AMARANTHINE| The Eternal Love (BWWM)

Ch 23.) The August Ball

A/N: heyyy, here's chapter 23!! Getting so close to the ending guys 😭😭 lol just kidding. We only a little close I guess.
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In the midst of that night, my overwhelming feelings grew calm in a matter of moments, until soon everything became a beautiful blur. And I wasn't sure if it was simply because I was a bit tipsy or it was because I was high. High not on drugs, but on something more horrifyingly damaging.

It was a lot of nodding, shaking hands, small talk, corny jokes I had to pretend were funny. Slide a joke in there myself. Ignore the stares, deny the rumors, or pretend I didn't know that everyone near me was currently busy talking about me. "That's his Amaranthine?" "She's so young." "Markys's Amaranthine was young too, thinks it's a coincidence." "Think they're secretly in a relationship?" "The Head must be happy he doesn't have a mate, they won't have anyone ratting them out that way, haha!" "I'm telling you. He will end up just like his father." There certainly was a lot said but... people were nice. To your face. I suppose they had no choice but to be. Why with me standing by Jerias's side all night, me being his Amaranthine. They couldn't necessarily be upfront and rude. No but they could judge, they could guess, they could whisper. And it would be fine. It would be fine cause slowly I was buzzed. Slowly I was high. To an artificial kind of love.

"Enjoying yourself?"

My brows shoot up and I gulp another drink of the champagne in my hand, "As much as anyone could when a stranger amongst a crowd I guess," I say without turning. I don't have to look to know it's Danto who had just broke through my lonely moment. I'd been standing by the walls, like the unwanted player who always sat at the sidelines, gazing at the tall unfamiliar faces. Observing the way they moved and talked, such elegance that could lead a person to jealousy. They were so beautiful, and so I thought to myself, as I caught sight of Jerias moving about the room from Nosferatu to Nosferatu, each one holding their breath in uncontainable excitement to talk to him. I came to realize quite childishly that, one of these gorgeous women must know the side of Jerias that I don't know. The one that makes love without hinders.

"Well then surely you must be glad to see a familiar face," Danto laughs lightly.

"Depends," I mumble, "Are you going to try and force me to kiss you again?"

"I wasn't forcing you to do anything Ines. I know deep down inside you wish for me to capture those lips of yours."

Unable to stop the grin forming across my face I sigh heavily, "If only it were that simple Danto."

"Yeah yeah," he waves his hand in the air before stuffing it into his pocket. He pauses a moment and takes a sip at his almost empty glass, "You belong to him or whatever it is, right?"

Turning for a moment to look at Danto I watch the way his eyes distantly observe Jerias from across the room. I'm tempted to tell him something. Explode with the endless words that run through my mind constantly. But in the end I only gulp down the remainder of my champagne and immediately begin my search for another glass.

"Careful there," Danto warns with amusement, "You might get drunk."

I shrug trying to hide my shock to him following around the room another glass, "Bit too
late for that," I mumble.