Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XVII

ALICE'S POV

OCTOBER 31
1:12 p.m

I HAD to get out. Take a walk.

I stop by the ice cream shop, missing the meals from the castle already.

I feel like I'm experiencing withdrawal. It's almost like I'm homesick but in reverse.

"I know the feeling love."

Christos?

I look around the street but he's no where in sight. My eyes settle at the florist and I stare longingly at the roses.

He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I wanted to say yes, so why didn't I?

I walk home, feeling as though I'm missing something, even though I know I'm not.

Emily and Jackson are probably back from the movies by now. Of course Emily gets to have some happy fantasy with Jackson.

But heaven forbid I spend a week with Christos.

Her car is gone from the driveway now so she must have left to go to a lecture or something. She's always busy.

I unlock the front door and hear the TV in the living room. Dad must be home.

Usually he's asleep when he's home, but I hear laughter coming from the living room, and the TV is turned up fairly high.

I walk around the corner into the living room and old VHS tapes are playing.

"Dad?" I turn the light on.

Dad swivels his head and smiles when he sees me. "Alice! There you are, c'mere."

I walk closer and see another figure in the chair next to him. They both have wine coolers that have been in the fridge.

"Alice, when were you planning on introducing me to Chris here?"

"Chris?" I turn and look and Christos is sitting in the other seat. I almost didn't recognize him without his fancy getup. I still might not have recognized him if not for his eyes.

"Afternoon Alice." He smiles.

"What are you doing here?"

Dad answers for him. "He came by looking for you and I didn't want to just turn him away since you weren't here so invited him in for some wine coolers."

I look back over at him but he's mesmerized in the TV, watching an old recording of me at a school play.

"I'm going to make something to eat real quick." Dad yawns, pushing out of his chair and walking into the kitchen.

"Why are you here?" I whisper shout once he's out of earshot.

"You miss me."

"No, I don't." I lie.

A smile slides onto his face. "Liar, liar."

I roll my eyes and walk into the kitchen. "Hey Dad, how was work?"

He sighs. "Exhausting as always. I feel a little better seeing that you've got a nice little companion out there."

"Yeah." I roll my eyes so far back in my head I'm surprised they don't get stuck.

"How come you've never brought him by the house before?"

"Why would I?" I grab an apple.

He looks at my quizzically. "He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"

That bastard told Dad that me and him are dating.

"Yeah." I say just so I don't have to go further into detail.

"You know, he seems nice. Though I would prefer you dated someone a little more your age." He scowls.

Christos must've told Dad he was at least twenty-one, maybe even older. Dad isn't a fan of underage drinking and would never give Christos a wine color otherwise.

Ironically, Christos is probably much older than he told Dad.

"Don't worry, I don't think he's just trying to sleep with me."

He's just trying to get a wife.

"That's good. Still, I've got my eyes on him." He smiles.

I walk back out into the living room and sit down on the sofa, Christos glancing at me before looking back at the screen.

"Was that my answer?"

"What?"

He leans forward. "You just told your father that I'm your boyfriend. I asked you out a while ago, is it official now?"

"No." I sink into the sofa. "I told him you were my boyfriend because you told him you were my boyfriend."

He smiles, leaning on the arm of the chair. "Do you want me to be your boyfriend Alice?" His voice is a soft whisper that gives me chills.

"I want you to leave before Emily gets back, otherwise she'll somehow figure out how to put the blame on me." I get up, heading for the stairs.

"Alice."

"And stop doing that!" I whip my head around.

"I just want to know why you let Emily boss you around like that." He stands up. "You are a grown woman who doesn't have to listen to her older sister."

I bare my teeth and hurry upstairs. I'm not continuing this conversation.

"Yes, you are."

I turn on my heel, ready to look down the stairs and snap at him but he's right behind me, towering over me and making me stumble back.

"So let Emily see me here. You want me here Alice, who cares if she doesn't."

"But I don't want you-"

"Love," he leans closer, "you've been dying to see me ever since Emily dragged you out of the castle. There's no point hiding anything from a man who can read your thoughts and feel your emotions."

"Feel my emotions? What? You can't-"

"Alice, we have a very strong bond, and you can't quite feel it but I can." He smiles. "And let me assure you that I feel remarkably close to you."

He leans in to kiss me and I think about letting him, but then I hear a car pull up in the driveway and a car door slam.

"Emily." I breath.

"Alice, this is your chance to show Emily that she does not control you. You are your own person, it's time you show Emily who's in charge."

"I'm definitely not the one in charge." I shiver.

"Yes, you are. You are whatever you want to be, because you have me and I have you. That is all that matters."

"That's the cheesiest shit I've ever heard."

"There's a lot more where that came from." He pecks a small kiss on my nose, turning to look down the stairs just as Emily walks in.

She looks confused, seeing the TV on and no one there.

"Dad? Alice?"

Dad peeks out of the kitchen. "Hey Em. How was the lecture?"

"It was same old same old. Are you the one watching TV?"

"Well I was watching it with Alice and her boyfriend but they must have disappeared upstairs." He frowns, glancing at the stairs before heading back into the kitchen.

"Boyfriend?" Emily murmurs to herself bringing her eyes up and spotting me and Christos at the top of the stairs.

Christos simply smiles. "Hi Emily."