Vicious

Old Memories

Stephen took a seat near the window, and silently took a sip from his glass. That was weird wasn't he just threatening me about how he wanted answers? 

I fake coughed and said "So...what do you want to talk about Steph?". 

He turned his head around and stared into my eyes, but the most extraordinary thing happened in that moment. He smiled. I know I've seen him do it before, but for some reason it just makes him look so carefree. Other times he's always so uptight, and Mr. I don't give a damn about you. 

"What did you say?" he said with a bit of a laugh.

I stared at him blankly and said "Umm, what do you want to talk about?". 

He shook his head and said "No let me rephrase that. What did you call me?". 

I gave that same blank face again.

He sighed still with an amused face and said "Just repeat what you said the first time". 

I opened my mouth and said the same thing over again with a very confused face. 

"So...What do you want to talk about Steph?" I asked again. 

As soon as I said what I just did I swore under my breath. My eyes widened and I felt the heat rising up my cheeks instantly, and I knew that I was blushing. 

Why do you have to be so stupid Hazel! Steph? Seriously!

"I-uh. Sorry I-I meant Stephen, it just came out. Like you know when you're super nervous and you don't know what you're saying. Not to say that I'm nervous or anything I'm just letting you know, so I didn't even realize what I said to you. So you should totally ignore that comment an-" 

I was cut off by a genuine laugh from Stephen. I know that I should have been laughing with him, since that's what I always do. I screw up and make everyone laugh and then join along, but somehow this moment was one to cherish. He was laughing with his hands on his stomach, and for once he didn't look worried. 

I just smiled and when he stopped he took deep breaths to calm down. 

"Phew! God sake Hazel, you actually blushed" said Stephen and my smile instantly turned into a scowl.

"Shut up! I did not blush, god that's so girlish" I yelled with a smirk. 

"Well you are a girl" Stephen stated. 

"Oh wow I didn't know. Moron, tell me this have I ever acted like a girl in front of you?" I asked. 

He put his head in his hand and tapped his chin and said "Well there was the time that you wore that skirt to your prom last month".

I stared at him with my eyeballs pipping out. What the heck, how did he know! I didn't even know him then, unless-. 

"Were you following me from before?" I asked with my head down, trying to hold back my anger.

He sighed and picked his drink up from the table in front of him, which he had placed down during his laugh attack. 

"When I found out that Russo wanted you, I made sure that I would get to you first. I had my men watching you for the past few months, they found out when you would leave the house, what time you would get back, etc. etc. The day you were getting back from your coaches truck I-" 

"Ya I know you stabbed me with something and I passed out" I said cutting him off. I could still remember him telling me that he would cause me pain. I shivered at the thought, it was one of my worst memories. 

"What! No, Hazel somebody had already gotten to you. By the time I got there a man was carrying you back to his truck. I stopped him and took you to my place, the one thing that I wasn't sure of was what might he have injected you with. Or if you were even Hazel Prior. My...work requires a lot of hard core thinking, and one mistake can cost a lot. I'm...sorry if I wasn't as humane with you from the start. I-I had a lot going on, and to be honest back then you were the least of my worries back then" he hesitantly said.