Chapter 18

The Sunday actually turned out to be relatively calm. Seiya and I went to my old apartment to collect some things from there. Of course, I couldn't bring everything over, but since Seiya already had more than enough stuff and furniture, it was okay. Until early evening, we were busy unpacking numerous boxes, assembling more furniture, and further setting up the apartment. Around 6 p.m., I bid farewell to Seiya. He would now be on the road again for a whole four weeks on the big tour through China.

So, here I was, alone again on the sofa, in this new, huge apartment. However, it somehow didn't feel right without Seiya being here. I tried to distract myself for a while, but it didn't help. Eventually, I threw on my jacket and made my way back to my small abode.

There was a card lying in front of the door. Fortunately, it wasn't there earlier this afternoon. Without even looking, I could guess who it was from.

"I need to see you, the driver will pick you up after work tomorrow."

He was back: Diamond.

I slowly approached my wardrobe. How fortunate that it was already autumn. I picked out a nice black turtleneck sweater and black pants for tomorrow.

I'll end it with Diamond tomorrow, I kept repeating to myself. No more provocative clothing, no excessive makeup. If Mamoru were here, I would have more than enough to keep me busy. After all, Seiya was only gone for 4 weeks, not 16 months. It was time for me to bring order to my love life, even though it was extremely difficult for me. Diamond would be the first person I would end it with. I prayed it to myself like a mantra the entire evening. I couldn't afford to be weak again; I had to end it before everything really fell apart.

After work, as always, his personal driver greeted me. Feeling very nervous, I let the door open and got in. There was no other choice. I had to do it, I kept praying my mantra. Judging by the direction we were heading, I knew we were going to his apartment, and the closer we got, the more fidgety I became.

When I arrived at his apartment, there was an immense heat. Diamond was sitting in an armchair in the living room, his head supported by a hand in a thoughtful pose. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and there was a glass of light brown liquid, probably whisky, on the table in front of him. The fireplace was burning, turning the room into a sauna. The turtleneck sweater had clearly been the wrong choice, even if the fireplace had been turned off. Because as soon as his dark eyes fixed on me, a wave of heat surged from within me. Oh man, he sat there like the Prince of Darkness himself. So damn sexy. The top buttons of his shirt were also slightly undone. A mischievous grin played on his lips.

"Have you become a nun now?" he whispered.

I swallowed and bit my lower lip. My heart had already doubled its beats, and I could only stare at him. The time in South America had somehow changed him. Diamond slowly stood up and walked towards me. His gaze pierced through me, and I felt his magnetism like never before. There it was again, the addict deep inside me, yearning for his touch. With a firm grip, he held my chin and lifted it up. Desire emanated from his eyes. Goodbye, rationality, see you later.

I reached up and demanded a kiss. Within seconds, he had already stripped me out of the sweater and thrown me lengthwise onto the sofa. He had always been quite dominant in that regard, but today he surpassed everything.

I could only gasp and my pulse thumped at record speed throughout my entire body. Finally, I regained some control over my senses, at least partially. I leaned against his bare chest and glanced at him. His eyes were closed, radiating a certain contentment. What was it that I wanted again?...

It felt like my head was filled with cotton candy. My pulse slowly calmed down, and finally, some of the fog that had enveloped me cleared. Right, I wanted to leave Diamond. I looked down at myself and then back at him. Well, that went great, Usagi. I couldn't even last five minutes in his presence.

"Who's the guy?" Diamond suddenly whispered without warning. "What? Which guy?" My senses were still not fully intact, and I couldn't quite follow him. Diamond sat up and drank the whisky in one gulp. "The guy with the black, long hair." Seiya. How did he come up with that now? I was lying here naked in his arms, and he was asking me about another guy. Only he could do something like that. Surprisingly, his voice remained relatively calm. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm?

"Why are you bringing that up now?" Damn it, I hadn't expected this, of course. I mean, who expects to be intimate with someone and then be asked about another guy? But what should I tell him now? I suddenly felt my throat go dry.

"Usagi, I'm not blind. I saw the picture of you two in your apartment. It's the same guy who was at the art exhibition. You were standing outside with him. So, who is he?"

So, it had begun. My delicate balance was shaken. Diamond stood up and refilled his glass. I couldn't interpret his expression or discern from his tone which direction this conversation would take. I only felt that I was knee-deep in shit, if not deeper. But there was no use in avoiding it; I had to reveal the truth now. Diamond would find out anyway, if he hadn't already. I swallowed hard once again.

"His name is Seiya," I murmured softly. His name almost got stuck in my throat. I felt like I was in one of my dreams, but luckily, it was only Diamond here and not all three of them at the same time. But that was enough for me. Diamond poured some of the brown liquid into a second glass and handed it to me. There was a peculiar tension between us that was difficult to describe. "Is he your boyfriend?" he wanted to know, his sharp gaze fixed on me. I lowered my head toward the floor. "In a way, yes." "What do you mean 'in a way'?" A slightly amused undertone gradually mixed with his rough voice.

"I don't know, it just happened parallel to us, and I didn't want to hurt either of you," I slowly explained. I dared to glance up. The worst part was that I not only felt exposed and caught, but I was literally in that state. This wasn't really a conversation that should be had like this. "And when, or rather, how did you plan on resolving that?" His lips curled slightly upward, his eyes clearly tracing my contours. "I... I don't know." He reached out his hand and pulled me up. "Usagi, honestly. I don't care what you do with whom in your free time. As I said before, I can't deal with all these emotional matters. But what we have fits."

Now my jaw literally dropped. Was he serious? He was perfectly fine with me being with Seiya on the side. Once again, he held my chin, lifting it up. The lecherous grin on his face became more pronounced.

"Please say it again. I... I think I'm not quite following you." "You understood me correctly. Of course, I don't like to share, but you need more than just good sex to be happy. I realized that after our first meeting."

I was completely thrown off balance. I had expected everything but never in my life this kind of reaction. Was he messing with me? Well, it was Diamond. He had as much humor as a stone.

"So, did I understand you correctly? It's okay with you if I see Seiya?" I stammered. I needed to hear those words from his mouth to be truly sure. He then smirked at me, pulled me close by my hip, and leaned his head down to me.

"As long as you remain available for our meetings, you can do whatever you want." Oh my God. I was in heaven. Why hadn't I told him the truth much earlier? He slowly kissed his way up my neck, causing me to throw my head back. But in the next second, he lifted me over his shoulder, firmly smacked my behind, and carried me into his bedroom.

Phew. If his punishments always turned out like this, I should seriously consider angering him more often. Well, let's not push him too far. I lay in his bed, gasping for air. It seemed that he was indeed emotionally unaffected, but he certainly showed me who was in charge.

"But you still need to be careful," he said, stroking my sweaty back. I looked at him bewildered. "Because of Saphir. I still couldn't figure out where he's hiding. It's certain that he's still alive, and since he knows you're not insignificant to me, it's possible that he still intends to seek revenge." Damn it, I had almost managed to forget about that deranged brother. "You really worry about me, don't you?" A broad grin appeared on his face, and he winked at me. "Of course, there aren't many women who can keep up with you." I sat up a bit to get a better look at him. "But please explain to me once again, if I'm not insignificant to you and you knew about Seiya, why is it okay for you? It doesn't quite make sense in my head." There it was again, that indescribable expression on his face.

"Usagi, it's quite simple. I want to continue having fun with you. I'm just not made for anything more than that, and you know it. If it makes you happy to do that whole couple thing with the other guy, then go ahead. But be honest with me from now on, or you'll get to know a different side of me." His eyes flickered again.

Then Mamoru crossed my mind. Should I lay all the cards on the table, since we were already at it? Well, I had to figure out my own path with him first. I didn't even know what secret he was keeping from me. No, I'll tell Diamond as soon as I know how I'll proceed myself.