A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 13 - Tying The Knot

ALMOST 2 YEARS LATER

"What's for breakfast?" Nico is sauntering out of his bedroom, yawning and scratching his bare chest. He's sporting a bedhead and looks ridiculous wearing only sunglasses and nothing else.

"Healthy stuff," I answer, ignoring his nudity. I knock back my green smoothie, then I adjust the elastic strap of my sports bra that's still damp with sweat from my morning run.

"What's in it?" He swipes my glass as soon as I put it down and takes a sniff. His face contorts in distaste before he pushes it back to me as though it's toxic.

"Healthy stuff," I deadpan. I threw in kale, avocados, bananas, and almond milk into the blender. I might have also added a couple of spoonfuls of chia seeds in.

"What happened to the good ole bacon and eggs or at least a toast?" he asks. He takes off his sunglasses but immediately puts them back on moaning, "Ugh... sunlight." Usually, Nico doesn't resurface from his bedroom before noon. I might have woken him up with the sound of the blender.

"This is healthier," I answer. I might not make it past the age of 25 and I might party hard and play hard but I try to stay healthy.

I graduated high school one year early since I had the grade and enough credits. I spent the year playing hard. I went tombstoning off bridges and cliffs in the islands of Hawaii, snowboarding in Whistler, riding big waves in California, Fiji, and Portugal, scuba diving with the sharks in the Bahamas and South Africa...some of those activities could've ended my life early but when it comes to my health and beauty, I don't take chances. I was given just this one body and I'm taking care of it.

I haven't been drinking either. The hangover isn't worth it and it won't solve my problem.

I still think of him, Alexander Gauthier, from time to time, but I can breathe now. I still don't understand why or how he almost destroyed me when we didn't even exchange a word to each other beyond him introducing himself. I felt the connection, yes. But it could have been just my imagination. Maybe I was seriously lonely and latched on to anyone who paid the slightest attention to me. I still can't believe how stupid I was, pining over him and stalking him...

"My darling, Dani..." Nico drawls, bringing me back to the present. He throws an arm around my shoulders. "Healthy is boring. Why don't you make your man a real breakfast?"

"First off, you're not my man. Secondly, ewww..." I gingerly pry his hand off my shoulders with the tip of my fingers. "Dude! Get your disease-ridden arm off me."

He winces. "Don't talk too loudly, darling. My head is killing me. And you wound me. How could you be so cold?" he asks before he strolls over to get his coffee from the Keurig. Then he casually rejoins me at the kitchen counter as though he's not buck naked. "You're the only woman for me and I'm the only man for you, ergo, I'm your man." He points to his chest.

Yeah, he's also the man for the woman he brought into his room before the party ended last night and to countless others before that.

He pops a couple of painkillers into his mouth and swallows them with his coffee. I gulp down the rest of the smoothie to hide my snicker. I don't feel an ounce of sympathy watching him nursing his hangover.

A while later, we both turn to the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor. A woman clad in a party dress from last night emerges from the end of the hallway where his bedroom is.

"Hey Nico, I used your toothbrush. I hope you don't mind. Do you want to get breakfast..." The woman stops mid-sentence when she sees me. "Oh..." she says, appearing confused. "You have a...visitor?" Then her eyes wander down Nico's body before they make their way up back to me.