Raven's DarkNess | ✔

Chapter Twenty Nine

Every single part of me stood still as Enzo's revelation travelled through my entire existence. I felt like I was being torn apart as it collided with me. I felt like a dagger was slicing through my skin, muscle, sinew and bone and I was left to not only bleed out but also io be devoured by vultures.

Vultures of emotions.

"Because Aoife, I'm engaged to be married,"

Those words never stopped echoing through my mind even as I stared right into Enzo's eyes who was still holding me but whose grip had slackened as if the truth from his lips had sliced through and damaged him more than it did me.

A tear slipped down my right cheek, only calling itself to my attention when it fell onto my chest.

"What?" I managed to finally let out in the lowest of tones as my hands fell to my side in defeat.

"I'm engaged, Aoife," he repeated but this time, he didn't look at him instead I felt his eyes on the tear that fell onto my chest. Those very eyes that once enthralled me now burnt through me.

"Tha-that-" I started but couldn't find the words to complete my sentence. I couldn't find any words to express how I felt. No words could do my emotions any justice. I didn't even know what to say.

I didn't even know why I cared. This was only supposed to be a job like so many others before him so at what point did it become real? At what point did I even start to care about Enzo? At what point did I start to care this much? So much so that I feel like I'm losing him and the mere thought is tearing me apart.

"You think that I don't feel it, Aoife?" He started again as his eyes travelled back up to meet mine and the grip against my arms through my tunic became firm again, new life being breathed back into them. "I feel everything Aoife! Everything but my hands are tied here!"

I couldn't stop my lips from trembling.

"I stay up all night thinking about you. Your eyes haunt my dreams. The way you curve your lips when you smile devilishly never left me since the very first day that I laid eyes on the girl with the most beautiful face in existence. I search for you at breakfast. My days are spent in your memories. I shift like crazy only to try to stop myself from thinking about you but it never works, I'm never able to clear my hair of the fog that's you! When you are next to me, I go crazy. I'm not a man who lacks control. I'm a man who has mastered control but every moon blessed thing about you tests everything I thought that I knew about myself, my morals and my values!" He shook me as if trying to force everything he just said into me.

Enzo inhaled deeply. Too deeply. His confession pierced through me even harder than the revelation of his relationship status.

"Do you really think that I don't want to kiss you, Aoife?" He started as he began to shake me once more and I jumped in his arms, still a limp statue. "the problem is," he said as he stopped to lean in, "if I kissed you then I don't think that I'd ever be able to stop,"

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding as goosebumps rose over my skin. I didn't know what to think, what to do or even how to react. Everything was ebbing out of me as the aftermath of shock still rippled through my bones.

All I felt was Enzo closer to me, holding me closer and his arms moved to wrap around my back. He held me and his lips opened and closed. Words found it difficult to make their way out of his mouth.

"If I crossed that line with you, Aoife. If I cross any line with you then I would never be able to uncross it and I respect you too much to put you through that when I'm promised to someone else,"