Fall |NHC|

six

||UNEDITED | |

"Creepy?" Reece asked, as he took slow, uninvited steps inside her small house. She did not protest, but moved aside.

"Did I tell you I lived here? If I did, I don't remember." Seeing the worried frown on her face, Reece was amused. "Veronica told me."

"That woman! -"

"-is so generous." Reece finished as he snorted.

Iliana felt somewhat at ease and without any complaining, said him. "Come in and sit." Reece was taken aback by this but took upon the offer.

Awkward silence.

None of them spoke. Iliana fiddled with her fingers, thinking what she could bring up to make a conversation while Reece started at her uncovered feet, hoping he would not talk anything until she did.

Finally, Iliana said, "So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to... thank you?" Following another couple seconds of silence, Reece explained. "Thank you for being my date that day. I actually have a gift to than-" he paused and clenched his jaws, irritated.

Where was the present? At his home? Perfect.

"Nice," Iliana said, sarcastically as well as amused, "Where is the gift? I want it though I don't see it."

He rose to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "Come outside," he ordered and she giggled softly before going out.

"Where is it, Reece?"

"Wait."

He went inside her house and took the keys from behind the door. He locked her house, asking her to sit in the car. She was confused and surprised by his quick, sort of nervous, actions. They both drove to his apartment which Benjamin had locked. Since there was also a passcode, he did not need the key at that time.

He marched inside his penthouse assuming she'd follow but she stayed out. He turned around and scoffed. "Staying out?"

"This house is so damn huge!"

"I know, right? Now, come in."

"What? Are you kidding?"

"I am?"

"I mean, whose house is this? You're bringing me here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't go to jail with you. I'm not stealing anything from here."

Reece burst out laughing and started banging on the tea-table beside him. "If you steal, you'll be the one in cell," he walked near her and said in a low voice, "not unless I complain."

Iliana's breath caught in between inhaling and she took a step back to whisper. "Stop kidding."

Reece caught her wrist gently and pulled her in, in a nice way though, and said, "This is my place. Come in."

She was not the one to be taken away by richness, so she followed him quietly with a face that shows clear disinterest. This was not gone without the notice of our gentleman here who said, "Fix your face. You know you love it here."

"Not really." She maintained her natural face and Reece was surprised; ine, by her manner of expression, and two, he was never proud or boasting about his wealth but at this moment, he felt a vibe to show all his wealth to the woman next to him and to let her know he'd spend it all for her.

Spend it all for her? Did he think that, really?

He shook his head and Iliana said, "Fix your face, Reece."

He snorted and took her to his room where the photograph was kept. Taking it out of the cover, he gave it to her; she took it slowly, and her expression resembled that one as if she had seen all the wealth of this world. After looking at it for about an minute, she thanked Reece.

Or at least wanted to; because when she looked up at him, he was caught staring at her. He was not wven blinking for a nanosecond, he didn't notice that she had noticed but kept on staring at her... neck.

That was odd. For one, it was inappropriate and secondly, he appeared to be somehow or somewhat tranced. Iliana, feeling extremely uncomfortable to be the source of attraction or attention, coughed. He still didn't notice so he said, "Reece, thank you." She covered her neck and he blinked several times before looking at her face.

"Did you say something, Iliana?"

"No. I just thanked you."

"Oh, no. Thank you for being my date that day."

She nodded her head and looked at the floor. Reece, unable to hold back whatever feelings, snaked his one arm around her waist and the other fisting her hair, tilting her head and turning it aside.

Iliana gasped but stayed quiet otherwise. He fit some of her clear skin in between his teeth harshly before loosening the pressure. She hissed, trying to forget the effect his teeth was having its way on her skin. He licked the now-red spot for some time before sucking at it. She closed her eyes and relaxed at the soothe he was giving. Reece tried to move her head a little to allow the air to calm her skin but Iliana kept her head stiff, too stiff to be moved by him. Smiling at her cooperation, Reece licked the now-sore spot again and again till her could taste the slightest blood under her thin skin cover.

He left her petite frame and took a step back. She, held onto the photo as if her life belonged to it, and looked down, embarrassed and blushing.

"Why?" It was Reece's voice that broke after the two long minutes of silence that seemed like eternity. Iliana was first confused at this one word of one syllable and no meaning coming from Reece. But he cleared the doubts. "Why did you do it?"

"I did what?" Iliana's voice was strangely pleading him.

"You made me do this... this dirty thing... it's because of you!"

Iliana was dumbfounded by his irrational blame on her, and found herself getting angry to its best. She didn't realize it but her legs started going the way towards the main door, and soon out of the penthouse.

She stood at the exit of the apartments, thinking about her stupidty. One, she should have kicked the guest out as soon as she knew it was Reece.

Two, she should not have let this man take her to his house.

Three, she should not have left him have his way to giving her a hickey. After thinking this, her hand immediately went to touch her neck, and she whimpered as she did.

Four, she should not have walked out like a mad woman but demanded the gentleman for a ride back home since it was he that brought her.

She was completely clueless this time when she decided to walk in the streets. She randomly went to various streets and was welcomes by streetlights and empty space, all hers, wonderful.

Fifteen minutes later, she decided to walk her way home. Hard, but last option, and the only option.

She was finding her way with street signs and road maps when a car screeched behind her. The driver rolled the windows down and looked right into her eyes. She could not make up his or her face because all she could see was a pair of catty eyes, lit by the streetlights and shadowed by the buildings, looking directly into her black ones.

The human stepped out of the car and walked carefully to her. She took a few steps back, and they forward, when she was able to see clearly who it was, it was a man.