Love’n’Lust

The next day, Belle got ready for work even if she still feared that something might have happened to Nathan. Ben didn’t return to her last night but she didn’t call, she didn’t want to have to face him again.

She got to the office and everything was normal, The few faces she knew were all bubbling with energy for the day, and even Eric kept on using the photocopying machine with her, so she assumed Nathan was in the office and just doing as she asked; giving her space.

It made her feel less of the heaviness deep down because she was no longer worried.

*****

Meanwhile, Alex had just returned to City S from City N. It was some hours since she returned and was just done resting when her cleaner informed her that he was ready to leave.

A few minutes after he left, and she was about to head back upstairs, she heard her doorbell go off. Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she returned to the door, ready to scold the cleaner but was surprised by who she met at the door.

“Ben?” She uttered to show her surprise but he just walked in, so she closed the door after him. He let his eyes wander around and she took the opportunity to begin arranging and pulling on her dress to appear skimpier than they already were.

She hoped he was at her place for what she presumed; that he was mad at Belle and wanted to spend some good time with her.

Ben turned back at her and saw her standing awkwardly in her own house. She also noticed how awkward she was and decided to change that.

“I will get some wine for us,” she said and wanted to go to the open kitchen but he held her arm and brought her back.

“That won’t be necessary,” he told her.

“Really?” She smiled, then bit her lips after. It was happening to her again; she was getting turned on, just because he held her right arm.

“Come here,” he took her to the dining room and pulled out one of the chairs around the table.”Sit.”

She did, expecting him to join her and he did but what she didn’t expect was that he would pull his chair very close to hers.

“Be honest, why did you do it?” She heard a question that immediately made her know what he was asking about. Her smile disappeared as she covered her mouth with her left hand.

‘Oh no,’ She thought to herself.

“The plan wasn’t to hurt her, Ben.” She blinked repeatedly, trying to manage her fear.

“Wrong answer. Why did you do it?”

“Why else? I was jealous!” Alex broke out loudly before reducing her voice to normal again.”I didn’t ask them to hurt her, I actually told them to take good care of her and not let any harm come to her, Tiger assured me that he would do that. Believe me when I say I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“…” Ben looked on at her quietly as she spoke. He wasn’t angrier when Tiger mentioned her name because he knew it was her all along, he just wanted confirmation. He knew what she could do and what she couldn’t, they had been friends since they were younger, she; him; and Jenna, but she had crossed the line this time around.

“I just wanted her out of the way, I figured that if she wasn’t in the picture, you would forget about her. I didn’t know that you would worry over her disappearance. I’m sorry, Ben.” Alex explained further, her lashes getting wet with the tears welling up in her eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something else but no words came after she saw him take out a syringe from his suit jacket.

“What is that?” She finally found her voice to ask.

“You don’t need to know for now, the doctors will tell you what you injected yourself with an overdose of when you are at the hospital.”

“W-what?” She panicked when he mentioned the hospital.”Ben, look, I’m sorry for what I did okay, I…”

“Ssshh,” he paused her words. She found herself hushing as he asked. Ben took her arm while she watched. She saw him take off the cap covering the needle on the syringe, and that was when she started to shake her head.

“Ben, no, please,” She tried to withdraw her arms from him but it was late, he held her arm tightly. He planned to inject her with an overdose of the content in the syringe; Alex used to be a drug addict and only recently did she stop because it almost ruined her career. Ben knew how much her career mattered to her so instead of hurting her physically, he was going to inject her with an overdose and have the police come to her rescue before it affected her too much.

The public would get to know and it would affect both her career and her reputation of quitting drugs.

Alex saw the needle approach her skin and couldn’t do anything about it but beg because she knew he could have killed her but he was doing this instead.

She closed her eyes with a gasp when the needle pierced her skin. A tear dropped from her cheeks because she knew how hard she had worked to stop herself from what he was about to inject her with. She opened her eyes and watched him push on the piston, transferring the fluid from the chamber to her vein.

He stopped when he had injected all of it through her skin, withdrawing the needle and giving it to her to hold. Alex wiped her tears with the back of her palm and took it from him, tainting his fingerprint with hers.

“Jenna shouldn’t know about this,” he stood from the chair and started to arrange the arm of his suit jacket. He saw her nod slowly.”Good.”

When he left, Alex kept the syringe on the dining table, bracing herself for the effects of whatever it was he just injected her with because she didn’t know what it was.

A sharp pain immediately took over her head, making her wince her eyes in pain. She placed her hands over her head as she began to sweat profusely, trying to keep her eyes open because her eyelids just kept on getting heavier. She started to see blur, everything around her became shaky and darker.

She felt a warm drop of tear fall on her thighs, as she tried to sustain what was happening to her.

Her door immediately burst open and she looked up to see some police officers. There were three men and a woman.

“Ma’am, can you hear me?” The female police officer squatted next to where she sat. Alex could hear her but couldn’t respond; the pain she felt in her head wouldn’t let her.

“I don’t think she can hear me. Is the ambulance here already?” The woman asked none of the men in particular so they all nodded. Soon, Alex was being carried away even if she unconsciously struggled to free herself of their hold.

*****

Belle was just back from work and was about to go in when she opened her door but paused. She looked back around and saw Ben’s car, he was there. She took in a deep breath before proceeding inside.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

She met him in the kitchen. He had just poured himself a new glass of whiskey. Their eyes met but Belle looked away. Ben came to her and did the unexpected, he hugged her.

Belle didn’t reciprocate at first, but then she realized she needed a hug from him so badly. When she hugged him back, he made the hug tighter. After some seconds, he released her of the hug, and then brought his face to hers; Belle could smell the alcohol on his breath, but she was okay with it, she loved it actually.

“Are you still mad about…”

“Don’t say it,” he stopped her from finishing her question. He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and finally her lips. It was a light peck at first until it became a wet one. Belle was okay with it.

She was happy that Nathan was alright when she went to work today so she was okay with getting intimate with Ben tonight.