-Hello, Seb?
-Heyya!! Seb's answering machine speaking. Seb is unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. Seb will catch up...!!
Erica threw her phone on the bed.
This time she was certain that something was definitely wrong.
No matter how annoying Seb is, she'll never be this ignorant or careless.
Erica vowed that if Seb doesn't call her by morning, she's gonna go and report to the police.
It's the only way left open now.
Morning 7:15
Seb was already awake, but didn't leave the bed. Lucifer was nowhere to be seen when her eyes opened. She didn't try to look around for him too. The better when she's alone. She didn't want him anywhere near her.
But her wishes revolted. Lucifer entered the exact moment. He was dressed in a casual shirt and sweatshirt, as if he was going out. Was he leaving?
He didn't look at Seb. He walked up to his table and grabbed something. Seb was staring at the ceiling.
"Get up, will you?", Lucifer brought back Seb to her senses. It sounded like a rude demand.
"I don't have much time to waste on you!", he shot with the same venom in his voice,"Get off the bed!!!".
Seb flinched by the manners he used. What happened to the person who was acting all sensitive a while ago? Is he really double-faced? Why is he behaving like before? It's not like Seb expected him to be all caring, but she at least thought that he'd be little sensitive. May be it was too much to ask for.
Lucifer suddenly turned his face. Seb was taking time."Out!! Now!!", he snapped.
Having taken the medicines from last night, Seb was little back in shape. But wasn't recovered fully. She could slid off the blanket of herself and sit on the bed slowly. As she let her feet down, she looked around for something.
Lucifer was getting impatient with her taking so long. "Under the bed!", came his sharp clue.
It was Seb's shoes. Also in one piece. Without hesitating, she put them on. Her headache and fever still persisted, but she managed somehow.
Suddenly something leaped on Seb's lap, startling her. It was a sweater.
"Put that on!!", came the order from Lucifer,"It's freezing".
Seb didn't argue and obeyed. It was indeed very chilly.
"Done? Let's go then", a patience-less Lucifer approached the door.
"Are we going somewhere?", Seb asked trying to be little bold, trying not to sound revolting.
Lucifer paused on his steps and said without turning back,"I'll just leave you where you saw me. Get home by yourself.....or wherever you wanna go!!!".
The unexpected words stunned Seb. He was really letting her go??? Or was it a trap? But it was sounding too rude to be false. Seb had to take her risk if he had indeed changed his mind. If he wasn't using the words so recklessly then she must ask him. Her eyes twinkled,"You're...letting me go?"
"I"m warning you!!!...If you...", Lucifer burst out with a sudden snarl at Seb's polite question,"....spill this, it'll not take me a moment to shatter your bones and abandon you in some lane", Saying that he threw a black cloth a Seb.
"Put that on!", he barked,"I don't want to come across you ever again. You must never know the route to this place". it was a blindfold.
Seb hesitated,"Is it really necessary?...I told you I..."
Before she completed, Lucifer charged at her with a demonic temper,"Listen punk!!!", he said in a growling tone,"Be thankful that I'm letting you go at such a huge risk. No...further....argument and stop wasting my time. Put that on!!!".
Seb didn't rebel anymore. She was afraid that she might lose her chance of freedom if she defied him. She put on the blindfold.
"How am I suppose to move but?", she asked
"I'll guide you", Lucifer replied.
"No!!!", Seb suddenly blurted. Her voice was sharp. It was clear that she can't tolerate his touch. Lucifer flinched as if he was stung by bee. But he didn't try to get angry and instead ran down to a compromise for her sake.
"Then you can hold my sleeve", he suggested,"Will that be okay?". His voice was cold but his words were soft.
Seb had no other choice or question left on that proposal. She had to. She raised her hand in the air searching for Lucifer's acket sleeve in the air.
He lend his hand to her. The sleeve came in contact with Seb's hand as she held it.
"Done?", Lucifer asked.
"Let's go", confirmed Seb as she got up.
Lucifer turned and started walking with measured steps, making sure of Seb's comfort zone. He felt her sustaining weakness. Seb on the other hand, followed his trail like a puppy. Lucifer led her out carefully through the door. The sound beneath the feet changed. It must be the deck. Lucifer increased his pace a bit, Seb tried to keep up accordingly.
"It's a long way corridor", he informed,"Keep walking straight, you won't trip".
After a while he said," Stairs below, be careful".
Seb was alerted as she felt each and every step as she walked down. Lucifer delayed his steps too so that she doesn't stumble on his. When they had got down the stairs, Seb was again led through a long corridor, after which, a sloping pathway followed. Seb was inspecting on her senses. It was indeed a ship after all, and that was the entry. And it was anchored too.
While walking through that, she lost her balance and slipped once. Lucifer acted on his reflexes and caught her arm on time,"Careful!!!", he said alarmed.
A painful expression spread over Seb's face. Lucifer realized that he had placed his strong grip on her arm where she is injured.....by him. He removed his hand immediately but didn't say anything.
Finally they reached the plain concrete. Seb heard the sound of a car door opening in front of her. "Get in!", came Lucifer's voice.
She felt the seat and sat inside. Then she heard him shift in the driver's seat. The car took off with a roar.
None of them said a word during the journey. Seb hoped that she could remove the blindfold as she didn't trust him yet. But she didn't gather enough courage to do so. After at least 15 minutes, the car came to a halt.
"Remove it", Lucifer addressed the blindfold. Seb obeyed accordingly.
They were at Roque-Berry Avenue. So he wasn't lying after all. He was also trying to be kind enough to leave her at the Avenue, not the darkened lane. And fortunately enough, her bike was safe where it was parked.
"Get out!", ordered Lucifer without even looking. Seb couldn't have been more happy to obey that. She got off and walked to the other side of the car.
She stopped beside Lucifer's window. None of them said anything as if they were waiting for the other person to say something.
When Seb didn't say anything, unexpectedly Lucifer initiated. He didn't get out of his car as he spoke. Seb also expected him to leave without even taking a second look, but it didn't happen so.
"You seem fine enough to ride your bike back home", he was looking straight as he was sure of Seb's gaze on him.
"I...I feel better. I can manage", she lied.
Another awkward silence followed. The convo was too brief.
Annoyed, Lucifer motioned to start the car when suddenly Seb spoke,"Thank you!".
Lucifer gasped! It was something he didn't want to hear at all. She must not even mean it, then why say it???
He closed his eyes, clenched his teeth and let out an irritating sigh. "Don't", he said,"Don't say it so recklessly, don't say it at all!!! After all I've done, saying 'thank you' would be like mocking me. It isn't the appropriate term. If it is because I'm letting you go, then still don't, because I had no right to abduct you in the first place. You didn't deserve it, and I don't deserve this gratitude either."
Seb was amazed at his words. It's not like he tries to be rude, his manner of speaking is such. She chuckled softly. Lucifer looked at her, is she in her senses? Why is she laughing at such a situation? Was she making fun of him?
"I'm not thanking you for letting me go...",she confessed,"...I'm thanking you for having the trust in me which made you let me go" she continued,"Also, you've had your regrets. That's why you were kind enough to take care of me".
Lucifer had no proper choice of words to reply to her. Her words totally chocked him from inside. She isn't not ordinary. She is the purest of a soul, and he was the one to contaminate her so brutally. Was he really the Devil? When his mind gave up on him, he realized that he can't take her being near him anymore. He can't face her. He decided to depart immediately. He can't meet up with her sincerity. Only when he looked at her once more, he found the same serene smile on her lips. It expressed a powerful radiant through her whole face and led out a positive charisma. He realized suddenly how beautiful his hostage is, was, this whole time. She wasn't faking a bit, her eyes were too honest.
Lucifer felt uneasy and irritated. He couldn't stand being around her. It made him feel like a monster.
He shook off his thoughts and started the car. He pretended to be as rude as possible,"Better keep your words. And I hope we never meet again", whereas he wanted just the opposite.
As he was about to depart, Seb spoke again, "Listen...". He looked at her, "If I ask you something will you favor me? It's nothing grand", she promised.
"Depends!!!", he said looking away.
"Can you tell me your name?", Seb asked her deepest wish and prayed for him to say it this time.
There was a pause. Lucifer was motionless and didn't say anything. His face said that he was debating on it.
"It's.....Iven", he said suddenly and before Seb could say anything else, he took off within a split second.
Seb kept staring till he left. Such a stubborn fellow. So Mr.Lucifer even has a very sexy name. Suits him pretty well.
"Iven", Seb repeated,"Your attitude sucks!!!".