BLAIRE's POV

Rome was so packed with conspiracy, but its history is quite interesting.

I thought to myself as I stole another glance at the time. It was already too late, two hours past curfew. Although curfew didn't matter there in Madison's but he shouldn't be out that late. Days were running away from one by one, this year was troubled. A hell lot of things changed. 

“I miss you, Lily.” I murmured in a soft whisper looking out of the huge windows in my room and then made my way to the washroom.

I stepped out to see a person slouched on the couch, with a shadowy face and his head hung down.

“Christian,” I alluded, pacing towards him.

He didn't reply back. I kneeled down infront of him and asked,“What's wrong Woody?”

“Hey, what happened to your hand?” I interrogated as I noticed blood oozing out from one of them.

He straightened up, glancing into my eyes. Instantly, I felt wounded as I visualised his blood-stricken face. Several cuts and bruises covered his face, blood flowing down his nostrils and lips, added with a black eye.

“Come here,” I pursued as I helped him stand up and lead him to the bed.

“Lay down quietly now,” I ordered in a light scolding manner as if he was a kid of five.

I searched through the drawers for antiseptic liquids and ointments and then ran to the bathroom for warm water. I sat beside him to do the first-aid while he clutched the hem of my night pyjama asking me to come closer. I smiled dryly as I sat with his head on my lap. Pleasure filled his features at that moment. I dipped the cotton ball into the mixture and started cleaning the wounds slowly.

“Ah....” He cried out of pain but that was as low as a breeze.

I leaned down and blew air from my mouth to provide a soothing sensation to his burning wounds.

“Any more wounds?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah....near the shoulder,” he fumbled.

“Would you like to check it out of your own?” I hesitated.

“Why? Why wouldn't you check that out too?” He demanded, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“Because...ugh...because for that I need to remove your shirt,”

"So...?" He coaxed, wiggling his eyebrows.

No matter what, he could never be out of his cockiness.

A minute of silence  was maintained. 

“Oh come on missy as if you haven't seen me shirtless before,” He teased.

“Keep quiet and stop your lame comments,” I scolded him and he made a beautiful pout.

“So may I? I mean I wont remove it...I will just unbutton it so that the wound is visible and I would wash it out,” I explained.

“Aah, I'm dead,” he said putting his hands over his heart as if my words pained him, “If you justify yourself for opening my shirt then I'm sure I'll be dead in less than a minute babe,” he pouted his lips.

“Shut up, stop being a drama queen,” I rolled my eyes.

I slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his well-built chest which is neither tanned or pale but a beautiful skin tone which seems like that of caramel. I felt his eyes adoring my face. He looked so damn horrible yet handsome with his black eye. I wanted the old Christian back. Finally, a bruise peeped out just above his shoulder. I washed it out carefully and then soothed it down.

“What happened?” I demanded after finishing the first aid.

After a pause, the answer came in a low voice,  “I fought...”

“Why? With whom?” I charged him with several questions at a time.

“With my brother. We...we quarrelled over an early discussed matter but this time it crossed the limits,” he dictated, stumbling.

I heard him while aiding him with the ointment and then ran my fingers through his golden- brown hairs. 

“Alright, listen” he breathed out a huff.

“Tell me Woody, I'm always here to listen,” I reassured him.

“Blaire, you won't believe but  he was an amazing man with such enormous potential to do great with almost anything. He was always the better one between us, more handsome, more intelligent and the smarter one but he went haywire. He went off smuggling weeds and drugs and eventually he drowned in the toxic lavish world,” Christian sighed a little frustrated at the suffocating situation with a distant look on his face.

“You remember Bill?”

“Hmmm....” I hummed.

“He was the right hand behind all these. He was the one who led my brother into the dreadful trap of drugs and now a wanted face by the force. He had also indulged me into that and for a year I was into it. Today I had a ruthless fight and I won't see him from now...'cause I have learned the difference between right and wrong. I just wanna live a peaceful life away from all these vicious things and venomous people," he paused. I listened to him in rapt attention.

I kept rummaging through his hairs.

“We lived in Los Angeles, Downtown, south grand avenue,” he said.

“The night when I first met you at the store, I went to meet Christopher there to declare that I'm out of his business stuff and I want to lead an intoxicated life.....but....” He trailed off.

“Wait wait, what? Los Angeles? Downtown?” I was quite shocked at that portion.

“Yeah” he answered casually.

“I live there too,” I alluded in amusement.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he rolled his eyes, “calm down missy,” he said coolly.

“Oh,” I barely said.

It was actually still shocking for me.

“My father is a basically a diamond merchant but we also have other different industries, so he always lives far away from home, ” his eyes tired.

“In childhood only we shifted here at our uncle's place, which is barely a sector away from your father's house here,” He yawned.

“You (yawn) know ---- blaaaaaair-----,” I noticed, he fell asleep.

“I'll hear you later on,” I smiled at him.

He slept veiling his face in my lap, tightly hugging a fistful of my pj in his grip. I didn't want to disturb his beauty sleep so I maintained my position and leaned back into the pillows and the headboard.

I woke up to see his innocent sleeping face with his gaped mouth. I pulled out a pillow and replaced my lap with it. I shifted in a hurry but could barely stand. I rushed to the washroom stumbling on the way. My legs buzzed from that position the whole night. 

I washed the wounds again with lukewarm water and he made a furrow between his brows in sleep. I can understand that it hurts a lot but I have to wash it. I bandaged his hand and put band-aids on the cut and ointments on the bruises.

“Get well soon and back into your looks. This can't be your look,Handsome hunk,” I murmured gazing at him.

“You called me handsome? ” He said slowly, opening one eye.

“No, never. You and handsome? That seems improbable,” I laughed out horribly denying the fact.

“You look like Winnie. You know Winnie? Winnie the pooh,” I teased and laughed out at my own lame joke because we both knew the truth that he was really so very handsome. He narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly a calm look and a warm smile took over his features and he asked quietly,“ Will you please lay down?”

I did and he put his arms around me pulling me into a warm embrace, lifted one of his legs over my body and dug his face in the crook of my neck. I felt a shiver play through my spine, my heartbeat quickened. His embrace was so tight that I could barely breathe. After some minutes or so, his grip loosened.

I could feel his lips moving to the side of my ears,“thank you,” he said, his lips lightly brushed against my earlobe, sending chills through my spine again. My skin had goosebumps whenever his moist lips come into contact with it.

Wait....!! Why am I doing this?

Why am I letting this happen?

I can't allow someone so damn close to me.

But I couldn't resist Christian, that's the ultimate truth.

But why?

Then he suddenly hit my lips with passion and fierceness. His taste flooded my mouth, with his scent and touch, I was totally in bliss away from the outer world. Adrenaline pumped in my veins and dopamine went on bubbling as he kissed me harder. But I was also cautious not to hurt him, he had a wound on his lips.

I pulled back, gazing dreamily at him and then shook my head.

“What?” He asked, a bit confused.

“Don't kiss me.” I countered.