leaned against the sill and took a sip, gin burning my tongue. "I'm sorry I walked out on you last time."

To this, his eyebrows jumped up, "My, oh, my, never thought I'd hear you apologize."

I let out a sharp sigh, "Don't get too cocky."

"Fat chance." He took the bottle and poured gin into his mouth, the cigarette burning between his fingers.

I watched as he gulped the liquor, my nerves burning.

"Fuck, I don't even know what I'm doing here with you." I said, my brain screaming at me to shut up. "I thought I was way smarter than this."

Leon chuckled, "Would you walk away if I said I thought so too?"

My eyes narrowed, "You said it."

He pulled his knees up to his chest, took a drag, and looked out the window, "It's the stress. We're one second away from being obliterated and we have zero control over it. Don't be too hard on yourself."

A rough laugh fell off my lips, "Yeah, my nerves are making me sleep with you."

"Jade Montgomery." Leon looked at me, grinning, "I thought you were here to chitchat and drink gin, but I see your intentions are nefarious."

My throat constricted. Fuck, this was such a dumb mistake. The dumbest mistake. Was I truly such a cliché? Was I truly going to do this just because I found out one single surprising thing about him?

I moved away from the sill and turned to him, "You said once that you don't kiss and tell. Is that even remotely true?"

Leon threw the cigarette out the window, put the bottle on the sill and his legs down. The warm breeze made the strands of his black hair sway and the moonlight made his eyes appear silver.

"Do you truly think that none of your friends know exactly where you at this very moment?"

I came closer until I stood between his legs, the inner side of his thighs touching my hips. Then, I glanced up. If my friends knew where I was, his did too.