The absconded

Virginia

"Thank God." He sighed, I opened my eyes to look at him and when I did my heart melted, confusing me at the same time. There was a marathon of emotion going on in my head and my subconscious was the commentator, she made sure I was listening to everything she weighed, I couldn't just ignore it.

Lone tear escaped his left eye, biting my lower lip. I wiped his tears as he leaned in my touch, I wanted to ask him why he's crying but I knew he wanted his space so I gave it to him. What confused me more was he still remembered me after five years, why?

He said he's been looking for me, why? Did he by any chance get to know about our daughter? We both were fighting with the silence, his head hung low, it seemed he was trying to deal with something inside him and I was contemplating between whether or not to tell him about Lilith.

"Are you hungry?" I blurted out before I could even rethink it, he opened his eyes and held his head high, holding my eyes. His eyes held so much emotions I felt like hiding somewhere in the corner and crying my eyes out.

Really, I wanted to comfort him but had no idea how to, the worse was I couldn't even tell him how bad I felt for him at the moment, no one ever pritorised me, no goddamn one. My mother died and left me with the monster who did everything in his power to make my life miserable, there was not a single moment I felt like ending my life. 

There was everything, from blades to razors to sharp knives and even poison in the bathroom for some absurd reason, but the guilt ate me, what if I don't succeed? What if even after taking the poison or cutting myself so that I'd bleed out doesn't work? I had a brief idea how my stepfather would beat me and torment me after that.

Back at home when I was staying him after a year he sold the television, my stepfather's excuse was that i was spoiled rotten because of the stupid television, I cried, begged him not to, but he had nothing of me. He sold it anyway and got him liquor from that money. 

I hated sometimes what happened with my mother, like she was or God was punishing me for sins I've never even committed, for years I was tormented, just because my mother thought I would be better off with a man who drank and beat the s**t out of me.

"Virginia." The way he took my name made my knees weak. I wanted to jump on his nerves and have my way with him, how can someone possibly be so perfect? How?

I guess it's just with men? Or is it actually the saying 'beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder?' I'll never know, but I plan on finding out.

"Are you?" I bit my lip again, his close proximity was too much for me, I felt as though I couldn't breathe or I can't think rational thoughts, and it's just what? Less than an hour I met him?

"If it's not a problem." He nodded, I clasped my hand nervously walking past him directly towards the kitchen, with my peripheral vision I saw my book and the glass of wine on the coffee table and sighed.

Don't you just hate it when you're reading a really nice book and you're actually engrossed in the book, those characters, the scene which you're reading and someone calls you for something which they can do without your help but no, they just call you and ruin your concentration.

Same.

But here for once I didn't feel like punching the person square in their face, I rather was relieved, maybe telling him about his daughter would not be that bad.

'You have to judge his genuineness, don't forget that, criteria...remember your criteria..' I reminded myself but that sounded so fake to my ears, I actually chuckled pulling out the pasta sauce I made the other day.

"Bolognese good with you?" I peered my eyes up from the booking water to look at him, I would've made fresh pasta but I had a feeling I would mess it up, the flour is everywhere and right now me covered in flour while making pasta is the last thing I want him to see.

"Yeah...you...ar...want me to help?" He asked, scratching his neck.

"No. Mind if I ask you something?" I emptied the packet of pasta in the boiling water and stirred it so it wouldn't stick.

"Ask away." 

"Shouldn't we women get all jumpy and nervous and make the conversation awkward when we meet for the first time, right now you're making the conversation awkward by not talking...." I trailed off.

"Sexist much." He smirked. 

"I knew you would say that." We both burst out laughing, I wiped my hand with the kitchen towel and walked to the left where I usually store cheese, away from Lilith.

"But seriously." I turned around to see him stirring the sauce from the other side of the island, I quickly took two steps and checked if the sauce was burning, it wasn't.

"To be honest..I'm actually trying to maintain my impression here, and it's not the first time I'm nervous around you." He breathed and moaned when the fragrance of sauce hit his nose.

"Shut up!" I screeched. I couldn't believe I made him nervous, shouldn't that be other way round?

"I'm serious, that night when I ordered you shots and you asked the bartender as to who ordered it and he pointed towards me, I swear I skipped my heartbeat when you turned around and our eyes met." He chuckled, probably remembering that night.

"Wow...that's a lot to take in." I turned around for plates and cutlery, I already knew there weren't plates behind but I needed to blush so I turned around and smiled widely.

"I guess the pasta is done, you want me to check?" He asked from behind and I turned around quickly, almost tripping over air in process.

"You okay?" He looked concerned, I nodded, taking the hold of the tong and twirling the pasta, I looked at the sauce and took some pasta in the tong putting it in the pan, it made sizzling noise and some sauce drops landed outside the pan.

"Yeah...cool..umm...garlic bread?" I asked, twirling pasta with sauce and plating our food, I saw him getting up from the barstool and making his way towards me, I frowned. 

"I'll help, where are the ingredients?" He asked looking around the room, I chuckled at how cute he looked, sure he wore a hard suit like those in movies but information he disclosed was something.

"Why don't you remove your suit jacket and then help? Here I'll help," I kept the plate down, wiping my hand with the kitchen towel so I don't end up ruining his expensive clothing. I made my way towards him.

He held his hands and I helped him out of his jacket, "open the refrigerator there is garlic butter in a yellow bowl." I directed and hung his jacket on the couch.

I hope he doesn't mind, I mean I know many men who are very decent with their jackets, being a waitress I've witnessed many men bullshitting about their jackets when we ask it from them, I vaguely remember an intern asked the suit jacket from one of the customer who was there for an important meeting, don't even get me started on the way he lectured that poor intern who was actually just doing his job.

"Hey..hey...Virginia." he snapped his fingers in front of me holding the yellow bowl filled with garlic butter and wrapped with plastic wrap.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, making him nod, "so?" He held the bowl, I chuckled.

"You really want to help, don't you." I said walking past him and taking out the bread which I baked for me and Lilith last night, my chest tightened on the mention of Lilith.

"Yeah..you don't want me in your kitchen? I know women can be a little mad about stepping in their kitchen and doing stuff not their way, I've learned from my mother." His eyes flickered at the mention of his mother.

"No, you're all cool with me." I assured him and sliced the bread in half, asking him to butter it up and putting it in the oven to toast a bit.

"You actually can cook miss!" He moaned covering his mouth, I chuckled remembering how Lilith talks with her mouth full, like father like daughter.

"I never liked cooking but I had to learn to save my life, there was this one time when I was fourteen and my mother asked me to chop her onions, God did I cry that day, I literally swore I would never step inside the kitchen, but I guess life had other plans for me." I laughed dryly, I miss her so much.

"Where are your parents? If you don't mind." He took a sip of red wine, I paid close attention to his features, sharp jawline, his brown eyes which were enough for anyone in their right and wrong mind to drown and fall in love with, his short brown hair, he was perfect.

"I don't know about my father, my mother died when I was fifteen, my stepfather...I don't know.." I shrugged, taking some pasta and putting it in my mouth to avoid that topic.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly and put his much larger hand on mine small one, his hand was warm and it sent tingles all over my body.

"Don't be, you didn't know." I nodded, I wanted to tell something more, but I didn't.

I parted my lips to say the words but as he said, "Hey, I don't want you to think you've let a strange man inside your house with whom you had s*x with years ago, so ask me questions." He said without taking his eyes off the plate. 

"Hey, no. Don't think that, we both are strangers to each other." I muttered, sadly.

"Okay," he looked up. 

"Okay." I nodded, smiling.

For a few minutes we both kept our eyes on the plate, I had so many questions but I knew something for a fact that if I started it would be difficult, almost impossible to shut up.

"Since you aren't asking, I'll give away information." I shrugged.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, glancing at me he continued,  

"That night, I had a gala to attend but instead I came to the club to blow off some steam, not sexually." His eyes widened, thinking I'd think of him as some p*****t.

Pervert can be a criteria. My inner goddess nodded pushing her black reading glasses and marking something on a big notepad.

Isn't a p*****t. Check.

"I…" he trailed off setting his fork down, a wave of disappointment crossed his face. I just knew.

"What?" I asked.

He stretched his lips and then shook his head.

"Tell me." I pressed.

"I...when I didn't see you that morning beside me, ahem...My heart sank, I was so hurt." His voice cracked in the end.

"Magnus…" I whispered.

"No, I mean we were practically strangers, but when we went to bed I expected to wake up with you in my arms, I wanted to know you better, you didn't give me a chance." 

"I know this absolutely doesn't make up for what I did, but it wasn't you. I was going through hell and I needed to get out of the city before cops were behind me." I finished.

"Are you a criminal?" Like a teenage girl he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, a smile broke on my face and I arched my brow. 

"Yes, seven murders, three half murders." I said with a straight face. Magnus squirmed in his seat but kept nodding, "yeah, we can...we can work with that, yeah…" he kept on mumbling.

"I'd understand if you walk out of that door and never look back, I would." I exhaled sadly, wrapping my hands around the glass of water I took two big sips.

The look on his face was adorable, he was thinking hard, and the silly part was he was buying my crap..

"I still want to know you, and I respect whatever you do, or did." He tilted his head, he poured him some water in his glass and gulped down the whole glass.

"You did. Right?" He emphasized.

"I do." I blinked.

"Sure, I mean.. alright." He sat the glass down pouring him some more water, I saw him gulp down the second glass of water. 

"Jeez, if you drink one more glass of water I'll do something that I shouldn't," I mumbled, widening my eyes.

"Oh...I'm sorry, it's...sorry." he kept the glass down and intertwined his hands on the table playing with his thumbs. 

"Are you wanted then?" He asked, his voice strangely calm.

"What? No!!" I cringed.

"You're underground then, you know low key.."

"Calm down, jeez…" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just wanna help." He shrugged.

"Yeah I'm not wanted buddy, I'm clearly messing with you."  I sighed.

"Oh God." His hand went to his chest.

"s**t I almost lost it, I was thinking of ways to help you…" he finished.

"You wish." I chuckled.

"No wanted criminal then."

"No wanted criminal." I repeated him, holding his gaze. 

"What were you trying to ask me before?" He asked after quite a while.

"Nothing." I shook my head.

"What is it?" He stared in my eyes, his eyes never leaving mine, how did he know? I pondered.

"It's nothing." I waved my hand in the air and took the hold of my wine and took a sip, I saw him through the glass looking at me with the most genuine yet stern expression.

"I feel like we're long lost friends meeting after an eternity catching up on things we left out." I chuckled, within seconds his demeanour changed and he tensed, did I say something wrong? Now his eyes held no emotions, there was no warmth in his eyes I was talking about.

"Are you okay?" I asked when I saw him playing with his pasta, why isn't he eating?

"I'm good." He gave a tight smile and completed his food with three big bites, he gulped down his wine and got up, his hand left mine and I felt cold suddenly.

I turned around from the chair of the dining table and saw him washing his utensils and wiping hand with the tissues, he made his way towards me and sat beside me and waited for me to complete my meal, with the last bite and two more sips of wine I was done for the night, I got up and washed my utensils and wiped my hands.

"You want a tour?" I asked hoping he would agree and we could spend some more time and maybe I could ask him the reason behind him acting so strange.

"Sure." He got up and waited for me to lead the way.

"The kitchen you've already seen and so do living, wanna go up and see the rest?" I asked fiddling with my fingers, an act of nervousness.

"Sure." That was the last nerve he jumped on, I pushed him against the dining table and trapped him between me and the edge of the table, mind you the attempt was good because I'm literally half his size, sure I'm tall but not as strong as him.

"What?" He asked, perplexed. 

"Just tell me what is eating you, one minute you were all bubbly and now you're acting like a heartless person who doesn't give s**t about anything, just tell me and we'll be fine." I said in one breath, that broke a smile on his handsome face and I felt like screaming for accomplishing it.

"We're more than friends Virginia, I don't see you as my friend, I've been looking for you since the day you left me, and now that I've found you, you make me your friend." He calmly stated, looking in my eyes.

What am I supposed to say? Hell somebody tell me how am I supposed to react, I'm pretty sure my jaw is on the floor, five years, he's been looking for me, and we knew each other for what? One night?

"Don't stress yourself, it's a lot to process I know, you still up for the tour?" He gestured with his thumb towards the stairs.

"Yeah...come.." I sighed, he was trailing behind me, but the strange thing was I didn't feel his eyes on my ass, rather I felt it on my head, my shoulder, and now for some odd reason I'm feeling guilty because he hasn't done anything which would make me doubt his genuineness, he hasn't even touched me.

I showed him my room and then we walked in the hallways towards Lilith's bedroom, this is it I thought, may be I should just ask him if he's seeing someone, I mean even if he is then it won't make any difference, it's not that he's going to take her away from me, I don't think so he would do such a cruel thing.

"Mind if I ask something again?" I smiled glancing at him, he smiled nodding.

"Are...are You seeing someone? Or by chance married? Which I know you're not." I bit my lip looking ahead.

"This might make you think I'm creep or I'm joking but I wasn't able to touch a woman in these years, does that give you your answer?" He looked straight in my eyes.

"Do...you have any medical problems?" I'm prying, I'm prying, don't do it, men really don't like someone prying in their life 

He looked at me seriously and I was just about to open the door of Lilith's room and he burst out laughing, he held his stomach and laughed, he leaned on the wall and laughed like I've cracked the most funny joke, he saw there was no reaction from me so he stood straight and did his sleeves, don't you just like men who roll their sleeves up so their efforts in gym shows out, damn. 

"No darling, I don't have any medical issues, it's you, you've been in my mind since that night, I see your image and that doesn't allow me to go to any other woman or person in that matter, that's the reason I've been looking for you." He seemed to tell the truth, there was no hesitation or he wasn't thinking and talking like people do when they lie, he was just speaking his heart out.

I opened the room and he followed me. There was this big picture above Lilith's bed of us, we took that picture recently, she saw it in one of her friend's houses and she wanted to be with me too.

"Who is she?" He asked, I turned around to see he had a frame in his hand with lilith's picture on it, he looked at her closely, his eyes never left her face, he was figuring something out.

"Sit, I want you to know something." I didn't wait for him, I took a hold of his warm hand and dragged him to Lilith's queen size bed, her room is all purple, she's obsessed with that colour.

"She's our daughter Magnus." 

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