Rose Thorns & Love Letters

27 ➪ Love, Adelaide

•Phoenix•

12/8/1875
For my dear husband,
Should you think that my love for you is transparent enough for a mere insect to see? I love you so greatly that if you chose to take the hand of another, I would simply perish of a broken heart.
Love, Adelaide

__________________

"More." She whines. My eyes narrow at the sound of her needy voice and unpleasant wish. I do not grant her the privilege of hearing a response from me and due to this, she snaps.

"Lodovico, please."

"No."

I will do anythi—"

"No."

"Phoe—"

My lip turns up into a snarl as I interrupt her. "Finish that word, and you'll definitely not get what you want."

A big sigh erupts from the speakers of my phone as Luna admits her defeat. I reach for the phone laying on my desk and adjust the sound in order for me to hear her irritating voice a little less.

"Since when was $1,000 a week not enough for you?" I interrogate. My hand reaches for the ball-point pen sitting on my desk as well as a blue post-it note. I absentmindedly scribble random numbers on the small paper.

"I already told you. I have a spa day with my frie—" The movements of my pen are paused as a ping sounds from my phone. All noise around me, including my sister's voice, is cancelled as I read the sender's ID.

Forest girl

With no hesitation, I pay the notice attention by tapping the message.

Forest girl: csn u come andsave me,?,,
Forest girl: ???*

My head begins to bang as I attempt to decipher her message. What the fuck? It is 8:57pm, shouldn't she be at home drinking her fucking hot cocoa and sticking her nose in a book?

"I gotta go." I interrupt my sister's prattle. My abruptness silences her and the sound of silence almost sounds foreign to me. It does not last long as her protests abuse my ears again.

"Wait! No can you just send me—" I end the call before she can suggest a larger amount of money she insists on me wiring her by tonight. My thumbs work faster than humanly possible as I set up a call between Camilla and I.

The call is not accepted until the very last ring. The blaring sound of dissonance assaults my eardrums and I am forced to draw the phone away from my ear.

I quickly regain composure as I speak sternly into the phone. "Camilla, where are you?"

"Gorgeous? Who the fuck is Gorgeous? Who did I save as Gorgeous." She mumbles to herself. It is clear that she is at some sort of party, judging by the amount of screaming that is being forced into my ears. I just need to know where.

"Camilla, it's me Lodo—" I pause. "Phoenix." A gasp is heard from over the phone followed by multiple muffled sobs. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Are you drunk?" My voice softens but my actions are the polar opposite as I shoot up from my desk chair and grab my keys.