𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✔️

♡ Chapter 22 ♡

July 22nd.

The line between real and fake doesn't even exist anymore. The line has been broken, and the two have seeped together, creating a hard to read mess. 

Nic sits across from me in the hot tub. This morning, he applied more of the gel onto my ribs, without me even having to ask. He just did it on his own.

For a moment, it made me feel cared about. A feeling that I hadn't felt in years.

But he made me feel it. 

"Open," he tells me. And I listen.

I open my mouth, and he puts a piece of fruit into my mouth. He said that I couldn't go unless I'd eat. So he brought a bowl of fruit. 

My ribs still hurt, but not as much as yesterday. But that still didn't stop Nic from doing everything for me. This morning, he even did my laundry. I didn't even know that he knew how, since until today, I had been doing my own. 

I swallow the fruit with a smile. I speak in a teasing tone, "Look at the coldest man alive hand-feeding me."

"Coldest?" he tilts his head and leans forward. The tips of our noses nearly touch. 

I nod, "Mhm."

His hand touches my waist in the water. It's strong, protective, and feels safe. His hand slowly runs up my side, not stopping until it's on my cheek. He asks me, "You think I'm cold when I do this?"

Every part of my skin that he had touched felt like it had a trail of electricity left on it. 

He slowly presses his lips against mine. Both of our mouths taste like fruit, but the kiss also tastes like more. Like passion. It sparked a feeling in me I had never felt before. It was a feeling I could get lost in, get consumed in. 

And then his phone rings.

We keep kissing, and ignore it. With my arms wrapped around his neck, his soft hair touched his forehead. His hair always smells like clean fruit, paired with his sandalwood cologne. 

And then it rang again.

He swore under his breath and pulled away. He grabbed his phone, which was on the ledge, and put it to his ear. 

"What."

I could hear Hades speak from the other end, "Why do you two always greet me like this? It's very rude."

Nic rolls his eyes and then speaks in a higher pitch, "Hey, father dearest. Want to go out and play some baseball this weekend?"

"Not a fan of the sarcasm. Now catch me up to speed on Hans."

His words make me lower my eyebrows and I can feel my temper rise. I snatch the phone from Nic, and he starts, "Celeste-"

I cut him off and raise my voice at Hades, "Are you just going to act like you didn't send three people to try and fucking kill us last night?"

"Yea, I did. And what about it?"

"What about it?" I scoff. "What if now, I'm in the mood to go and bring up your name to Hans?"

Nic whispered under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Jesus Christ."

"I'm just bluffing," I mouth to him. 

He raises his eyebrows, "Are you?"

I think for a moment.

"Maybe."