Cruel Desire

13.

13

(Belle's POV)

Lying in my plush bed, enveloped beneath my duvet, my heart raced and my mind reeled from the kiss I had shared with Vivienne. Her lips against mine... it was divine.

Tossing and turning in bed, I was unable to sleep. The moonlight crept through my blinds, and I sat up, huffing in annoyance. The house was silent, almost eerily so. My 'parents' hadn't been home for a few days; I was informed they were on a business trip, but I was clueless about how long they would be gone.

I stood up, threading my fingers through my blonde hair. I stepped towards my window and checked the clock—it was around 8 PM. My gaze drifted back to the window as I settled down, staring up at the night sky. A sense of peace washed over me as I finally managed to distract my thoughts from her.

My gaze lowered to the streets as I noticed the silhouette of a figure from the corner of my eye. My brow furrowed in curiosity as I squinted to make out the figure more clearly, but as I focused intently, the figure suddenly vanished into the night, leaving me unable to see them any longer.

A wave of curiosity washed over me, yet an anxious feeling began to gnaw at my insides, prompting me to worry. I tried to brush it off, settling back into bed and attempting to drift off to sleep.

                                  ~~~

I was jolted awake by a knock reverberating against the front door. I groaned softly, rubbing my eyes and letting out a yawn. Another knock echoed through the house, and I stood up groggily, making my way to the door. I reached for the door handle and pulled it open, only to be met with the surprised faces of Amyris and Violet.

"Surprise!!" the two exclaimed in unison, their grins wide and infectious.

My mood instantly brightened, and I stepped aside to let them in. "I missed you guys! I haven't heard from either of you in forever!" I replied, mirroring their cheerful tone.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Bee. I missed you too! Work kept me swamped, you know? Luckily, it's the weekend now, and my workload has lightened up!" Amyris responded almost immediately, her tone filled with sincerity as she leaned in to embrace me.

"I'm sorry as well; I kind of ditched you at that party. I hope you made it home alright?" Violet added, a slight smile gracing her lips as she offered her apology.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I completely understand that you both have your own lives. There's no need to apologize," I smiled back at them, leading them further into the house.

"Make yourselves at home! I'm going to get ready quickly. If you're hungry, feel free to make something; there's plenty of food in the kitchen," I said, heading back up the stairs to allow the two of them to settle in comfortably. They had been in this house a million times, so they knew where everything was.

After I got ready, quickly slipping on a grey jumper and sweatpants, I made my way back downstairs. It wasn't much, but I wasn't exactly going out anywhere, so it should be fine.

I lay down on the sofa, resting my head on Amyris' thighs. I hummed softly, smiling up at her, and she flashed me a warm smile in return.

"So, do you have a crush yet?" Violet teased, her grin wide and playful. I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at my lips.

"Maybe, maybe not," I replied, intentionally keeping my answer vague and ambiguous. "What about you?" I added with a sly smirk.

"Maybe, maybe not," she mimicked my words and tone, and I couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles.