Cryptic Passions

14- Ruth

The afternoon of the ball, I spent five hours with my stylers who had to put all their efforts into concealing all my wounds; from the burns to my previous gunshot wound and cut scars and the injuries that I had gained from my time in E.Y.E.

The dress was revealing enough to display half of it, and we couldn't risk the media getting even a hint of it.

Half of my hand had burned off, and that took most of the time to cover, along with my half-burned nails.

Some doctors had to join in to tie the plasters in ways that they remained concealed and we had to try to work out with three different outfits before settling on one.

I was ready by six, after which, I spent my time waiting for Christian.

He had offered to pick me up and drive me to the place where the ball was taking place.

He was supposed to pick me up at seven, so I went through my emails, just to see whether I had missed out on something important in the past few days.

Christian came earlier than I had anticipated. He was on my doorstep at six forty-five. He refused to come in, even when I offered him a glass from an antique bottle of red wine.

The fact that he had moved on cut me again, but I pushed it aside before walking down my house to the gate, where he stood beside his dark blue car.

I didn't know much about cars but it looked expensive.

He looked up at me from behind a strand of black hair and offered me a smile. Christian was a good, out-of-trouble guy, but dressed in pure black, he looked dangerous, and his smile made my heart stop.

I didn't let it show as I halted a few feet away from him and he extended a hand in my direction. I didn't take it.

I walked past him to the door of the car and opened it myself before taking a seat inside. I closed the door, not scooting in to make space for him.

He walked to the other side of the car, opened the door, and took a seat to my right.

"Any particular reason as to why you are behaving this way?" he asked me and I gave him a cold look but gave no response.

My phone rang and a robotic voice announced the caller ID 'Carlos. I put it to my ear before saying, "Hey, handsome,"

Carlos and I greeted each other that way. We had developed it over the past few years since neither of us was into the other person.

"Hey, gorgeous, where are you?"

"I am on my way to the ball," I answered.

"I have sent you the new outfits that I have approved. Take a look when you can,"

"Will do,"

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Christian asked, "So, you're ignoring me because I got replaced?"

His voice was joking, but sadness lurked somewhere in his eyes. Of course, I hadn't replaced him so quickly with some other guy. "He's gay," was all I said in response before checking out the photos Ryan had sent me.

"Can you go be creepy elsewhere?" he interrupted me and I noticed that in some of the pictures, the models were wearing a little less.

I closed my phone and put it away, resting my head against the seat. I was exhausted from everything that had been happening, and the drugs weren't helping.

"Are you okay?" he asked me and I snapped,

"Can you stop questioning everything that I do?"

He remained silent but watched me intently and I could feel his gaze even after I had closed my eyes and was half asleep, but he didn't say a word.