Azeira
Today I woke up feeling indifferent. While I was happy that it felt like me and Kairus had finally crossed the hurdle in front of us and he was letting me in, I hated learning exactly what he went through. It pained me to know that he grew up so unloved and in a household full of pain. Learning more about him gave me a clearer picture of the man so many feared. He wasn’t born like this; the monster was created. I wanted to envelop him in my arms and hug all the pain and suffering he went through away, but Kairus would hate that.
He embraced the blackness inside him, encouraging it to grow and fill him. After years of suffering he learned to make it a part of him and get off on hurting others.
Using the back of my hand, I wiped my forehead and looked around the dining room. It was now midday and I had finished dusting and cleaning the upstairs and was now working my way down here.
Lillian came peddling through the dining room on her way to the kitchen, pausing when I called out to her. She turned to face me with a blank face.
“I just wanted to know this house, was it the same one Kairus grew up in?”
Lillian peered into me with unsettled eyes. She always stared at me like she hated me, like I had wronged her. Since being here I’d never seen her smile and she barely spoke unless it was to Kairus or scold me. I knew little about the older woman, but Kairus seemed fond of and trusted her.
“It’s just… he told me about the library being his mother’s and the way he spoke was as if it’d been here.”
Lillian stood taller and cocked her head to the side. She ran her eyes over me and tucked her lips into her mouth.
“Yes. Mr. Navarro has lived in this house his whole life. When he turned eighteen he inherited it and had the house gutted and remodeled to what you see today, every room but the library.” She didn’t stick around after that, continuing her path to the kitchen.
I looked around the dining room. With all the pain within these walls, I wondered why Kairus would want to continue living here. I picked up a glass from the China cabinet I was currently dusting and studied it. Kairus had nice things, but the house was so impersonal. No pictures, no personality, nothing that showed this was his childhood home or any warmth. It made sense after learning about his past, but it still made my chest ache and my heart cry.
I picked up the polish and rag to wipe the glass in my hand and lifted it. The rays coming in from the window shined on it, causing it to sparkle. One side of my mouth lifted. It amazed me how just a few months ago, I loathed being reduced to a maid, but now I found peace in the time I had to myself to clean and tidy up the house.
It might not feel like a home right now, but with time I hoped to change that.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, wiping the remaining droplets of water off of me, I paused when I laid eyes on my bed. Squinting, I stepped closer, eyeing the yellow dress resting peacefully on it.
“What?” I wondered. Noticing a piece of paper, I picked it up and studied it.
Put this on and doll yourself up. You have an hour.
Furrowing my brows, I turned the paper to see if anything else was written on it but saw nothing. I studied Kairus’s clean and neat penmanship. Curiosity and excitement filled my stomach as I turned my attention back to the dress. The last time Kairus had me dress up he took me to a gala. I was curious if another one was in the plans for tonight.
“So you’re not gonna tell me where we’re going?” I asked Kairus for the hundredth time as we sat in the back of the truck while Rock drove us.
“If I didn’t tell you the other times, then it’s not gonna change this time,” he told me, staring down at me.
Crossing my arms, I poked my lips out, pouting while my heart danced wildly inside me. I wasn’t all that upset because Kairus was taking me out of the house. Even if he had given me a little bit of freedom to leave the house, it wasn’t much, not that I minded. Before being taken I didn’t leave the house much anyway. School, work, and visiting my parents was all I did and of course the occasional outings with Jatavia. My life was never truly exciting to begin with, so being stuck in his manor wasn’t all that different from my day to day life.
I looked down at my lap and uncrossed my arms, wiping my hands over the dress to smooth it out. While I might not have known where we were going, I was glad to dress up. The dress fit me perfectly. It was a golden yellow, hugging my breasts securely, tight as the waist, and slightly flared at the bottom. Since I didn’t have time to do my hair, it was in a cute, curly updo. Kairus had even gotten me diamond stud earrings and a matching necklace. Both looked expensive and glistened in the light. Kairus was dressed in an expensive-looking, navy blue suit, tailored to fit him perfectly, of course.
The truck finally stopped, gaining my attention. I looked out the window, trying to figure out where we were. While I couldn’t make out the location, I did notice other people getting out of their cars and the valet. Everyone was dressed nicely in evening gowns or dresses, the men all in suits or dress clothes.
When the door opened Kairus climbed out first and held his hand out for me. To say I was shocked was an understatement, but I grabbed it and slowly stepped out of the truck. I looked around and inhaled. Wherever we were was close to the water. The faint smell of the sea filled my nostrils.
Lights filled the walkway as we walked toward the large building. The double glass doors automatically opened when we approached them.
“Tickets, please?” the man at the counter requested when we got close. Kairus dug into the inside of his suit jacket. I watched curiously, wondering what he had up his sleeve.
He handed the man two tickets and he nodded. “Enjoy the show.” The man smiled at me, causing me to smile back and Kairus to growl. He mugged the man and pulled me closer into him.
“Stop.” I shook my head and tapped his arm.
Grunting, Kairus pulled me toward the second set of doors, this time pulling them open and letting me walk in first. My eyes quickly scanned the area, noting the tall high ceilings. A couple of glass chandeliers were overhead, and the room was decorated in a white and gold Aztec design.
“Wow,” I gushed, mesmerized by the beautiful decor.
Kairus grabbed my hand, sending sparks shooting up my arm. I looked down and a smile formed on my face. He led me to the bar where there was a small line.
It took a couple minutes but once it was our turn, I ordered a lemon drop and Kairus got some kind of liquor I’d never heard of. His hand went to the small of my back and he led us to the steps.
“Okay, are you gonna tell me where we are now?” I questioned again once we were upstairs. I noticed it was a private balcony.
“Take a look.” He nodded forward and took a seat.
Crinkling my brows I did as he said. My eyes widened and my lips parted.
“Is this…are we at the symphony?” I wondered, noting the set up below.
“We are.”
Spinning around, a smile graced my face. “You brought me to the symphony.”
“I had two tickets for tonight and instead of hiring a date I figured I’d bring you. It’s no big deal.” He brushed me off in a gruff tone. I could be mistaken but for a second Kairus looked uncomfortable. He adjusted his collar and brought the glass of brown liquid to his mouth.
My smile grew. The gesture might not have seemed like a big deal on the outside looking in, but I knew bringing me here was out of Kairus’s comfort zone. Not to mention I knew how he felt about music and knowing he wanted to share this with me caused my chest to become suffocated by my suddenly swelled heart. Butterflies exploded inside my stomach.
“Thank you,” I replied lowly, stepping back and taking a seat.
I’d never been to the symphony before. This kind of music wasn’t my thing, but I wasn’t gonna complain since Kairus decided to share this part of himself with me.
The show wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Kairus seemed to be at peace listening to the orchestra. While I didn’t know any of the songs playing, he seemed familiar with quite a few. Slowly sipping on my lemon drop, I crept my hand over to where Kairus’s lay on the armrest. I was happy it was just the two of us on the balcony. Although the place was full of people, just the two of us up here made the moment more intimate. Kairus didn’t flinch when I placed my hand on his. He seemed totally engulfed in the music, lost in his head. That was fine with me, I wanted him at peace and happy.
As I watched him out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed his face seemed softer. His eyes weren’t as cold and guarded. This was truly his happy place.
I didn’t know how much longer we had here or how many songs were left but I was in no rush to leave.
Finishing the rest of my lemon drop I set my empty glass on the small table near us. My nerves rattled as I leaned up and over so I was close to Kairus’s ear.
“Dance with me,” I suggested. His eyes finally left the musicians and landed on me. My pulse skittered, becoming trapped in my throat.
“Dance with me,” I repeated, ignoring the way my stomach flipped.
I didn’t want to interrupt him, but the song, the moment, it just felt right. Standing up I adjusted the dress and held my hand out. Kairus stared at it for a long minute, his dark orbs unsettled, scanning me in an unusual way, awakening every atom in my body. He pressed his lips together tightly as he reached for my hand.
The corners of my mouth tilted upward. Warmth bloomed in my chest. My blood thrummed faster when we stepped behind our seats and he pulled my body into his. I wasn’t expecting Kairus to be so light on his feet or take the lead, but once he grabbed one of my hands, lifting it and wrapping his other arm around my waist, I was impressed.
Currently, no one else mattered. It felt like just the two of us as we danced in our small section, lost in one another. Emotions I never felt before threatened to choke me as tears clouded my eyes. No one knew this side of Kairus. No one saw beneath the surface when it came to him. He was such a beautiful man. He moved to the beat of his own drum, never cared what anyone thought about him. Flicking my eyes up to him, I noticed he was watching me. My nerves faltered.
“Even in all the ugliness the world brings, you are a spot of beauty that makes it bearable.” His dark eyes peered into me with an intensity that made my skin melt. His words came out lowly, rough, yet sweet as honey. They caused passion to rush up my spine and my heart to race. Intensity blared from his dark orbs. A thrill of danger shot through me, knowing the kind of man Kairus was and not completely hating the thought anymore.
I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat. The music played in the background but all I could hear were the loud ticks of my heart. Leaning forward I placed my forehead on his chest as we moved to our own eight count.
If I could freeze frame any moment in my life, it would be this one, at this moment.