THE NIGHT TOGETHER

Celeste's eyes had only been on one person since she entered.

Edward.

She turned shyly to him and slightly bowed,a bow to which Edward immediately return.

"Edward!" she cooed, her whole face lighting up. "I didn't think you could make it.

Edward actually smiled. A soft, real smile.

"I told you I would be here,when we last saw at Milan"

Kira's chest tightened.

Saw? At Milan? Were they in contact since?

    The orchestra disruped her thoughts by immediately starting the waltz.

The violins played the soft, elegant notes of a classic.Couples started flooding the dance floor in pairs,before the second note could even settle, Celeste turned to Edward,and linked her hand in his.

"Dance with me edward".she requested.A request to which Edward fulfilled,he bowed slightly to Grandpa and led Celeste to the dance floor.Celeste smiled and so did he.

And that smile broke Kira.

Because Edward had not looked at her once. Not once since he arrived. She had not heard from him since — since three years ago when he the country without saying goodbye. No call. No message. Nothing.

But Celeste met him at Milan??

 The sight of both of them dancing,their appearance strikingly fitting for each other took kira down memory lane.

---

She was 12. He was 14

  Grandpa Dickens had invited the Wellingtons over for Christmas. Grandpa Wellington and Edward,his mom and his only sibling Emily his younger sister came.

 There was a festival in the towns square near Grandpa Dickens' house — drums, masquerades, lights everywhere. Edward really wanted to go,so he asked his parents who agreed and asked the driver to take him there.Edward also invited Celeste who was thrilled to go with him.

 Mr. Wellington's driver had parked the car in front of the compound, ready to take the kids.

Celeste was already sitting pretty in the back seat, her legs crossed, her eyes shinning and her smile bright.They were ready to go.The driver started the car.

Suddenly kira came running towards the car ,giggling in excitement, her little bangs bouncing in her face. "Wait for me! Wait! I want to come too!"

She managed to open the door and had just placed one knee on the leather seat, her small bum half inside the car, when Edward's hand came from nowhere.

He didn't even say a word. He just pushed her — hard — right on her bum, shoving her out of the car. Kira lost her balance and landed on the dusty ground with a thud, her palms scraping the sand.

Before she could even cry, _BANG!_ Edward slammed the door shut in her face.

"Drive," he told the driver coldly.

And the car sped off immediately, dust rising behind it, taking only Celeste and leaving Kira sitting alone on the ground, tears mixing with dust on her knees, watching the taillights disappear towards the festival music.

She never did get to see the festival that day.

Later that day when grandpa saw her scraped palm and asked her what happened to her,she only said she fell.

..........

Coming back to reality and seeing that Edward dancing with Celeste bought back that memory,she sighed and turned to leave to the balcony.

It was hot in the hall,or perhaps it was only her because there were gigantic AC placed around in the hall.Without anyone noticing she quietly slipped out or so she thought, because Celeste gaze followed her.

---

She stayed on the balcony till the party ended.

The musics had stopped a long time ago. The laughter in the hall had faded into the clinking of plates being cleared, chairs being dragged, staff whispering.

"Miss Kira?"

She turned. One of the hotel servers. He was young, in the black uniform all the waiters wore that night.

He looked nervous, though she didn't notice.

"Miss, your grandfather is looking for you. He asked me to bring you to him. He's in the main hall."

"The main hall? The party is over," she said, voice hoarse.

"He said it's important. The server quickly added

She adjusted her gown and the server immediately led the way.

The hall was almost empty. The big chandeliers were off, only the small warm lights left. Tables were half-cleared, wine bottles empty. There was no grandfather. Only that strange silence after a party.

The server didn't stop in the middle of the hall where the party was based. He stopped by the side bar, where a single glass of red wine had been poured.

"Your grandfather said you should wait here. He will come. He asked me to give you this. From the house."Of course the hotel where the birthday was one of the properties owned by grandpa Dickens.Most of the guests were going to pass the night at the hotel.

Kira didn't even like wine. But her throat was burning from thirst, she hadn't drank anything that night, and the night was cold. She just wanted something warm.

She took it and drank. Fast. Too fast.

 While she drank it,the server took a quick look past her  towards the far end of the hall, near the big exit doors.

Celeste was standing there.

She was still in her party dress, arms folded, not leaving like everyone else. She was watching. When the server looked at her, Celeste gave a very small, very sharp nod. Like — _done._

The server nodded back and walked away quickly, disappearing into the kitchen door.

Kira frowned. The wine tasted bitter at the back of her throat.

A minute passed. Then five later,grandpa was nowhere to be found and she was suddenly feeling hot.

It wasn't normal heat. It hit her neck first, then rushed down her chest, her arms, her stomach. Sudden and wrong, like her skin was on fire from the inside. Her breath got short. The hall started to tilt.

Huhh...?" she groaned, but her voice was weak. Celeste had already gone. The hall was empty.

She tried to stand straight. Her gaze was unsteady. The lights doubled. She felt hot, so hot and uncomfortable in her own dress, like the fabric was sticking to her.

"I need to go to my room... I need to go..."

She pushed away from the bar table and grabbed the wall for support. Her purse was slipping. She dug inside with shaking hands and brought out her hotel key card — Room 406, Grandpa had given her that afternoon.

But she couldn't see it properly. The numbers kept blurring — 406, 409, 408. Her eyes were watery and unfocused.

She kept holding the wall, dragging herself towards the elevator, towards the rooms.The elevator took her straight to the 5th floor.When she got off she felt worse,she couldn't explain how she felt. The hallway on the fifth floor was quiet. Too quiet. Her heels were loud against the carpet, then she kicked them off because she couldn't walk.

She stopped in front of a door. She held up her key card close to her eyes, squinting. The number on the door was... 409? Was that hers? The card said 406 but she couldn't read it anymore. The door in front of her was already slightly open, light spilling out.

She didn't think. She pushed it and entered, closing it behind her.

Inside, the air conditioning was cold, but she was still burning. She leaned against the door, panting, her gown suddenly too tight, too hot.

She reached behind her and lazily zipped down the gown, dropping it on the floor. She was still wearing a white and transparent undergarment, but even that felt too much. Her skin was flushed, her hands trembling.

She reached for the button, wanting to take it off because she felt like she would suffocate —

Click.

The bathroom door suddenly opened.

Steam came out as a someone stepped out of it.

Edward came out, hair wet, a white towel tied around his waist, water still on his shoulders. He had just been in the shower.

He stopped dead when he saw her.

His eyes went from her to the gown on the floor, to her flushed face, to her shaking hands on the button of the slight thing she was wearing .

His face changed from shock to pure anger.

"Kira? What the hell are you doing in my room?!"