Eliezer’s Ange by Eden Auclair

XII

cassiopeia is twenty

she is a senior in university

—a year later—

A small smile settled on Cassiopeia’s face as she walked through the doors of the glasshouse. Eyes met hers and widened in surprise before they greeted her with a smile. She wasn’t supposed to come in today or the rest of the week since Eliezer knew this was her last week of finals. This was her last week before she’d graduate. So he gave her the week off, he wanted her focused and away from stress. He still came by her loft every evening, helping her study and simply because he wanted to see his ange.

But she certainly wasn’t having it.

Starlie’s eyes flickered to Cassiopeia’s figure as she came into view in the lonely hall and widened horrifically as they fell on her outfit.

“Wha- Cass-”

“Shush,” Cassiopeia hissed, glancing at Eliezer’s office with wide eyes before looking back at Starlie and sending her a flattering smile. Mission Cassiopeia the Ninja is a go!

“What are you doing here?” Starlie whisper-yelled.

“I have work to do.” She rolled her eyes. “Two manuscripts to be read and I kept falling asleep studying.” She giggled softly.

“Did you just come from class?” Cassiopeia nodded before glancing down at her outfit—a white ribbed turtleneck, black leather jacket, and black jeans with Doc Martens.

“That’s why they all looked at me like I was crazy.” Her eyes flickered to the ceiling as a deep crimson bruised her cheeks before locking eyes with Starlie once again. In the past year, she had become entirely comfortable with the company and everyone had become utterly fond of the girl. But Eliezer wasn’t too keen on the idea—given they were mostly men, it didn’t settle well with him. It woke up the jealous and possessive brute inside of him when he caught them eyeing her hungrily, coming to her just to flirt or even just smile at her. And though Cassiopeia could be blissfully ignorant as ever, she was his precious girl that he wanted to both keep a secret forever and yell it from the rooftops.

“You’re such a nut, Cass.” Starlie chuckled, shaking her head at her friend.

“Thank you,” she deadpanned. “Okay, I’m going to my office now. Don’t tell Eliezer I’m here before he kills me, please.” She laughed softly and turned around to leave.

“Eliezer would never.” Starlie snickered quietly and Cassiopeia blushed.

In her little studio, she brewed a cup of peach tea before taking a seat in her swivel chair. She was able to reply to Eliezer’s emails from important investors and she made it halfway through one of the manuscripts when her cell went off softly with a Lewis Capaldi tone. She smiled cheekily as she answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

“Slater!” Her soft voice cheered. Eliezer, she was sure, still had no idea of her presence and she wanted to keep it that way.

“I know for a fact that you don’t have class right now, so that can’t be why you’re so quiet. Are you at the glasshouse? I thought this Eliezer of yoursdidn’t want you there for the week.” Slater’s words held a hint of teasing and they certainly didn’t fail to make her blush.

“He is not mine.” She nearly choked on the word. “But hello to you too, I’m doing well, thank you,” she muttered sarcastically.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Slater muttered back just as sarcastically. “Hello, my spawn of satan sister! I am doing wonderful, yourself? Oh! You’re doing well too? So glad to hear! Thank you.

“Okay, anyways, now that that’s over, he is definitely yours and you are his, from what I gathered from what you’ve shared in the past and Niccolò, you’re both in love.” Slater hadn’t even given Cassiopeia a chance to breathe as his words rushed out of his mouth.

“Niccolò?” She nearly screeched.

“Not the point, Cass,” he said dryly.

“Slater... since when did you become so invested in my love life?”

“Since the,” he cleared his throat and exclaimed in a girlish shriek, “mysterious and enthralling Eliezer Badeaux entered your life,” he replied cheekily. Cassiopeia’s face burned crimson.

“I don’t sound like that, you stupid twat.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re such a pain in my ass,” Slater muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You just said something.”

“I didn’t, you’re out of your mind.”

“You’re lying.”

“You’re ugly.”

“So are you.”

Slater sighed exasperatedly and she smirked. “You were saying?”

“Slater? Are you still there?” She questioned when he went quiet.

“Yes, I’m still here,” he snapped. “I’m just calling you every name I can think of in my head since I can’t do it out loud.” Cassiopeia bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

“And why not? I can handle it.”

“No. I’ll feel bad.”

“You’re... something else, Slater.” She giggled.

“I’m tired of you.”

“So hang up.”

“I also can’t do that to you.”

“I know.” She wore a smug smile and could envision her little brother rolling his eyes.

“I hate you, but we knew that, moving on, I have a question for you.”

“Yes?”

“When did you start working for Eliezer again?”

Her brows crinkled and she faltered at the question. “Last April.”

“Interesting.” Slater seemed to ponder over his thoughts.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I know it’s you that’s handling the hospital bills. It’s not Ansel, I know you and I know you think the moment you tell him, he’ll leave everything and come home and that’s exactly what you don’t want.” Cassiopeia wanted to open her mouth, tell Slater that wasn’t half the truth as of late between her and Ansel, but he started once again. “It certainly can’t be Eliezer because I’m more than sure you haven’t told him about our family or my condition yet, and so, you want to explain that?” She felt at a loss for words. She knew her brother knew her all too well and she knew he pieced together the truth. She finally found her words and opened her mouth but he wasn’t done yet.

“And Cassiopeia, I know and I get your reasons for neglecting to tell mom and dad because they’d hate knowing you carry such a burden on your shoulders, but Christ, I’m your brother, you can’t carry all these worries and bottle them up, you need to tell me these things,” he finished exasperatedly. A deafening silence draped over them on both ends of the call and Slater had nearly been entirely convinced his sister was no longer there until he heard the soft clearing of her throat.

“Eliezer... pays me very generously, Slater,” she murmured quietly, too quietly that Slater almost missed it; too bad he was keen on hearing.

“What?”

“Eliezer pays me well, of course, it’s me taking care of the hospital bills. Because I can.”

“Very well you say…” Slater trailed and she rolled her eyes because of course of everything she just said, that was what he chose to focus on.

“He’s so in love with you,” Slater muttered and it didn’t go unnoticed by Cassiopeia.

“He is absolutely not.” She nearly shrieked but caught herself in time and only hissed. The rush of those words tumbling past your lips says otherwise, a snarky voice in her head retorted.

Slater hummed, and like the little devil he was, said, “He’s like your sugar daddy then!”

“Have you lost your mind,” she hissed with bulging eyes.

“Quite the opposite actually.” The grin was evident in his tone, and Cassiopeia face-palmed.

“Anyways... on the topic of hospitals, how are you, Slater?”

He seemed to have lost a bit of his teasing demeanor as he answered. “I’m doing brilliant, Cass, really. I’m fighting this AVM every day and I just wake up every morning feeling thankful I have another day to live. But honestly, ever since the doctors were able to disrupt the tangled blood vessels last year, I’ve felt better than in the past.” Cassiopeia felt her eyes heavy with tears and an equally teary smile curl her lips. Her time with her brother was limited, but she wasn’t sure just how much time there was left.

“You are the strongest human I’ve ever known,” she whispered a bit choked up.

“Oh come on, Cass, please don’t cry. I’m here and I’m okay. And I’m certainly not leaving anytime soon. I still want to talk about you right now though, we’ll talk about me later, okay?”

“Okay,” she said softly after a few seconds, sloshing her teary eyes.

“Soooo...” He not so subtly returned to the topic at hand. “Are you going to your classes like a good little egg?”

“Brat,” she snapped, “but yes, I’ll have you know I’ve been going to my classes like a very good egg and I’m graduating my bachelors in a week.”

“I know,” he laughed, “Niccolò tells me everything, but I wanted to hear it from you.”

“You suck.”

“I can imagine you sticking your tongue out at me,” he deadpanned, “you are the most immature person I know, it’s a wonder we’re related.”

“Thank you, I wake up every morning with this grand plan to be even more of a pain in your ass than I was the day before,” she answered dryly.

“Brat,” he laughed, “are you going to tell mom and dad about moving on to grad school?”

“I don’t know,” she suddenly murmured, “they already worry about enough, Slater, between the company’s downfall still messing with our finances and your health being our main priority, I don’t want them to worry about me too.”

“But your graduation is something to celebrate.”

“I know. But still...

“I’m getting along just fine, I promise.”

“Cass, you’re not... being blackmailed are you?”

Cassiopeia let out a shrill laugh, where did that come from Slate. “Not at all! If you’re not counting Eliezer’s promise of me not getting any other job if I didn’t take his, then no.” A full-blown smile was etched on her face as she reminisced the memories. Eliezer was a brute that day, sure, but today, Cassiopeia felt the happiest she’s ever felt in the little home she made of the glasshouse.

“His little ultimatum doesn’t count, he’s the love of your life,” Slater said in a tone that held no room for argument and Cassiopeia refrained from stringing along a few choice words to him.

Sighing softly, she couldn’t help the smile tugging at the ends of her lips, “I’m not even going to fight you, Slater.”

“Finally, she confesses her undying love,” he feigned a praising tone, “they grow up so quickly,” he sniffled.

“Slater,” she groaned.

“I’m kidding.

“Maybe.

“I love you, Cass,” the words left his lips in a rush and Cassiopeia rolled her eyes with a wide grin on her face at his bubbly energy.

“But are you sure you’re really okay? Ar-”

“Yes, mama,” she said in a sing-song voice.

“I hope you can feel my eye roll from here.”

“And as I was saying before I so rudely got cut off, you have time to breathe, right? I don’t need to illegally drive to Tallahassee and accidentally kill Eliezer for burning your midnight oil, right?”

“Burning my... what?”

Huffing, he replied, “I was trying to sound poetic like you, but I guess only you can pull off the starving artist life... though you aren’t really starving thanks to your sugar daddy now are you. And don’t even give me one of your smart-ass retorts because I swear I’ll illegally drive to Tallahassee to beat your ass.”

“First, Slater shut up you stupid twat, and second, I’m terrified, quaking in my boots,” she mocked.

“God, shut up, you’re an annoying twat,” he whined and she scoffed. “But really Cass, he isn’t overworking you or anything of the sort, right?”

“Absolutely not, Eliezer is such a gentleman, he’s caring and always makes sure I’m okay. I swear he worries more about me than I worry about me. I promise I eat and stay hydrated and breathe.” She mimicked his voice. “But do enlighten me, baby brother, how exactly would you ‘beat Eliezer’s ass?’ The man is probably 6’5 and built twice as much as you.”

“I’m 13 and 5’11, I’m not afraid of him.” Slater huffed, sending her into giggles.

“Now that we’ve settled that, tell me all about your latest Badeaux Glasshouse adventures, I’m living vicariously through you right now.”

She stifled a laugh. “There isn’t much to tell.”

“Liar. Tell me about the late nights,” he whined.

“Oh my God.” She giggled. “The late nights only exist because there are days where Eliezer picks me up from my loft and-”

“He picks you up?!” Slater all but screamed. “Please tell me you’ve kissed him already.”

“Christ Slater, he is my boss!”

“And I said I’m living vicariously through you!

“So you didn’t kiss him,” he asked afterward.

“No!”

“For the love of God, Cass, tell me something interesting has happened between you two.” He whined for what seemed the umpteenth time.

She hummed, pondering. “I do go on international business trips with him?”

“Is there a private jet included in these rendezvous?”

“Slater, you are hopeless,” she deadpanned.

“Oh my God, yes, yes, yes! Tell me more about these trips!”

“What exactly do you want me to tell you.” She nearly cried out. “Most times they’re planned, and since I was lucky with my schedule and only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we work around that. We usually have four planned a month. And I’m his personal assistant so of course, I accompany him.”

“This is suddenly my new source of entertainment, Cassiopeia Leilani, The Gossip Issues. So where have…”

§

The conversation was now going on for an hour and a half and neither of them were planning to end it soon. Cassiopeia hadn’t seen or heard from Eliezer since she came in earlier and saw his studio’s door shut and the only assurance she had that he waseven in the building was Starlie’s text half-hour ago saying “he ordered Chinese take out and he wants me to take it into his office. it’s like i’m his fucking maid!” Cassiopeia snickered.

“So tell me about Ansel, when was the last time you two talked?” Slater asked with an arising qualm in his tone.

She nearly snorted. “I couldn’t answer that question even if I tried. Our daily texts, phone calls, facetime calls just ended altogether. There are just those spurs in time he’d just contact me and tell me he’s flying me out for the next few days, and “check your email.” She mocked Ansel’s deep, accented voice, or whatever she remembered of it. “Everything’s changed, Slater. Even when I’m there, we hardly exchange words. The air around us is thick and tense and it’s just not us. I’m coming to accept that ‘us’ no longer exists, we’ve just crashed and burned silently.” For now.

A comfortable silence loomed over them at her admission for a few lingering moments before Slater started to speak again. “He’s really changed lately, he no longer gives me his time of day and you know how close we used to be,” Slater said with an indifferent tone. “He isn’t…

“But you know the saying, exes can never be just friends,” he finished his mini vent.

“I’m starting to realize that now,” Cassiopeia said bittersweetly.

Another half an hour went by before they decided to let each other go and exchange goodbyes with the promise of talking again later or tomorrow.

Standing up and stretching out her limbs, she walked over to the panoramic windows and peered outside, looking down to see the streets bustling with life. She had a content smile on her face as she walked over to the table with her drink-making utensils and began brewing herself a second cup of peach tea. Just as she spooned two teaspoons of sugar in her mug, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body from behind her. Immediately, she fell into his embrace, letting her eyes flutter shut as she fell in love with the comfort and security his hold always gave her.

“Ange,” he rasped quietly, nuzzling his face in her neck. A light giggle escaped her lips feeling his five o’clock shadow rough against her skin. But Christ did she love it.

“Starlie.” Cassiopeia cursed her name under her breath thinking she told him.

A low rumble came from Eliezer as he chuckled and Cassiopeia felt her heart race feeling the vibrations of his chest against her. “You think Starlie told me you were here?” Though his face was still buried in her neck, his eyes flickered upwards to see her eyebrows crinkled and her irises clouded over with confusion.

“You think I’d miss your soft, angelic voice? Your soft giggles?” She gasped, feeling his searing breath down her neck and his soft lips pressing light kisses on the column of her neck and her eyes fluttered shut. His hands traveled down the sides of her body and gripped her waist in a bruising manner and a delicately soft moan left her.

“Eliezer.” Her voice came out as a begging and desperate breath. What she was begging for, she had no idea. Cassiopeia didn’t know what all these new feelings were that she currently felt—something dark stirred inside her, making her hungry and craving a release she’d never explored before—but she knew she never wanted it to stop. Eliezer felt himself harden and he pressed himself against her shamelessly, eliciting another low moan from her.

“I could feel you, Cassiopeia. I could feel your presence grace this glasshouse. You’re intoxicating.”