WICKED | WILLIAM FRANKLYN-MILLER

⟶ 3 | KENT & CAPPUCCINOS

[LOVEY]

⚘

WILLIAM CREEP IS GETTING ON MY NERVES.

Although his last-name is still unbeknownst to me, I feel the one I have endowed on him is perfectly reasonable. I question his authority as an 'Assassin' every single passing second. He claimed to be working for England, but I've seen no proof of it.

I'm supposed to trust him.

My original thought was that he could be working with the Ash Duo, and is tricking me into an elaborate scheme, but he had every ability to kill me back in the hotel room. He didn't. He wouldn't dare touch me, either. That's the only scrap of proof I have, and I'm not sure I want to witness him murdering someone just for evidence.

While I walked towards La Belle to meet with Percy, he lingered a few steps behind me, hands shoved into his pockets like he was on his own journey. No one seemed to suspect he was following me. He was good at blending in with a crowd—which was surprising, due to his towering height.

Occasionally, he'd break his distance momentarily, brushing past me to whisper something to me under his breath. The hairs on my arms would stand up when I heard his voice scathing past my ears.

"Look both ways when crossing the street," he said, "it's not that difficult."

I resisted the urge to stick my middle finger up at him as he returned to his place behind me. He made me feel stupid for not remembering simple things. The rest of the walk was just as irritating. He had so much to criticize, and I cared about so little.

'Don't smile at strangers.'

'Don't walk on the left side of the pavement.'

'Don't get distracted by other people.'

I felt like a child going to see the world for the first time. I bit back the urge to snap at him every time he'd subtly whisper demands in my ear. Don't tell me what to do, I wanted to say. I couldn't—I wasn't allowed to acknowledge him.

La Belle was a few steps away when I finally saw the familiar face I'd been longing to see. It was a delight to know the real reason why I was here (although if what Creep said was true, he was the reason for this whole issue). I prayed he wasn't.

"Perce!" I exclaimed, holding out my arms, "darling, hi!"

Percy Kent was a gorgeous man. Perhaps too gorgeous, which was one of his little flaws. I often felt we were an unmatchable pair, because he was a Duke and I was an Ex-Retail worker with hardly the same beauty of genetics. It was still shocking that we'd managed to meet.

He scooped me up into a hug, mumbling my name into my neck as he spun me around. I weaved my hands through his curly brown hair. I remembered how this felt, and it brought me back to the last time I'd seen him back in London. Now that I think about it, it's been a month since then. Busy men hardly partake in casual romance.

He set me down and I let our eyes meet. Green, gold, and blue. I often felt like I was staring into the sea when I looked at him.

"Ma fleur épanouie," he exhaled under his breath, a smile on his face as he looked at me, "thank you for coming."

I grinned. "you've been practicing your French."

"I'm fluent, darling, I don't need to practice."

"I so easily forget."

Avidity flooding into his gaze, I let him wrap his arms around my waist, tugging me against him as he pulled me into a kiss. I liked it when he kissed me. It made me feel important. Worthy, in a sense. I suppose it's because it made me feel like someone cared enough to.