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Chapter 15 - -Addictive Embrace-

I don't even remember pressing his name, but as the line rang, my thumb lingered on the screen, and my breathing became erratic. "Hy! Where are you?" Before he could even say hello, I asked in a panted voice, trying to stay calm. A pause, a slight exhale. Then he spoke, rough and low. "On the other side of the road, by the park.

I only needed that. Before my mind could think twice, my legs moved, my boots clicking on the pavement as though each step was an irreversible choice. And there he stood, his dark coat drooping, cigarette unlit between his fingers, in the shadows not far from the glass building of the company across the road. His features became more defined by the city lights. 

His eyes had a hollow feeling. Something that quickened my pace, causing my hair to lash wildly around me until I reached him, and my trench coat to slip off my shoulder, breathless.

Sylus pov~

I didn't anticipate her. Hell, I wasn't expecting anyone. That's why I stood there in my own imagination, watching the glow of my company tower as if it were taunting me. A man who has everything but nothing. Then I heard the sharp, quick clicking of heels. I lifted my head, and for a second, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. But no. She was the only one. Ella.

Running. For me.

Her skirt brushed against her knees, her coat slipped down one shoulder, and her hair, which looked like it had been extracted from a painting, was blowing in the wind. And her face was flushed, staring at me.

God, I was statue in place. I just stood there like a fool, my hand in one pocket, another holding a cigarette, afraid that she might vanish if I reached for her too soon. However, one thought echoed through me when she eventually came to a stop in front of me, gasping for air and her eyes wide with something I couldn't place a name on. I will be ruined by this woman. Beautifully.Exquisitely

She bent forward slightly, catching her breath, cheeks flushed from the run, hair light, messed up. "Hyy… sorry I'm late. Why do you work so damn far?" she panted, brushing her hair back with her fingers running through them that only made me hold my breath.

"Only if I had my own car, I wouldn't have to run this far. Sorry for being late."

Late? I almost laughed at her words. She could've come hours later & I would still feel like she was right on time. I tilted my head, watching her, admiring how effortless she could be. The way her lips pressed together in frustration, the faint flush across her cheeks, the light tint on her cheeks and lips, the way her long, wavy hair escalated forward every time the wind tugged at it, Holy God. She didn't even realize.

She looked like an angry little kitten under the winter sky, every flicker of city light catching in her eyes, every breath making her chest rise and fall in a way that messed with my head. And she was apologizing. To Me?

I wanted to tell her she didn't need to; she never had to run this far for anyone, least of all people like me. But the words stayed stuck in my throat, because the truth was, I liked it. Liked that she came, liked that she cared enough to rush here, to look at me like I mattered. "You're not late," I finally muttered, softer and clearer. "You came. That's enough." I wanted to hug her. God, she looked so adorable.

She straightened up, fingers running through her hair back again, her eyes narrowing just slightly at my words. Her lips curved, not into a smile but something like a grin. "You sound so-," she murmured, "Serious?" her tone soft but teasing as if she was trying to coax me into lightness.

Serious? If only she knew. If only she could hear the way my pulse hammered against my chest just by catching a glimpse of her, only if she could hear my thoughts every time her gaze met mine, or the way my mind short-circuited the second she spoke.

"I'm not serious," I lied, my eyes still locked on hers. "I just… meant it." She blinked at me, caught for a moment, as if she wasn't sure what to say. Her teeth tugged at her lower lip, and for a heartbeat, I almost reached forward, almost brushed my thumb across her mouth just to stop her from doing that. Fuck, how badly was she going to skin me alive and my thoughts? With a deep inhale to calm my racing mind and heart.

I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets and looked away toward the city skyline, trying to steady myself. "You really ran all this way just to find me?" I asked, my voice lower now, betraying the edge of something I couldn't cage. She tilted her head, eyes holding over me, lips parting as if she wanted to dodge the question. But then, softer than the wind itself, she said, "I was… worried about you. Worried that I would make you wait-"

Worried. About me. I felt it, sharp and unfamiliar, engraving straight through the cold air, slicing against us and into my chest. No one ever worried about me. They feared me. Respected me. Used me. But her? She worried. For a moment, I felt myself holding my breath. My eyes hooked over her, those cheeks still pink from the run, lips trembling from the chill carried in the wind, something inside me twisted hard.

God, Ella. She didn't even understand what she was doing. How dangerous that kind of honesty was in my world. I swallowed, forcing my voice steady, but it still came out rough, clearly showing I was hiding away. "You shouldn't waste your worry on me," I muttered, though my gaze never left hers. "I'm not worth it."

But inside? Every selfish part of me, every essence, was begging, begging to please keep worrying, to keep running to me like this; this strange warmth was pulling me deeper. Please worry like I am worth to you, Ella.

She stepped forward with a small frown, looking at my dazed expression. She was closer than anyone I had let without my permission. "What happened? You look sad. I'm here, you know-" she started, her voice steady yet laced with concern. I pull her wrist forward with a tug and bury into the crook of her neck before she can finish.

Her words halted on her lips, her lip brushed my skin, warm and small as she tried to look at me. The world narrows to the steady thud of her heart under my cheek. Her pulse point, slightly tensed body form, unexpected, all Vanilla and roses, anchored my thoughts, held me together.

Her heartbeat is loud enough to drown my thoughts. Ella. [The name slides out of me like a prayer I didn't know I'd been whispering, still being an atheist, before I knew I was worshiping like she was the only god I knew existed. It tastes like confession and command all at once.]

"Sorry," I breathe against her skin, the lie already shaping itself on my tongue. "Just a rough day…boss scolded me. It hurts...My head hurts." It's an easy, convincing thing to say a lie. I know it's small. I know it's false. Cause who could scold me? I was the boss everyone feared. Yet for her, I was just some mere assistant. But when her arms tighten and her fingers thread through the back of my coat into my hair, the lie becomes a currency I'm willing to spend over and over a thousand times. If it meant being held by her like this? Oh my fucking god. I can't hide my smirk and my thoughts.

She continues, "It's alright, everyone learns from mistakes, ok? You are a human too, it's alright," then her fingers curled in my hair, caressing it.

Human? Ella, how would you react when you come to know this very human is a monster? Will you also run away? But this feeling was making me high, getting to know what it means to feel cared for is Addictive. Especially when you were left behind and punished for slight mistakes. This feeling was making me crave You. She felt so right in my arms, like she belonged there, molding perfectly. Fuck her slim waist...oh my.

I pulled away with a small smile, thanking her, trying to calm my racing thoughts and heart.As we walked towards the restaurant.

Ella pov~

Soft music swirled in the air as soon as we entered the small restaurant, which glowed like a lantern against the night's chill, warm light spilling through its windows. I kept thinking about the walk here, but it felt safe and comfortable. How Sylus had pulled me to the inside of the sidewalk when a car came too close, gently but firmly. It evoked a strong emotion in me, but it wasn't dramatic or even necessary. The old "sidewalk rule," which you hear about but never expect anyone to care enough to follow, came back to me. But he did.

I was trying to keep a straight face, but I guess I didn't pull it off. When I looked up at him, I saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips, the kind he probably thought I wouldn't catch. He was even humming softly to himself, low and chill, like he had some secret song that only he was in on. My chest felt a bit tight, and my heart was thumping against my ribs as I slid into the booth across from him.

Sylus pov~

She leaned in, elbows on the table, her lashes down as she checked out the menu like it was the most significant deal ever. The warm golden light hit her face, highlighting the shine on her lips, that subtle shade underneath, soft, inviting, a bit wicked.

She absentmindedly traced the corner of her mouth with her fingertip as she read.My eyes followed her back and forth, tracing movement on her lips.

God. Did she have any idea what she was doing? I leaned back in my seat, trying to hide how tense my jaw was, my fingers wrapping around the glass in front of me. The wine burned down my throat, but it just didn't do the trick. Nothing ever will be.

Because the longer I watched her, the more insane it made me, the mere thought of leaning over, pressing my mouth against hers, ruining that careful gloss until all that was left was me. Until the faint red wasn't just a shade on her lips, but a memory etched into both of us.

And yet, I stayed still. Just a smirk, the only shield I had. A silent mask to cover the storm clawing inside me. If she looked up now… if she caught my eyes… she'd see it. The hunger. The madness. The way I'd tear the world apart just to taste what she was unknowingly offering with every little absent touch. So I drank again. Pretending the wine was enough. Pretending sanity could be kept in a glass.

"Does food work for you too?" she finally asked, her voice soft, eyes flicking up from the menu to me. Just like that, the spell broke, though my pulse was still thundering in my ears. I managed a nod, forcing my smirk to stay easy, casual as if I hadn't been fighting the urge to drag her across the table and ruin her lips a second ago.

She smiled, the tiniest curve, and looked back to the waiter. "Then… two plates, please." I leaned forward slightly, resting my hand against the table, and before the waiter could turn away, I added, "No onions in mine." That earned me another look from her. It was small but sharp. It felt like she was storing it away, as if even the tiniest details about me mattered.

She gave a slight nod. There was no teasing or questions, just acknowledgment. Somehow, that brief moment of understanding felt more intimate than anything else tonight. I gripped the stem of my glass tighter. Damn it. She had no idea how even that quiet gesture could undo me.

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How did dinner end up like this, with her in my arms, crying and pleading, while I was just a breath away from ruining us both? 

There she was, holding onto me like I was the last thread keeping her from falling apart. Her delicate body shook with sobs. Her flushed cheeks pressed against my chest, clinging to the undone collar of my shirt. All I could do was hold her tighter, as if I could keep her steady through the storm. "Why me… God, why me?" 

Her voice broke against me, fragile and cracked, hitting me hard in the ribs. When her tear-filled eyes looked up at mine, red and drowning, I felt time stop. When her body started to lose consciousness without thinking, I picked her up and settled her in my lap, anchoring her sob in her own bedroom.

How did it turn out like this?

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