faded

60.0 - angel, chapter one

this is the first chapter of the first book, Angel, but in Zayn's POV.

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It was purely coincidental that we had all arrived at the same time. I loved punctuality, so it was refreshing to see that these men spent their time wisely.

I had been here for about two weeks and already things were stressing me out. Work was not complicated, not if you did it right the first time. There was a lot of reading involved, a lot of note taking, but it made time go by quickly. The other aspect of my job was more fun and let me blow off some steam, but it was messy.

Amy was gone and I felt better. I grew sick of her asking me questions all the time and since she was the receptionist at the firm, it felt suffocating. I hoped that she got the message and moved on. For my sake, I hoped she'd move on quickly. Very quickly.

As we entered the estate, I looked around at the lobby, in a childlike fascination at the white marble.

Something else caught my eye. The stunning double staircase, adorned with gold accent was not it. Standing at the top was a young girl, no older than Elena when I met her. My breath caught in my throat when I laid eyes on her, I could hear my heart beating loudly. Long brown hair, curious eyes. She was like a young Elena come to life and she was just standing there, eyes sparkling down at me.

I knew I had to talk to her. I knew I had to catch her eye. She looked so much like her, she has just appeared in my life as if fate had decided to deal me a less brutal hand.

"She's trouble," whispered one of the women who tagged along with her husband, Daisy was her name. "She's joining us, so I'd be careful."

I managed to tear my eyes away from the girl as she disappeared into the hallway. I chuckled. "Why's that?"

"I'm surprised you haven't caught on to the gossip at the office."

I raised a brow. "I'm not really into gossip."

Daisy smiled, "It's not so much gossip, but i'll tell you that she's a real piece of work."

"You two must get along great," I said jokingly.

The woman let out a sarcastic laugh. "You'll see what I mean at dinner."

Dinner and entertainment. Surely, this night would be far more than I expected.

-

Imagine my surprise when the girl trudged down the stairs, plopping down next to me at the dinner table.

Through out dinner, I could feel her eyes on me, but it was easy to see why Daisy didn't like her.

I noticed how demanding she was of the maids, her rude answers towards her father. She was very bratty and I always hated that behavior. It was common in children, not young women who had grown up in this lifestyle. I understood immediately why she was reluctant to eat dinner with us all here, she hated Emily and Daisy.

I tried my best to be present in conversation, but it was hard when Elena kept haunting my thoughts. She loved dinner parties despite her shy nature. She was the most gracious host. I missed her all through out the day, but especially in the moments when I daydreamed about her being with me.

The girl, Anastasia, made it a little better. She was nothing like Elena, totally opposite really, but she still resembled her, so that would have to be good enough. I couldn't do much about it anyway.

Maybe the girl just behaves this way for attention. It was possible that she simply seeked it by acting out since it was not given to her for good behavior. That could be changed. An attitude can go away.

But softness can't be taught or duplicated.

Still, I had to take the chance. I knew there was no hope for me, but she was as close as i'd get to Elena.

I'm sorry, angel. This is the worst betrayal. I wish you knew how much I love you and how sorry I am for leaving.

I'm sorry, Elena.