The Addiction

The Addiction - Chapter 5 Prt 3

Elize

Elize looks at him as if the man in front of him is insane. Completely and utterly insane. 

"You really think for a moment I would-"

"Look, hear me out. I'm not trying to say for you to give it up completely, no that's not what I want at all." Peliz explains. He motions for another bottle to be set at the table before continuing the conversation. 

"I'm saying let me be the face of the company, just while you're gone. I can enforce all decisions you make. I'll be your ears and eyes. You don't have to worry, all you need to do is deal with the Chloe Renegal situation." 

Elize shoulders slump as he realizes the weight of the predicament he's in. He has been thinking about the baby numerous times each day, and the pressure his grandmother is putting on him to make it right. She only really gave Elize one option that she's been pushing lately, to marry Chloe. Elize flinches at the thought. He hate the idea of getting married especially since he's found a liking towards Amanda. 

"The thing is, I don't know how to deal with it. Grandmama wants me to marry her so the public can see that and not delve too much negative attention to me." Elize points out, gulping down another shot of alcohol. Peliz grimaces as he mirrors his younger half-brother's actions. 

"Marriage? Yikes. I swear, the only thing that goes through that old woman's head is marriage. You should've seen her face when I told her I was getting married to Trinity. She almost did a flip on her patio." Peliz chuckles, reminiscing that event as Elize stares apprehensively at him.  

"Is that the only way... marriage? Even if I were sign away the company to you, I don't know if I could get engaged with her." He sighs more or less to himself. Peliz lowers his eyes for a moment, being deep in thought before setting down his drink on the lustrous black foot-table in front of them and placing his hand on his younger half-brother's shoulder. 

"First of all, do you know for a fact the baby's yours? You've went to the doctor, and he gave the okay? Not to disrespect Chloe Renegal, but you never know." 

"We haven't done that yet. We were afraid that if we demanded it she would get offended and go off on social media, like she usually does. A huge part of me is hoping it isn't mine though."

"Well." Peliz for the third time readjusts his couplets, averting his eyes to ceiling as if he's in thought. 

"That's a pickle of a sort. We need to get that dna test, just to make sure it's yours so we can have a concrete plan to move forward."

"Yeah, but how?" Elize says lethargically, as the buzz from the music pounds viscously against his head. He pins the bridge of his nose with his fingers, the alcohol starting to get to him. Peliz grabs the cup out of his hand and sets it gently next to his. 

"Maybe that's enough for one night."

"What? But I hardly even have a buzz." 

"Believe me. Drinking too much under pressure is not the best thing thing to do. Now, about getting that DNA test... I'll deal with that. You don't need to worry." Elize narrows his eyes, a baffled look projecting on his face. 

"You? You're going to talk to her?"

"Yeah, why not?" Peliz shrugs nonchalantly,

"I have a way with pregnant ladies. A fact that my wife can verify. Its better than doing nothing." 

"But... Okay, fine. But if anything goes wrong it's on you." Elize warns as Peliz chuckles. The once vibrant aura of the club starts to diminish into a dreary slow kindling. Couples and soon to be hookups descend to the main floor, grinding against each other as the music began to flow slower to match the atmosphere. Elize's eyes brush over the scene until they land on fierce amber ones. The beautiful woman with with the red romper stays in the corner of the floor where its darkest, slowly and suggestively moves her body to the music, inviting Elize with her eyes. 

He smiles to himself for a moment as Peliz looks her way, smirking himself. 

"She's a beautiful woman." Peliz approves.

"Yeah, she is." 

"She looks a lot like Mom right?" Elize eyes meet his with confusion.

"No, no, nothing weird. I mean, I read somewhere that males are more attracted to individuals who have the same attributes as their mother, as women vice versa." 

"... I've never heard of that. Mom was beautiful. They do have the same eyes." Elize sneaks one more look at the mysterious woman, his previous thoughts now colored blue. The family never really talked about their mother as much. Elize has indistinct memory of the woman who caressed his cheek at night, the woman who hugged him before death had took her, erasing herself from their lives forever. 

"I know this isn't the right time, but... I miss her too." 

"It isn't." Elize mumbles heatedly before rubbing his hand over his face, clear that the night had drained him of most of his energy.

"I think we should start heading out soon." 

"Oh yes! You have a lot to think about. Let's go now actually. I'll call the chauffeur."

"What about them?" Elize nods his head towards the men and women who were slowly falling out their chairs from intoxication, clinging onto each other while they laughed at god knows what. Peliz chuckles.

"Don't worry about them. I'll come get them later. Hopefully in one piece." They both stand up, putting a large tip on the dark sleek foot-table before walking out through the entrance, the cool night air brushing against Elize's flushed face. Peliz calls the chauffeur as they wait by the curb, watching on goers and glossy cars pass by them. Elize doesn't say anything for a moment, but the cool atmosphere is opened by his older half-brother's voice. 

"I've been thinking. What do you think we'd be doing if we didn't have all this, like a destiny. If we didn't have all the responsibilities pushed on us by our previous generations."

"I don't... know. What makes you ask that?" 

"Just... things have been hard, you know? So much unnecessary rivalry. I mean, I just want to know how things would've been if we didn't have all that. You'd probably would've gotten along more with my father if the business wasn't involved." 

"Ha, Ferden? Yeah right, he'd probably still stick a knife in me if he could. We wouldn't ever get along, in any circumstance." Peliz frowns and looks away, realigning  his couplets once more before staring up at the starless night sky. 

"Maybe. But, there might be a chance mother would still be here." Elize creases his brows, not knowing what his brother ment. 

"I don't think us not having a business would stop her from having cancer. She still would've been gone, just a lot faster." 

Peliz severs his eyes from the sky and smiles, shaking his head.

"Oh yeah! Yeah, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry, the chauffeur should've been here now."

"It's okay Peliz, I miss her too. But we need to think of the future and do the best for the people that's around us now." 

Elize grabs his shoulder emphatically as Peliz flys a reassuring smile his way. 

"You're right."

Next Chapter will be uploaded August 2, stay tuned. Remember to Vote!