Twilight Requiem

You Prepare, I Prepare

Celestino let out a tight smile after hearing what Nyx said.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

Nyx looked at the steaming tea in front of her.

“I think I am. I am tired of living like a servant in my own home. I wasn’t treated fairly, and if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have anything on my back.” Nyx paused and looked at the man sitting in front of him.

“Nicola, I am willing to help you in any way possible, but I need to make sure that you are a hundred percent sure about your decision. You are moving out of the house that your mother left for you, and the family you grew up with.”

Celestino spoke, and Nyx frowned.

“They never treated me as family,” she responded.

Celestino looked at her intently.

“Nicola, your mother loved you so much. I wonder if she has foreseen what could happen if she were to die early,” he said, and Nyx looked at him, as if she were realizing that Celestino knows more about her mother.

“You know a lot about my mother, and I feel like it's beyond being colleagues. Also, looking at you right now, you are not just a lawyer,”

Nyx said, glancing at the bodyguards standing behind him, and it made Celestino smile.

“As expected of Niana’s daughter. You see a lot and are very observant,” he said.

Then Celestino heaved a deep breath and spoke.

“Yes, you are right. There is more to it, but this is not the right time for you to know about those things. For now, let us focus on what you want,” he told her, and Nyx nodded in understanding.

“If you want to move out, do you have a plan? Where would you go? Are you going to college? And most importantly, when will you move out?”

Celestino asked the questions, and Nyx looked down at the teacup in front of her.

“I… I am not really sure,” she blurted.

“I don’t really have a concrete plan right now; all I want is to get away from here as soon as possible before they take everything that I have and all of me.”

Celestino looked at her and sighed.

“Alright. This is what I need you to do,” he started, and Nyx looked at him.

“Start packing little things, important things. Don’t make any movements that will raise their suspicions. Let them think that everything is okay, that all is going according to what they want. You prepare, so anytime you need to go, you can go,” he continued.

Nyx nodded.

“Got it,”

“For now, we prepare and don’t make it obvious,” Celestino added.

“Okay, but how about the house. It's my mother’s, I can’t let them have what my mom left me,”

Nyx said, and then Celestino snorted.

“That tiny little house? Please, you can give it away or sell it, your mother won’t mind,” he said, and Nyx was confused.

“What? What do you mean?” she asked.

“Let’s just say, your mom is smart enough to make sure you will be taken care of. Anyway, I will make some preparations while you do yours. I will stay for a couple of days since I have some business to take care of. Call me if you need anything.”

Celestino paused and then looked her in the eye.

“And I mean anything, whatever tough spot you are in, and if you are in need of help, tell me, call me. I will take care of it.”

He spoke, and Nyx nodded.

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

After they spoke, Nyx left first to meet with her friends in Eugenie’s place. When she got there, she was immediately bombarded with questions regarding her stay in Sofia and the man she met there.

Eugenie and Bello pressed Nyx for more details, and Nyx had no choice but to spill everything, including how she left the man in bed the morning after they spent the whole night together.

“Wow, just wow,” Eugenie said in disbelief.

“You just pulled a disappearing female lead act on the poor guy,” Bello added, and Nyx gave them a deadpan look.

“I have a flight to catch,” Nyx reasoned.

“Yeah, but you could have left your name and contact details instead of the cold, nonchalant note saying, thank you… You had fun. Like, who does that?”

Eugenie stressed.

“Exactly. The guy must have been hurt by that. He was so into you, and you left him. He could be some hotshot CEO who was destined to sweep you off your feet and save you from your current life,” Bello said.

Nyx sighed and responded.

“If we are destined to meet again, we will meet again. And when that happens, I will apologize for leaving. As for him, he is someone who will take me out of misery, also known as my current living arrangement, thanks, but I don’t need him to do it for me. I will do it myself.”

Both Eugenie and Bello looked at her and clapped their hands.

“There’s my strong, independent girl,” he said.

“Uh-huh,”

Eugenie mumbled, and then she remembered something.

“Are you really not going to Edward’s party?” she asked.

Bello looked at Eugenie and then at Nyx.

“You are invited to the party?” he asked, and then Eugenie leaned closer to him and spoke.

“He personally invited her,”

Bello’s mouth gaped, and then he looked at Nyx.

“What? You should go. We should go,” he told her.

Nyx huffed.

“I don’t want to,” she said.

“Boohoo. We’re going,”

Bello said, with finality in his voice.

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

In the end, Nyx was dragged to the party by her friends.

The party is in full swing when they arrive at Edward’s house. People are drinking and smoking on the porch, and when they enter the house, more people are drinking, and couples are making out in all corners.

“I can't believe I let you two drag me to this place,” Nyx grumbled.

“You can grumble all you want, but at least enjoy the booze and food,” Bello said, dragging the girls to where the drinks and food are.

While Bello and Eugenie are getting drinks, Nyx just stood there, not feeling the vibe around her, especially since she has been feeling really unwell. Since she woke up that morning, she felt a splitting headache and felt queasy all day.

“Come and get your drinks,” Eugenie told Nyx.

Before Nyx could decline, Edward appeared from behind her, holding a red plastic cup.

“Nicola, you came,” he said, smiling.

Nyx looked at him, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

“They made me come,” she replied, running her fingers through her hair.

Edward glanced at Nyx’s friends and mumbled a thanks before looking at Nyx again.

“Here. Have a drink,” he said, giving the cup he was holding to Nyx.

When she just looked at it, Edward placed the cup in her hand.

“It's just beer,” he said.

“I –“

Before Nyx could finish what she was about to say, Natalia approached her.

“What are you doing here?” Natalia asked, glaring at her stepsister, but Nyx just gave her a bored look.

“I heard there’s free booze,” she replied.

Natalia rolled her eyes before glaring at Nyx again.

“I saw you talking to Edward. Stay away from him; he is mine,” she hissed.

Nyx then scoffed.

“For the record, he approached me and spoke to me. I am not interested in him, so you can have him for all I care,” she told her.

Natalia snorted.

“If I were you, you leave this party. Go home and do some cleaning,” she paused and then took a step closer to Nyx.

“You should look after your things and clean. If you don’t, then my mom would think your things are trash and throw them out. It's garbage day tomorrow.”

Natalia added, her voice taunting Nyx.

“I think I saw some important-looking envelopes on your desk.”

Natalia smirked.

Nyx’s eyes widened as she remembered the college acceptance letters she received that morning. Nyx then glared at Natalia, as her fists curled into a ball.

“I should go,” Nyx said, and then she turned around and ran out of the house.

Eugenie and Bello called out to her while Natalia was giggling as she joined her friends. Once Nyx was out of the house, she remembered that she had come there with her friends, and they had come in a cab.

Now she has no ride to get home, so she decided to go home on foot, and she has taken a shortcut that goes through the small patch of forest at the back of Edward’s house.

Unknown to Nyx at that time, Edward and his friends were on the second-floor balcony, and they saw her go through the woods.

“It's showtime, boys,” Edward said, and his friends cheered him before he climbed down the balcony and followed Nyx.

Back inside the house, Eugenie then turned towards Natalia, who was still giggling with her friends.

“You are such a b***h, you know that?” she hissed.

Natalia looked at her.

“Whatever,” she responded with a smirk before turning to her friends, giggling.

Bello scowled, and then he grabbed a cup filled with beer. Then he grabbed Natalia’s shoulder, forcing her to face him.

“Fvck you, barbie b***h,” he spat, throwing the drink into Natalia’s face.

Everyone around reacted when they saw what Bello did while Natalia hysterically screeched because of her beer-drenched self. Eugenie and Bello smirked before turning around and leaving the house to follow Nyx.