The Faustian Love Bargain (COMPLETED)

Extra Chapter (SPOILER ALERT. do not read until you have finished.)

Dating a souleater was harder than she thought.

“What do you want to eat?” Stella asked and smiled at Nick. 

“That’s pretty much up to you,” he replied as they walked past a few stores with his arm around her shoulder.

“I forgot. You don’t eat,” she pouted. After Nick woke up, nothing had changed. He was still a souleater but she did not care. All that mattered was that they were finally reunited.

“I wished you stopped work so we could spend more time together.” He said as his lips travelled to the side of her face. She liked kissing him but sometimes, as a souleater, he needed more kisses a day than a typical human boyfriend.

“We’re in public,” Stella moued. There were some people who started to stare at them as Nick suddenly stopped in his path. Almost the whole world knew they were dating, and they had a rather passionate relationship. What everyone did not know was that his kisses were spurred more by need than sexual desire. He never said that he loved her although she would say those three words to him everyday. He was about to kiss her when she moved her face away. 

“Five times a day. No more than that,” she reminded him. 

“I’ll pay for more,” he answered cheekily, with a smile that she could not resist. 

“You have given me enough. And I’m working.” She found herself giving in to him again.

“I’ll get you fired.” He gave her a killer wink that made her giggle like a young girl.

“I told you that I wanted to work hard for my money and I’m not going to live on yours. And I don’t like you giving me a few thousand dollars worth of gifts everyday,” she told him. She sort of reduced the numbers. He showered her daily with clothes, shoes and bags that she did not know what to do with them in her old apartment. 

“I don’t know what human girls like.” He bit the side of his lip flirtatiously. 

“Care, concern, love...” She, too, did not know what she wanted out of him exactly.

“Love,” he repeated, as if it was a strange and incomprehensible term. She never told him that she wished he told her he loved her. She knew if she did, he would end up saying it so many times and it would be false.

“Do you love me?” She could not help but ask foolishly. His face grew irritable. He looked away from her as if in sudden annoyance.

“Forget that I asked,” she said quickly.

“No, I want to answer that,” he replied. His hand dropped from her shoulder. Stella felt stupid and rash. She could not expect him to love her back. She had killed him once. The thought shuddered her.

“You could just answer simply in the negative.” She tried to appear nonchalant. He was silent and he suddenly started walking away. She followed suit as they walked into the hotel lobby, which was connected to the luxury shopping mall. 

The general manager looked surprised when Nick came in and sat at the lounge.

“Mr Smith. You are here three hours early,” the manager said before looking sheepish that he had said the wrong thing.

“I’m sorry. I was too impatient,” Nick smiled coldly. Stella saw that the manager glanced at her.

He called some of his staff and motioned them to hurry. Within minutes, he informed Nick that he and Stella could go up now. She looked at Nick in perturbation but his face was expressionless as usual. 

“Why are we going to a hotel room?” she asked him quizzically. She thought she saw him blush but the colour disappeared from his face in an instant. 

“You wanted privacy,” he replied. Her heart started to beat faster. She tried hard to remove those ridiculous thoughts in her head. He was not that sort of person. Her insides raced with excitement. Could it be...? 

“Would it be dangerous? I mean like the whole Edward and Bella thing,” she asked.

His eyes finally fell on her again. 

“What Edward and Bella thing?” he repeated in a matter-of-fact tone. The manager next to them looked like he was trying to control his smile.

“I guess you didn’t read the Twilight series.” She wanted to hide from embarrassment. What was she thinking? Nick Smith reading Twilight?

“I’m not a vampire.” He said before the lift doors opened. She heaved a sigh of relief after the awkward situation in the lift ended. 

“Here is your room card. Have a good night, Sir and Madam,” the manager said politely before going back into the lift. There was only one door in front of them.

Night? She was not ready for this. 

“I have work tomorrow,” she hinted but Nick obviously did not get the hint. He opened the door and they walked into the dark suite together. From the window about two meters from them, she could see fireworks against the night sky. How timely, she thought happily.

“Oh my gosh, we can see fireworks from here!” she gasped. She wondered why the lights were not switched on automatically but there was something surreal and romantic watching fireworks in the dark room.

The lights in the room suddenly lit up and she jumped in surprise. There was a large bouquet of different coloured roses in front of her. She could not count the number of roses but it looked like there were a thousand roses in the shape of a heart. The room was decorated with pink flowers and on the table, there was wine and a platter of desserts. She was stunned for words. 

“This is absolutely beautiful,” she breathed. She was about to hug Nick when he got down on his knees. For the first time, he looked slightly nervous as he took out a small leather black box.

“I don’t know what human girls like,” he said slowly as he opened the box to reveal a big rose diamond ring, “But I remembered that you liked roses.” 

“I do, but you didn’t have to go to this extent!” she exclaimed, “Nick, I’m sorry. I would gladly kiss you if you needed to kiss me.”

He seemed to ignore what she was saying. He continued, “I know I’m not human. I can never be one. I know you wished I were one. If only I were human, I would love you in a second. I would feel passion like you do and I would say I love you as many times as you do. I’m sorry that I cannot bring myself to say that I love you. I feel nothing in my heart when I kiss you. I smile at you but I feel nothing at all. There is no one crueler than I am!”

She looked at him blankly. He did not have to tell her the truth. She knew it already.

“When I almost died...” he said. Stella tried to stop him because that topic pained her more than anything else, but he had to finish what he wanted to say. 

“When I almost died, I thought nothing but you. I knew I loved you in my past life. I may not love you but I care for you more than anyone else. When I woke up, I only thought of you. If logic and thoughts could replace the motion of the heart, if dreams could explain my subconscious feelings, I believe that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Taking the ring out of the box, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

Stella had already started crying. She had not expected this. She did not deserve this. He could tell that she was about to reject him and without thinking, he took her hand.

“You saved me even though I did not manage to save you in the past. I have waited a thousand years for this.” He shook his head. “No, we have waited a thousand years for this.” 

Stella bent down and touched his soft face. He placed the ring gently on her finger. As she breathed, “Yes”, he placed his lips on hers gingerly. For the first time, he felt happiness.