Part Two: Present

LUCIAN

My shoes scraped against the pavement as I walked aimlessly wearing a pair of sunglasses and a cap for a disguise.

I didn't want unnecessary attention plus if someone recognised me, I would have to run away again before they can inform someone of my location. I was here in Seattle for the past six months and it was peaceful here.

My face is plastered all over Australia and everyone is searching for me, I am a fucking fugitive but I just couldn't let them arrest me.

Someone slammed into me and I lowered my cap to hide my face as a soft, feminine voice reached my ear, "I am sorry."

My eyes were fixed on the ground and I moved forward, ignoring her but the similarity in that voice made my skin prickle with curiousity as I turned around and watched her enter a cafe.

I frowned and took off my glasses to watch carefully as Maria Andrews slid into a seat next to the window and started to chat animatedly to another woman, a lawyer to be specific, Drea Zaveri.

What the fuck is she doing here? Isn't she supposed to be in Australia? Why is she here?

My jaw ticked as I watched her, questions arising in my mind. If she is here does that mean Calix's here too? No. He wouldn't be. Facing him is the last thing I want to do.

Seeing her amidst all the chaos was like seeing an angel in hell, seeing someone familiar and someone I should definitely stay away from.

I forced myself to move away from there but I couldn't, I kept watching her like a creep, watched her lips curve up in a smile that didn't reach her eyes, those hazel green eyes lacked the usual sparkle in them, something was off about her.

And I refused to believe that I was the reason for that, it's been four years for fuck sake, she must have moved on already.

Maybe she is not well but then that thought made me uneasy and I wanted to find out what exactly was wrong with her. Maybe something went wrong at work.

It's none of my damn business. I reminded myself and finally forced myself to move away from there.

Yet my mind forced me to relive the memories of her eighteenth birthday.

"So, are you coming today or not?" Calix asked me over the call.

"For what?"

"Seriously? It's Maria's birthday!"

"Oh..." I appeared to sound bored by that but of course I remembered her birthday. "I am supposed to be present there?"

"Of course! Why won't you be? Dad was asking about you too, he hasn't seen you in weeks. Don't you think you should go meet them?"

Even at the age of twenty six and being a millionaire, I owed them for everything, for giving me another chance at life. So, I couldn't ignore any of their requests.

I sighed. "What should I gift her?"

"I don't know...she asked me for some books and I ordered them for her..."

She had a huge ass library at home and she kept adding new books to them. "Hmm, okay...I'll ask her myself."

"Okay! See you there!" And he hung up the call.

It's not that I didn't want to go there, I was just avoiding her for I noticed the change in her a few years back, the way she started to gaze at me. It was anything but lustful, there was admiration in her eyes for me, respect and everything else that I didn't deserve. She gazed at me as if I was an angel but I was just a devil in the form of an angel and she didn't know that.

Having no other option, I went to her party which was at their house only and thankfully not a very huge celebration or my social anxiety would have started to be a bitch.

I stayed in the corner, away from everyone and watched as she cut the cake which Austin, her brother, baked for her and as she fed it to her parents and friends.

She said something to her father and nodding, he started to search for someone or...me as his eyes met mine and he gestured me to come to them.

I never disobeyed him so, I slowly made my way to them and Maria gazed up at me with those eyes twinkling making my heart clench. She shouldn't be looking at me like that, definitely not me.

And she held the piece of cake upto my mouth and I took a small bite out of it and whispered softly, "Happy Birthday, Maria."

She grinned causing her dimples to appear on her cheeks. "Thank you, Lucian!"

I nodded and stepped away from there and was grateful when Calix grabbed me and started to narrate how Althea is a pain in his ass yet how much he is obsessed with her.

Later, when the celebration neared its end, I seeked out Maria so I could ask her what she wanted and I found her in the garden alone watching the flowers and stepping outside, I shut the door behind me.

She turned to me, standing straight and I noticed how she gulped as she stepped closer to me. "H-hey..."

"What do you want for your gift?" I asked her.

"You didn't bring me any gifts?" She raised her brow.

I shrugged. "Didn't know what to buy."

"Oh...so...I can ask for anything?"

My eyes searched hers and I nodded.

"Okay...so...I don't want anything from you actually...I just want you to give me ten minutes of your time..." She requested.

It was an odd request and I frowned at her. "That's it?"

"Yes...I just want to tell you something and I want to you to listen to it..."

"Okay..."

She exhaled shakily and fiddled with her fingers anxiously, a flush settling over her cheeks under my scrutinizing gaze. "Um...Lucian...I hope you don't get angry after this but I wanted to tell you this and I just can't keep it within me anymore..."

My heart picked up its pace, please don't tell me it is what I think it is. I gestured her to go on.

She took a deep breath and spoke, "I like you, Lucian. I almost love you."

For a second my heart stopped beating but when it did, it beat so fast that I felt something might happen to me, her words kept echoing in my mind. 'I almost love you.'

"W-why aren't you saying... anything...?" She looked like she was on the verge of crying.

Women doesn't love me and they shouldn't, I am not made for romantic love. I was lucky enough to find a family but this romance wasn't my thing.

"Okay." I finally managed to speak.

"Okay? What do you mean okay?"

The way my heart was thrashing against my chest was something foreign, something scary. "You wanted me to listen and I listened to you."

"Is this how you react when someone confesses to you?!" She whispered yelled. "You are supposed to say something!"

I took a step forward making her head tilt upward to look at me. "What do you want me to say? Do you expect me to reciprocate your feelings? Let me tell you, they are fucking stupid. I am the last person you should have feelings for. Learn to control them."

It was harsh but I had to say it, it even hurt me to say those words.

Her jaw clenched and she fixed me with a glare. "You are an asshole."

"Yes, I am. So, lose those feelings." And I turned around and walked away from there.

She likes me...she said she almost loved me. I wasn't supposed to ponder upon her words yet I couldn't stop those fucking butterflies in my stomach. What the hell is wrong with me?

I distracted myself by listening to Austin's nuisance and it was quite late when someone asked where Maria was.

"I'll find her." I offered and I went back to the garden and found her in tears there leaning against the wall.

"Maria..." I called her softly and seeing me she didn't bother hiding her tears as if she wanted me to realise that I was the reason behind them.

"You are a jerk, Lucian!" She yelled at me and sighing I stood infront of her, trapping her between me and the wall.

"You can't force me to reciprocate your feelings..."

"I didn't ask you to reciprocate them. You could have just respected them atleast."

"And give you a false hope? No."

She glared at me through her tears and those fucking tears burnt my heart. I gently wiped them away with my thumb and whispered softly, "I am not worth your tears, love."

"You don't get to decide that! And do you think it's easy to lose feelings? It's easy to decide whom I fall for? You can't control your feelings!"

"You'll find someone much better."

She scoffed. "Please, I don't want that cliché line."

"It's true...I don't deserve you. You deserve someone who would appreciate you."

Her gaze softened. "Let me be the one to decide that. I want you, Lucian. I... really do...just give me a chance. Go on one date with me, please?"

I don't date. Never. I shook my head. "No. I am saving you from an eventual heartbreak."

And then I did something my heart was telling me to, I tried comforting her as I leaned in and brushed my lips over her forehead. "Happy Birthday, Maria."

And then I left.

.
.
.

According to what my PI told me, she was working at a firm here after completing her studies.

It's been an years since I have been on a run and so much has already happened in one year. Calix now has kids, I got to know through social media and I really wanted to congratulate him but couldn't.

And now Maria is here in Seattle working and it was already messing up with my mind.

I shouldn't have, it was creepy but I started to follow her everyday from her way back from work to back to her apartment.

She never saw me but I watched her everyday, I don't know why, I just didn't want to leave her alone. It was fucking creepy and I was acting like a stalker but I didn't care. I just wanted her to be safe.

It continued for a week untill one evening I watched some random man following behind her, running his eyes all over her body and my blood boiled.

At least I wasn't eyeing her like that. I already started to plan that man's demise.

I quickened my pace and the moment he was about to touch her, I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back, punching his jaw causing him to fall down on the ground.

Hearing the noise, she turned around and her terrified eyes met mine. "Lucian?!"

Chapter completion on: 2/10/22
Published on: 17/10/22