Chapter #19

The Lu$h Crew had apparently vanished from the face of the very Earth.

The late Friday parties at the redhead's yacht had suddenly halted, and no one would spot the Latino in the neighborhood club. Though it had been barely a week, people would preoccupy; where were the dancers of the night? Where had the beautiful redhead gone? Where was the handsome Latino man exhaling pheromones?

People could merely guess. Their friends would call, inviting them to some party or so, but neither of them would answer the phone. Letters would arrive and remain unseen; messages would not be answered and calls simply ignored. The question of their whereabouts would become heavier, ever persistent and unyielding. Where are they? Everyone would ask, and no one would answer.

Riptide's Beach hosted no one, but two youths, silently laying in the soft and warm sand, thoughtfully staring at the hiding sun. The brunette woman and her blonde partner shared no words, until the young woman decided to break the uncomfortable silence and call out loud her worries. "Angel and Aubrey haven't answered the phone."

Bodie could not find a proper answer, so he simply remained quiet, hoping Emilia would say something else.

"I'm worried about them."

"Everybody is, Em." Bodie said then, "We haven't seen them for weeks now…"

"Where do you think they are?"

"I don't know, probably they're locked in both their apartments and don't want to come out."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, Em."

The girl decided not to say anything else. There was no point in remarking something they all knew. Everyone knew Angel and Aubrey were gone, but she knew it wasn't because of anything good.

"How many invitations have have sent, my sister?" Asked the blonde male, sitting behind his desk.

"This will be the fifth, Kerith." His sister responded, holding the paper before her sharp features.

"I'm tired of this." Kerith said, slamming the desk with much less strength than he had first intended.

Both of them were well aware of Lu$h Crew's absence, but had suggested, at first, that they were simply hiding from them. Arrogant and conceited as they were, they sent invitations for both the beautiful redhead and her Latino partner to join them once again in their 'humble' home. The letter received no response. A bit insulted, they decided to send another one, but it received no response either. And it was only then when they started worrying, as everybody else was doing.

Jaryn sat on the desk, checking her nails idly. "I heard something pretty interesting about they whereabout, my brother." She said.

That caught her brother's attention immediately, "Have you now, Jaryn?" He said, looking at his beautiful sister, "Tell me, what is it that you have heard."

Jaryn accommodated herself over the desk and locked eyes with her brother. "They say the sassy girl is very sick, and her lover is taking care of her right now." She informed.

Kerith narrowed his brows, doubtful, "Where did you hear this?"

"One hears many things, my dearest brother, and that is just one of the many I've heard." She replied, leaning over her brother, so close was she to his face that should she had leaned one more inch, she would've kissed him. "But I know that's not what you've just asked me," she said, pulling away, "I went to her residence, some idiot said something about 'Miss Aubrey being terribly sick'." Jaryn said, imitating some ridiculous tone.

"Well, the source is trustworthy, indeed." Kerith concluded, after a moment of meditation, "But, there's something that intrigues me… why did she fall ill so suddenly? What happened to her after their visit to our home? What did they do? Where did they go? I want to know everything."

"Are you suggesting that we need to spy them?" Jaryn asked, incredulous at her brother's words.

"Indeed, my sister." He said, standing from his leathered chair. "I want to know everything about their last moves."

"But, don't you think this is a bit of an obsession, Kerith?"

"Maybe it is, but I don't mind." Her brother responded, "They're better than the rest of the crews, and I believe they'd be pretty good allies, don't you agree?"

"Indeed they would, Kerith, but we just earned they dislike in their first visit, didn't we?"

"It doesn't matter, they'll learn lo love us." Kerith walked towards the enormous window and stared out at the dark sky. "They can help us." He whispered, as if trying to convince himself.

Every night it was the same.

He would hear her cry and see her blood in his sleep. He would comfort her whenever she needed, but things couldn't be like this forever. He suggested her once, after three days if she wanted to go see somebody, but she would utterly refuse his suggestion, he wouldn't force her either, but, though he wouldn't say it out loud, she worried him the most as days passed by. Paler, thinner, sadder, she grew. Not a smile would grace her lips, not a sparkle would burn in her eyes. It saddened him, it pained him, to see her like this; all broken and shattered like simple glass… so different from the woman he had known not merely some weeks ago.

Sometimes he would catch her lost in thought, empty eyes staring at nothing. Her food untouched in her plate and awaken at the high and cold hours of the night. Her state was almost contagious, and soon he started feeling sick too.

Until one night she came to him.

Her bare feet made no sound upon the wooden floor, the whisper of her clothes the only thing giving her away. Slowly, silently, slightly, she sliced into his bed. Angel immediate awoke, alerted by her weight next to him, and the thought of she wanting him to comfort her was all he could see. But she was not there because of it.

Not a word escaped her lips as she worked her way to warm his bed. The Latino, astonished, would merely stare, before actually believing what was happening.

Soft kisses would burn his flesh whenever they touched it, her delicate and quick hands would work to remove his clothing, her slim body would please him and allow him to have his way with her. He didn't think at all. Not even questioned her actions, he merely followed, more than eager and excited about this behavior. Only when it was all over and she left when he was still asleep did he started wondering about what had just happened not only a few hours ago.

He obtained no conclusion.

And the next morning, things would be as if nothing had ever happened. She was hollow, as it had became usual in her. No smiles, no loving sights, no nothing. Merely a woman with no soul within that perfect body. Even when Angel tried to kiss her, she didn't responded, merely walked away and stared to the grey skies.

He didn't understand.

One day she'd be normal, one day she'd cry uncontrollably, one day she'd be lost and hollow and sad. But some days she'd look for comfort in his bed, and even then he wouldn't hear any word escaping her sweet lips, but the sound of pleased moans and gasps.

Three weeks passed by, and he didn't stop allowing her to warm his bed.

"God forgive me." He said out loud one morning, as he stood in the balcony. The cold air hit his skin softly, but a deadly cold kissed his flesh; it didn't matter, however, he needed the cold right now. "She has lost her mind and I'm just taking advantage of her state."

Not even a moment had he stopped to think about this. After the blur of passion left him, the only thing he would feel would be pleasure, but lately, there was a bitter taste about it. He knew she didn't love him, she wasn't doing it because she loved him. There was no apparent reason in her behavior, and very seldom he would hear her say anything, and extremely rarely it would be something of any importance. She didn't answer most of his questions, she didn't say anything besides thanks and goodbyes. Soon, he got tired of it too.

She came that night. She removed her clothes before him, as Angel stared at her emotionless face. When she was about to enter his bed, he rose.

"Aubrey, we need to talk." He said.

"Don't you want me in your bed tonight?" She simply asked, not looking back at him.

"No, honey… I…" He started, but couldn't continue. He didn't know what to say, he hadn't thought about it.

"So you don't want me in your bed." She concluded, and started to put her clothes back on, not facing him.

"Heavens Aubrey, why do you keep acting like this?" He blurted out, not actually believing that he had dared to utter what he had just uttered, still, he continued. "It has been nearly four months and you just can't…" The girl stopped, her back faced him; Angel faltered only a second, trying to find the right word to say it, "be yourself again… I'm not a girl, I don't know what it feels like, but I too have feelings, you know? You come to me almost every night, and you give yourself to me as if nothing mattered in the world! You know I love you, but you know, as well as I do, that you don't love me back, not even a little…" Angel's vision started to get blurred because of tears, "I can't just watch you suffer like this… I know you don't notice it, but I'm worried about you, and it pains me, the fact that I just can't help you…" only then his tears broke free, and he didn't even bother to stop them.

Aubrey didn't move, but it became evident, as seconds passed, that she was trembling. A soft cry left her lips gradually, until she faced him, pale cheeks wet and red from her tears. A moment of silence was shared, the pair staring into each other's eyes. Brown locked in hazel; hazel locked in brown. Both crystallized and pained. Slowly, she started opening her mouth. "I-I…" she started, "Angel… I…" but she couldn't continue. She covered her face with both of her hands; a vain attempt to hide the obvious.

And as it is also obvious, he embraced her.

They cried into each other's arms, sharing their pain and sorrow. If there was something important to say then, neither of them dared to utter it. But words were to be spared within that moment. Her hot tears moistened the flesh of his chest, as his did to her slip. Angel couldn't find a stop to this; his tears ran fee, rolling down his cheeks, and trembles shook his body, as his arms held her partner as close as he could.

She was emotional, of course the truth had hurt. But there was no other way to say it. Be direct, I directs lead to nowhere. Sometimes being direct hurts people, but sometimes it is necessary. She knew he had done it for her own good, and she just couldn't stop damning herself for her ridiculous behavior. She'd cry, but never get it over with, never face the reality and deal with it, merely fall into self-pity and depression. And he had been there for her, to comfort her, to take care of her, but she had ignored him. How she regretted it right now.

"Aubrey, I don't understand what or how you feel about it," he started, suppressing his cry, "but I am here for you, as I've always have… but when I'm not around anymore, what's gonna happen to you?" Lovingly, he made her face him, and once again, his brown orbs pierced her hazel ones, "You're such a strong woman, I know you've suffered, but life goes on, you can't just let yourself fall because of it, you must stand up and fight."

His voice was still marked by the rests of his suppressed cry, but his words were deep into her heart.

She buried her face into his chest once more. More tears coming out uncontrollably. It felt like an eternity, although it had been mere minutes. Aubrey raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "You're right Angel… I've acted like and idiot… but there's only one thing you have failed to see…" her cry was obvious, but her efforts to contain it were indeed remarkable, "I do love you."

Her cry wasn't heard the next night, nor the next one, nor the one after that one, and she slept in his bed every night, but not because of cheap love.

It's been quite a lot since my last update. I feel like a bitch. I can't justify the delay properly, but here is chapter #19.

This one is poor, and I'm not proud about it. But this one needed to be done and I felt that giving it more 'history' would not be right. Hate me if you wish, I deserve it.

The next chapter will be way much better than this one, I hope.

Please feel welcome to post constructive critics, and so. I am sorry and I hope you had enjoyed.