36

Tiv

Wednesday 3rd October, 825

It was late however the room wasn't spinning yet so I was not done. Tala had dragged Kale reluctantly to the dance floor once again. I had never known a woman who wanted to dance so much in all my life. The bass-heavy thump of the music reverberated through the dimly lit nightclub, setting a lively rhythm that pulsed through the crowded space. Strobes of colourful lights flickered overhead, casting sporadic bursts of energy onto the eclectic mix of patrons. The air, thick with the scent of sweat and the underlying notes of various perfumes, buzzed with the excitement of the night. This was usual now. I would never have envisioned myself so social a year ago.

"Dance with me," Amelia beamed.

"Absolutely not. I don't dance," I smirked.

"Neither does Kale," she argued.

"Sorry, darling. You have no chance."

She huffed in what I was quickly learning was usual for Amelia. As stunning as she was, I was beginning to enjoy her company less and less. The initial allure of her fiery and flirtatious personality had faded, revealing an entitled brat that left me somewhat indifferent. She exuded calculated perfect in public, yet the moment we were behind closed doors it was as if day had turned to night. I had explained this to the best of my ability to my Father to which I was told I was wrong in my opinions and encouraged to invite her to live in my apartment instead. I decided I would no longer express anything to the man; my wants were not important to him.

"Come on! One dance won't kill you," she moaned.

"I said no."

Without another word, Amelia stood and grabbed a random man in the crowd, grinding against him like he was a pole. His face lit up at the attention of the beautiful woman and he immediately began rubbing his hands all over her. I rolled my eyes and ignored the notion that if Alayna had acted that way, I would have sat with the feeling of a red-hot poker in my stomach for the evening. As I observed Amelia's antics on the dance floor, a sense of detachment settled over me. It wasn't just her unapologetic display that left me unfazed; it was the growing realisation that our relationship was entirely superficial. She seemed nothing but a spoiled infant not getting her way. Alayna had also shown an immature side yet it lacked the same brattiness Amelia exuded. My mind drifted to Alayna throwing herself in the snow as I offered her my coat and my chest constricted; I still missed her so much.

I chastised myself for being so moronically pathetic. I'd known the girl a month and basically all of my presumptions of her had been dead wrong. The notion pulled down the corners of my mouth.

"Another drink?" Xander suggested.

"Of course," I muttered.

I knew I shouldn't. It was election night. Father had been expecting Marco and I to be by his side for the results. He was polling well considering he was a Vakosian. Yet Marco stood at the opposite side of the bar, laughing with Freesia and I sat, drinking myself into my usual stupor. I idly wondered if Father realised both of his sons hated him. Or if he even cared. Xander returned with a bottle of whiskey and poured. The bottle's label read 'Jamesons'. My insides clenched. Xander picked the bottle up and examined it before placing it back down, turning it so I couldn't see the label. I looked at him apprehensively, not believing for a moment it was an accident. Marco had most definitely spoken to him.

"What?" he asked. "I wanted to know how strong it is."

He grinned as I scoffed and refilled the glass I'd already finished.

Most of my evenings were spent out in nightclubs when I could get out of the dinners and galas Father forced me to. While Kale and Tala weren't the biggest party animals, I could always rely on Xander. He was great fun and somehow rich despite the fact he had only ever been a soldier. Though he had mentioned he had no family so perhaps he'd inherited the money. Amelia joined our drunken evenings when I couldn't avoid it; she, Freesia and Tala were best friends after all.

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After another half hour of drinking games and laughter with Xander, I glanced back at Amelia. She was still dancing with the man, clearly bored by him. She scowled at me and I smirked. Her response was to shove the man away and head back over.

"Uh-oh," Xander said, standing and immediately leaving me to deal with her on my own. He seemed to be the only one of my friends who realised Amelia was a harpy beneath her beautiful exterior.

"Come on darling, we're leaving," she smiled though her eyes remained cold.

"I'm not done yet," I said simply.

"Yes, you are." Her smile dropped the moment Xander was out of view and she realised we were alone.

I threw back the whiskey and stood; bedding her was more fun than arguing with her.

After a silent car journey, we arrived at her apartment. She poured two glasses of wine and I instantly went to mine. She scoffed, causing me to lose patience.

"May I help you?" I barked.

"If only you found me as attractive as alcohol," she spat.

I put the glass down and glared at her.

What are you doing here? My little sober voice called from beyond the drunken haze.

Amelia continued to glare, looking like she was chewing on a hornet.

"If you have something to say, spit it out," I snapped.

Without another word, she threw the entire glass of wine in my face. I inhaled most of it, burning my throat as I coughed and spluttered like an imbecile. I wiped my face and stared at her, incredulous. A heavy, suffocating silence descended upon the room as if all the air had been sucked out in a single gulp. But not even a breath could be heard, waiting for what would come next.

And what came next shocked me to my very core.

"Are you insane?" The scream that tore from my throat didn't sound like me—more that of a feral beast. The same sound Alayna made when she hit Marco. Pure rage.

"Oh get a hold of yourself, Tiv. We both know how much you love wine," she sneered. "I can go and get the whiskey if you'd prefer?"

I turned to leave and she threw herself in front of the door, shoving me backwards.

"Not that fast! I want to know what's wrong with me!" she demanded.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Have you seen me?" she shouted, gesturing to her fitted dress. "Yet you tolerate me at best. Why?"

"All this because I wouldn't dance with you? You're bloody unhinged," I spat.

She shoved me further from the door and I turned my back to her, going back to my wine. She laughed maliciously.

"What? You can't have an honest conversation? You need your desperate little crutch to help you? Honestly, you're such a little boy."

"Will you shut your vicious mouth!" I shouted.

"Tell me who the other woman is," she demanded.

"Listen, you nasty little harpy, I don't owe you a damn thing. Not a single explanation. You're casual sex at best. Now get out of my way," I shouted.

She threw her head back in another spiteful laugh and swore, "Bloody hells! Whoever she is, she's broken you, hasn't she? How pathetic and little you are. I thought you were a Hawes?"

Yet again, my rage boiled over, a fiery inferno consuming my entire being. I snatched the empty glass and hurled it with all my might at the wall beside her, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards.

She cackled nastily at my fury and continued to mock me. We spent nearly an hour screaming at each other in the aftermath. Our argument went around in tedious circles until she eventually balled her hand into a fist and threw it into my eye. I stumbled backwards slightly as she advanced to hit me again. Gawking and trying harder than I ever had to control my temper, I grabbed her arms, pushing her into the wall so hard the vibration rippled through the room and stormed away.

"Just wait until my Father hears about your chivalrous behaviour tonight," she screeched down the hallway after me. "I'll show him the bruises you've no doubt given me too."

My step faltered. I had just shoved the woman into a wall. I was my Father. And he would beat me black and blue if any of it got back to him.

"Come back here now," she barked.

Jaw clenched and fists balled, I obliged. When I returned she took a deep breath, taking the furious scowl from her face. I stood there in the deafening silence, too terrified to open my mouth for fear my words or actions would be irredeemable. Eventually, her face softened. Her beautiful, serene facade fixed in place once more. Yet it didn't change the fact there was a monster lurking beneath her flawless golden skin.

"Darling, I'm sorry. This has gone too far. Let's have a drink and calm down," she said.

"No," I said through a jaw that refused to move.

"Tiv, don't be stubborn. Would you rather we scream more?" She approached me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Immediately, I moved away yet she kissed my neck anyway. "I'd love to scream more in a much better way."

This woman is an absolute lunatic. Leave now, the sober voice said.

Yet I didn't. I stayed. Drank more. Took her to bed. Woke with a hangover the next morning to the news that Father was the Governor of Staventon.