A L E X E I

lion heart.

16.

lion heart.

"And they say she got a lion heart."

________________________

Like a snap of a finger, the moment ended as the sweet smell of rain was covered with the smell of something earthy.

Annoyed at the intruder, Cat huffed and turned his way. She knew who it was, she would always know.

His scent imprinted in her, his image imprinted in her mind, Cat's eyes fluttered open to see Alexei standing there.

Although, his facade was emotionless and cold Cat was able to see right through it. He was assessing her, like he was presented with some complicated situation that he had only a matter of time to solve.

Silently, she watched him step closer to her like some lion stalking it's prey. Cat shivered as his hand reached up to cup her cheek, the proximity so close.

Clouds were turning grey slowly and the sound of thunder was apparent to everyone.

But nonetheless, Cat closed her eyes savoring the moment. Alexei looked at the angel in front of him, silently taking a mental picture of her in his mind as to remember her always.

No matter what she would create an everlasting impact on his life.

Too soon the warmth was gone for Cat as Alexei stepped back, she looked at him as he stepped back. His grey eyes fixed on her as he slipped out of his coat jacket and wrapped it around her, before taking another step back.

"Alexei," the voice of the heiress rang out.

They both turned around to see Alexei's date standing on the top step of the deck, her arm outstretched.

Cat turned back to assess Alexei to see who he would choose, so did everyone watching them from the windows during the ball.

With her breath held in anticipation, she watched as Alexei clenched his fists and then took a step near her.

Slowly he walked up to his date, grabbed her hand and silently entered the ball again.

Suddenly Cat felt a sharp pain in her heart and heart brokenly she watched Alexei place a kiss on his date's lips through the glass walls.

Hurt, rage and sadness build up inside her and slowly she dropped the coat jacket from her arms and left it on the ground as she walked back to her room as fast as she could.

It would be another day of Cat, her Pravda Vodka and her hopeless dreams in bed tonight.

***

The first indication of Alexei's betrayal was the discomfort in her chest and the feeling of her skin burning in the middle of night.

To put it in the right words, Alexei was having sex with another girl and Cat was facing the pain and consequences of so.

Fortunately, her excessive drinking that had put her to bed had been a great help as she suffered through the night alone.

But she had woken up to a burn on her wrist, the red almost blending with Cat's wrist.

With a shot to start her day, Cat had decided that today would be a different day. She quickly showered, dressed into a off the shoulder black bodysuit, grey ripped jeans and nude strappy heels.