"W—uh, isn't this—," She stuttered, her eyes widening, her feet moving on their own will.

She took in the huge surrounding. The place was indeed huge as Casey had told her earlier in the day. They walked along the paved path leading out the car park where an outdoor stage stood across it with people on it, probably setting up.

There were cars parked around and already, a huge multitude of people moving about the direction her, Seb, Brock and Blake were headed. There was another gate at the end of the path where two buff bouncers stood with their arms crossed and huge scowls on their stoic faces. The gate appeared to be black with strikes of neon paint spluttered about on it.

There was a line to get in and as Ashley made her way to take her place behind the guy at the back of it, Seb gripped her forearm and pulled her towards him, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"This way," he said before letting her arm free and walked ahead of her, his hands retreating back to his pockets.

Brock followed then Blake; but not before he snuck a not—so—subtle sideways glance at her. He frowned before he looked back at Seb. It didn't go unnoticed by Ashley as she followed behind the three boys, trying her best to ignore the stares they were getting from the people in line.

It was then that Ashley took in their appearance. Some had paint on their faces, their hairs were dyed a neon colour, their clothes had neon patterns or paint splatters on them, and some girls had neon makeup on their faces.

It was however too early to see the effect of the neon, which only made Ashley eager to see how this event would look like at night.

They reached the bouncers who raised an eyebrow at them—Seb specifically, since he was in front—before recognition flickered in the one on the left's eyes and he stepped aside enough for them to walk in.

Ashley's eyebrows raised a bit as she walked past the bouncer and looked at the back of Seb's head, questions running in the back of her mind before she pushed them away and decided to enjoy the moment instead.

The place was even bigger on the inside with a long, straight tarmacked path that had a junction at the far end of it, with one leading to an outdoor concert arena that was still being set up: with neon paint splattered on the stage, a neon deck, neon instruments and a paint splattered microphone.

Ashley then turned her attention to the bar across it and noticed the sign above which was omitting a light neon buzz every three seconds. As she got closer however, she could make out the swirls and splatters of paint on the door and a fair bit on the walls too. She reckoned that they would probably be glowing at night. She looked up at the already darkening sky and nodded.

No moon, she thought, definitely going to be glowing.

Walking into the room, the first thing she did was swivel her head from one side of the room to the other, drinking up the foreign scene in front of her. The VIP lounge was glistering with a bright, but not too bright neon purple light, that shone on people's faces and soft music playing somewhere in the background.

The smell was oddly clean and the air was breezy, yet a bit warm. She had been expecting to experience the same thing as in high school parties; the smell of sweat, farts, booze and a stuffy, musty atmosphere. Other than the usual couples making out and others grinding and a few drunken people, the lounge was well above the typical high school parties she's been to.

There was a bar at the far left corner with a nice, purple glow to it with the counter and stools in front of it a bright white. So that's where the glow in the room was coming from, Ashley thought, seriously impressed by this one room. On the shelves, behind the drinks, different colours shone softly behind them, ranging from red, light blue, white and a very light green.

It was so beautiful, that Ashley was tempted to take a picture of it. There was neon everywhere; on the floor in what seemed like neon paint purposefully spattered on the tiles, on people's faces arms and even their clothes, on the couches and doors to. It was like walking inside a rainbow and finding yourself in this unknown new world of colours and vibrancy.

Ashley turned her gaze behind her at the trio responsible for bringing her here but stiffened. Seb was suddenly standing close enough for her nose to touch his chest. She frowned on feeling something wet, cold and sticky on her cheek. With questioning eyes, she looked up at him, seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes as he drew his hand back.

"What—?" She cut herself off when he raised his hand and showed her the light green paint dripping from it, explaining the paint both splattered on the floor, and what was now on her cheek at the same time.

"We're not that bad you know. We'd never hurt you. You know that at least, right?" Seb said as he lowered his hand and sent her another one of his gorgeous, rare smiles.

With Brock and Blake each sending her a small smile, the trio then walked past her, leaving her staring at the paint splattered door, contemplating Seb's words. Suddenly, she swooped around; realizing that they literally just left her alone in a sea full of neon paint splattered strangers. She gulped and looked around for a place where she could stay in hiding until she spots one of them again.

The door behind her opened and her heart literally jumped up her throat. Not wanting to turn around and stare at the person, she took a few steps to the side in a silent attempt to beckon them past. They hesitated before she felt their presence grow closer. Black shoes came to view beside her and they didn't seem to be in a hurry to move along. Wait, Ashley thought, this scent. If her heart had jumped to her throat before, then this time it flew right out of her mouth. Her body went rigid and blood rushed to her ears, wrists and head.

"Blondie." He said, his voice as deep and as alluring as ever.

She frowned, though still not looking up at him, "Huh?" She asked out loud, in obvious confusion.

As usual, he ignored her and brushed off her unasked question, "How are you here?" He somewhat asked, though he sounded like he expected an answer nevertheless.

"I'm not sure if you're talking to me or not." She paused and pointed to her jet black hair, "—clearly not blonde."

Eros let out a breath through his nose and said nothing. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around the lounge, his jaw clenched tight. It was only after a long, stretched silence between them that he spoke up and broke it,

"Would you like a drink, Ashley?" He suggested, barely looking at her.

She lifted her gaze to him then, and looked at his side profile. She found herself wondering what he was thinking for the billionth time since she's met him but his face revealed nothing of the sort as always. Sighing, she nodded and followed behind him, his tall frame feeling more like a wall shielding her from the people in front of them now more than ever.

Eros really is something else, she thought, obvious to the sudden stares the two of them were getting. Taking a seat, Eros watched the bartender get drinks ready, once again barely looking at Ashley while she took the seat an empty one down from his; keeping space between them. She watched him, seeing the familiar crease of his eyebrows, as he was lost in thought. Times like this she found herself wishing she had the power to read minds.

"What will you have?"

Ashley snapped her gaze to the bartender, her eyes widened. Oh crap, she thought, having never been to a bar. She looked at the selves, browsing the drinks on display in an attempt to make it look like she was thinking about which to have, before she mumble out a classic answer,

"Martini, sh—shaken, not stirred."

The bartender smirked, his dark brown hair falling on his face when he snickered in amusement, "Sure thing, double—oh seven." He said and got to it.

Ashley watched in fascination as he fluidly and expertly—the latter according to her—brought the drink to life. The sound of the ice cubes as they clashed together in the metal cups was about one of the sweetest sounds she's ever heard. He brought out a glass and poured the drink into it from the cups, replacing the ice cubes with new, fresh ones then slid it towards her. She stopped it with her hand, her eyes on the glass in awe,

"Th—thanks." She stuttered, bewildered.

"No worries, sweet cheeks." He said, finishing off with a wink then walked over to Eros.

I should go to bars more, Ashley thought, bringing the drinks to her lips.

"Sir?" The bartender asked, sounding weirdly uneasy.

Ashley looked over in their direction in time to see Eros snap his gaze away from the side of her head. She frowned.

"Gin and Tonic." Was his order, before he rested his arms on the counter, crossing them as he kept his gaze at the shelf in front of him.

Ashley sighed and her legs moved to occupy the seat next to him, a part of her thinking that it was what was bothering him. Even then, he didn't look at her, or even seem to notice. She frowned, now somewhat concerned, but then remembering what he does to people. Maybe that's it, she thought, maybe that's what is bothering him this much.

"Do you do it out of the thrill of it? Without a genuinely desperate reason?" She asked, looking ahead as she sipped her martini, the sour yet slightly satisfying drink burning down her throat.

It took him a moment to answer, his frown deepening. It was then that she knew. He was thinking about her question on a much, much deeper level.

"Whether I have a reason or not," he paused, and Ashley waited, "—it does not change what I am." He finished, grabbing his drink and bringing it to his lips.

Ashley could hear the rest of his words that were carefully hidden from prying ears.

A murderer.

"That doesn't answer my question, Eros." Ashley said, subconsciously twirling her drink in front of her.

Eros looked at her then, his grey eyes as intense and hard as always; if not a bit darker, "Do you believe I do?"

"No." She answered without hesitating.

He held his gaze on her face for a few beats, his features still hardened before he looked away and downed the rest of his drink in a gulp. With a breathy sigh, he got up and wordlessly walked away, leaving Ashley by herself. She frowned, wondering if she said something wrong, but then realized it was Eros she was talking about and looked back.

Her lips twitched when she saw him standing a few feet behind her, waiting for her with his back turned to her and his hands in his pockets; his dark clothes hugging his tall, built frame perfectly. Downing the rest of her drink as well, she stood up and suddenly met the bartender's green eyes. He smiled then looked over at Eros, an eyebrow arched.

"Lucky one, aren't ya." He said to her then went off to tend to a customer.

She frowned and turned back to Eros, approaching him. Once she was directly behind him, she fidgeted with her fingers and looked at her shoes, suddenly feeling unsure,

"I—didn't read that wrong, did I?" She asked, but instead of answering her, he turned halfway, grabbed her hand in his and led her through the crowded lounge towards the door; his grip pleasantly tight.

Ashley kept her gaze at their jointed hands, experiencing an odd sense of familiarity as she felt his warm, rough palm pressed tightly against hers and his fingers curled against the back of her hand. She looked up at him, her cheeks burning, only to immediately look away upon seeing his handsome, hardened and inexpressive face. Her heart fluttered and beat uncontrollably in her chest. It was then that she knew she was done for. There was no point in denying it now, killer or not, she liked him.

She liked him a whole lot.

🔱🔱🔱

Immediately they stepped outside, Ashley regretted wearing only a fitting white shirt, ripped blue skinny jeans and DC Martins. It was so damn cold all of a sudden, and the sky was already darkening. She subconsciously squeezed Eros' hand and shivered as the breeze picked up. Curious, she looked over at his exposed arm, beneath the tattoos and took note of the goose bumps risen on his skin.

Grimacing, she looked back at the road ahead of them, trying her best to seem unaffected by the cold. Suddenly, she felt something warm wrap around her shoulders and block out most of the breeze. She stiffened, thinking it was Eros' arm but then realizing it was too light to be that and lowered her gaze.

She frowned and gripped the black jacket around her shoulders; Eros' familiar cologne punching her nose with it's sexy, cool masculine scent. Questions suddenly swarmed in her mind at that moment. For one, when did Eros let go of her hand, and where did he get the jacket? She then realized that he actually had been wearing a jacket before and that because of how focused she was on the cold, she couldn't have noticed.

"What about you? You're cold too." She pointed out, her gaze once again lowering for his arms.

Eros said nothing, silently waiting for her to put it on, his gaze unwavering from her for the slightest beat. Ashley gulped and immediately looked away from his eyes. She hesitantly put her arms through the jacket and pulled the lapels closer to her chest.

"T—thanks." She mumbled, feeling incredibly shy once again.

Eros wordlessly reached for her hand again, and led her down the path set for pedestrians. Ashley smiled, amused.

"You're always so quiet." She said, her smile widening for a reason unknown even to her.

Eros' lips parted and his eyebrows creased,

"It bothers you." He concluded, his jaw clenched as he squeezed her hand lightly. So lightly, that she almost missed it.

She shook her head, her smile still in place, "Not one bit. It's who you are and it's fascinating. I wish I could be that quiet, but I'm always blabbing, asking questions and being nosy. It can be a bother to people."

Eros looked at her then, his eyes piercing the side of her head,

"It usually is," He paused, and waited for her to look up at him with an offended expression on her face, "—you are also very expressive—," he continued,

"—but I like it." He finished and kept his gaze on her, watching her brown eyes dart sideways as she tried to read him and tell what he was thinking.

So oblivious, he thought and, without holding himself back this time, reached for the side of her face and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek for a few more beats before he pulled away.

Ashley's face burned where he had touched her and she found herself fighting not to touch her cheek and end up looking like a love struck puppy. Instead, she kept the conversation going,

"Where are we going anyway?" She asked, her eyes scanning the path, watching as other neon paint covered couples walked in the same and or opposite direction as them; chatting among themselves, arm in arm, hand in hand, and others even with one on their backs.

This place must be idea for dates too then, Ashley concluded, growing even more attached to the event than before.

"To the pool." Was Eros' answer.

"Sorry?" She asked, think she heard him wrong. Was he taking her to play pool? She wondered, having never played it before.

"You guys looking for the pool too?" An unfamiliar voice said from behind them.

Ashley stopped—causing Eros to hesitantly do the same—and turned behind them. A couple stood grinning from ear to ear, their hands held together just like Eros and Ashley's.

"Looking for it?" She asked, utterly confused as she looked at Eros who had his eyes cast downwards, his jet black hair covering his eyes and his mouth set in a tight line. GB

"Yeah, the neon paint pool. It's a rare gem to find; one of the many reasons that makes this place worthwhile." The guy on the left with jet black hair said, tilting his head to the side and watching Ashley curiously,

"Name's Chase, and this is my boyfriend, Kenny."

Kenny sent her a smile before he spoke up, "Did you know that only like, two couples have found it since the place opened up? Wonder if there's a reward." The guy on the right with blonde hair and a cap said, sounding excited.

Ashley looked at Eros who refused to turn or push the hair off his face for some reason then looked back at the couple,

"Well, I don't think that's where we're going. We're playing pool, not looking for a neon pool."

"Ah. Sorry for bothering you then. See you around." Chase said, sneaking a glance at a quiet Eros.

"Hey. He looks familiar." Kenny said with his eyes on Eros and cocked his head to the side, "—isn't he A—."

"Come." Eros gritted out and walked on with Ashley, cutting Kenny off.

She frowned and looked at him, "Something wrong?" She asked, now more aware of their surroundings.

Come to think of it, he's been getting a lot of stares ever since he took off his jacket. At first she ruled it out as his tattoos being the cause of it, but the recognition in their eyes made her think twice about it.

He nodded and tightened his grip on her hand before they cut away from the path and into the trees; into darkness and away from the streetlights.

Ashley could hear the footsteps behind them, knowing that they were being followed by a group of couples and it seemed to tick him off greatly, because his grip tightened and his frown was deeper that it usually is when he's lost in thought or when he's simply relaxed.

Suddenly, he pushed her flat against a tree and caged her body with his, dipping his head close enough for her to feel his warm minty breath on her face.

"What—?" She begun, but he cut off her off almost immediately.

"Quiet."

It was now completely dark, without the moon's light illuminating their paths. The footsteps got closer and suddenly stopped,

"Jeez, now I get why the event was held today. Because of the new moon. Aside from the neon paint glow, it's probably so people don't follow others and to make finding the pool even harder." An unfamiliar voice said, pausing before continuing, "—are you sure that was him?"

"Positive. I would recognize those tattoos anywhere. It was the event owner. I wonder if he was taking his girlfriend to there." That was Kenny's voice, "Damn. She's lucky."

"Ugh, babe, let's just go ahead and look for it on our own." Another unfamiliar female voice said.

"Alright, but if we go any further in, we could get lost here." The unfamiliar male voice from before said.

"And to think we were this close." Chase said, sounding disappointed.

Grumbling amongst themselves, the two couples then walked further and further from where Eros and Ashley were. Even so, Eros didn't pull away from her until he was absolutely sure they were gone. He stepped back, taking his body heat with him and gripping Ashley's hand for the third time that day, leading her further into the trees. Ashley mindlessly followed his lead, processing the profound information about Eros before she voiced it,

"You own the Zilch." She said, bewildered, "—this is your event. The most sort after, sold out, highest ranked event, with the best of the best celebrity performances and the biggest name in the event world, is owned by you, my college roommate. How am I supposed to react to this?" She wondered, babbling out what was going on in her head.

Eros clenched his jaw; though she couldn't see it, "You should not." was his answer, even though they both knew her question was rhetorical, and as was her next one.

"Just who are you, Eros?"

"Whoever you imagine me to be."

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