Love’n’Lust

It was late evening, almost night. Belle sat in her bed at home, her knees up to her chin as she sobbed non-stop. Ben walked in and saw her that way, he felt a somewhat piercing pain inside when he saw her crying like that so he went and joined her on the bed.

“What is the matter? Who hurt you?” He began to stroke her hair backward but got an unexpected reaction from her as she sat up so suddenly.

“What did you do to him?! Where is he?!” He heard her question and now knew what she was crying about.

He looked at her, unremorseful and his lashes not blinking but said nothing in response.

“I just found out today, that he has been missing since yesterday. Is that where you were the other day? What about the cut on your lip, where did that come from?!”

“Too many questions, Belle.” He finally addressed what she was asking.

“Too many questions? What? You expect me to sit back and fold my hands and not ask any questions?” Belle blinked some of the tears in her eyes away.”All through today at work, I had to listen to almost everyone talk about how one of the senior editors hasn’t been heard from, and I feel so bad, and guilty because I am the cause of his disappearance. I get that choking feeling that whatever happens to him is caused by me, and you want me to not ask questions?!”

“He is still alive, I haven’t thought of what to do with him yet,”

“He is still alive? Okay, let him go.” Belle’s voice turned to one of plea but she heard him scoff after her request.

“If you don’t, I’m going to feel horrible whenever Mr Khan says he has hopes that he would be found, please Ben.”

“He crossed a path he shouldn’t have been on in the first place.” When Ben informed her that Nathan wasn’t dead yet, he was hoping to calm her down but it made things worse.

“I’m going to go to the police if you don’t let him go,” Belle told him with confidence but that confidence died the moment she saw a smile come upon his face.

“You will go to the police?”

“Ye-s-s, don’t make me. Let him go,” She stammered but only saw his smile get calmer.

“What will you tell the police?” His question had her thinking quickly.”Are you just going to walk into a station and say ‘Mr Larkson is responsible for the missing editor’s disappearance’?”

“I will tell them what I know.” She felt more less confident when she laughed at that statement of hers.

“Tell me Belle, what do you know? Or rather, what do you think you know?” He stopped laughing to ask her.

“I know… I know you have him somewhere because of my mistake, and you plan to punish him…”

“Do you have any evidence of what you are saying?” He cut her short, “Hmmm?”

“I…”

“Let’s be smart here, it will make things easy for us both. I want you to… are you listening to me?” He stopped to ask when he thought she looked lost. Placing both his thumbs on her cheeks, he started to wipe her tears.

“Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry.” He told her before continuing the statement he had in mind.”I want you to forget that he ever existed, okay?”

“No,” Belle shook her head.

“Ssshh, listen to me.” He came closer to her and kissed her forehead, then he took his lips to her left ear.”Forget you ever knew someone named Nathan. It would be much easier for you that way because he is never coming back. Very soon, this city would forget he existed too, and everything will be just back to normal, you’ll see.”

****

“I swear it’s her, I can’t believe you don’t recognize your own sister,” Cherry argued with Brie, over who it was in the picture at the top of the news blog she was reading.

“It isn’t Belle, when did she ever visit City N?”

“The night of the biggest event of the year, with Ben Larkson. See, he is there with her.” Cherry showed her a different picture of both Ben and Belle.

“That isn’t Belle, if she went to City N, I would know about it, you probably would too; Belle tells me almost everything.” Brie bragged.

“Yeah, she does, but not till you told her over the phone that you didn’t give a shit about her or what she did anymore.” Cherry reminded her

Brie didn’t say anything immediately after Cherry spoke.

“Urghh, her necklace,” Cherry praised, “Take a look.” Cherry showed her roommate a new picture where the focus was on Belle’s neck as she wore the most expensive jewelry from that night.*It’s a diamond piece,” she added.

“Stop Cherry, I don’t want to see any of those anymore.” Brie started to feel a weight of guilt after her friend’s reminder of what she said to Belle over the phone the last time they spoke.

“Oh, sorry.” Cherry rolled her eyes and continued to read the blog alone when they both heard a knock on the door. About to get up and get the door, Brie stopped her.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Don’t worry, I’ll check who it is,” Brie said and headed to the door. When she looked through the eyehole on the door she saw Belle’s face so she quickly opened the door.

“Belle? Are you okay?” She asked once she saw her sister’s pale-looking face.

“No,” Belle answered honestly and hugged her.

“Speak of the devil and it appears,” Cherry said once she looked up from her phone and saw Belle hugging Brie. They both stopped to look at her.

“It’s just an expression, chill.” She explained before making space for them both on the couch as they approached her.

Belle was saying anything as she sat, she just sniffed once in a while and tried to dry the non-visible tears on her face. Cherry got tired of the silence and decided to break it.

“Uhm, Belle?” Belle turned to her.”Just to clear out this little argument between Brie and I, is this you in this photo?” She made to pass her phone to Belle but Brie took hold of it before it could get to her sister.

“Seriously? Now?” Brie gave her phone back to her.

“What?” Cherry pouted.

“Can’t you see how she is? Were you really going to bother her with that now?” Brie scolded her.

“I had to, she wasn’t saying anything, you weren’t either.” Cherry shrugged.

“I want to talk to Brie alone,” Belle finally said something after a while.”Please?” She looked at Cherry.

“Fine,” Cherry stood from where she sat, ready to leave.”It’s not like I tell anyone any of the things you both have discussed in my presence, but I’ll leave.” She muttered but made it loud enough for them to hear before going to the bedroom.

When she left, Belle took in a deep breath before talking.

“I’m so scared, Brie.” She started.”I made a stupid mistake and now Ben has taken an action I can’t even sleep with.”

“What are you saying? What mistake did you make?”

“You know how bad I usually am with alcohol?”

“Yeah?” Brie nodded.

“Well, I… I slept with one of my bosses.”

“What? The one who likes you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?!”

“I don’t know, it just happened. I woke up the next morning and he was sleeping next to me in bed, I don’t even remember how I got drunk that night before it happened.”

“O my god. And then what?” Brie wanted to know.

“Ben found out, somehow, I don’t know how but he did and now Nathan’s missing, and I feel he has something to do with it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you seen the news or something? Nathan is missing…”

“Yeah, I saw that. I am asking what you mean when you say Ben has something to do with it.”

“I just don’t know what to think or do, I’m just scared that no one might ever see Nathan again and I’ll have to leave with that guilt. I just feel like I caused all of it.”

“Oh no.” Brie hugged her, understanding her.”What did I tell you about Ben?”

“…” Belle began to sob.

“You see, these rich men, they have a way of thinking that’s unusual. They  think they own you once you start fucking with them.” Brie tried to comfort her sister but her words were repelling her actions.

“They can be so possessive that it will make you wonder, and it’s worse if they cheat and expect you not to; they want you all to themselves but never will they give all of theirself  to you.”

“Come on, not again, Brie. Carl isn’t Ben.” They both heard Cherry.”I’m sorry, I found myself listening, couldn’t help it.”

“Look Belle, you too weren’t even in a relationship to start with so you didn’t cheat on him, technically speaking and besides, Nathan was probably targeted by someone who has a private feud with him or something. What am I saying? You are probably overthinking, Ben might not have something to do with it as you assume.”

“O my gosh, Cherry, can you just shut up?”  Brie snapped at her.

“I am making more sense than you are,” Cherry shot back at Brie.

“You weren’t even supposed to be part of this discussion so shut the hell up.” Brie fired at her again. Belle quickly got sick of it and stood to leave, that was when Brie stopped.

“Hey, Belle I’m sorry about what just happened.” Brie stopped her at the door.

“It’s fine, I just need some time alone.”

“No, you came to me because you needed to talk to someone, right? I can’t just let you leave.”

“Brie, it’s fine really, I just need to go back and get some sleep.”