Twilight Requiem

Not a Servant

Nyx took a shower after unpacking everything. After a shower and while drying her body, she noticed several hickeys on her chest. They are the reminder left of the heated night she had with a stranger, a very handsome and capable stranger.

It made Nyx think if she did the right thing by leaving him in bed, without anything, just a note that she had fun. She wonders if it was the right thing to do, cold but necessary.

What happened that night is something she will forever treasure in her memory. Because that night, she gave away her virginity to someone whom she may never see again, a total stranger who made her heart race the moment their eyes met in that bar.

She then shook her head and decided to forget about him and forget about it ever happened.

The next day, Nyx went out of her room to have breakfast, but as soon as she got to the kitchen, she was greeted by her stepmother’s slap.

“How dare you leave the house and go to god knows where without even telling us?!” Elaine hissed as Natalia smirked while sipping her orange juice.

Nyx cupped her stinging cheek and looked at her stepmother.

“I just took that gift from my mother’s colleague. What’s wrong about that?” she replied.

“What’s wrong? You did not tell anyone in this house!”

Elaine spat, and Nyx looked at her intently.

“So, you can take my gift and give it to Natalia? Not a chance. It’s mine, so I used it,” she retorted.

Elaine gritted her teeth and grabbed Nyx’s shoulder.

“Natalia deserves that vacation more than you,” she said in a low voice.

Nyx pulled away from her hold and replied.

“Why? She didn’t even graduate.”

Nyx then smirked when her stepmother was taken aback. She then made her way to the table and sat down next to her little sister, Esther. She is her father and Elaine’s youngest daughter. Unlike Natalia, Esther is very sweet, and she loves Nyx very much. She is closer to her than to Natalia.

Nyx started eating her breakfast and even helped Esther eat hers. Elaine was still grumbling when she sat back next to Natalia. She took a sip of her coffee and then looked at Nyx.

“Nicola, I need you to clean the entire house and front lawn today. Your father is going to have his friends over tonight.” Elaine said.

Nyx looked at her stepmother.

“Just me? Why not make your lazy daughter help?” she responded, and Natalia gawked at her, surprised by what she said.

“Natalia and I will be going out today, shopping. So, the chores fall on your lazy bum,” Elaine told her.

Nyx arched her eyebrow and pointed her fork at Natalia.

“If I am a lazy bum who studies and works part-time, what do you call her? A sloth?”

Nyx said, infuriating Natalia, slamming her hand on the table.

“You b***h! You are this family’s slave, so you do all the work!” Natalia spat, but Nyx just snorted.

“Well, this slave owns the house you are currently living in. How about that?”

Natalia was about to speak, but her mother grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Just do what you are asked, Nicola. Your father is expecting everything to be spotless by tonight. Besides, I will be the one cooking dinner. You just have to clean the bloody house,” Elaine spoke.

Nyx looked at her.

“Fine. I’ll clean, but I suggest you order takeout. We don’t want to give our guests food poisoning,” Nyx said, smirking.

When Elaine had no comeback, she grabbed a bagel and got up from her seat. Esther, who was giggling, also got up from her seat and went with Nyx.

*******************************.

Nicola did what Elaine told her to do, cleaned the house, and made sure it was spotless. Little Esther also helped her with little things, and Nyx was glad that her little sister was not like her mother and sister.

When the night came, Nyx’s father’s guests arrived one by one. They praised their home for its cleanliness and how it felt warm and cozy. Elaine, who was playing host, greeted the guests, served them drinks while they lounged in the living room, as Nyx was busy unpacking the takeout food into the serving dishes.

After plating the food, Nyx took the dishes to the dining room, where she could see the view of the living room, where her father’s guests were. She recognized some of them as her father’s close friends, his best buddies from high school, and one of them had brought his son, and she knew him.

Edward.

He is her schoolmate and the popular midfielder of their school’s soccer team. Students, especially female students, may see Edward as God’s gift to mankind because he is handsome, came from a good family, talented in sports, and sweet, but Nyx knew that behind his façade was the real him, who was an asshole and a bully. Natalia has a huge crush on him, and Nyx thinks that they belong with each other.

Nyx must have been looking long enough as she noticed that Edward was looking her way with the annoying smirk he had as he walked the school hallways. Nyx looked away and finished preparing the table, just as Natalia came down from the stairs. When she saw Edward in the living room, she almost squealed like a banshee, making Nyx roll her eyes.

After Nyx was done with the table preparations, she called everyone for dinner. One by one, they all piled into the dining room and occupied each vacant seat at the table. But when Nyx was about to sit down, Natalia made Esther take the last available seat and looked at Nyx with a condescending smile.

“Sorry, the table’s full,” she said.

“You can eat in the kitchen,” George told Nyx, who just took a deep breath and nodded her head.

Nyx was used to that kind of treatment. No one in that family treated her like she belonged there, except for Esther. So, she made her way to the kitchen, and Edward’s eyes followed her. Nyx sighed loudly when she got to the kitchen and looked at the containers with little food in them. She just ate what she could and started cleaning up.

When she was washing the dishes, she suddenly felt lightheaded. She grabbed the edge of the sink to steady herself, but she still felt like her head was floating off her shoulders. She thought about how tired she was all day, and she had little food to eat.

Nyx then shook her head, trying to get her head to settle and finish what she was doing, but it seemed like her body had plans of its own. A wave of dizziness hit her, and at the same time, her knees gave out.

Next thing she knows, her back pressed against a muscular chest, and warm hands grabbed her arms, steadying her. Nyx turned around and was surprised to see Edward holding her. Nyx’s eyes widened, and she pulled away from him.

“W-What are you doing here?” she asked, turning off the faucet.

“I was looking for the loo,” Edward replied.

“It's not here. It’s the door next to the stairs,” she told him and turned away from him.

Edward remained standing there, looking at Nyx from behind. He was looking at her with a lewd expression that Nyx felt like the hair on the back of her neck was all standing.

“What are you doing?”

Nyx asked, turning around, facing Edward, who looked at her face.

“I have seen you in school, and I must say, you look more beautiful up close,” he answered.

Nyx gave him a bored look and responded.

“I don’t care what you are trying to say right now, the loo is by the stairs. I trust you don’t need a map to find it.”

Edward chuckled at her response.

“You are cold. You have always been so cold towards people in school; no wonder no one has ever asked you out. But I am not like them. You see…” he trailed, taking a step closer to her.

“I have my eyes on you for a while now, and I thought maybe you are just so focused on school that’s why you ignore all those guys trying to get your attention. But now that we are out of school, I think it's time for me to take a chance on you.” He said, and Nyx narrowed her eyes at him.

“What are you trying to say?” she asked.

“I am trying to ask you out on a date. Coffee or dinner, your choice,” he answered, smirking as if he knew that she would say yes.

Before Nyx could answer, Natalia came into the kitchen, and she was surprised to see how close Nyx and Edward were to each other.

“What is happening here?” she asked while smiling, but deep inside, she was seething with jealousy.

Nyx smirked.

“Yes, Edward. Natalia will definitely want to have a coffee date with you.”

Nyx spoke, looking at Edward, before pushing past him and leaving the kitchen. Natalia was grinning ear to ear, looking at Edward, who was shaking his head while smiling.