Novel Squares
Chapter 32: Memories of the past
Aira’s POV
The air is tense and silent.
Everything just felt awkward.
The only sound is the clanging of cutlery against our plates. It’s dinner time, and we are all seated together around the table in an uncomfortable silence. Only once have I lifted my gaze since we started, and may it be the last time.
As usual, I caught Ana staring at me from across the table. Jace was too focused on Alexander, and Alexander looked like he just wanted to shred both of them to pieces. One wrong move, and this civilized dinner could turn into a war zone.
I am starting to wonder if this really was a good idea.
Surprisingly, Ana clears her throat and plasters a wide, fake smile on her face. “So tell us, how did the two of you meet?” she asks.
Alexander and I share a glance, and he speaks first. “My men found her in the woods while she was getting attacked. And just a few days earlier, our oracle told us that the queen of my kingdom would be in great danger in that very same area.”
My heart skips a beat when Alexander takes my hand on the table and intertwines our fingers. He looks at me so lovingly that I almost start to think that this is real.
“And ever since we recovered her, she has been my queen. Ruling by my side,” he finishes.
Oh, how I wish that were true.
I almost want to laugh at the expression on Jace and Ana’s faces; they look like they are about to explode from rage. I know for a fact that it is killing them, and now they realize it was because of them that Alexander and I found each other. If they hadn’t left me out there in the woods with those men, the oracle’s prophecy would never have come true.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Ana clears her throat and manages to recover her smile. “That’s rather beautiful,” she says before meeting my eyes. “I am happy for you.”
We both know you are not.
All this pretense was really starting to get on my nerves. I need some fresh air.
“Excuse me,” I say, attempting to leave the table.
“Are you alright, darling?” Alexander asks, and I nod.
“Of course, I just need some fresh air,” I tell him, but he still looks at me with uncertainty. I almost would have thought he was worried about me. He nods once, and I take my leave.
I walk out of the mansion and into the serene garden. I have never actually spent time out here; I never actually realized just how beautiful this place was. The trees are tall, and the leaves are beautiful. The flowers give the whole place life and come in shades of different colors.
The cold night air blows my hair softly, filling me with so much comfort that I could not even begin to describe it. The moon is hoisted right above me, shedding a cool light upon the earth and giving everything a luminous glow.
I bask in the rays of the moon, feeling something within me come to life.
“You seem rather troubled.”
I can’t have one moment of peace now, can I?
Spinning on my heel, I come face to face with Jace. He is standing barely an inch away from me with his hands in his pockets and a sly smile on his lips. His proximity frightens me and causes me to stumble back.
“Jeez, you scared me,” I say, placing my hand over my chest to calm my racing heart. He chuckles a bit at me.
“I am sorry; you were always just so easy to sneak up on,” he says, tilting his head to the side. “Anything the matter?” he asks.
“You know I have never been a fan of gatherings,” I tell him, and he nods in agreement.
“Oh, trust me, I know. But I think you have gotten a lot better; you seemed to be holding yourself up pretty well at that party,” he starts, and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying what it is I really wanted to say.
You mean the very same party you and Ana mocked me at?
He continues, “You know, I remember the ball where we first met. You were so shy and couldn’t even ask the waiter for a glass of champagne.” He laughs, and I find myself laughing as well at the memory.
“Yes, I remember, and you asked me if I was thirsty because my lips were looking so chapped.” I reminisce, and he nods in agreement.
“Yeah, even though a waiter just passed with a whole tray full of drinks,” he chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. “If you were choking and someone had a bottle of water with them, I was so sure you would rather die than ask them to lend you some.”
I throw my head back, and I am surprised that the laughter that left my lips was actually genuine. I could not believe the person I was all those years ago was such a pushover.
“Yeah, I was the worst,” I said, placing a hand on my head as I tried to calm myself down.
Jace takes another step toward me, automatically closing the distance between us. “No, you were the best. You would rather suffer than inconvenience anyone else,” he says, capturing my chin between his fingers and forcing my gaze upwards.
My breath catches when his lips hover above mine; he is just one inch away from kissing me.
My heart is pounding faster than it ever has before, and I don’t know what this feeling I get when he looks at me with such intensity is.
Suddenly the hair on my skin stands, and I have this odd, tingly sensation around my body. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to put as much distance between Jace and me as possible.
“That was the woman I fell in love with, the woman with the purest heart,” Jace rasps against my lips.
He dives in for the kiss, but I take a step back just in time.
But that is the very same woman he inflicted the worst pain on. The woman he sought to kill.
“It’s getting late; we should probably go to bed,” I say, and his jaw visibly clenches.
“But-”
“Have a good night, Jace,” I say, then spin on my heel to leave. I make my way back into the mansion, and I am surprised to find that the table has already been cleared. And everywhere was deathly silent.
I make my way up to my room, but unfortunately for me, I do not get there.
I do not get the chance to scream as a large hand wraps around my throat and pulls me into a dark room. My back is slammed against the wall, and my breath freezes in my chest when my eyes lock with a pair of fiery amber eyes.
Alexander.