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Chapter 2: Realizations

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"The course of true love never did run smooth."

-William Shakespeare

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•AUGUSTUS•

A shooting pain runs through Augustus' scalp as the early morning light peeks through the curtains of his bedroom. His eyes open excruciatingly, the mistake of having a little too much to drink attacking him viciously in the form of a hangover.

Though he had quite a bit, it came as  quite a surprise to Augustus that he had the memories of the previous night engraved in some part of his brain.

Augustus remembered the sneaky way his brother had tricked him into coming to a party, and how one shot of vodka turned into something entirely different. But most of all, he remembered the brunette girl.

Eva.

The fact that she wanted to bed him was nothing new to Augustus, almost every other girl he met had the exact same intentions. What surprised him was the fact that he hadn't obliged. So what had changed last night?

But, even if he wanted to, Augustus couldn't deny that she gave him one of the best nights of his life.

The thrill and excitement she gave him as euphoria was something Augustus would never forget. Whether it was the way she kissed him like there was no tomorrow, or the way she kissed him with such passion and love.

He would never forget it.

Augustus' hand automatically reaches over to the other side of the bed, in a frail attempt to touch his sleeping partner as his eyes stir open, only to find nothing there.

His eyes immediately snap open and he sits up abruptly, looking over to the other side to confirm his findings.

She was gone.

His body gets deprived of the heat once given to it by the duvet as he rips it away from himself and stands up.

Usually, Augustus wouldn't care about the women he slept with in a drunken state, not that there were many, just four or five. In fact, he himself would tell them to get lost the next morning. It's not like he was playing then or anything, they knew exactly what they signed up for, it's not his fault they suddenly decide that he's the one after a night with him. He can't help it if women fall to his feet, After all, they all only wanted his money and his body, but this woman- She was different.

If she had wanted his money she would've stayed. But she didn't.

She left.

She wasn't like other women. She didn't rip his clothes off or kiss him hungrily and needily. She did everything gently. When she kissed him, Augustus felt something he had never felt before, and despite his drunken state he knew that this girl was something special.

And despite the fact that all he knew of her was her name and where she worked, Augustus couldn't deny that he felt something for her. Be it lust, attraction, like, or even love. Whatever it was it was indeed strong.

It was definitely something.

A small ounce of hope left in him, Augustus hurriedly strides over to the bathroom of his bedroom, only to find the door wide open and the place empty- inevitability confirming his doubts and crushing the last bit of hope he had managed to gather withing.

She had really left.

She had really really left.

She was really gone.

Augustus couldn't help but consider the many options he had.

Did last night mean nothing to her?

Had she played him like a you?

Surely her actions said otherwise.

Did she not feel for him the same feeling he felt for her?

Was he just another one night stand to her?

So many questions, but not one answer. Nobody to answer them.

Augustus wanted answers, he wanted them so bad, it actually scared him. That in one night, this woman managed to have him losing his senses, just one night was all it took for her to drive Augustus crazy. He was going insane just thinking about the fact that she may have played him. Just yesterday, Augustus was just being Augustus, work, work and even more work. But not now, now he was falling hard for a woman who he had sex with after he met her at a bar. How is that even possible?

How on earth is it possible to fall for somebody you hardly know?

Just, how?

Augustus didn't know, all he knew was that he felt something for this woman and he needed to know if or if not she felt the same.

He had to get answers.

He needed them.

For his sake.

For the sake of his sanity.

Suddenly, Augustus feels a wave of determination ripple through him.

No. He wouldn't give up so easy.

He didn't care if his mystery girl didn't want him or if she didn't care for him. He didnt care what she felt. He didn't care if she didn't feel anything for him.

He did. And he needed to find her. Because though there's a huge possibility that she was nothing to him but another way to gain pleasure, there was also a possibility that maybe, just maybe she felt something for him too. And he wouldn't be able to digest the fact that he had the chance to do something and he didn't.  He would regret it for as long as he would.

And Augustus didn't do regrets.

Wasting none of his precious time, Augustus hurriedly begins to throw on his clothes from the night before, which were scattered all over, preparing to head off to the one place he knew she'd be.

The same place he met her.

Not even moments later, Augustus is dressed and ready to head out - as eager as he is. He then grabs his phone from the night stand and heads out of his room, carefully shutting the door behind him. He quickly paces his way to the bottom of the extravagant staircase of his parent's mansion, only to be stopped by a familiar voice as he approaches the grand door.

"Augustus."

He sighs. Not this. Not now.

"Why hello, mother."

"Oh, my baby," The beautiful, small woman gushed as she rushes over to pull her son into a tight embrace, "I've missed you so much."

Augustus knew how this worked, his parents would be the inconsiderate and uncaring people that they were, never being there for him and his siblings, and they'd turn up every once in a while to act like they actually gave a fuck. They'd done it so many times now, that Augustus had gotten used to the routine. It worked on his other siblings, but he wasn't falling for their bullshit.

Augustus scoffs internally as he processes her words. "Really mother, you missed me?" He pauses for a moment as he pulls out of the tight grasp of his mother, "because it was so lovely of you to turn up to my party yesterday and wish me."

Last night was just another example of his parents uncaring nature. Augustus had hoped that they'd atleast turn up to his birthday, but they didn't. It hadn't surprised him at all though.

She begins to speak; an apologetic expression on  her features, but Augustus cuts her off.

"Oh no, wait. You didn't." He remarks rudely.

"Augustus, I-

"Because for you, your stupid job matters more to you than your son's, a-

"Just list-

-and all you even care about is keeping up your reputation-

"Augustus, please just li-

-as the richest and most elite family in the state!" Augustus pants heavily as he struggles to catch his breath. He loved reminding his parent's how bad that were at being parents, for some sick twisted reason, the guilt on their faces made him happy.

"Augustus, I'm sorry we can't come to events such as last night's, but everthing we have done, we did all that for you, sweetie. So you could live a la-

"No you didn't! You did all of that for yourselves and the truth is that you dont fucking care at all."

Augustus was fed up of his parents constantly making up excuses for their lack of care. They never cared about him and they never would. All through his childhood he had been with his nanny, Marian, she and Dominic were the only people in the house who truly cared for him.

His parents just wanted fame and a name. They would never understand the way he felt when he had to watch his classmates parents at high school congratulate them at graduation, when he just sat in the corner while his mother was in Paris dressing some woman up in ostrich feathers and a bin bag, and his father was in Miami sitting in a room full of important business-y people. He never wanted a lavish life, he just wanted parents for fucks sake.

Augustus never lied in his life, but that day, he was forced to. That was the only day he had been untruthful. He was forced to tell people that his parents were planning him a graduation party when in reality that just didn't have time for him.

They didn't fucking care.

So it was no surprise to him when they didn't turn up to his party the night before.

"So you know what, mother," he spits out, his eyes blazing with rage and fury, "just accept the truth. You don't have a clue how I felt when Dominic had to come to my parent-teacher conference in elementary school, because you guys were too busy vacationing in Hawai with some of your new fashion clients. And you can say all you want, that you did it for me and blah blah blah, but we all know the truth is that you just never cared." He finishes, his vision cloudy as tears begin to form.

"Sweetheart, I-

"And you never will." And with those final words, Augustus turns on his heel and heads out of the front door of his lavish mansion, and steps into his sleek black BMW I8. He ignites the engine and begins to drive his car out of the house, to the place he thought he knew Eva would be at, putting his argument with his mother aside.

Stepping out of his freakishly expensive car, Augustus begins to walk over to the front entrance of his destination. As he reaches the front, Augustus pushes open the door to the very familiar building infront of him. As he steps inside, the fresh smell of liquor and sweaty bodies attacks his nostrils.

Seriously? Who even drinks in the day?

He scrunches up his nose in disgust, the strong scent of drunk people overwhelming him. 'Why did I even drink this stuff last night?' He thinks to himself. It certainly doesn't smell as nice as it tastes.

'Actually, no, it doesn't taste nice either,' Augustus reprimand himself.

It's just intoxicating.

Lost deep in his thoughts, he doesn't notice when a fairly small woman approaches him and begins to speak.

"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" She questions politely, shifting from side to side on her feet.

Ok, this is it, it's finally time for him to get answers.

Taking a deep breath, Augustus nervously asks the one question that's been nagging at him for hours.

"Erm, Yes, actually. I'm looking for a girl, she actually works here."

"I'm sorry, Sir. We're not allowed to give away employee information, if you want anything else, just ask that giy over there," the girl points at a guy with spiked brown hair over at the bar, cleaning up tables. She then smiles coyly at Augustus, and begins to turn away, only stopping at the sound of his voice.

"No wait, she's- well- erm- she's my- girlfriend," a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead as the girl eyes him suspiciously.

Augustus never was a smooth liar, that was more Dominic's forte. The guy practically lied his way through high school, how else would he have actually managed to graduate?

"Really, now? And what exactly is your girlfriend called?"

"Ava. Erm, Ava Larcoss." That was true.

Apparently.

The girl smirks confidently, as if taunting Augustus.

"Now I definitely know you're lying." She states matter-of-factly.

He furrows his eyebrows up in perplexion, his expression resembling that of a man who'd witnessed a deer with wings.

"Excuse me?" He questions.

"There's nobody by that name who works here. Nice try though. Now if you'll excuse me," once again, she spins on her heel to walk away, but Augustus wants answers, anf he refuses to stop.

"Wait," he calls her out.

The girl- now aggitated- stops in her tracks and turns to look at Augustus in annoyance. "What?" She says exasperatedly, as if to wonder why this beautiful- may I add- man won't leave her alone.

"Are you sure? Be-

"With all due respect, Sir, this place has only been opened for like five days. I know each and every one of the staff here, and there's nobody here by the name Ava," she concludes.

Augustus Sighs, "bu-

"So unless you want to dirty dance with those hungry females over there, the exit's right behind you. Have yourself a good day," and with that, the extremely firey woman turns around and gets back to work.

Geez, who lit the fuse to her tampon?

Augustus stands there, his expression a mixture of shocked and confused. If Ava didn't work here, then why did she say she did? Had she- had she lied to him? She had to have, there's no other possible explanation.

But if she had, then why?

Augustus' brain continues to fill up with questions that he so desperately wanted answers to and couldn't get, but he wouldn't give up. He would find this girl and he would get his answers.

He deserved them.

He didn't bame her for not working there though, I mean, the staff are horrid. If that's how all of the customers get treated at this place then his brother would have to find somewhere else to hold his next party- somewhere that will still be open by then.

Accepting the harsh reality, Augustus begins to solemnly stroll out of the building, only to sudden and have his mood lightened when hit with an excellent idea.

There's one more place that he could go to in order to find Ava. It's a long shot, but it's possible.

Without any further ado, Augustus hurriedly heads out of the club and towards his car.

He had a weird feeling about this.

A/N

Oh my gosh, guys! I'm so so sorry for the huge lack of updates lately, there was just so much happening! Ramazan came to an and, I had my high school prom (which- fyi- was BOMB) and just yesterday it was Eid, so between everything I hardly had any time. But I'm back now and hopefully there will be many more updates! I hope you liked this chapter, I'm just shaping up the plot, and if any of you read my other book, dangerous love, that will also be updated real soon!

As always, thank you for your support, lovelies! ❤

Ari.