Eliezer’s Ange by Eden Auclair

IV

cassiopeia is nineteen

she is a junior in university

“Beliezaire, we’re goingto El Artesano Pizzería off of 49th and 5th Ave, you coming along?” One of Ansel’s teammates yelled, sounding quite proud and the rest of the team cheered in agreement.

“Nah, I can’t, I have plans with someone,” Ansel answered nonchalantly. His grip on Cassiopeia’s small waist tightened as they all walked out of the stadium together and into the sunset. The boys nodded slowly before most of them winked in her direction, causing her to giggle, and went their own ways. Once the two of them were left to themselves, Cassiopeia leaned in closer to Ansel’s body even though he was a sweaty mess.

“Ansel, you can’t keep leaving your team for me, especially when they want to celebrate your wins,” she whispered into the night. She was thankful for the starry night sky dimly lit by the moonlight, her cheeks were burning crimson and the last thing she wanted was for him to see.

“Of course I can,” Ansel replied cheekily. “It’s so much more fun celebrating with you.” His voice was sweet. They had been best friends for the past fourteen years, yet he still had the power to give her that warmth in her heart sometimes. They didn’t need to be together to have that power over each other, years of friendship allowed that. He nudged her gently, giving her a crooked grin which she returned though it didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes.

The ride back to his apartment was quiet and all that was audible was the soft hum of Yore’s Angel Eyes, Soach’s Sorry, andHonors’ Feel Better playing. the two were both quiet, lost in their own worlds, but neither could deny the rising tension in the air—so thick it could’ve been cut with a knife. Ansel was on a high from his victory though slightly melancholic wondering what was wrong with his best friend, meanwhile, Cassiopeia was swirled in a whole other cosmos.

Her head was a mess. She was left thinking about her family and surprisingly, Eliezer. The desirable man had crossed her mind so many times it was absurd. Her entire friendship with Ansel and everything in between had changed. While they were bubbly and radiant before, they were tense and rather unsure now. It seemed the distance was slowly eating away at their friendship… or the remnants of it. Ansel wasn’t sure whatto ask her and Cassiopeia was afraid to speak because she knew she’d break and tell him her every struggle. And best friend or not, she couldn’t do that to him, she just couldn’t.

Her family was slowly crumbling, the excessive medical expenses were just coming one after the other relentlessly. Even the little bit she gave from her Carousels and Dinges paycheck couldn’t salvage her family. She was no longer sure just how much more her parents could take too, before they finally broke down.

And Eliezer, oh how he had taken up so much of her thoughts almost every moment of her day. Every day of this past month, she had been serving him his coffee in the same retro corner booth of Carousels and Dinges at eight o’ five each morning.

She found herself missing it, missing him and their little routine—increasingly more each day she spent longer away from home. It’d only been two days but she missed hearing the bell of the shop’s door chiming at eight o’ two when he walked in. She missed admiring his physique, his anatomy that was slowly becoming her muse. And she most certainly missed his brooding, intimidating aura that seemed to frighten everyone around him. But her.

I want to go home, Cassiopeia thought to herself as she sighed sadly, leaning her head against the glass window of Ansel’s Jeep.

§

Back at his suite, the two uncorked a bottle of champagne by the dining table overlooking the view of the city through his panoramic windows.

Laughing melodiously, Cassiopeia seemed to lighten up as she watched from a dining chair as Ansel seemed to struggle to pop the bottle. Only dressed in a dusty pink lace bodysuit and a pair of cotton scallop shorts, she pulled her knees to her chest and continued laughing at the nut she called her friend.

“Just keep laughing, darling,” he teased, “see where it’ll get you,” which only made her laugh louder, but she stopped short seeing his back muscles ripple as he continued to attempt popping the cork. The boy was undeniably mouth-watering but the emotions she felt when it came to him lately filled her with a certain, eerie hollowness, and they were absolutely nothing compared to the stir she felt inside when around Eliezer.

“Ahh!”The boy shrieked the same time a loud pop sounded in the kitchen and she jumped off the chair, rushing to him, only to see he had finally popped the cork. She burst out laughing at the scene and found herself holding onto the marble counter to steady herself.

He gasped dramatically at his best friend shamelessly laughing in his face. So he did the most childish thing and held the bottle in her direction, letting the champagne spray all over her. She shrieked and threw her head back in breathtakingly beautiful laughter. he wished he had his camera, the moment was a Kodak one, one that could never be reproduced.

Placing the bottle down on the island counter, Ansel took a long stride toward her. His arm came around her small waist and Cassiopeia stopped laughing. She gasped at their close proximity and looked up at him through her lashes, an uncertain cloud shining in her irises.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, his hand cupping her face, the pad of his thumb gently brushing her cheek. She leaned into his hand, her lips slightly parting, and continued gazing into his eyes, wordlessly. His eyes left hers and flickered down her exposed body and they darkened upon seeing the champagne running down the valley of her breasts.

Slowly, his head lowered to hers and their breaths danced together as a soft gasp came from Cassiopeia. A nervous giggle escaped her lips and she buried her head against his chest, mumbling, “Estou cansado.”

I’m tired.

Her hands trembled at the nape of his neck and the hollow feeling from earlier returned a tenth fold.

Ansel nodded quietly and backed away from the door, carrying both of them in the direction of their bedrooms, and seeming to feel the emptiness spreading over her, he opened the door to her bedroom.

“Goodnight, Cass, sleep well,” he said quietly, brushing his lips against her forehead. And as he turned to leave her room, she could’ve sworn he whispered an ‘I’m sorry’ into the darkness. She didn’t sleep that night, instead of staring at the sky full of stars through the panoramic window and missing her favorite pair of elusive sapphire eyes.