𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬

~New York~

No matter how much she hated it, she needed some sort of social interaction. That's why she had a job at Columbia as a tutor for students. It wasn't like she needed it though.

She needed to at least talk to people before she went completely insane from loneliness and tutoring was the next best thing without getting too close to anyone.

She excelled in all of her classes when she was in school and being alumni of Columbia made it easy to go back.

She worked once a week for about 2 hours so it wouldn't take too much time out of her actual profession. But the money she made from this went towards charity or in her savings along with the money she put in her savings from her main work.

She expected this day to be just like every other day but boy...she was in for a surprise.

~~~~~

She was turned around, arranging papers into their correct bins in the Library when the doors creaked open. Of course, she didn't hear it as she was lost in concentration.

That was always one of her worst habits. She could get squandered in fascination with the littlest of things.

But she couldn't help feel the keen eyes on the back of her neck. She shifted uncomfortably as the sound of a throat being cleared caught her attention.

She turned around and saw the sight of a beautiful red-head woman she knew by the name of Lily.

Lily had tried to get close to Ariella a few times during tutoring sessions and she would want nothing more than to be friends but she couldn't risk it. So she dismissed her efforts but she couldn't help like she had seen her before.

They were both just incredibly lonely

"Hey Lily," she smiled kindly.

Cameron closed his eyes, hearing her voice echo in his head.

Her voice was like sweet harmony, silvery, and light. He couldn't find the right words to describe it.

He thought she was nothing less of empyreal... too valid to be real.

"Hey, do you still have the new book by A.L.G?" she responded. Ariella couldn't help but smile, flashing her pearly straight whites. It was nothing short of a million-dollar smile.

A.L.G was Ariella's anonymous author's name. She was known across the world as one of the best writers of her time and would be compared to Hemingway, Woolf, Twain, or Austen. It was no secret that she was the highest-earning writer and poet in the world.

Cameron felt a fuzzy feeling in his chest and he quickly shrugged it off, not liking the sensation. But there was no denying that her smile made it seem life was worth living.

"Um, yeah, I do," she told her as she reached behind the rack and pulled out a hard copy of a soft amethyst-colored book with the title "Fine Line: A story of self-love" and gave it to Lily.

(A/N: hehehehehehehehehe

Back to our regularly scheduled program...)

"Oh my gosh. Is this a signed copy?!" Lily exclaimed with shock within her eyes.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it," she smiled.

"No way. I don't know what to say...thank you!" she marveled. Ariella muttered a "your welcome" before something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

It looked to be a man with sunglasses waiting calmly outside the door. Even with the black Armani's covering his eyes, she could tell that this man was very attractive. From his pale-soft skin, chiseled cheekbones and jaw, and dark tattoos. There was no doubt this man was trouble.