Every Glass I Shattered
1139 Words
*Kael's Pov*
I shouldn't have come.
I didn't want to come. I hated these events, the fake smiles, the endless conversations.
Five years ago, Aurelia used to drag me to events like this. Five years ago I would have endured all of it because she was beside me.
Now? I usually found excuses not to attend. Tonight should have been no different yet here I was because of her once again or rather because of the woman I just saw run in here.
She was sitting near the champagne tower pretending she wasn't completely bored. My eyes found her quickly, they always did.
It was becoming a problem, a serious problem.
She was wearing a dark blue dress that caught the light every time she moved. Her hair fell one one shoulder, and even from across the room I could see the irritation on her face when another guest attempted to start a conversation she clearly had no interest in.
Exactly the way Aurelia used to look when she wanted everyone to leave her alone.
Beautiful. The word came out of my mouth before I could even stop it. She looked extremely beautiful tonight.
I tightened my grip around my glass. This was getting ridiculous. Every day I found another similarity between them. Another reason to believe the impossible.
And everyday she looked at me like I was insane. Maybe I was but I knew she was my Aurelia.
A movement near the entrance pulled my attention away. It was Celeste.
Of course, she was making her way toward me again. I mentally prepared myself.
“Kael.”
I nodded politely. “Celeste.”
She smiled. “I haven't seen you all night.”
“You have.”
Her smile faltered slightly.
“I meant properly.”
I took a sip from my drink. “Then you've seen me.”
For some reason the answer didn't seem to satisfy her. A few seconds later she moved closer, too close.
Her hand landed slightly on my arm. I resisted the urge to smile.
Across the room, Aurelia accepted another drink from a waiter. My eyes immediately followed the movement and when I looked back Celeste was staring at me.
Then following my line of sight straight towards Aurelia. “She seems comfortable.” Celeste's voice sounded casual which meant she was fishing.
“Who?”
“Eliora.”
“I suppose.”
The answer clearly irritated her. “She's certainly getting a lot of attention.” she said.
I didn't bother responding because at that exact moment someone else had entered the ballroom.
And Aurelia's face immediately brightened. It was Adrian and for some reason my stomach dropped.
Why did the i***t come here? He looked exactly the same as always. Relaxed, calm and infuriatingly charming.
He spotted Aurelia almost immediately then started walking toward her. I watched the entire thing happen, watched him say something, watched her laugh, actually laughed.
Not the forced smiles she usually gave me, a real laugh, the kind that reached her eyes. Something unpleasant twisted in my chest, I didn't like it, not one bit.
“Kael.”
I blinked.
Celeste was still talking, unfortunately.
“What?”
She stared at me.
“You weren't listening.”
“No.”
“I noticed.”
“Good.”
At least we agreed on something. Across the room, Adrian and Aurelia were now talking near the windows.
She looked relaxed, comfortable and natural like she'd known him for years. She'd barely met him yet somehow Adrian had achieved in a single day what I'd failed to achieve in weeks.
Got her to lower her guard, and hated that realisation. I absolutely hated it.
“You're staring.” Celeste sounded amused.
“Any problem?” I looked away immediately.
“You know that's not Aurelia right?” She said probably trying to convince herself because she didn't sound so sure.
“She is.” I simply said and ignored her completely.
Because Adrian had just made Aurelia laugh again. God! What was so funny?
A waiter appeared beside me carrying another tray of champagne. I grabbed a glass then another, then another then I just kept on going.
I grabbed another glass but it wasn't for me.
I crossed the ballroom before I could talk myself out of it. Aurelia noticed me first and her expression immediately became irritated.
“What do you want?”
I held out a drink.
She blinked. “What?”
“You finished yours.”
For a second she looked genuinely confused then she slowly accepted the glass.
“...thank you?”
The words sounded painful. Adrian looked between us, his expression was unreadable which annoyed me more.
“What were you people talking about?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it.
Aurelia immediately narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“No reason.”
“Then why ask?”
“Because I wanted to know.”
Because she hadn't smiled like that around me. Because every time Adrian looked at her, I remembered all the reasons I'd never trust him around Aurelia.
None of those answers were acceptable so I simply shrugged. Aurelia rolled her eyes then turned back towards Adrian and just like that I was dismissed.
Then after a while she spoke. “Adrian was just telling me about the time he accidentally locked himself inside a courthouse archive room.”
I stared. Adrian sighed. “It happened once.”
She laughed again. I hated that story, I hated that laugh at that moment.
And judging by the amused look Adrian was trying to hide, he knew it.
The bastard.
Before I could respond, Celeste appeared beside me once more persistently.
Her hand immediately slipped through my arm, my jaw tightened and Aurelia noticed.
For a second, our eyes met then she looked away.
Why did that bother me? It shouldn't yet it did far more than it should have.
The rest of the evening became torture, Celeste refused to leave my side claiming it was for investors. Adrian refused to leave Aurelia's.
And everything I looked across the room the two of them seemed to be talking, laughing and enjoying themselves.
By the time another hour passed, my patience was hanging by a thread. Then Adrian leaned closer to Aurelia and whispered something.
Whatever it was made her burst out laughing, my grip tightened around my glass too hard.
A crack appeared, I stared at it then slowly set the glass down before I shattered it completely.
Across the room, Aurelia was still smiling and Adrian was still standing beside her and suddenly I realised I was done pretending none of this bothered me.
Completely done because one thing had become painfully clear that the more those two spent together the less I liked it.
- Writer
