Chapter 10


Belle POV

Two months later...

"How do they even give someone as deluded as your brother permission to carry a gun?" I heard my own voice raise an octave with the question. How had I missed something so big? Since when did Alec want to join the police force?

A year ago, we would have sat up together and talked about all the pros and cons that went along with the career choice.

Pro: So many doughnuts.

Con: Some people kinda hate you.

Pro: Cool sirens.

Con: Most of the people you meet are assholes.

I heard Harlow's footsteps padding back towards the kitchen and where I sat at the island, lazily dragging my spoon through a bowl of colored loops I couldn't bring myself to eat. She made a beeline for the fridge and snagged out a bottle of water. She'd taken a big sip before she even made to respond to me.

"He actually graduated at the top of his class." Harlow chimed from across the kitchen and I rolled my eyes. I'm not surprised about that in the slightest.

"Okay, but where did this desire come from? Who does he think he is, Batman?" I let the spoon fall into my cereal and push the bowl away altogether, no longer finding it appetizing.

"Careful now, Bel. Someone might mistake this line of questioning for something resembling concern or interest." I cursed under my breath and slid down off the island's stool.

"Regardless of how I feel about Alec, he's still your brother. Can't I be curious just based on that fact?" I catch Harlow's dubious look out of the corner of my eye, and I prepare myself for whatever type of reply she's about to fire off in response.

"All I'm saying is…" she turned to face me completely, the usual playfulness and mockery gone. "I understand that he needs to do something that he feels like he can fix. There's not much of that going around for him these days."

Her words are like a slap in the face.

"Are you blaming me for –"

"No." Harlow says quickly, setting her bottle of water down on the counter. She crosses her arms and lets out a small sigh. "Of course, I'm not blaming you for his decisions. I'm just saying he needs something…something that makes him feel like he's making a difference."

I swallow the lump in my throat and manage a small nod. "Okay." Before I can utter another word a knock sounds from the front door.

"That's probably Dimitri." Harlow says with small reassuring smirk. "He's the only man who comes to this house that still has the decency to knock first." she makes her way around the kitchen and gives my arm a small squeeze on her way past before disappearing to her bedroom.

I stood frozen in the kitchen for a moment longer. Maybe the drama between Alec and I had been taking a toll on Harlow that I hadn't taken notice of before. Harlow has always been the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, and I would do absolutely anything for her. For her happiness. As much as Harlow likes to join in poking fun at Alec, I know the same deep loyalties run between them.

"Dammit." I whispered under my breath. Another knock echoes from the front door and I shake myself out of my stupor and manage to make my feet move. "Coming!" I yell, as I make my way over. It had been a few days since I'd seen Dimitri last. Between my school schedule and how busy his own work had been lately we'd barely had time for each other. Which has resulted in several unannounced appearances on his part at my front door. Quick reminders to let me know he's thinking of me or just wanting to see my face in person. My heart feels like a thousand butterflies just took residence inside it just thinking about it.

I try to fix my hair a bit and straighten out my clothes and an attempt to make myself a bit more presentable, but there was only so much that could be done with pajamas and sleep hair. These were the surprise visits that only slightly annoyed me. Why couldn't he show up when I didn't look like I'd just rolled out of a dumpster?

"I think you're gonna end up running away if you keep showing up when I look like I disaster." I playfully mock him as I swing open the door. And like a punch to the gut my eyes settle on Alec. His green eyes bore back into mine and for a moment we just stand in silence. My eyes scan him over almost instinctively. Looking for injuries. Bullet holes that maybe he didn't know were there. Some sort of second-nature protectiveness that I had forgot existed when it came to Alec. But as my eyes roam over his impeccable black uniform, the black uniform that was snug in all the annoyingly right places, my worry was slowly taken over by anger.

How could he do this to Harlow? To their parents? Yes, being a police officer is a noble job, but it was a dangerous one too. Alec could literally do anything. So, why did he have to do this?

"I think you look just fine." His voice catches me off guard and my eyes dart back to his instantly. The usual cockiness and sarcasm that I'd come accustomed to wasn't painting his words. There was an air of confidence, yes, but more than that… his voice just sounded resigned.

"Huh?"

His arms fold across his chest and my eyes are drawn to muscles I didn't fully notice existed there before now. But Alec just shrugs his shoulders and gestures towards the doorway. "Never mind, do you mind if I come in?"

"Uh, sure. Harlow is up in her room." I say, turning on my heel and taking a couple steps away from the quicksand that is Alec. His boots land loudly on the floor in stark contrast to my silent bare feet.

"I'm not here to talk to Harlow." His footsteps stop behind me, and without turning around I can visualize the half-pained look painted on his face that typically pairs with talking to me these last several months.

I have to bite my tongue before shooting off some antagonizing retort back at him. Harlow's words from this morning drift back to me and some soft spot in my heart aches in my chest. I brace myself with both hands on the kitchen counter and stare out the window above the sink. I decide no reply is the best reply. And I hear his boots thud against the hardwood again.

"Aren't you exhausted yet?" his words sound closer than they had before, but the steady drum of his steps on the hardwood sync up the pounding in my chest.

"Exhausted?" I echo back and watch a bird land in the grass.

"It has to be exhausting hating me so much." He murmurs, and I'm all too aware of how close he is from the tenor if his voice brushing against my ear.

"I don't want to do this today, Alec." My voice leaves me in a breathless rush, and I close my eyes to steel myself from whatever his response might be. However vicious. However partly deserved it might be. But his words never come. Instead, I feel the heat of his chest press into my back, and I bristle in response.

"Ah, and there's that stone-like fully body response of hatred I've come to expect," He scoffs. "Like a woman made of stone."

I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel his fingers start to dance lightly up my arm, and I can't stop myself from leaning back into him. Into the familiar touch.

"Alec, you have to leave," I whisper as his hand sweeps my hair off my shoulder. "You have to leave now."

"I don't want to.' His words are hot against my neck and I can't think. I can't move. And when his lips brush the skin there, almost so light that I wasn't sure it had even happened, I nearly lose my ability to stay upright. My heartbeat pounds in my ears and all I can feel is Alec's warmth flush against my back, and the way his fingertips keep dancing up and down my arms, and for a moment I forget the rage. I forget the betrayal.

And I nearly forget Dimitri.

I manage enough strength to twist myself around to meet his gaze. And when my eyes find his I can perfectly see the battle of emotions raging in his own. The hesitation. The anger. Desire. Confusion. And I'm painfully aware that mine likely match his own.

I place both of my hands against his chest, against the hard black bulletproof vest, attempting feebly to create any amount of space between us.

"Belle…" he says, speaking my name with a tone of agony I'd never heard it spoken with before. He takes another step towards me and my makeshift attempt to create distance crumbles until my hands on his chest are the only thing keeping us apart. "Look at me." I gather the sense to shake my head, and while it's slight it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Please." Is all I'm able to rasp out. "I – I can't –"

"Can't what?" he parrots back at me. "Can't admit to yourself what you're feeling right now? Can't get over the self-induced hatred you feel for me on a daily basis? Can't get over how bad you want me to kiss you?"

My eyes move to meet his in defiance.

"Fuck you." I bite back, but my words don't hold nearly as much venom as I hoped they would. And in response Alec lets a small smirk slide across his lips partnered with a single sarcastic laugh. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" he lets the smirk fall from his mouth as he leans in what seems like an impossible distance. His lips brush softly against my own, and I instantly feel like I could be drunk. My head felt like it was spinning at a thousand miles an hour and I couldn't focus on one single thing that made sense. "Maybe I just wanted to remind you what something real feels like."

And just like that I was sober.

"Excuse me?" I say, pushing him away. "You don't have the right to say that." I squeeze myself out from in between Alec's overwhelming black uniform and the kitchen counter and manage to put a few good paces of distance between us. "You need to leave. I'm expecting company."

"Ah, Dimitri?" he questions, and I don't like the way his voice sounds when he says it. "How has our good friend Dimitri been these days? Work keeping him pretty busy? What is it he told you he does again?"

"Alec, leave." I repeat as a strong knock on the door sounds and I watch as a sarcastic smile spreads across Alec's face. "Great."

"Want me to answer it?" he mocks from the kitchen as I make my way to the door, knowing full well that Dimitri was likely on the other side, and that this entire situation was about to get a thousand times worse.

"Oh, you've done enough." I shoot back.

"Not nearly as much as I wanted to."


I'm back from my hiatus~

I will be hopefully posting weekly or bi-weekly~

please leave a review of what you think about this minor time skip and steamy scene!