Chapter 21 #2
I feel like I’m in The Matrix, but I’m no Morpheus. I can’t navigate a thing about this crazy world I’m now in. I’m stuck with no answers or solutions, and I don’t know what to do next. A pigeon lands on the railing of the balcony and stares at me with beady eyes.
“Want to fly me away from here?” I whisper, only half joking. The pigeon watches me as if it can understand what I’m saying. There’s sorrow in its brown eyes.
“You okay?” I ask softly. “If I could speak pigeon and listen to you and your problems, I would.” I look around at the plants on the balcony and think how it’s quite nice out here. Obviously, no money had been spared to make this apartment amazing.
I turn my attention to the skyline. “New York City,” I say, throwing my hands up. “Here I am and I don’t even want to be here.” I look back over at the pigeon. “Where’s the unicorn that’s going to save me? Or the handsome prince?”
Once I realize what I’ve just said, I die a little bit inside. I laugh bitterly at my own words. Look how that turned out with Sebastian. I thought he was meant to be my prince. Only, he wasn’t a prince, but he a nasty toad instead.
“Willow,” Sebastian barks as he storms through the door. “What are you doing?”
“Talking of toads,” I snarl, voice filled with venom.
He blinks in confusion, but I just glare at him, refusing to elaborate. It’s almost poetic justice when my new pigeon friend flies past Sebastian’s shoulder, dropping a pile of shit on his way out. I grin in satisfaction. Someone in the universe is looking out for me.
“Fucking A,” Sebastian says, frowning as he realizes what’s just happened. Then, he abruptly grabs my wrist and pulls me inside.
“Let go of me!” I say, yanking my arm free.
“Sorry, I was—”
“You were what?”
“I was just trying to save you from getting shit on by the pigeon.”
“That pigeon would never shit on me. It only shits on shitty people like you.” He presses his lips together and narrows his eyes. “What were you doing on the balcony?”
I stare at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw you looking from side to side.”
“Oh, yeah. I was going to escape down the balcony. Sebastian, you know I can fly. I have wings. When I blink twice, I turn into a bird.”
His lips twitch slightly. “I just want to make sure you’re not going to do anything stupid.”
“What?” I gape at him for a couple of seconds. “Do you think I seriously would’ve jumped from the balcony? Are you crazy?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. You’ve been acting odd.”
Odd?
Is he for real right now?
“I’ve been acting odd because you’re a fucking asshole! I’ve been acting odd because I married a man I thought I loved—who I thought loved me—and then he told me it was all about revenge for his brother, whom I don’t even know.”
“You know him,” he sneers, “but by a different name.”
More ridiculous accusations from this man.
“Whatever. I don’t even know him. Sure, I met him once.
We spoke on the phone and online for a couple of months.
He’s delusional. Much like you, jackass.
” I can feel myself getting heated. I’m hot and annoyed, but I can’t help but skim my eyes over Sebastian’s muscular chest and then up to his full lips and back down to his strong, capable hands.
Fuck. Why am I still attracted to this loser? I seriously need therapy.
“So, are we going to kiss and make up, or—” He takes a step forward, and I just laugh.
“Are you crazy? Do you really think I want anything to do with you? Do you really think I would ever kiss you again?”
“You seemed to like the way I kissed you before.”
“Before I found out you were a psychopath.”
“I’m not a psychopath.”
“Yeah, you are. You know what, Sebastian? I thought life with my Aunt Mildred and cousin sucked, but at least they were more honest about who they were. At least they never tried to pretend they cared for me or that they wanted to give me a good life.”
“What?” he says.
“I am Cinderella, but I wish that I’d never met my evil prince, because there’s nothing nice about you.” He stiffens at my words and I can see that he doesn’t like what I’ve said. I smile internally. I’m glad that I’m able to pierce his cold heart, even a little bit.
“I see. Do you have anything else to say?”
“Yeah. You’re more like fucking Hannibal Lecter.”
“Hannibal Lecter?” He raises an eyebrow. “You mean from The Silence of the Lambs?”
“You’re just as horrible as him.”
He tilts his head to the side and smiles. His eyes look me up and down.
I can’t believe that he thinks it’s funny.
“Are you saying you want me to eat you?” he asks, licking his lips. “I mean, take off your pants and I’ll do just that.” A brief memory of his tongue between my legs heats me up. The way he’d licked and sucked me before had me blushing. He’d acted like he was ravenous.
“I’m saying you deserve to be locked up, you pig. And let me tell you this—if you were in jail, I’d be the first one to grab the key and throw it into the ocean so that you could never escape.”
“Tell me how you really feel, Willow,” he says, chuckling slightly. “Are you mad because I found out who you really are? Or are you mad because…” He pauses and gives his head a shake. “You know what? I don’t even care.”
But he does care. If not for me, my supposed transgressions.
“I don’t understand, Sebastian. What do you want from me? What is the point of all of this?”
“That’s not for you to understand, but you will, when I see fit,” he says in a cryptic tone. “Now, are you hungry? I’m going to get something to eat.”
“I’d rather die of starvation than eat anything from your kitchen,” I spit out.
“Okay.” He shrugs and walks toward the door. Then, he stops and looks back at me, a wolfish grin on his lips. “If you want to eat me, I won’t mind.”
I glower at him as I make my way into the bathroom and slam the door shut. I will not even deign to give him another response.