I turned in the direction he was pointing and spied the bottle. I moved over to it, popped the pills into my mouth, then chased it down with the water. I did have to admit it helped the parched state of my throat. I quickly finished the rest of the bottle, then threw it away and headed upstairs.
As soon as I got to the top of the staircase, a haunting voice sounded from her room. Any hopes I had of showering and leaving without being noticed died upon learning that she was still awake.
I had no idea what time of night it was, only that it was pitch black outside the window. I should’ve just reversed course and left for anywhere but here, but as I drew closer to her room, it almost sounded like...
No, she couldn’t be...
Could she?
She was singing about diamonds, summer nights, and city lights. Her voice was so hypnotic, and like a moth to her flame, I moved closer, knowing it would burn. Her door was slightly ajar, so I slipped inside then stayed out of the way as she stood in front of the mirror brushing her hair in long, rhythmic strokes.
Aurora continued on from memory, singing about channeling angels, rock and roll, and electric souls. She had no idea I was standing just outside her bathroom door, at least until a low growl escaped the moment her voice dropped an entire octave for what I had assumed was the bridge. Her voice now sounded even smokier as she mentioned bringing a man to Heaven.
Little do you know, but you make me believe there’s actually one, Bellezza.
She gasped upon hearing me, and she stopped singing mid-word. “What are you doing acting like a fucking creeper?”
I let out a low chuckle. “I mistook you for an angel with that voice, but it’s good to know you still have that same venomous tongue.”
She glared. “What do you want, Zarren?”
You... It seemed simple, but I knew it was impossible.
When she stared up at me expectantly, I cleared my throat. “I wanted to thank you for taking care of me earlier tonight.”
“You live a violent life, which I care nothing about,” she said. “And you don’t have to stay away from here on my account. This is your home after all, and I’m just a prisoner.”
“You’re more than that...” I began until she shrugged. “The song. What was it?”
“You really want to know what I was singing?” Her incredulous tone matched her face.
“Well?” I asked as I moved closer to her, now caging her between me and the counter. “What was it?”
“Lana Del Rey,” she finally said.
“A favorite song of yours?”
Aurora went to push at my chest, but when her eyes dropped down, she quickly pulled them back. “None of this matters.”
“It matters to me.”
“Why? It was just a fucking song. Be glad I don’t have my Spotify playlist, or else you would’ve been subjected to the top one hundred pop songs during my time here.”
“Is it a favorite song of yours?” I asked her once more. This time I stroked the side of her face, savoring her softness. Knowing this could be the last time I feel her beneath my palm made my soul ache as she had so eloquently sung minutes ago.
“It doesn’t mat?—”
“It matters to me. Just answer the damn question.”
“I was supposed to go to her concert tonight with Brae. We’ve had tickets for months now. Unless you plan to let me leave to see it, I’d rather forget about it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, apologizing for the very first time, and actually meaning it.
“If you were, you’d let me go. You’re going to do it soon enough anyway. There’s no time like the present to start.”
Leaning in, I pressed my forehead to hers. Her warm breath tickled my chin, and I wanted nothing more than to lift her up onto this counter and lose myself in her. But, she was right. There was no need to get in any deeper than either of us already had. It would only make letting her go even harder than it already was going to be.
I glanced into the mirror at her back, which was visible due to the backless nightgown she’d packed when thinking she was going on a romantic rendezvous with another man. Something akin to jealousy stirred inside of me, and needing to keep my control in check, I let out a sharp exhale.
