“Good evening,” I reply, and pretend to check my appearance in the mirror.
“Are you from one of the other settlements?” she asks curiously. In her eyes I see the lively spark that is missing from all the other inhabitants of The Parallel.
It’s just a small white lie, and it slips out easily. “Yes.”
She pulls out a tube of lip gloss. “Which one?”
“Where’s your bracelet?” I blurt out suddenly.
She stops and turns towards me. If I had said something that was intrusive and tactless to a total stranger on the surface, they would have turned around and told me to damn well mind my own business, but she doesn’t.
“It didn’t suit this dress so I left it at home,” she explains politely.
The door of the cubicle opens and her friend comes out. She takes one look at me and steps back in fear. Her eyes dart to her friend, then back at me. “Look,” she says. “We want no trouble. I’ve just had a baby and April has sick parents she has to take care of.”
“It’s all right, Daphne, she’s from one of the other settlements,” the redhead says, frowning at her.
“No, she isn’t. I saw her come in with one of them.”
The redhead’s eyes widen and her face becomes pale.
I place my forefinger on my lips to indicate they should remain silent, and walk up to April. I lean close to her ear and whisper, “Always wear your leather bracelet. Tell everyone that. It is how they choose who is next to be taken away.”
She nods dumbly, her green eyes shocked.
I smile at her, then I go out of the restroom. In the bar, I see Rocco standing by the bar where I left him. His eyes meet mine. “Let’s go,” I mouth at him.
He stands and comes over to me, and we leave the Parallel immediately.
Chapter 63
Autumn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YrsH5hT4yM
-You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me-
The night flies in a daze of desire and pleasure, and before I know it dawn is already in the sky. This will be my last full day with Rocco. Tomorrow evening, after the sun goes down, I will be leaving. I look into Rocco’s marvelous eyes and I want to cry with sadness. I don’t know how I will be able to walk away. During the night, I’d dreamed I said yes to him. He grew fangs and bit into my neck and then all his family gathered around and bit me too. It was horrible, and I woke with a start.
“What’s the matter?” he whispered in the dark. It never failed to surprise me how quickly he awakened at the slightest movement or sound.
“Just a dream,” I whispered back, and kissed him.
He wrapped his arms around me and I lost myself in the taste of him. Soon this will be no more, a voice said in my head. Greedily, I sucked on his lower lip.
Now I stare into his eyes in the faint light of the dawning day. “It’s my last full day with you.”
Something flashes in his eyes, but so fast I do not catch it. “What do you want to do?” he asks.
My painting is nearly finished. The last few strokes I intend to execute tomorrow morning. “Well, if Raoul can go collect some stuff from my caravan for me, I want to stay in bed all day with you, go downstairs for a lovely dinner, then fall back into bed with a bottle of champagne.”
“That can easily be arranged, Princess,” he says with a heartbreaking smile.
So that is what we do. I send Raoul to collect my stuff and also put a note in through Zelena’s door. She is a kind soul who helped in a time I was in a terrible state and I didn’t want to abandon her without saying goodbye.
Then I get back into bed. For lunch we have a large perfectly cooked Spanish omelet. Rocco opens a vintage bottle of champagne. The alcohol fizzles in my veins as I lie back on the bed, my legs splayed open, and Rocco splashes freezing bubbly wine between my legs and eats me out.
I giggle until I giggle no more.
That evening I decide to wear my green dress to dinner. I wash and dry my hair so it falls in waves down one side of my neck, and apply some lipstick and mascara, then I get into the beautiful dress carefully.
I cry a little when I see myself in the mirror. I don’t know where she is, or if she can see me, but I whisper, “I’ll always love you.”
Outside the wind howls like a wolf. I walk towards the window and see my own reflection in the glass. I still remember my first night here, and the waif who had warned me to leave before it’s too late.
“Well, I’m leaving,” I whisper.