𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦

𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 | 2.

The night had gone by quickly and Elmara had finally noticed the time.

"It's already 11 o'clock. I better be on my way." She said, glancing at her watch.

She was sure her colleagues would have already left by now. She couldn't believe how much time she had spent simply staring at the stars.

She looked up from her watch, and noticed for the first time how handsome the stranger was.

His grey eyes seemed like another world in itself, and Elmara felt like she could stare into them forever. His pale skin was such a contrast to her dark one that she imagined the aesthetic pleasure taking his hand in hers would create.

"Hmm..." The stranger replied, looking at Elmara in such a way that made her heart race.

Elmara was hesitant to ask what was on her mind. Afterall, she barely knew this man.

"I can clearly see that you have something on your mind. Let it out."

"Will I see you again?" She blurted, reprimanding herself for how shameless she sounded.

"Perhaps." The man replied with such an aggrevatingly sexy smirk.

The blush in Elmara's cheeks would have been as red as a firetruck if not for the dim light the moon provided. And the fact that her melanin acted as a shield to prevent further embarrassment.

"Right then. Goodbye." She said with her eyes boring holes into the ground, brisk walking all the way down the stairs.

It was not until Elmara had gotten into her car that she realized she didn't even know the man's name.

∘˚˳°∘˚˳°

Elmara groaned at the noise her alarm made.
Today was the 18th. She had a scheduled lunch with her father at 1pm, and she dreaded going.

After taking care of all that needed to be taken care of, hygiene-wise, Elmara decided to check up on her garden. If there was one thing Elmara was proud of, it was her green thumb.
  She liked how pretty the flowers looked, no matter what the shape or size of their petals were.

On getting there, Elmara noticed a grey kitten wondering in her Hyacinths.

"Oh hello there little fella. How'd you get here?" She asked, stroking the kitten's fur.

She was answered with a little meow, and subsequent purring.
She checked for a collar, and any other form of identification, but she couldn't find any. She sighed, picking the tiny feline up.

"Well I can't leave you out here. Let's get you inside till I'm back and we can look for your owner. For now I'll call you Hyacinth." She said, taking the cat inside the house.

"Well Hyacinth, I imagine you haven't had much to eat." She said, pouring some milk into a bowl, and opening a can of sardines.

"There you go." She said placing both bowls on the floor.

"I guess I better be off now. Papa hates tardiness." Elmara said under her breath.
She was always on edge whenever she had to see her father.

When she arrived at the restaurant she sighed. Why did her father have to always pick the most expensive places to eat.

"Good evening Miss Zaoui. Right this way." A waiter said bowing, then leading her into what seemed like a VIP section.

"Good afternoon Papa." Elmara greeted her father, refusing to look into his eyes.

"You are five minutes late." Elmara's father said, not taking his eyes off the menu.
Elmara's father was nearing his sixties, but didn't look a day over forty. With the same dark skin that Elmara had and a height well over 6'2, he was just as intimidating in reality as he seemed on paper.

"I apologize Papa." Elmara knew better than to give excuses.

"Stop slouching. It is unbecoming of a young lady. Your mother never slouched." Mr Zaoui said, never once casting a glance his daughter's way

"Yes sir." Elmara said, quickly straightening her back.

"I wanted to congratulate you on your recent Promotion at work." He said, finally looking into his daughter's eyes.

As if on cue, the waiter appeared ready to take their orders.

"I'll have the Lobster." Mr Zaoui told the waiter.

"And you Miss, what would you have?" He turned, to Elmara.

"She'll have the Salad–no cream." Mr Zaoui answered for her.

She had been craving a chicken Alfredo, but she knew better than to argue with her father.

"You will be getting engaged." Mr Zaoui announced casually, sipping his coffee as if he had just read out the Sunday news.

All her life, everything Elmara did was planned strategically by her father, but she always thought that she'd be allowed to make this choice herself.

"Papa–" She started, but was stopped by her father's eyebrow raise.

"He's the CEO of a conglomerate. You're engagement will be good for my position."

Of course. His position, it had never been what she wanted, or what was best for her. It had always been him.

Even in naming her he had found a way to make it about himself. Her name, Olayemi– 'Wealth fits me.' had been a constant reminder that her father was the end all and be all.

The food had gotten here and they ate in silence. As usual.

Alex didn't know what had gotten into him. Why was he sitting on a rooftop, waiting for a complete stranger who he wasn't sure would even come?
He checked his watch.
7pm.
It was already getting dark, and by every sensible line of thought, he should've left. So why he was still seated was something he could not explain.

"You're here."

He turned his head to hear the beautiful voice he had come to associate with its even more beautiful owner.

"I am." He replied, in even more awe of her beauty than he was in yesterday.

"You're gorgeous." He said. He didn't know why he did, but he did and he didn't regret it.

That statement seemed to have caught her off guard, as if she wasn't used to receiving compliments.

Didn't she know she was beautiful? He thought. She deserved to be told everyday.

"Thank you." She replied shyly.
Her mannerism made Alex smile.

"Are you hungry?" Alex asked, placing a hand on the menu.

"Umm no, I just ate."
That was a lie. Elmara couldn't bear the bland taste of the grass her father had ordered for her, and she hadn't had the chance to eat anything ever since the lunch with her father.

"Drinks then?" Alex asked.

She didn't have any objections to drinks. Alcohol barely had any calories, so she smiled and replied;

"Drinks."

𝐀/𝐍

Hey! I'm literally so nervous right now. (Insert paranoid emoji.)
So, what do y'all think?
  Those were the first two chapters of Broken Elysium! And I want to hear every single one of your thoughts.

Elmara's father?

Alex?

Elmara?

Feed me with your thoughts!

And as always, don't forget to;

𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞. | 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. | 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞.