The Beauty And The Heist

Epilogue

Today was the day. I had to be at NASA's base in two hours and I was already late. Stelle would be launched. I had been out of hospital for a week now. I was still sore, but that wouldn't vane for a while.

I sighed and got out of bed. I hadn't seen Adrian in a week, he was busy with Stelle. There was a time when I worried whatever was between us would be over when he didn't need me anymore.

For a week I tried to steel myself to believe that.

Then I got a call from Adrian. By the tone of his voice, I thought there was trouble again. Apparently the only trouble he had was having a casual conversation with a girl he cared about. Naturally I burst out laughing, eventually leading him to join in.

My phone rang.

"Chevron, you were supposed to be downstairs an hour back!" Adrian sighed, exasperated.

"Watch it boss, I have a bruised rib and all..." I drawled. I loved his reactions.

"You're going to have two more, courtesy of my mother if you don't get your ass down."

Someone smacked him and I heard shuffling.

"Chevie, cara, please excuse his manners," she said apologetically. "Although it would be nice if you came sooner"

"Kay, I'm coming downstairs," I said, putting the finishing touches on my makeup. I rarely wore makeup but the occasion called for me to look nice. I had dyed my hair back to its natural black a while ago and matched my cocktail dress perfectly.

I climbed downstairs carefully. My ribs were still hurting but I'd thrown the painkillers on Adrian's advice when he'd told me they could be addictive. After my father, there was no way I was touching pills. Besides, Adrian had told me that some people have a tendency for addiction that was genetic.

Adrian was waiting in the same black Lamborghini that we used to escape Dylan's house. Castellino and Abandonato weren't dead, they were just too weak to be a threat anymore and I never saw Dylan again. Part of me mourned the missing friendship, but then I wouldn't have met the man grew to love.

Adrian was looking dashing as usual in a black Zegna suit and a blue bowtie. Carelia was dressed in a sky blue gown, embellished with sparkles.

"Chevron!" She said, kissing me on both cheeks.

"Hi!" I said, hugging her too. Adrian cleared his throat. I ignored him and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Good evening, idiot," he said. Carelia slapped him on the shoulder. "How am I going to get a daughter-in-law with that personality of yours?" She admonished.

Adrian seemed to choke on his spit and I coughed loudly.

"Be nicer," she warned.

"You look beautiful, Chevie." He said. It was difficult not to blush. He never complimented me before, especially on my looks.

"You too," I said. "Did you say that because mom's around or do you actually mean it?"

"Mom's fault," he confessed.

"Knew it."

He smirked and we drove off, we spent a good portion of the journey in comfortable silence, Carelia tried to get us to talk but it didn't work. She gave up eventually. I was not afraid to say I was staring at Adrian like a creep. Judging from his little smile that bastard knew it.

Tables had been out up, everybody was dressed in blue. It was one of those upper class parties that I had no interest in and Roy was nowhere to be found. Thankfully. According to Damien, he had run off to India, tired of all this shit. Unlike Adrian, I'd been in touch with the rest.