AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 66/138: Encounters in the Underworld

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Scarlett Thorne kept her cold look, as she turned towards the bartender, banging roughly on the bar. "Aye, another shot!"

She shot me and Abel a neutral glance, and, for a second, it occurred to me that maybe being a prostitute was such a painful thing.

Because you have to utterly switch off your feelings.

Since I'd seen her moments ago today, it occurred to me she looked different.

I couldn't tell why, until now.

Her eyes lacked emotions in this moment, that was what is different from our past two encounters.

Somehow, it seemed, that directly after her... business with a customer, that is what a prostitute might suffer from.

Her beauteous orbs, which resembled my father's, I noticed, reflected pure emptiness. Nothingness. They looked so shallow. So lost.

And damn, did she look lost.

Almost unconsciously, my hand reached out for hers over the bar, and I squeezed, gently.

Her shallow eyes widened, and her head whipped up, as she eyed me with pure stun. "Huh?"

I wet my lips, and eyed her with uncertainty. "Are you okay?" I fixed her with my worried gaze, unsure.

From beside me, I felt Abel Daniels eye me intensely, but he nevertheless commented not.

She kept her stunned look at my question, and I kept fixing her with my stare, awaiting some kind of answer.

In some seconds, she regained her cold gaze, as she turned away, "Yeah," She sighed, "It was just one of those annoying customers."

I nodded, understandingly, and squeezed her hand again, "Uhm, if you don't feel like talking, I... I can come later—" She gestured me off, her expression mellowing softly.

"I'm... h-happy," she seemed hesitant about the word, "That you came here." She fixed her beads into mine, and they reflected a conflict of feelings, "I thought you would never accept the truth or... me."

The last word felt painful for me, and it squeezed my heart, I felt my eyes sting at that.

I gulped, and kept on squeezing her hand, "I'm sorry for my reaction days ago." I ran my free hand through my hair, "I lost my senses..."

She kept on eying me, deeply, and shook her head, "It was only natural to react like that for such a truth."

Slowly, I let a soft smile creep over my lips, "Allies, then?"

Her lips curved, without her even noticing, and, eying her at that, I noticed she looked so beautiful when she smiled. "I've been your ally since I first met you, l'il sissy."

I blinked for some seconds, and then blushed, softly, pondering over her words.

Holy yeah, we're.... sisters.

Wow, I have a big sister now!!

Suddenly, Abel Daniels had to ruin the moment and pinch me from behind, making me jump. He looked towards me with intense, burning wolven eyes. "Let's not forget the target of our visi—"

BANG!!

BANG!!

BANG, BANG!!

We jumped, and realized so well what the voices were.

With wide eyes, I gazed in fear at Abel, "G-Gunshots!"