Masquerades

Chapter 20 (Part 1)

“You made the right decision,” Arcane smiled wider.

She saw that he was about to reach for her hand, but she immediately took a step back. She then looked around and glanced at the other five. Declan is busy with his phone, playing some mobile game, and seemingly not bothered by what was happening. Knox and Hunter are having a silent conversation while eating. Jada is also eating while reading something on her phone.

Maisie was the only one who was actually interested in her, as she met her eyes when she glanced in her direction. The girl hesitatingly smiled, and she returned it with a tight-lipped one before looking back at Arcane.

“But I have conditions as well.”

A look of interest instantly masked the guy’s face as he shrugged. “Let’s hear them.”

“I will still eat lunch with my best friends, and I heard you don’t do PE, so I will do it with Class B.”

It’s a well-known fact among the students that the six play either polo, baseball or ice hockey (only the boys) every weekend and the school considers that as their ‘PE.’ Besides, Arcane’s consecutive wins at chess tournaments made them exempted from having PE classes.

“Not a problem with me,” Arcane eventually replied.

“I will not be officially announced as a member of Masquerades because I am not the real Calista Song, and when the real one finally arrives, you will silently let me go.”

“Why are you so hell-bent on denying it?” He tilted his head, smirking. “Do you know that the more you deny it, the more I am convinced that you are actually the real one. What’s your motive, Alice? Are you doing this to punish me for what I’ve done to you?”

That nickname again. Can he stop?

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that? Why are you so hell-bent on believing that I am the real one? Weren’t you mad at me for having the same name as your ex-fiancée just last week?” Damn, it actually feels like all of that happened last year. This guy’s sudden change in attitude makes it hard to believe that a couple of days have passed. He never even showed any regret. “What’s with this change of heart, huh? As if you didn’t cause me a bruised rib and some cuts on my hand from jumping out the window and risking my life on that staircase.”

Now, she finally saw remorse in his eyes. So does it only take a few reminders for him to feel the guilt? She should have also included her heightened phobia of snakes. She used to be okay with seeing photos of those slithering reptiles, but now, even looking at the 2D images scares the s**t out of her.

“That’s why I want to do something for you to forgive me,” he once again tried to reach for her hand, and this time, she actually let him. It’s too late to step back.

“You sure are not doing it right. You've just kept annoying me since this morning,” she coldly stated. “From hugging me without my consent, to suddenly joining my class… and now you want me to be a part of your little elite crew – which I will only do because you literally blackmailed me. How can I even consider forgiving you?”

“I admit I made a huge mistake.” And he had the nerve to act all sad now? As if he’s a kid who’s being reprimanded for being naughty. Well he is, at least his actions last week were something a mere kid would do. Just because something didn’t go his way, he made other people suffer.

Cali was about to reply when their companions suddenly stood up, as Knox coughed. “We’ll… let you two talk.”

After Arcane nodded, the five eventually left, but it didn’t escape her eyes when Declan glanced at their hands and teasingly smiled. She hurriedly tried to pull hers away, but the devil held it tighter, earning a nasty glare from her.

“From now on, I’ll ask you first before doing anything.”

This made her eyebrows raise, “let’s start by releasing my hand, shall we?”

Arcane sheepishly smiled and let go of the said hand. “And I’m sorry… for everything. It wasn’t the first time someone tried to impersonate Calista. It has happened many times, actually.”

She frowned, really? But it was known she was dead all this time. Would someone still have the guts to do that even though they knew she was dead? That’s weird.

“They must’ve found out I never believed that she was dead, and I’m kinda desperate to find her.”

“Why?”

He looked up, “what do you mean why?”

“Why are you so desperate to find her?”

He suddenly looked confused, “of course I am, she’s my fiancée.”

“But I heard… it was all pre-arranged. You never met her. You don’t really love her, marrying her is just your obligation as an heir.”

He suddenly stood up, causing her to take a step back once again. The guy’s stare became fierce, as if he just heard something foul. Then in a blink of an eye, the sharpness in his gaze gradually softened… maybe because he finally remembered who was in front of him.

“I never planned to marry her out of obligation.”

A simple statement that held so many meaning, Calista froze hearing it and found herself trapped between him and the table – his arms on either side of her.

Their faces were only a mere inch away from each other when Arcane vulnerably whispered; “I met her… once, my Alice. Even though she didn’t know, I was there. I’ve always been there.”