CHAPTER 32: THE LESS YOU KNOW

"Please carry me to bed," Aaliyah whispered with a downcast expression on her face.

He obeyed and took her upstairs, helping her into the covers. The awkward silence grew between them, especially when he sat down by the edge of the bed and just kept staring into space.

Aaliyah took in a deep breath, "Is it that important to you that I see it? The... Maqbath?" She whispered into the darkness of the room. He had turned off the lights earlier as they had walked in.

It took a very long time before he said, "Yes,"

"Why?" She inquired immediately.

He never said anything after that, and she also decided not to ask him anymore, while waiting for sleep to come. But with him in the room, sitting so close to her, sleep refused to come. She remained there staring at the ceiling for hours, questioning all the decisions she’s been making up till now.

Most important, she was scared of what she was becoming. She was scared of what her heart was feeling these days, and how it started when she met this man. Even right now, it was beating fast.

Hours into the night, Alastair finally stirred from his position. She thought he was gonna leave, but instead, he climbed into bed with her. His silent movements and the way he grabbed her legs softly reminded her of how he usually snuck into her room and into bed with her in the middle of the night...and how much she had missed him doing that.

She had been anticipating this happening again and had pulled the covers all the way to her neck as if that would protect him from her. When his hands traveled up her calves and back down, she shivered and closed her eyes to his touch... but her reflexes had kicked in again and she squeezed her legs shut almost immediately.

"Little Siren," He said hoarsely.

"Hm?" She folded her lips.

He climbed over her till their faces were aligned, and his eyes were the only thing she could see. He always gets enveloped in the darkness, and it makes him so much more mysterious than he already is.

"How are you?" He asked.

"I’m fine," She replied, a little surprised he asked her that.

Seeing that the covers were above her neck and hovering around her lips, he used a finger to push it down. Aaliyah hissed a sharp breath when his lips found her neck again, and he inhaled so deeply. She could even feel his lips and nose dragging against her skin, so warm and exciting.

When he got to the curve of her breast, she was ready to push him away this time. These late-night heated sparks on her skin were throwing her off the edge, and she couldn’t get what had happened to her body the last time he touched her breast out of her mind.

It was the wildest feeling she’d ever experienced. What was it called?

But instead, he rested his head on her chest hearing her uncontrollable heartbeat. Aaliyah would have sworn that was the first time since she knew him, she had heard him sigh peacefully like that was all he needed.

His weight came down on her, and she took it with a welcome.

"Why were you sniffing me? Do I smell good?" She muttered.

"I’m not sure, but it’s not a bad smell,"

Aaliyah frowned, "I thought you were gonna say you don’t know. Like you always do,"

He didn’t say anything.

"What do you know, Alastair?"

"I know your heart is beating extremely fast,"

Did he have to mention that? "What else? About yourself," She specified.

"I’m a man with no feelings. I’m heartless,"

That much was obvious! "Yes, you are," She found herself smiling.

"That should explain why I don’t know a lot of things. Since I cannot relate to feelings, or understand what’s going on with me."

She looked at his head, and began stroking his hair, "Are you telling me that you’re... literally empty inside? That...you’re not heartless by choice but by nature?" Aaliyah’s words even sounded insane to her, but she wanted to get the point from him.

She wanted to comprehend this man, even if it was a little.

"I’m...not sure. It’s been so long,"

She kept touching his hair, "Do you mind... telling me more?"

"The Less you know little Siren, the better for us,"

"You Shouldn’t decide what’s best for me. You said I can ask you for anything as long as it’s within the mansion!" She demanded with the urge to pull his hair.

He was silent again, making her sigh in exhaustion. She was seriously tired of this weird man who kept saying things that she didn’t understand!

"Alright," She paused, "Tell me something you like to do. A random thing,"

"I have no likes,"

"How about... something you do," Does that make sense?

"Walk. Think. Recently, Touch You,"

The last one had her cheeks going red, and they were making progress now, "What do you think about?"

"A Certain Event. The Past,"

"And what happened in this event?"

"That was the day the Maqbath came to be, stuck in my chest,"

Aaliyah pursed her lips, "Does it...hurt?"

He slowly nodded.

"How did it get stuck in your chest?"

He went silent again, and she knew he wasn’t answering that question. She was even surprised he had answered so much.

"What about...the time before the Maqbath got stuck inside your chest? Tell me about that time,"

"Everything was perfect. I had everything. Every single thing at my disposal,"

"And I’m guessing when the Maqbath got stuck inside you, things became... different,"

She felt him shuffle his head against her breast, and she reacted and gripped his scalp a little too hard.

"Oh, Sorry,"

"Don’t Apologize," He replied softly, "I’m not irritated by it,"

Good to know something that doesn’t irritate him.

"So that’s why you keep asking me if I can see the Maqbath?" She questioned, "You want it...out of your chest?"

He nodded this time.

"And once it’s out...you can be perfect again, right?"

What could be his definition of perfect because right now, he was nothing less than perfection. But then, that was her own opinion.

"You need to see the Maqbath, Little Siren," He said to her, sounding as if he was pleading.

Her heart squeezed badly, but she managed to suppress the feeling.

"What would happen...," She wavered, sucking in a deep breath before completing the most dreadful question in her mind, "if I’m never able to see the Maqbath?"