TOO LATE...

- Two.

The breeze was always a little warmer at this time of year, she thought.

When Bonnie left the Bar, she took a few steps and took a few seconds to take a deep breath with her eyes closed, a second later she opened them. There was enough movement, she told herself. Bonnie looked around, then she reached into her bag for, the small case, there were only four cigarettes left ..., she took out one, and subtly brought it to her lips, lit it and took a big bite of nicotine.

The elegant way Bonnie played with the cigarette between her fingers suggested some experience, absolutely no one would suspect that this was the third one she had smoked in her life.

Bonnie maneuvered the cigar in a derogatory manner, letting the smoke escape from her nose, savoring its flavor better, mint..., She kept a mocking smile on her lips as she continued examining the cigar, only a stupid man like you would smoke this garbage. She scoffed.

Bonnie glanced past the crowd. At this stage everything felt more real, it was already done ..., this meeting made it undeniable. She had just met her fiancé, these words echoed in her mind.

Bonnie kept her slow pace as she crossed the street, she turned a corner where the parking lot was and later she stopped in front of her car. There, she proceeded to throw what was left of the fucking cigar to the floor to extinguish it with the soles of her shoes.

Inside the safety of her car Bonnie gave in to exhaustion, with her head back, her eyes closed, she wasn't going to cry, she had done it in the gloom of her loneliness, but today, tonight... She wouldn't.

She was tired, not only mentally but physically. The last week she had gone overboard with a lot of work to ease her emotional burden. Tonight he needed a break, he needed to stop for a moment and get away from it all.

Bonnie will would call her personal doctor, bringing the session ahead would be in her best interest at this time, she thought.

Bonnie knew that she could not maintain this facade any longer, little by little she felt more affected, the shell that she had built in all these years could be broken with everything she was living.

God really was difficult to hold, she told herself.

She would call her therapist next week and request an emergency session, yeah... she would, she thought.

One breath, she inhaled

One breath, she exhaled

Bonnie slowly took control of her emotions, she remained there with nothing more to think about, until the sound of her phone disturbed her silence.

"I need you to come for me!", she was always so bossy, nothing would kill her for saying first a: HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? Bonnie thought in disgust.

There was no need to confirm the name on her phone, Bonnie knew who the caller was. She squeezed her eyes ready to refute the call, but when she opened them just then, Bonnie saw him... walking into the parking lot, walking in front of the car.

Niklaus Mikaelson...

At that time, Bonnie was able to appreciate some details that she refused to recognize minutes before and completely forgot about the insistent person on the phone.

"Bon?, Boooonnnn, you are there, Bonnie, I know you are there, I can hear your breathing, so don't you dare hang up, Bonnie...", the hysterical screams distracted her for a moment.

"Yes, I'm here, what do you want Lucy?"

Bonnie answered without interest in the question, the only interest she had was in the man who walked in front of her car without realizing that he was being watched.

Bonnie's eyes followed Klaus. Now she could better distinguish the appearance of the Mikaelson, he was handsome... She could not say the opposite, the style of his clothes, the elegance when he walked. Bonnie couldn't help but smile bitterly, he walked like the owner of the place, idiot. She thought.

That would be all the attention he would have to her. Bonnie started her car ready to leave while listening to the person on the other end of the line.

"B..., I need you to come for me, I am in the lounge of the Hotel Sonata, at the intersection of 68th Avenue!"

Bonnie ran her hand over her face, she could not believe her cousin did this again, who did she think she was? Her driver? Bonnie thought

"I can't, and... what are you doing there?", Bonnie asked curiously.

"God... Bon, you're so forgetful, class 05 remember? The party...?", Lucy spoke in her characteristic tone of voice.

Although Bonnie loved her cousin Lucy, she could also say that she hated her a little.

"I heard you say something like this..." Bonnie cleared her throat to imitate her cousin's voice "I don't want to attend any event as ridiculous as that... totally full of losers..."

the imitation won a laugh from Lucy.

"Well... I was eaten away by curiosity at the last minute, so I need you to come looking for me, Bon...?" Lucy begged

"What about Arthur?" Bonnie wasted no more time and drove away from the parking lot. Taking one last look in the rearview mirror.

"He's free... his wife is on birthday, something like that or it's their anniversary, I don't know, but I couldn't let his work all day."

of course, and that gave Lucy the right to assign me as her driver, Bonnie thought annoyed.

"Well... I guess you will have to take a taxi", that was the best option for Lucy, Bonnie was tired. She wanted to be in the safety of her home.

"Oh my god... you know what I think about taxis!" Lucy screamed so loudly that Bonnie had to move her phone away.

"Then... you will have to order one of those drivers with online reviews!" Bonnie suggested.

"Oh my God, Bon... you know what I think about using those things,"

¿How her cousin dared to suggest something so low to her? Lucy thought making a face on her face.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, she was tired... "So, tell one of your ex-partners to take you home and voila..."

"God Bonnie, do you hear yourself? You know what I think of all these people...," Lucy snorted, not caring who was listening.

"Then, why the hell did you go to that place?"

The irritation grew in Bonnie's voice, she was not in the mood for her cousin's nonsense, God she was sometimes so maddening, Bonnie thought annoyed.

"Because... I wanted to know how Kimberly Gutiérrez had fared, you should see her, she is a fucking ball..." unlike Bonnie, the joy harbored in Lucy's voice.

"Lu... you will have to call someone else; I don't know... maybe Emily? I can't look for you, I'm far from that place"

"I'm not going to call Emily!" Lucy replied.

"Why not?",

"Because... Emily must surely be with her old man... What is his name? Burak? Please Bon... I can't stay here with these losers for another minute more..." Lucy assured her.

Bonnie had taken the route long before agreeing to search for her, maybe a little companionship was what she needed to put her thoughts aside.

"I'll be there as soon as possible, but this is the last time I do this for you... Grandma is right, it's about time you learned to drive... Lucinda!"

"That's why I love you so much, don't tell Emily, but between you and her, you are my favorite, and don't ever call me that again!"

She never liked her full name, she hated when someone used it to call her that.

"Yes, whatever..." Bonnie hung up, big stomping on the accelerator.

"Why did you take so long? I have a lot of time here, Lucy... you know I don't like to wait!"

Bonnie was upset when her cousin appeared. Lucy didn't notice her delay, she didn't even It mattered. She had a big smile on her face.

"Bonnie, cousin... look who's here!"

Lucy said, gesturing with her hands. "Kimmy Queen, do you remember her? She has thyroid, and that's why she's like this... right Kim?"

The smile on Lucy's lips was impressive. The fun in her eyes was indisputable.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, she wanted to leave immediately. The woman next to Lucy was completely uncomfortable after the opening of her presentation,

"Hi... Bonnie... I don't know if you remember me, but it's good to see you." Kimberly Gutiérrez the queen of the College, better known as Kimmy Queen, the girl who made the life of Lucy a hell in high school.

"Same to you, Kim... Lucy, let's go!"

Bonnie replied disinterestedly, she didn't want to be rude, but between Lucy and Bonnie, Bonnie was being merciful. Bonnie really didn't know this woman and was not interested in doing it, she turned around and got into the car waiting for her cousin with some irritation.

Lucy ran to the car and turned to see her former rival, with a big smile raised her fingers in the air and said goodbye.

"Kimmy, it was a pleasure to see you again and know that you are... like this!" Lucy's mocking eyes looked her up and down.

Lucy got in the car and closed the door with such satisfaction. Kimmy had no chance to answer, Bonnie automatically walked away from the scene.

"Can you believe how damn fat she is...?" Lucy started to laugh, the sound of her laughter flutter throughout the car.

"You are so bad...; she is sick... Lucy" Bonnie admonished her cousin.

"To hell with that! I don't care, she is a very fat woman without money. Her father was arrested for bribery and money laundering. I am happy for everything that is happening to her."

Lucy was not exactly a compassionate soul, there was no doubt that she had a good heart, but Lucy was also a cold and spiteful bitch when she had to be.

As soon as she got into the car, she thought she smelled something unusual, but Lucy stopped digging when she heard Bonnie.

"You are terrible..." Bonnie replied, shaking her head.

"Of course I am and I am proud of it!" Lucy said proudly, "God... what does it smell like? Looking everywhere, Lucy wondered herself, but she focused in another thing, Lucy looked at Bonnie.

"B, Let's go with Louise!"

"I don't want to, I'm tired..." Bonnie refused.

"Why?" Lucy asked indignantly, it was Saturday night, Bonnie never went out, there was no way she was tired, Lucy thought

"Because I work... and you apparently don't..." Bonnie gave her a sarcastic look.

Lucy was surprised with her eyes wide.

"I take my job in moderation! that's another thing, why would you work on a Saturday? It's ridiculous..."

Lucy stepped closer and looked at Bonnie carefully sniffing a bit, Bonnie had that smell...?

"Why do you stink so much? you smell horrible..."

Bonnie was silent and Lucy knew it, pointing her finger accused her cousin.

"Were you with André...? Really Bonnie?" The concern in her cousin's voice was notorious.

"That idiot was dared to look for you. Grandma will be incredibly angry, he canno-"

Lucy did not finish what she was going to say because Bonnie interrupted her.

"No Lucy... I was not with him!"

Bonnie tried to calm her cousin, she did not realize that the smell would give her away.

Lucy waited for Bonnie to justify that unpleasant smell, and Bonnie did it.

"I haven't seen him in months... André left his cigar case in the car the last time we saw each other, I forgot they were in the glove box until today, I only smoked some, that's all!"

Bonnie had not wanted her voice to sound so hard, but she didn't notice, until she heard herself.

"Bonnie... why? He's disgusting, you don't even smoke, I don't even know how you could bear to be with him with this horrible smell. It's good that Emily put him in his place. Surely he must be embezzling someone else's money right now!"

Lucy looked at her in disgust. "Now you smell of him!" Lucy reproached her.

Bonnie said nothing, what could she say? She was a fool more than a year ago. She got involved with someone so miserable. She got in trouble and almost ruined everything. Bonnie just wanted to be with someone, so desperate? How could she not have realized all the deception? She scolded herself.

"I was so stupid... right?" Reasoning everything that had happened to her.

"That is not true, you were not stupid..., André was a fucking idiot, he knew what he was doing and it was over, shall we go with Louise?" Lucy encouraged her.

"I do not want..."

"Oh come on, it's been a long time since we had a night for ourselves, let's get drunk, it'll only be for a few hours, I promise... we'll have a few drinks and we'll go..."

Bonnie was silent, maybe what she needed was to have a drink, it was better than the cigarettes she had smoked, of that she was sure. The stress was killing her, having smoked the tasteless cigars had left her in a worse place.

"Only a few, no more!" Bonnie asked desperately.

"As you say, ma'am..." Lucy replied with a big smile. She always had her way!

Klaus had taken his time to leave the Bar... he waited long enough for Bonnie to leave, however childish he seemed..., he did not want to meet her again.

For tonight had been enough.

But here he was picking up Bonnie's scent, and he really hated that, it was like following the trail behind her...

Surely that woman was parked near him, Klaus was sure of that.

The unpleasant smell of nicotine was intact in the air, could it be someone else's? But no! he was sure it was hers.

Niklaus was a man of smells, and without him being able to control that great ability, the smells remained etched in his memory... As was happening to him right now with Bonnie's lingering scent.

Klaus identified the unpleasant smell of nicotine and mint, but not the perfume Bonnie was wearing. The nicotine and mint in the air had mixed with her perfume, Klaus could feel it, maybe that's why he hadn't specified exactly what that smell was while he was with her.

Now walking behind these scents, Klaus felt how peculiar, light but latent it was. He hated trying to figure out what perfume she was wearing and immediately stopped thinking about it.

Fortunately, this meeting had been easy, for now the confrontation that he expected had not come, Klaus limited himself to thinking.

With his hands on the wheel, he drove smoothly. Despite being a man in control, Niklaus wasn't sure if that calm would last long enough to lighten what was to come.

It only took him a few minutes to get there. Klaus opened the door to the apartment He looked for her somewhere, which led him directly to her room.

There she was, sitting on the bed, wearing big glasses, chewing on a pencil, immersed in her notes, with books scattered everywhere. Unaware that Klaus had arrived and was looking at her.

She looked beautiful, how would he do this? How would he tell the woman he loves that he will marry someone else? he debated.

Klaus cleared his throat to get her attention.

"What are you doing Camille...?" Klaus spoke softer than usual.

She jumped when she heard him. she had not noticed his presence.

"Nick! by God… you scared me." she reproached him with a hand to the heart.

Klaus walked slowly with a small smile on his lips, He took her hand and kissed her in the place of her pulse

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." Niklaus assured her.

Camille smiled and got up to be next to him.

"I didn't listen to you, I didn't know you were coming... why didn't you tell me? Did something happen?" She knew him well.

They had years together. Perhaps for some it was an unusual relationship. They had not forged a legal union after so long. However, he loved her, and she loved him, they both lived their moment without interfering with each other. They had accepted it that way and although some did not understand it. What they had was enough for both of them.

Klaus stroked Camille's face, discarding the eyeglasses next to the bed.

He looked at her as he always had, with devotion. Klaus remembered the day he asked her to marry him, but she did not accept, it was not the time; she had said, reluctantly convincing him. After some time to reconsider, Klaus accepted it and did what Camille asked, he stayed until waiting for the right moment.

After that neither of them talked about the future or commitments. They were fine like that, somehow it worked for both of them.

Now Klaus was debating whether to ask him or not, what Camille asked him a few years ago. Niklaus wished with all his soul that Camille would stay, and most importantly, that she wait for him.

"It happened that I love you too much Camille..."

Klaus's words did not take her by surprise, she knew that his love was loyal, Camille loved him with the same intensity, but seeing him here... so serious..., Something It had happened, she thought, from the anguish he had in his eyes, it was not a good thing for them.

Camille smiled, kissing him with all the love she felt to ease Klaus's torment.

Klaus brought her closer to him, matching his kiss with all the passion he had, venting all the anguish and despair that grew inside his chest.

Klaus buried his head in Camille's neck… For a moment, he sniffed the scent she had, and for a brief instant, Klaus unconsciously made the first comparison between the two women...

Their scents...

The Camille's scent was much stronger... Bonnie's scent was much softer... warmer.

Klaus was the first to separate without realizing the comparison he had made. He walked further away from Camille, and he immersed in other thoughts.

"Can you tell me... you know I'm here for you."

Camille did not want to sound worried, but she was.

He looked at her for a moment and hesitated.

"Do you love me Camille?" Klaus asked her.

"Of course I do, Nick..." she replied without hesitation.

He took a small box out of his jacket and showed it to her. Now Camille was surprised without understanding. She knew the little black velvet box.

Before she could ask a question, Niklaus reached out and placed his finger on Camille's lips to silence her.

he took the solitaire ring out of the box as he began to speak...

"I have kept it from that moment,"

Klaus began to speak as he approached her, he took her hand while looking at her.

"I want you to use it..."

Niklaus shook his head to prevent her from speaking.

"uh -ah... I want you to use it Camille, so that you remember that I want you in my life and..."

Niklaus slipped the ring on Camille's finger. "don't forget that even when you did not accept it, I will wait for you..."

He paused to keep his gaze fixed on her.

Camille opened her mouth without understanding. He couldn't be proposing her. He knew the answer to that. She debated confused.

She listened carefully deciphering his last words.

- "And you do not forget… that even when you did not accept it, I waited for you..." -

"How do I want you to wait for me Camille..."

You didn't have to be smart to admit that Niklaus Mikaelson used the best skill he knew how to use.

The manipulation

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