LEUKAS

My head was finally silent after all the incompetence I’d been dealing with all day at my company and my mind settled as I poured the red liquid in my beaker and into a small vial. The fragrance of the perfume was one of oranges and wine, one I was sure my mother would appreciate since she couldn’t stand most scents. The lab was quiet and cool with a dim lighting, just the way I required it. It was a bit small for my tastes, but it, like the house I was currently living in was temporary. Setting up a permanent residence had never been high on the things I required of my life. The lab, any lab really, is where I felt the most settled.

Despite my wishes, I was rarely ever in a lab myself. Running an international business empire has ensured that my attentions was divided between too much to indulge in free lab time. I spent my time approving ideas, signing contracts, traveling to new store openings, going to fancy events and putting out fires. It was quite handy to have a lab at my disposal though, because despite the fact that I only ever dealt with people and paperwork, science was my ritual. And judging by the continuous growth of my company, a growth I did not intend on slowing down, casual lab time might be getting smaller and smaller.

The peace inside my mind was disturbed by a knock on the door followed by sharp clicking of heels as Lydia, my trusted butler let herself in, with the cordless house phone in her hands. She knew better than to disturb me with nonsense when I was in my lab so I assumed whatever it was must have been important and I reached for the phone and took it from her.

“Your mother …sir. She’s on hold.” She announced before turning and leaving at my dismissal. I held the phone up to my ear using one hand and shrugged my coat off with my other before walking to my bedroom.

“Where the hell where you Leukas? Why aren’t you answering your phone.” My mother demanded as soon as I answer the phone. The urgency in her voice prevented me from giving her a smartass answer and I was immediately on high alert. Something about the phone call was familiar.

“What happened mother.” I asked her calmly.

“Go to the airport right now honey. We’ll talk when you get here. This is a delicate situation and I won’t talk about it on the phone. Get your keys right this instance Leukas and get to London.”

“I’m on my way.” I responded. Asking more questions would be futile anyway. I went on to grab my jacket again and took my car keys, a sinking feeling on my chest as a vivid memory of Ashley surged and I sped towards the airport.

*********

“Would you like anything else sir?” the pretty air hostess asked suggestively, her cleavage suddenly more visible than it was when we left New York City. I waved her off but didn’t spare her a second look firstly because she was practically throwing herself at me and secondly because my mother’s phone call worried me.

As far as I was concerned, my parents and I had a great relationship and I was therefore aware that they were supposed to be flying to Aspen along with my little brother for a much needed holiday in the mountains. The holiday was part of my mother’s pregnancy demands which basically meant that something big had to have happened to have stopped the trip from happening. And judging by that phone call, whatever that is had something to do with me.

I took another generous sip of coffee, the caffeine helping with the exhaustion of such a long time of flying. According to my calculations, we should have been landing in a bit and I had a feeling I had to be completely sober for whatever the issue was.

_____________________________________

The jet landed sometime during noon and a car, sent by my mother, picked me up at the airport. Since I had no luggage whatsoever, the car was speeding down the cold streets of London in no time. Lanthe had also taken the liberty of ordering some light snacks for when I landed and had sent them along with the driver, much to my convenience. Our trip was quite short and we soon turned down a street I was not familiar with. The little houses -little cottages really- were sparsely placed throughout the area with white picket fences on every gate. The car pulled up outside a neat-looking one with fruit trees and a blue picket fence. The cottage itself was cozy-looking at best, with grey and white painted walls. It was also not the kind of property my parents would own. The blue Mercedes Concept Style Coupe parked at the front was, though, and the driver pulled up just as a black Rolls Royce pulled up next to us.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

I exited the car cautiously, my eyes taking in surrounding area of the cottage. There was a red, little swing-set, a trampoline, a slide and a sandpit. The sound of a car closing drew me once again towards the Rolls Royce and I was shocked to see my estranged best friend standing next to the car whilst giving me a guilty look.

“Lander? What are you doing here? What’s happening.” I finally asked, only because I was suddenly desperate for the mystery to finally end. I hated the fact that I was about to be blindsided by whatever was inside this house.

“Hello Leukas. I think it would be best if we go inside.” My former best friend answered tightly before heading towards the door without any further explanations.

*****

When my eyes met blue ones which were more familiar than anything I have ever known, my breath was knocked out of my chest. I don’t know who moved first, but as always, at that moment Aleks and I were drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Suddenly my obsession was in my arms. The woman I had searched for five whole years was in my arms. No one else existed to me at that moment, just her and the need to possess, to own and to destroy. She clung to me in a way she’d never done before and I couldn’t help but cup her face in my hands, all the time apart suddenly forgotten. She was too gorgeous with tears in her eyes.

Enthralling.

“Our kids Leukas. Someone took our kids. We have to go get them.” She cried out, her hands grabbing my shirt and her eyes pleading with me, her words computing before every bit of my being froze.

I’d never understood the notion of being distracted, not for as long as I could remember. I knew then that the control I had over my brain was unusual, but before I knew that I was baffled by sentences like ‘I can’t turn my brain off’, and ‘I can’t remember’. I could always turn my brain off quite easily. And there was nothing that I’d ever truly forgotten. So Aleks’s words made sense, because I had quite easily shelved up every single thought of her in order to become the man I had become, but I’d never truly forgotten. I’d blocked out the memory of our one night together long before everything went to shit and we were separated. Because it would have torn us apart, and I would have done anything to keep Aleks with me. Even forgot the best night of my life, the night I took her virginity. Even if I had to get a girlfriend who looked like her enough that I convinced myself I was in love in a month. Because Aleks had been an obsession I hadn’t seen coming, and she had made me promise never to ask for more than friendship from her the day we met. When she left, she’d taken my soul with her.

****7 YEARS AGO****

I can’t stop looking at Aleks today. There’s this glow on her that is making her look so gorgeous it’s chocking me a bit to look at her. The reading glasses she occasionally wears give her an air of innocence that I want to taint and protect at the same time, and the little murmurings she makes as she types on her laptop make me want to pull her to me until I’m all she can think about. The thought makes me shake my head and scoff at myself. I can’t believe this is me, pining after a girl like this. Said girl turns to look at me, her cheeks heating as a shy smile that always knocks me off my feet takes over her face fills her face.

“What?” she asks, pulling the sleeves of the sweater she’s wearing self-consciously, as if she’s not the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Nothing. Just that you’re glowing. You look even more beautiful than usual; I didn’t think that was possible.” I respond truthfully. I have never been one to lie. Not much.

She blushes even more and throws her pen at me” Stop that. Your girlfriend doesn’t like me already. You shouldn’t be saying things like that to me.”

I chuckle and shake my head as she stands up, probably to hide her embarrassment as if I don’t know everything about her. She wavers though and holds on to the grey walls of her fancy apartment, a look of discomfort passing through her face as she holds her head as well. I jump up and go next to her, drawing her to me. I can’t resist worriedly kissing her forehead, because she has turned me into an affectionate man as well. But only for her.

“Are you okay? What happened?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I just had a dizzy spell all of a sudden.” She responds, leaning into me.

A thought, unbidden, passes through my mind. Aleks, radiant and pregnant with my baby. I lock that thought away immediately, kissing her forehead again. I shouldn’t be entertaining such thoughts. I’m with Ashley now and more importantly, such thoughts will drive away the one I love the most.

***Present***

The memory was freed from my mind and I read in between the lines. When Aleks disappeared, seven years ago she was already pregnant with my child. The rest of it I would address later, but at that moment, saving the kids was my priority. Father has already sent an address that sixteen hours ago had made no sense, but suddenly meant so much more.

“Let’s go.” I told Aleks.