Chasing Pavements

twelve

twelve
-
𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊

I couldn't sleep.

After Strom's exhausting tour of the castle-like structure, I had gone over every single detail of my new room. I'd seen it all, from the grand closet filled with various clothing to the intricately sculpted angels.

It had been exactly 28,800 seconds, 480 minutes, and several sheep later since I laid on the bed, fresh out of the shower. I was still unable to sleep. The crickets chirped in the moonlight, and deep in the forest, the soft howls of the wolves erupted in unison. The cool breeze blew through the french windows, swaying the curtains. Despite the cold, my back and forehead were covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I'd been painfully aware of the blanket I'd wrapped around myself, the fabric suffocating me as the tortuous ticking of the clock.

"Perhaps that's why the great king never failed to notice you,"

Stavros knew me?

According to Strom, that one strange girl from HerCon who always stuttered when spoken to; always drew strange looks from everyone; and always shied away in her own little world. I could never keep up with the trends that circulated among our batch's cliques; I wore the same clothes, never having those trendy dresses that my classmates possessed. Heck, I never had a phone growing up; instead, I answered the golden telephone in our living room or had one of the maids pass a message to me. No one befriended me, and my mother did not consider it necessary; thus, I lived a life of tranquil, social-media-free darkness. Despite the fact that it was cold, the heat that was spreading through my body rose to my cheeks Despite the fact that I was in the safety of my safe space, I hid my face in the palm of my hands.

It's no surprise he spoke to me with such ease! He knew who I was, and I was oblivious and awkward about his advances! eímai tóso amichanía! I'm such an embarrassment!

I couldn't help but cringe as I reflected on all of the times I'd interacted with him. Vernamina, you're such a cretin!

A telephone rang through the room as I was cursing myself and hitting my head with my fists. I jerked awake from my reverie. In the dark, I looked for the phone, and the bright red light caught my attention. I moved forward to accept the phone call. My heart palpitates as my overthinking intensifies.

"Hello?" My heart skipped a beat as I acknowledged the ragged sound of his voice. His deep voice reverberated through the line in an unfamiliar, yet familiar, manner. It intimidated me. "Hello? Elixir. Eísai ekeí?" Are you there?

My eyes closed as I reveled in the sound of his voice; "Emprós..." my voice was breathless, as if I had run a marathon, and strained in my ears. "D-did you need something?"

"Mmm." I heard the light clash of ice and glass; perhaps he was drinking liquor.

My mind flashed to an image of him: leaning against his office chair, thighs spread and shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, cradling a glass of brown liquor. My face became so hot that I bet I could crack an egg and cook it.

"I assumed you were still awake," his deep chuckle sounded like a melody in my ear. "Seems like I was right, yeah?"

"What made you call?" I ask him again because he ignored it the first time.

He hummed, "I just wanted to hear your voice." His teasing tone evident as he spoke. "Am I being chastised for doing so, goddess divine?"