The Devil (BOOK I + II)

6 | "Screw you, Anton Chekhov"

Chapter Six
   "Screw you, Anton Chekhov"

"she is water. soft enough to offer
life, tough enough to drown it away,"
~ rupi kaur

┏━━━━━━━┓

   My foot was tapping aggressively against the hardwood floor as I sat on one of the two beige armchairs in the drawing room.

   Across from me was a fireplace, with bookshelves lining up on the same wall. There was a window on my right, which overlooked the side of the house, and on my left was the exit. I'd been sitting here for a solid two hours, gripping the book in my hand.

   After grabbing a random novel in the two-floor library, I came here and hoped this could ease the boredom. But reading, it really wasn't for me.

   I envied every single human being who was able to sit in one place and read. I couldn't do it, and now I was glaring at the words on page five.

   Screw you, Anton Chekhov, and your Seagull.

   "There you are," a soft voice sighed as they entered the well-lit room.

   Grateful for the distraction, I closed the book a little too harshly before twisting on the seat, instantly grinning when I saw Gala taking small steps into the room.

   I saw her nervously glancing at Daemon, who I knew was standing behind me. He luckily knew when to keep quiet, because ever since our talk—or argument, I should say—the day of papa's dinner, he hadn't said much to me.

   It's been a week since, and now it was the first Sunday of December. With the thick beige curtains open, it allowed me to look at the snow on the ground, which fell yesterday.

   "I didn't know you'd be back this week," I commented with a smile as I dropped the book on the circular table next to me.

   She moved a few more steps closer just as I stood. Before I could think much of it, I reached out and pulled her into a hug, right in front of the fireplace.

   "It was a surprise," she chuckled lightly into my neck before wrapping her arms around me. I caught a whiff of the sea, which Gala always happened to smell like.

   Because her nearly black, curly hair was full of volume, some of her strands made its way to my mouth, and I quickly pushed my head back, chuckling.

   "A surprise for who?" I teased when we finally separated, but she was still close enough for me to look over her features.

   Her honey skin seemed to be glowing in the room, and despite her curly bangs hovering over her wide, chestnut eyes, she still looked gorgeous. Especially with the darkness underneath her eyes, and her equally dark freckles.

   "For you. Papa. Rolie," she began listing off with a nervous smile. "You seem better."

   I was dying inside. "I'm allowed to get out of my room now," I offered teasingly before I nudged my head to the beige armchairs. "Please sit with me. Otherwise I'll cause problems for my family."

   "We wouldn't want that," she joked before taking the empty seat closest to the window. While she was crossing her legs, I sat back in my seat and groaned as I stretched.