DALA.
Without hesitation, I caught up to Lady Arya, still fiddling with what she'd just said. "School?" I echoed, my lips still parted in awe.
With a nod, she affirmed, but still barely alleviated the lingering confusion. "I am going to school? With.them?"
Her red lips were stretched into a somewhat satisfied smirk. "Yes, college. Are you terrified of the school itself or attending with the triplets?"
A lump sat in my throat, unwilling to move.
Both of these instances were sheer horror. The bullying I experienced in high school taught me to stay the heck away from any academic gatherings. I developed an apathy that even caused me to repeat a grade.
"Your aunt sent your certificates. She wants you to further your education as you work here; it was part of the deal. You could drop out, but with proof of even smelling college, you won't have to clean people's houses forever. You can, at least, become..."
She tapped her hollow cheeks, and barely any fat was in them. "An office clerk or something?"
"An office clerk?"
"Or those who practically stripped themselves naked for money on the internet," she added, assessing me. "Though I doubt you have what it takes to lure horny men."
Wow. What a future to look forward to. I barely kept from rolling my eyes, a sigh threatening to tear out my vocal cords.
I was Luna Lust. Of course, she didn't know that. The entire world knew me and respected me. Her husband could have jerked it off my videos a few times, although that was disgusting to think about. But it was the truth.
My messages were spammed full of unsolicited nude pictures and videos from both genders across the packs. So...an office clerk? I highly doubted that.
"Yes. I'm afraid you are right," | finally said, separating myself from my reverie. Her green eyes held mine, looking as pleased as ever.
Lady Arya didn't move or look away. I wondered if I had said something I wasn't supposed to. "Some people would kill for this opportunity, Dala. You know how much of a big deal this is, being blessed enough to attend the College of Lochavia!"
That made it click. She wanted appreciation.
Heck, I didn't ask for this. "Thank you," I stated robotically, already dreading what life in a world-renowned college would feel like.
I mean, they had uniforms, for goodness sake, and about a thousand students in general. It was easier to find a needle in a haystack than getting in. Everything I knew about COL was against my will. Isabella wouldn't shut up about it back at home.
"You will do well, Dala. Just a little pruning, and you might fit in. You will also get some papers to fill."
I nodded again, the bile in my throat increasingly bitter as her words increased at the back of my mind. 'You might fit in. Might.
When has that ever happened? Lady Arya strolled, and everything sank in. What a long day today has been, though I wanted to scrub myself clean from whatever happened with the triplets.
With Knox.
It was a mistake-a one-time thing that would never happen again.
Ever.
*
I flexed my fingers as I slipped through the back door, wincing at the dull ache in my knuckles. Scrubbing the floors was terrible enough, but handwashing a pile of baby clothes that didn't even need washing? Unnecessary torture.
When I dunked the tiny onesies in soapy water, they still smelled of fresh cotton. Lady Arya just liked seeing my work, I guess. Why buy new baby clothes if you still want them hand-washed?
The cold air was a relief, cool against my sweat-damp skin. I pulled my phone from my apron pocket, fingers fumbling a little from exhaustion, and tapped open my notifications.
'Where is she?'
'LUNA LUST, WHERE U AT???'
'Bro, I swear if she doesn't stream soon, I am gonna lose my mind.'
'Is she okay?'
'Maybe she quit..? No way, right?'
'She wouldn't just disappear. Right?'
Guilt swelled in my chest, my expression turning grim. It had been too long. They were waiting. Probably just for my naked body, but No one ever waited for me.
I tiptoed past the gate, glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, especially not the triplets. I hadn't seen any of them all day. Though I was better off without the shame of what happened between us, a tiny part of me wanted to see them, just to know how screwed I was.
I didn't have a destination, just the need to breathe somewhere that wasn't filled with the
scent of baby powder and bleach. The craving for a smoke hit me out of nowhere, but of course, I had nothing. It was strictly prohibited in the household.
I quit smoking two weeks ago, but tonight seemed like the perfect time to regress. I let out a loud yawn with my face up to the sky and stretched my creased muscles.
That was when I noticed him.
He was leaning against a dark motorcycle, just outside the gate. Tall. Still. The glow of his cigarette burned dimly between his fingers. I froze my heart nunding He had that kind of froze, my heart pounding. He had that kind of presence-the kind that set off every instinct to turn and walk the other way.
But then my gaze floated to the cigarette pack in his hand.
Before I could stop myself, l inched closer.
"Hey," I whispered. "Mind sharing?"
He turned his head, slowly.
And I swore, for a second, my brain forgot how to function. Who...was this person?
His face was sharp, with all cut angles and shadows, like something carved out of marble, but too alive and too intense. His long hair was dark, straight, falling just past his shoulders.
There was a fierceness in his eyes, something unreadable and dangerous, but mesmerizing.
I felt my breath hitch, and I wanted to eat up all the words I had spoken.
His eyes stayed on me, dark and unreadable, like he could see straight through my skin, past my bones, into every secret l'd ever buried. A slow chill ran down my spine, but at the same time, something deeper and hotter stirred in my chest.
The cigarette between his fingers burned lazily, smoke filling the space between us, but he made no move to speak. No reaction, no shift in his expression. Just watching me. Assessing.
"You can just say you don't want to share." Not stare at me like I just jumped out of a spaceship. But I didn't say that, it was hard enough mirroring his silence.
Without a word, he reached into his jacket and pulled out the entire pack.
He held it between two fingers, turning it just so, then tapping lightly-deliberately-on the warning label. 'Smokers are liable to die young.'
My mouth went dry.
Something about the way he did it, slow and effortless, felt like a statement, a silent dare.
Hesitating for just a second before reaching out, my fingertips brushed his as I took the pack. The contact was brief, fleeting, but it sent a sharp jolt through me. Still, he remained quiet.
Minutes passed. The cigarette pack sat heavily in my palm, but I barely noticed it anymore. I cleared my throat, "So...." I started. "Do you always just-"
But before I could finish, he motioned slowly toward the motorcycle, smooth, like liquid steel, then straddled it.
The deep rumble of the bike sent vibrations through the ground beneath my feet. A blink later, and he was gone.
I stood there, staring after him, my heart still hammering against my ribs. Are all the men around here just rude!?
I hadn't even gotten his name.
Just an empty pack of cigarettes and a large letter scribbled across it.
The letter 'V'