Captured (A Modern Medusa Story)

BONUS CHAPTER: PHOEBE💙

Averista was the center of my vision.

The treasure that I longed to capture with my eyes and now, I finally did. God, was she a stunning sight to see. The apple to my eye.

I didn't even need to to be told who she was the moment I saw her. The wildflower haze drifted around her as prominent as ever and all I wanted to do was bathe in it. I wanted to get wrapped and lost in her arms for the rest of my life.
But I couldn't. Not after everything.

So I simply carried on with my activities and wondered if she had read my poetry books.  If she felt the silent messages I tried to send between the lines. Words of how much I craved the touch of her fingers.

But I guess not, because now I was about to write about how terrible it felt standing up on the stage and witnessing other women throw themselves all over her and cling onto her sleeves like they could sell their souls for the gorgon's attention. Watching that was pure torture and it took everything in me not to grab the damn microphone and tell every single bitch that Averista Msafiri was mine and out of bounds. That no one was allowed to breathe anywhere near her or else, hell forbid, I might kill somebody. But again, I couldn't.

Instead, I admired the way Averista's hair was pulled up in a tight bun, a fancy undercut on the back of her head. She wore a white collared shirt with a suit jacket over it, and a tie that reached her belt. One hand tucked in the pocket of her pants, the other holding a glass of wine while she laughed, full porcelain teeth, at something in the conversation she was having with some random ass girl I had never seen before.

Who was she and why were they standing so close?

I had a hard time trying to remind myself that I had no right to think of Averista as mine anymore. I wasn't good for her.

But–

'Always been a fan of your poetry.'

Out of Averista's casual statement birthed a beautiful image in my head of her soaking herself naked in a bathtub while drinking wine and reading my poetry. Now all I wanted to do was kiss the damn stoicness off her face. Me and my fantasies against the world.

If only Averista knew who I got these eyes for. If only she knew how wary my heart was getting from holding back from her. I would trade my soul this time, to get her hands back all over me.

Despite her naysaying inclinations in our forced conversation and a muddled Mr. Tritone thrown into the mix, I was sure I wasn't the only one driven to the edge at our brief bittersweet hand shake. I hoped she could feel the yearning and desperation underneath my body. I needed her to give me something. Anything. And I wasn't going to give up on her because in her eyes, it was crystal clear she would rip my dress off if I dared give her the smallest chance to.
But for now, I had to keep my feelings from the ceiling and hold myself in check for the sake of my book launch event.

'Averista would come around eventually.' Mother had assured me beforehand.

But would she?

Averista seemed hellbent on dragging this on and pretending like she didn't need me in her life anymore. Perhaps she didn't. But did she want me? That I was sure of. Her energy spoke louder than her words. So I shrugged off her new grumpy personality and asked her to have a drink with me.

Just a glass of wine. That's all I wanted.

But I guess that was too much to ask. I mean, she had been avoiding me the whole event.

I didn't give a damn what Mr. Tritone thought when I scuttled after Professor Msafiri. I simply went for the woman while her pace fastened, like she knew someone was following her even though she neither turned around nor did I call out her name.