Let's Talk About Murder

20 | the way you look at me

"WHAT ARE YOU doing?" A masculine voice asked and Aphrodite flinched. Her heartbeats quickly escalated but came back to normal when she saw Lex standing at the threshold. She blew a breath of relief.

"Oh, my God. Lex!" She half-yelled. "You scared the hell outta me."

Lex walked in and analysed the heap of yearbooks that surrounded her. He towered behind her. His shadow fell on the book that she was holding. "What are you doing? Your mom is calling you downstairs to cut the cake."

"I, um. I'm busy. Stall her," Aphrodite muttered.

"What do you mean you're busy? It's your birthday." Lex's voice weighed with confusion. "Why are you so interested in old yearbook pictures?" He crouched down beside her and picked up the first book near him. "Class of 1980?"

"You won't understand, Lex." She refused to look at him. "You won't understand."

"Make me, then."

She slumped her shoulders down and stared at the floor. "I want to find him. I want to find Peter," she said. Lex gently placed his hands on her bare shoulder and rubbed his thumb around her shoulder blade. All of the rush of energy centered around her shoulder.

"Find who exactly?"

"My father." Her voice cracked. "My biological father." Her eyes brimmed with tears and she was glad he couldn't see her face right now. "He...he was in highschool with my mom. A year older than her. I never knew he was alive until he found my mom and crashed a party four years ago. I asked my mom about him but she refused to tell me so I started looking for him. I know he is in the Mainland town so I took admission in Orion Academy. That's why I've been sneaking off and missing lectures." She held her tears back. "I want to find him. I want to find and ask why...why did he leave me and my mom like that? Did he not love us? Did he mean what he said four years ago...that...that I was just a mistake?"

"Hey." Lex squeezed her shoulders. He pushed the books aside and scooted closer to her. "Look at me," he said. She didn't. She stared at the floor and tried to hide her red face hot with anger, sorrow and hurt. "Look at me." This time it wasn't a request. It was an order. So she did. She looked into his dilated brown eyes and melted into his arms. Tears rolling down cheeks. He held her in his arms, not giving a damn that she was wetting his outfit. "You are not a mistake, Aphrodite." He rested his chin on her head. His fingers rubbed against her arms. "If anything, you are the opposite to that. And whatever it is, you shouldn't care about him. It's his loss."

She pulled apart and met his gaze. "You think so?"

Lex bobbed his head.

Despite the tears, her eyes twinkled. That is until it fell on his chest. A patch of his tuxedo was wet with her tears. "Oh, no." She buried her hands in the pockets of her ball gown and removed a handkerchief. She leaned down to face his chest and pat the piece of cloth on his tux. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

Lex grabbed Aphrodite's arms. "It's all right." He pulled her away from him. Aphrodite looked into his eyes, feeling a need to get closer to him. Her heart throbbed inside her ribcage and she slipped from reality. Her gaze dropped down to his plump lips. She couldn't stop herself. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. So, she gave in. She placed her lips on his. But quickly, pulled back--realising what she had done.

Lex paused and gazed into her eyes.

In the next second, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled her towards him. She devoured him with hunger, with fulfilment. He reacted with just as much intensity as her. She wanted more from him. She wanted him closer than he already was. She circled her arms around his neck while his fingers rubbed against her cheeks. His other hand dropped down to her waist as she pulled her closer.

More. More. More.

"You...you are beautiful," he muttered between the kisses. She smiled as she melted at his touch. She was aware of his one hand on her neck, the other on her waist, his knees brushing against her. She was aware of him. Every fibre of her skin thudded at his touch. The world was on fire. Her world was on fire.

"Aphrodite..." Her mother called out from outside. "Where are you, sweet bean?"

Lex and Aphrodite quickly pulled apart. They both exchanged horrified expressions as her mother's footsteps passed her bedroom. They stood up and Aphrodite dusted herself.

"We--"

"Let's--"

They both began but stopped.

"Cake. Cutting. Go." Lex rasped.

"But...but the books?" He clutched her wrist and helped her away from the heap of books.

"I'll clean it up, don't worry," he said and eyed the door, asking her to leave before they get caught in the room with moonlight as the only source of light. Her lips curled up and she quickly pecked his lips before running outside.

"Oh, honey," Her mother caught up to her as soon as she took a few steps away from her mother's bedroom. "Where were you? Let's go cut the cake. Everyone is hungry."

"Yeah, sorry. Wanted to pee," she lied.

"We found you but now where did Lex go? I asked him to search for you and not get lost himself." Sienna facepalmed as they walked downstairs.

"You know him?"

"Of course." Sienna smiled. "Your father and his have done business together. You would've known if you didn't avoid such parties or weddings."

Even on her birthday, Sienna couldn't help but taunt her daughter.

"Haven't seen him at all," she said as if the taste of his lips wasn't still fresh on her.

Liar. Liar. Ball gown on fire.

header image by Alejandra Quiroz.

what do you think of the kiss? where you expecting that? and Aphrodite's infamous Peter?

any ideas/theories for the future chapters? 👀

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