Deal
1098 Words
**Nia's Point of View**
Khiron was quiet for a moment, swirling the wine in his glass. Then he looked up at me with those green eyes that seemed to see straight through every wall I'd ever built.
"Am I speaking with a murderer right now?" he asked, his tone casual.
I felt my stomach drop. "What?"
"Simple question." He took a sip of his wine. "Did you kill someone that night?"
"No," I answered quickly, maybe too quickly. "No, I didn't kill anyone."
"Then I don't need to know the details." He set his glass down and leaned back in his chair. "Whatever you did, whoever you were there for, that's your business. I'm not interested in judging you or getting involved in your problems."
I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious or if this was some kind of test.
"You're not... curious?" I asked slowly.
"Of course I'm curious." He smiled slightly. "But I'm also smart enough to know that some questions are better left unasked. Especially when the person across from me is clearly running from something and doesn't need someone else digging into their past."
There was something almost kind in the way he said it. Like he understood what it meant to want to leave things behind.
I found myself relaxing slightly, the tension I'd been carrying in my shoulders easing just a fraction.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"For what?"
"For not asking. For not pushing either."
He nodded. "Everyone deserves a fresh start, Niamh. Whatever happened before you got on that plane, it's in the past now. You get to decide who you want to be going forward."
I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe that it could be that simple.
We finished our wine in comfortable silence, and when Khiron paid the bill, he waved off my attempt to contribute without even looking at the amount.
"My invitation, my bill," he stated firmly.
The same car was waiting outside when we left the restaurant. Khiron opened the door for me, and I slid inside, expecting him to get in on the other side.
But he didn't.
He leaned down to speak through the open door instead. "The driver will take you back to your hotel. I have some things to take care of tonight."
"Oh." I felt a strange pang of disappointment that I immediately pushed down. "Alright."
"I'll call you tomorrow," he added, that small smile playing at his lips again.
"You don't have to."
"I know." He straightened up and tapped the roof of the car twice. "Goodnight, Niamh."
The driver pulled away from the curb, and I turned to look out the back window. Khiron was still standing there on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, watching the car disappear into London traffic.
Back at the hotel, I changed into my comfortable clothes and climbed into bed, expecting to lie awake for hours replaying the evening in my mind.
But instead, I found myself smiling. like some stupid teenager who'd just had her first date.
The food had been incredible. The wine had been perfect. And Khiron had been... charming. Funny. Interesting in a way I hadn't expected.
I'd enjoyed myself.
Really, genuinely enjoyed myself.
Then I caught myself and the smile dropped from my face immediately.
No. Absolutely not.
I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to fall for another man. Not after Caspian. Not after everything that had happened.
I'd spent five years loving someone who didn't love me back, who'd chosen my cousin over me, who'd humiliated me in the worst possible way. I'd finally gotten free of that nightmare, and I wasn't about to walk straight into another one.
Khiron was charming, yes. But charm meant nothing. Caspian had been charming too, in the beginning. Before Isla. Before everything fell apart.
I rolled over and pulled the covers up to my chin, forcing myself to stop thinking about those green eyes.
Tomorrow I would ignore his call. I would keep my distance. I would remember why I was here in the first place.
To start over. Alone.
That resolution lasted exactly twelve hours.
The next morning, my phone rang while I was having breakfast in my room. Unknown number, but I already knew who it was before I answered.
"Good morning," Khiron's voice came through, warm and entirely too awake for this early in the day.
"How did you sleep?"
"Fine," I lied, because I'd actually spent half the night tossing and turning.
There was amusement in his tone. "I'm downstairs. Come have coffee with me."
"I'm having breakfast."
"So bring it down. Or I'll come up there."
"You can't just..."
"Fifth floor, room 517. Should I come up or are you coming down?"
I sat up straight, nearly spilling my coffee. "How do you know my room number?"
"I own the hotel, remember? Now stop stalling and come downstairs. I promise I don't bite."
He hung up before I could argue.
I stared at my phone, torn between anger at his presumption and something else I didn't want to examine too closely.
Ten minutes later, I found myself in the hotel lobby, wearing jeans and a sweater, my short hair pulled back in a very short ponytail.
Khiron was sitting in one of the armchairs near the windows, looking completely at ease in dark pants and a casual button down shirt. He smiled when he saw me approaching.
"There she is."
"This is harassment," I informed him, but I sat down in the chair across from him anyway.
"Is it? I thought it was persistence." He gestured to the coffee table between us where two cups of coffee were already waiting. "I got you a latte. If you prefer something else, just say the word."
I picked up the latte, took a sip, and hated that it was exactly how I liked it.
"What do you want, Khiron?"
"I want to show you the city properly. Not the tourist version. The real London." He leaned forward slightly. "Come on, Niamh. You're already here. You're already dressed. What else do you have planned for today?"
"I was going to..."
"Wander around by yourself? Sit in cafes alone? Go back to your room and order room service?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or you could spend the day with someone who actually knows this city and can show you things you'd never find on your own."
He was right and I hated it.
"One day," I relented. "And then you really do leave me alone."
"Deal."
- Writer
