Upon A Star

Chapter 18

Cora stayed put in her chair, when suddenly a violent knock pushed the front door wide open.

She was fuming. Her nerves popped at the sides of her neck, pulsing hot, furious blood. Heat was evidently rising up to her cheeks, all the way up to her forehead as she stormed into the living room to face Cora.

"How dare you keep this from me!" She spat viciously, and Cora felt a pang of sympathy for the poor, confused girl. Clearly, she was going through a crisis.

"What on Earth are you talking about, foolish girl," she purred nonchalantly.

"You took me away from my parents, my own parents. And you lied to me. You never told me about my father, let alone my mother. When truth is, you aren't even my mother. You evil bitch."

Cora chuckled under her breath and twirled her curly hair with her long, spidery fingers. A high of adrenaline rushed through her, and she was fascinated where this was conversation was headed.

"Your parents were peasants," she slurred wickedly, her eyes pierced Celeste's. "I did you a favour," she shrugged and cocked an eyebrow.

"You wicked bitch." And just like that, she pounced at Cora and scratched her.

A prickle ran on her temples, where Celeste had carved her nails into Cora's skin. Ripping away what flesh was left over on her bony, skeletal face. Celeste scratched, and ripped, and inhumanely tore away as much skin she could from Cora.

-

She wanted to hurt her. The person who lied to her all those years, the very same person who housed her and gave her clothes to wear. That person was truthfully a big, fat liar. She was living under the same roof with her kidnapper, the person who prevented Celeste's happiness, the person who prohibited romance and most importantly, freedom.

Celeste had felt trapped in her own mind for all these years, when in reality, she was trapped underneath Cora's influence. The words she'd said to her, the promising threats she enforced if things did not go her way, and the way she would constantly avoid any talk that involved Celeste's biological father.

"You need to pay," she roared and like a predator, she jumped at Cora and slammed her against the wall.

With their noses inches apart, Celeste could barely notice fear coming off Cora. Instead, it almost seemed as if Cora was enjoying this intimidation. Her lips curled into a snake-like, sinister smile, and her eyes gleamed with wickedness as if everything was going according to plan. As if this was merely a stroll in the park for her.

"You don't have to worry about me darling," she whispered, and the loving tone that came from Cora disgusted Celeste. She wanted to vomit, right then and there. Hopefully, by vomiting, Cora would potentially realise how much she was detested.

Celeste curled her fists, her knuckles coloured white and her eyes stuck on Cora's. "You will get exactly what you deserve." In response, Cora simply let out an exasperated sigh, and the air that came from her lips landed on Celeste's neck. They were so close, that if Celeste thrust her head forward, she would crash her 'mother'.

"My darling Celeste," she replied, and the touch of her breath against Celeste's skin nauseated her. "You will never find what you are looking for, you will never be happy. If it is a parent you want, great, you have found your father. But know this, you will never be loved because you are unlovable; you will break down, piece by piece. And you will be demolished, and I will be the one laughing at you while you are buried ten feet underground, and I won't have to help you get there. You'll do that all by yourself, you'll help yourself fall down, you'll help yourself ... and you'll get exactly what you deserve. Mud, decay, rot." She hissed and Celeste backed away, she wanted to leave and let Cora suffer in isolation.

-

The sun was smiling and the birds were singing in the blue sky. Clouds floated by like marshmallows gave a warm vibe, but Celeste's emotions were a whirlwind, a hurricane, and a spark that was ready to explode and destroy everything in its wake.

"Are you ok?" He approached her on the couch.

She was buried underneath blankets, and her knees arched up as her head lay on the armrest. Tears slipped down her face and splashed from her chin onto the couch, leaving paint-splattered teardrops.

Moving her feet a little closer to her body, he sat next to her and as if it was second nature, she crawled closer to him. And without asking, she pressed her cheek against his beating heart, allowing the thumping rhythm to lull her to tranquillity.

A sigh escaped his lips. "Tell me what's wrong sweetie," he whispered softly and gently kissed the top of her head.

"My mum isn't my mum. I was kidnapped. My dad is this sweet, and clearly, tortured man. I haven't met my mum yet. I want to kill Cora – she's restricted so much out of my life, she restricted my freedom, my family-," her voice began to crack but she tried to hide the pain, she wasn't prepared to accept her reality, she wasn't ready to accept what was real – that what was known to be family to her, was actually prison.

"It'll be ok," he rubbed his thumb on her cheekbones, and chills spiralled underneath her skin, sparkles exploded just by his touch.

She turned her cheek to face him, and she saw the worry in his eyes. Concern, anxiety, and possibly love? His eyes grew big and kind, his lips searched for hers, and they crashed against each other, colliding with one another as if they were competing in a game of tug of war.

His hands claimed her hips and his lips possessed hers. She pulled back to catch her breath and stared into his energetic, hungry eyes. He hauled up her shirt, and unclipped her bra and kissed the side of her neck.

He left butterfly kisses on every part of her body, she felt loved, wanted and important, like her body was a museum and he was appreciating every masterpiece.

With his hands in her hair, she continued to kiss him as he lifted up his own shirt to reveal his toned body that glistened with the sunlight that peeked from the windows. And even though their lips did not part, she could feel him smiling and she let him, and he continued to kiss her as if they were thirsty, as if they were the last drops of water in a deserted desert.

He pulled away from the kiss once again and looked at her with question, and the way she looked back signified her approval. This was going to happen, she loved this man, she wanted too. She'd expected her first time a little more romantic, perhaps with candles, soft music, fairytale-like gestures.

But this was real life, quick and casual and what really mattered was that she felt loved. She wanted him, every part of him, she loved all of him; his flaws, his imperfections, she loved his smile, and most importantly, she loved that he was her rock, steady and firm, unlike all the changing phenomenon's that did not stay constant in her life. So she let him, even though this was not how she'd fantasised.

So she kissed him, and cherished every moment. And she was loved, and Cora was wrong, because Celeste was loved. And Nick making love to her was concrete proof.

She was loved.