After Cleo loses her parents by the age of 18 she moves into her best friend's house. The day April decides to move to Australia for a new job, Cleo chooses to move with her, nothing is holding her back. She works in the library of Port Lincoln, lov...
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"What are you doing to me?" His left hand cups my face. I don't move. I don't answer. "Since that day, it's like you put a spell on me. I can't take my eyes off of you. You have been on my mind since. My people tried to find out who you are, but there is nothing to find." I can't speak, I don't leave his gaze. "What you did in there wasn't very lady-like of you." "What exactly? Getting drunk or this?" I finally ask and slightly turn my head so his thumb is on my mouth again. He adds a little pressure and I open up and let the tip of my tongue run around it. His eyes follow the movement. "This!" He gasps. "And why isn't this, very lady-like? How do you expect a lady to behave, Mr. McAndrews?" I say after I let his thumb out of my mouth. He doesn't answer. "Do you expect a lady to act like your wife? Sorry, I mean ex-wife or like your mother? Do you expect a lady to smile and to look pretty, while you are handling everything else?" "No." He tilts his head. "I expect a lady to behave in public." "Oh, I see. Then I am not the one for you." I try to move past him, but he blocks me. His eyes darken and his voice turns so deep it gives me goosebumps. "You started teasing me at the table, without caring about who was watching. You're trying to seduce me now. Your gaze is almost hypnotic. You work in a library, you read, tell me, what do people call women like you?" "Are you trying to say that I'm a witch or a whore?" "Hmm, when the shoe fits." "Are you trying to distract from the fact that this is turning you on? Does it scare you that I know what I want and how to get it? " I bring my hand up and place it on his chest, a growl vibrates against it. I smile and look up at him through my lashes. "What are you doing to me?" He repeats. "Nothing. I'm a little dizzy, you're freaking handsome and I want to enjoy it." I run my hand up, wrap his black tie around it, tip-toe toe, and- "Guys! Hey! Seriously?" We pull apart! "I've been looking everywhere for you, fix yourself. Mr. McAndrews, your parents are coming. Here's your jacket," she says, holding it in front of his waist. "Keep it right there unless you want to answer some awkward questions." He clears his throat. "Say goodbye, we're leaving." "Bye," I say, and she pulls me away in the opposite direction. "Bitch, you can't be seriously making out with a hot millionaire at a charity event on the freaking balcony where everyone could have seen you. The press is here, do you know what could have happened?" "We didn't make out you interrupted us. You were great on stage." I say. "Hmm, distraction. I know, thank you, after a few minutes I felt very confident and it was really fun. How did you two end up here?"
As we walk down to our Uber I tell her everything. Once we reach home we walk straight to the bathroom get undressed, put our pajamas on, and crawl under the blankets. "He is fucking married!" "Divorced, he is divorced!" "Not yet and his wife is a model, why would he even have the slightest bit in-" A cushion hits my face. "Ouch! Why did you-" "Because you're too hard on yourself. You are gorgeous, you are smart and you know what you want. Don't question that now." I don't reply, she's right. I never was very confident but I always knew my worth. Especially after what happened in 2006 and after my parents died. I've been going through a lot, I felt like I lost my mind, and with the death of my parents, I lost the only two people who believed me, besides April. I don't know how I would have survived all this if it wasn't for April. I turn around and look at her. She already fell asleep and her breath goes steady while she gives me a half smile. "Stop staring, I'm almost sleeping!" "Thank you for being there, when I needed you the most." She doesn't reply she just takes my hand and we fall asleep like this.
"Cleo! Cleo! Cleo! Hey - Wake up, please! Open your eyes!" I inhale sharply and sit up. I'm wet. I'm sweating like hell. My head is spinning, I'm shaking and I can't control my breath. April says something but I don't hear her. I turn around she looks scared and worried and tears fill her eyes. I pull the blanket away and try to catch my breath. "You're okay. You're safe. You're at home. " She caresses my head and I try to focus on her words, her breathing. She takes my hands in hers. The last time I woke up like this every morning was when I was eighteen and it was after my parents died. "I was there again. I was there - I was - He had - and I-" "It's okay, it's okay. I know. You haven't had this nightmare for twelve years now, what triggered you?" I shrug and I shake my head. I get up I need to change, to shower. My clothes are soaked in sweat. It's 5 a.m. I walk over to the bathroom get undressed and turn the shower on. I don't look into the mirror, I saw it in April's says, I know how pale I look and how empty my gaze is. I've been going through this since I was fifteen. I saw my reflection a lot of times. I used to have this nightmare every night. I tried to stay awake, to distract myself, to read books, to watch TV only to make my subconscious believe that I'm fine, that I'm okay. Unnecessary to mention that it didn't work. I went daily to a psychologist, I talked about everything, about every little detail but it only made it worse. The dream felt more and more realistic and I couldn't control anything anymore. I get in the shower and the second the water runs down my face the tears do, too and I'm not fighting it.
