It was the laughter that never reached your eyes that bothered me. It was the twitch your mouth made when you were furious. It was the harsh words you spoke to me whenever I made a tiny mistake. It was the degradation that pushed me past the point of no return. It was the way you watched my reflection in disgust as I combed my jet black hair. It was everything that made you who you were that made me leave. It was the time you decided to sell my mother's ring to the pawn shop down the street that made me pack my bags, and leave you to die alone. You knew how much that meant to me, to us, when we got married. Although I guess you probably faked that too didn't you. Did you fake your whole persona? Had I been so foolish to believe that you actually loved me? That doesn't matter now. I have moved on and I am now in a better place without you. Remember when I told you once that I'd die if I didn't see you everyday? Well, that was before you started to lash out on me. What even caused that anyway? I am still yet to figure that out. You wouldn't let me into your heart, which was so guarded for some reason unbeknownst to me. I don't know if you care or not, but I live in Detroit now. Do you still live in the house we brought together? Anyways, I'm not writing this letter out of sympathy, but I'm here to tell you that even after all your antics I have successfully let go of the past so I can move towards better things. 

And no- my new friendships are none of your business. You never even paid any business to our own relationship. You were always out, drinking with your mates, or probably hooking up with some random female you met in the bars you go to. You see those rich, successful and smart men? You will never be one of them, because the truth is that what goes around comes around. Nothing good will come to you now after what you did to me. I hope you regret what you did- I really do, but even that won't matter anyway because the consequences will come around soon enough. Anyways, getting back on track, yes I am in downtown Detroit now. Don't bother about tracking my location down, which if you do plan on doing, I am going to be nice to you for once in a very long time and warn you now that there are probably a hundred guards standing outside the family headquarters. Alright maybe that was an exaggeration, but before you pull up and point your stick at me, probably grab more than just your shitty pistol. I remember you always threatening me with that as you would drag me into the basement of our house, whip my hair around and hold me by the chin, looking me dead in the eyes and telling me that I'll never amount to your standards of beauty. 

I'll give you the pleasure, just this once, of knowing that fucking hurt. The scar on my lip is still here, and the bruises that you painted on my pretty little arm are still there. The emotional torture you put me through is all your fault. I cannot believe that I'm even saying this, but I'm glad you forced me to abort the baby. Had I let it grow up into the environment that I was in at the time, their minds would probably be corrupted by your bad morals and tendencies towards women. I wonder how your mother feels to know she raised an asshole for a son, and often I find myself up at late nights thinking what her reaction was when she found out I left you. Was she surprised? Was she unfazed? I was probably closer to her than I ever was to you. The distance that parts us will never be closed, and I am happy that I have escaped the 'love shackles' you always preach about. I am content with my life, and you cannot take that away from me anymore. You would always tell me to hush, but you'd be surprised to learn that I've learnt to use my words more now. I no longer coward away from the things that haunt me. I face them head on. Now this letter from me to you is merely a reminder that we were over from the beginning. 

From the one that got away, Vela. 

I really should have stayed at home that day I met you. I should have remained in bed and listened to the birds chirping outside. I really should have made the smart move to reject you, but how could I? Could you blame me for falling at your knees every single time you would speak to me? When you returned that blinding smile of yours, I was completely captivated. From thereon, I must have been manipulated to the highest point that when you left me, I blamed everything on myself. I thought I had done something wrong, and that was why maybe you left, but turns out I was wrong. I felt defeated, broken and taken advantage of. I did everything to make you happy and I tried my best to provide food on the table. I'm sorry if you couldn't handle the daily drug deals I had to do just to get us something to eat for the night, but for some reason you couldn't get it through your little head that as a  couple we are supposed to hustle together. You made me do everything, and on top of that, criticized every little thing I did. How do you do it so well? What I mean by that is, how do you become one person then transform into another person with a completely different personality. The girl I met that day at the restaurant downtown was nicer with her words, and her tone was definitely less demanding. She was simple-minded, like me. I know what I want, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get it. 

Now that it's all coming back to me in this letter, I am going to take this opportunity to tell you how I've grown from it. Though I'll never forget the pain you made me endure, I have risen from the ashes and realized the potential I had in this city of Detroit to make a name for myself. I am residing in Corktown, Detroit, a wonderful, now hugely populated city. Friendships I've made in this area that I'll never forget, not because I'm scared to be left abandoned, but because I have loyalty to those who deserve it. Sadly, you are not included in that group anymore, and I am ashamed to even tell my friends about you. It's hard to not mention you, however flattering that may be for you. Truth is, you are kind of like the bump someone gets on the roof of their mouth, and their tongue can't stop licking over it. You are like a pest, and I am constantly trying to swat you away. It is rare now, but I vaguely remember that right after you left me I would spend weeks and weeks sulking over you and going to places that I weren't supposed to be at. Through a black eye and a broken jaw, I learnt my lesson to never go back to that particular nightclub that smelt like lit cigarettes and used condom wrappers. 

If you asked me, I'd say it took me more than one month to get back on my feet. That's not to say that I didn't try to get better though. I tried my hardest. From pulling myself into organized scandals to snorting some cocaine in the back of a storage warehouse, whatever I could do to distract myself from the thought of you. You, with your two-faced revelations and burning need to mistreat those around you. Out of my own accord, I have attached a very wealthy amount of money to this letter. I hope this gets to you safe and without any hassle because I hope for your sake that you use this money to escape the country immediately. I figure this should be my last warning to you, before THEY come and find you. In all honesty, I have no sympathy for you and never will. You are just a very minuscule part of my life now, and I would never go back to the times we shared together even if my life depended on it. As I sit here and write this letter, the ink of my pen now about to run out, I just want to lastly tell you that we could have been something in this world. We could have grown older together, richer in our pockets and happier in our faces, but I guess you threw that chance away. Alas, at least I still have some kindness from me after everything you put me through, so use the money wisely. Godspeed, my love. 

From the one who believed in you when no one else did, Castielle. 

Vela tucked the letter away as she started to feel wetness form in the corners of her eyes. "To hell with you, dammit." She whispered harshly to herself, as the memories she shared with her ex boyfriend started to come back. It took every bone in her in that moment to not get into a mental breakdown and ruin the happiness she had maintained for some time now. Seeing that it was getting to midnight, Vela pushed herself away from the vanity table, and rose from her comfortable chair to go to the kitchen. The kitchen smelt really nice, which was of red wine and freshly baked cookies. It seemed as though her younger sister, Aquila, was celebrating something. "What's the occasion?" Vela quirked, resting her elbows on the kitchen bench and eyeing her funnily. There was a moment of silence before Vela realized. "Oh yeah. Two years without him. Well, I guess that's something to be happy about..."  Her voice trailed off, eyeing the cookie platter that was so neatly placed on the kitchen counter. "I am pretty hungry though." Vela stuck her tongue out, her eyes twinkling with sudden happiness. She would always be grateful for her sibling, as Vela could count on her whenever and wherever. Even though Vela was older than her by a couple of years, sometimes she needed guidance from her starlet. 

She proceeded to bite into the moist, chocolate cookie and it was like all her worries vanished. The cookie was perfectly baked, the taste of it making her melt inside. "This is amazing, sis!" She gushed, as her cheeks looked bloated with the cookie crumbs that were rolling around in her mouth. Vela started to giggle to herself quietly from her muffled words. The night ended with Vela and Aquila goofing around as they updated each other on what they got up to because although Vela swore to her that she'd never leave her side, there were times where Vela needed to run off and complete some errands for the Don. Of course, Aquila would have her own schedule to follow too, but Vela knew she was trained enough to handle the chaos and still not be overwhelmed. Or at least Vela hoped so. As Vela got up from the couch they had been sitting on for the past few hours, she stretched out her arms in front of her and cracked a few muscles in her back to release the tension she had created from sitting on her butt for too long. "We should both head to sleep. You really busy tomorrow sis?" Vela questioned, bending backwards then forwards to release more tension from her body. The response she received seemed to be a positive one, and Vela made a mental note to tell her what she had planned for the both of them tomorrow. 

"You will not believe who I met today." Vela swooned as she lifted her chin up and started to daydream. The highlight of her day had been running into a very interesting individual, who seemed to know a lot of tips and tricks about playing in the casinos. Vela had sat in her chair outside the cafe that day, listening intently to his fluent voice. "I don't even play dice and I was still deeply interested." She giggled to herself as the day's events popped into her mind again, the remembrance of his cheerful disposition that made her break out a grin. Vela wondered to herself if it was an encounter made out of fate, or if fate was never real and maybe it was just out of sheer luck that she had met him over a cup of coffee. She admired his effortless ability to talk to easily, like social interactions came so easy with him- but somehow, the smile never reached his eyes. Vela wanted to interrupt him at one point to break out a question related to his personal wellbeing, but thought against it when she might end up turning the tables and dishing out all her problems out on him. At times, Vela would mistaken those conversational opportunities for counselling sessions, but that was besides the point. She made a new friend, who was starting to become a part of her life, and she wouldn't have it any other way. "Oh sis, did I mention his name was Castielle?" 

A loud banging could be heard from the kitchen, making him look up from the written note in his hand. It was supposed to be mailed days ago actually, but he hadn't had the time. Especially considering the fact that he had just been made an official member of his own family. Things were changing for the better, and he could finally live without the girl he thought he knew he loved. Little did he know, she would turn out to be his arch enemy for life, and he was terrified of what he may do to her if he ever saw him again. Things that were better left unsaid. Out of frustration from his own intrusive thoughts, he crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the trash can that was sitting beside the desk. Picking himself up from his desk chair, he rain a few fingers through his hair to flatten out the loose strands. After a brief moment of fixing his hair, he suddenly got fed up with his appearance and resorted to exiting his bedroom, confronting the person who had been heard making a ruckus. "What's your problem mate?" Castielle raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the archway entrance of kitchen, crossing his arms to show that he was trying to be serious. It didn't work out so well, as the man looked at Castielle before bursting into a fit of laughter. 

"...What am I going to do with you? Don't you have some cleaning-the-dishes to do?" Castielle added as he approached him with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He reached for a bowl from the cabinet behind him, and inspected it for any stains before setting it down gently on the table. His appetite was causing him immense pain, and he yearned for a slice of pizza. There was a pizza place from across the road, but he figured he might as well finish the leftovers from last night's feast. As Castielle was now bent down, looking into the fridge for some grapes, his friend suddenly interrupted his train of thought and asked a question. "You came home later than usual. What was that about?" His friend puzzled as both of his hands were holding onto a pan. "Set those down. I can't take you seriously, goof head." Castielle rolled his eyes as he reached into the fridge and grabbed the container of fresh green grapes that had been sitting in the cooling cabinet for God knows how long. Begrudgingly, Castielle's friend set the pots and pans down beside the stove, and crossed his arms as he now faced him. Castielle sighed, closing the fridge door shut before turning to face his friend. With a grape container in one hand, he used his free hand to open the lid and grab a fresh grape. As he bit into it, the tasty juice spurted out and travelled down his throat. 

He cleared his throat upon swallowing the grape, and hand picked another grape from the case. Castielle looked out into the only window of the kitchen, the stars of the sky helping him to see the houses that were neatly lined outside just across the road for him. "It's so crazy how there's so many people in the world, and there is always that one person who stands out to you the most more than anyone else. I guess it was just out of sheer luck that I met this one girl..." Castielle started to smirk as the memory of him rambling on about his antics in dice to the girl came to his attention. He adjusted himself so that now he was seated on a chair beside the dining room table, leaning his left elbow on it. "She stood out from the rest, I don't know how she does it. But she does it well." Castielle zoned out for a moment as his eyes landed on the floor, before unconsciously picking another grape from the container he was holding. He popped the grape into his mouth, chewing silently as if making a sound would be too loud. Though the only thing that was even remotely close to 'loud' was the sound of his beating heart, which seemed like it thundered against his chest. Castielle didn't want to get his friend twisted though, so he looked up and explained something else. "It's a platonic love. I mean, that's what we agreed on..." Castielle replied in an awkward manner as he gulped down his grape. 

The morning after turned out to be calm, refreshing and relaxing, which Vela could always be grateful for. Sometimes she'd find herself wearing mismatched socks in the morning, rushing to the family headquarters while spilling the contents of a coffee cup everywhere, but today was different. Vela thought Aquila had noticed her being extra cheerful today, and was returned a wholesome smile when Vela woke up. Upon being asked what Vela had planned for them that day, she opened her mouth wide and let out a funny yawn, the volume increasing and decreasing in weird vowels. "Well, my dear starlet, I know you are working so hard for the family.. I just want to treat you for lunch." Vela leaned closer to her sister, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now come on, get your ass into gear so we can head out already." She quipped, pushing the warm blanket off her and giving the rest to Aquila for comforting purposes. As she made her trip to the kitchen, Vela found herself smiling funnily when the thought of Castielle popped in her head again. There was one thing for sure. The love she felt was not like romantic relationship-wise, but rather it was platonic though she didn't know the full meaning of it. Maybe after some more deep discussions and talks, she could confront him about the friendship or relationship they are starting to develop. 

She poured some warm water inside the kettle, before clicking a switch which enabled it to start doing its magic. Vela rested her back against the kitchen counter, listing off the day's errands. Work today would be smooth, as she was allowed to leave early with Aquila for the day. She had remembered to tell her Don that they'd be out lunch for a mini celebration of each other's efforts. As the water inside the kettle finished boiling, she made her way over to it and clicked off the switch. "Coffee is here if you want some!" Vela shouted out in the direction of the bedroom she shared with her sister. She grabbed a pink and white polka dotted mug from one of the cabinets in which she poured coffee in. If there was something to know about Vela, it was that she couldn't live without her coffee, seeing as she didn't even bother to eat any solids in the morning- this was her only boost of energy for the meantime. Vela drank the liquid which comfortably ran down her throat, exhaling slowly as she swallowed. Vela wrapped both her hands around the mug, and sipped intently. Her melancholy mood in the morning suddenly changed to a joyous one. Upon feeling her spirits being lifted from her usual coffee fix, she set the mug down on the table and headed for the bathroom to do some washing up. 

It wasn't a particularly hot or cold day today, the weather was just right. Yesterday she had to turn the water on boiling hot since waking up almost felt like suddenly lived in Antarctica. Vela let out a tired groan before hopping into the shower. Her time was well spent as she ran her fingers through her hair, lathering each inch of it with soap. As the water cascaded down her back, she brought her hands to her face and delicately rubbed it, getting rid of all the dust that might have flown onto her during her deep sleep. Once she was all ready to be dried, she turned the water off and silently thanked the lord in the back of her head for providing warm water when needed. It was the little thing that you took for granted. When she was younger, she never had the luxury of showering in clean, or warm water for that fact. She stared back at her reflection as she verbally expressed disgust at her tiny body. There was nothing special to it, and she only wished that her breasts grew bigger or her legs got taller that maybe someone will love her, but she wasn't sure that'd happen anytime soon. A tear fell down onto her soft cheek, and she quickly rubbed it away. The letter was one of the hardest things she had to do in a long time. 

The rising sun had awakened Castielle from his deep slumber, which to his surprise was longer than usual. His friend had emerged into his bedroom and a playful smirk appeared on his lips. "You slept like a baby. Damn now I wonder who has that effect on you." He hinted at last night's talk, which ended with a few shots of vodka- so no doubt Castielle was feeling a hangover coming. "I need more fuckin' sleep..." Castielle groaned as he rubbed a hand across his face tiredly. He collapsed back into his pillow, which sadly was not cold anymore and therefore didn't provide him any comfort whatsoever. "Lets go out later yeah? I need to run some errands." Castielle's friend added as he walked out of his bedroom with a little dance to his step. Upon hearing this, Castielle shot right out of bed and replied in a panicked manner. "What time is it?" He puzzled, blinking his eyes multiple times to wake himself up. He was still half asleep and he didn't want to waste any time on sleep, despite it being important. "Erm, well, its the afternoon now..." The response made him almost fly out of his blankets as Castielle quickly sat upright on his bed. Getting off the mattress, he then wore his slippers and headed for the bathroom to take a quick piss. When he entered the small, cold room he let out a breath of relief as he walked to the toilet. 

After he flushed the toilet in annoyance, Castielle walked out of his bedroom and carefully approached his friend, who seemed to be more interested in the newspaper he was reading rather than his presence. Feeling out of place, Castielle snatched the newspaper from his hands and invaded his privacy. His friend suddenly lashed out in irritation as his eyebrows furrowed. "Bloody hell mate! I was reading that." Castielle persisted, pretending to look interested at what he was reading, but funnily enough there were no reads to read. A crossword puzzle was printed on the page of the newspaper that his friend was on, making Castielle chuckle quietly. "You do those puzzles every morning don't you, hoping I don't catch you one day, like now?" He gave the newspaper back to his friend, tossing it into his hands before proceeding to take a clean, empty bowl from one of the kitchen cabinets. His usual morning routine was just to wake up and go for a jog, but instead wanted to spend his time relaxing in the morning, listening to the radio while he ate his bowl of cereal. The cereal box was on the table, which Castielle gladly took with his left hand and tipped the cornflakes into his bowl. As he did, a grin broke out on his face. 

"A little bird once told me that smiles that huge weren't just caused by the weather." His friend marvelled, taking his attention away from the seemingly complicated crossword puzzle, looking up at Castielle with a shady smirk. Castielle shrugged as he finished pouring the delicious, golden cereal bits into his bowl of preference, and faced his friend with the grin now wiped from his face. "I like to embrace change. I've been so cooped up in my own world lately that meeting that girl I told you about yesterday caused a change in my emotions, in the best possible way." He confessed, shrugging again as he took the bowl of cereal in his hands and grabbed a silver spoon from the cutlery drawer. Castielle took a spoonful of his breakfast meal, before taking it into his mouth, the crunchiness of it making him swoon. "God damn, nothing better than a bowl of cereal to lighten up the morning." Castielle raised his eyebrows, lifting the bowl in the air as a smile was plastered on his face. There was no denying that he woke up extremely happy because of yesterdays chance encounter, and he couldn't help but think maybe he might bump into her today. He suddenly got anxious about it, and popped another spoonful of cornflakes in his mouth before he could utter anything embarrassing in front of his friend.

Vela was in no particular rush to get ready, but her excitement made her get dressed quicker than usual.

She finished getting ready, and was satisfied with her appearance as she looked into the mirror. After much fussing and debating on what outfit she should wear for the day, she settled for a warm hoodie, jeans and those tattered, old sneakers again. It was simple, but Vela would go for comfortable over casual any day because she just wasn't the type of female to go out and wear heels and dresses. She could respect anyone who had the level of tolerance to do that, but she knew she would just complain about getting her feet sore the whole time she'd be wearing those sharp devices. Sneakers made her feel comfortable and she could walk at her own pace, not having to walk so slowly in her every step. As she gave herself a last glance, she walked out of the bathroom and started looking for her sister, only to find that she had left early for some reason Vela couldn't figure out. A note had been left on the table, and it read 'Got called to the family HQ today, but it's okay don't be alarmed. By the time you've seen this I've probably already told Isabella that you're out somewhere today. Take care, sis.' Vela put the note down as her forehead creased in concentration. Hm, she must have left while I was in the shower, she thought to herself. 

She fixed her composure and straightened out her hair as she went over to the table near the front entrance to get the house keys. As she took it from the top of the table, she scanned the room- making sure everything was in its place. Vela hated coming back to a messy home, and she was glad that her sister was on the same page as her about cleanliness. Hygiene was an important factor in Vela's lifestyle, and she never missed a shower everyday. Vela stepped out of the home, the cool air hitting her smack in the face and she inhaled the air slowly. She exhaled, letting the air she breathed in come out again, which relaxed her. Since her sister left for work, Vela didn't think her plans to treat her out for lunch wouldn't work out- so she decided to go by her favourite bookstore and maybe purchase a few novels if she caught something she liked. Vela also decided to walk instead of taking her roadster, thinking it'd be much easier to use her legs without stopping every few minutes at a traffic light. Surprisingly, the trip to the bookstore was faster than if she used the car. Black taxi cabs whizzed past her, as they did every morning, and there was always the occasional road rage drivers, who would honk their car mindlessly without care for the neighbourhood beside them. 

The bookstore stood tall before her, and a sign hung on the front door that read 'Barnes & Noble'. She smiled to herself as she walked in, being greeted by a happy employee. "Welcome to Barnes & Noble, Madam! A particular genre of novels you are looking for?" She asked politely, a wide grin plastered on her face. Vela shook her head, before thanking her and proceeding to go into some random isle that had cheap romance books. Suddenly, her body tensed when her eyes landed on someone who had just walked in. Vela's face went scarlet as she realised who it was, the man she men yesterday, whose face she couldn't possibly forget. The atmosphere seemed to change as if suddenly there was more tension in the air, and she approached him carefully. "Castielle? That you? It's so good to see you again... You look well. That's good. Um.." She spoke shyly, hoping that she wasn't coming off too strong.

Vela was still half-asleep so she could understand if he wasn't that enthusiastic to see her. Much to her surprise, she was greeted back with a smile of contentment. 

After messing around with his friend, Castielle had gone to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He was able to shower and gel up his hair in a timely manner. All that was left was to wait for his friend to get ready, who seemed to take longer than him for some reason. "Mate, are you finished yet?" Castielle spoke as he glanced at the clock that hung high on the ceiling in the living room, which read 10 am already. He heard a faint response from the other bathroom down the hallway, and Castielle nodded promptly and tiredly collapsed on the couch. As he leaned his head back, his mind suddenly went back to the girl he had met yesterday. He remembered her long, black hair that cascaded down her back and the smile she always had on her face when he spoke. It made him feel welcome and wanted, a feeling that he hadn't experienced in a while. It was refreshing. Few minutes passed by already, and Castielle had drifted into a nap. His friend emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his naked waist, and he tapped Castielle on the shoulder. "Dude wake up... Yeah wait in the car.. I'll be out in a minute." He shoved Castielle from his position playfully, and even tried to raise his voice but he still didn't get a response. "CASTIELLE FOR FUCK SAKE." His friend shouted, but it was only meant in a funny way, but it made Castielle startle. 

"Man, you really do something to me." Castielle swiftly brought his head up from the pillow before eyeing his friend angrily. "I will mug your arse next time." He replied hastily, pushing himself up off the couch and grabbing his keys from the kitchen counter. As he headed outside, he walked in front of the mirror that was near the entrance and assessed his appearance. He always had an eye for fashion, a warm coat paired with some dark business slacks. It was simple, yet business casual, but he found that he could wear it on any occasion. Except for the beach maybe, but it would be a rare occurrence if he ever found himself at the beach because it was one of the few places that reminded him of his ex. It was bittersweet to know that it pained him to visit any place that reminded him of her, but he always thought that the right thing to do was just to avoid it completely. There was no use thinking about her again as he knew it would bring him discomfort and a higher chance of getting back into his old ways again. His old ways, which consisted of drinking himself into oblivion and meeting up with female prostitutes who had no idea what they were doing. Castielle deserved better in life, and it wasn't too late to find his true purpose. Time would only tell, he guessed. 

As he hopped into his vehicle, he turned the engine on to let the gas run. A wild friend suddenly appeared from the door, running his hands through his greasy-looking, wet hair. "Man, what took you so long?" Castielle announced, smirking before he backed the vehicle out of the driveway, checking for any cars that were behind him. "Just shut up and lets go." His friend rolled his eyes playfully, reaching over him to get the seatbelt. Both buckled up and ready to go, Castielle sped on the highway and stopped whenever the traffic lights went red. It was the morning, and as usual, the roads would be busy. At first, he would get frustrated every time but now he was used to it. However, a car had indicated to the left, so Castielle pushed harder on his accelerator, only to find out the car in front of him had changed his mind and stayed in the lane. For the first time in a while, Castielle honked his car and took one hand off the steering wheel in slight anger. "Idiots should stay off the road, damn.." He said to himself, looking over at his friend who he thought would be listening but was sound asleep. "Mate wake up, where are we going again? You said you needed to run some errands?" Castielle questioned, raising an eyebrow as he checked on his friend who peeked at him through slightly open eyelids. 

A second encounter with Castielle. What else could have happened today that would top that? Vela shared her address with him, inviting him for dinner some time. Over their friendly exchange of words, they both went to a cafe downtown that was named "Skylar Hangout", where they were able to talk more about their... friendship. Vela held her iced latte drink in her left hand as she used the other to emphasize her words. "So what do we have... this thing.. between us." Vela coughed, as her hand moved between her and him. She didn't want it to come off as an appeal for rejection, but she wanted to make sure that he was on the same page as her. Vela didn't want to come into an actual serious romantic relationship anytime soon, and plus she enjoyed his company so much as a bestfriend. Hopefully in the future, she'd be able to depend on him like a brother, but she couldn't say too much. They had only met for two days, so she wanted to take things slow for now. When she had received a response after a moment of silence, she raised her eyebrows and smiled in a pleasant manner. It appeared that she had been worked up last night for nothing, because she discovered that he was thinking the same thing as well. "Oh my goodness. Um." She breathed a sigh of relief, before smiling sheepishly. "Look, before we end the day and part ways, just know you're welcome anytime at our house. I'm glad I met you." 

The words lingered in the air, and seemed to stick in her mind the whole drive back home. She smiled tenderly, and almost started giggling to herself as she thought of what an amazing person he was. She looked out at the road before her as she controlled the steering wheel, wondering why it took so long for her to find a true friend. Someone who had genuine respect for her, and someone who made her feel like a someone. Vela admired the way he could handle things so easily, so effortless and without mistake, but she was yet to find more about him. Their friendship was sealed, and would be- for eternity. As she saw the familiar driveway of her house in the distance, she prepared herself to turn the vehicle in the right direction. Pulling up at the rented house she was sharing with Aquila, Vela eyed the bottle of wine on her doorstep. She wondered who might have put it there, and she quickly got out of the car to inspect the gift that was placed in the middle of the doormat. There was a thought in the back of her mind, but she was in denial. Could this have been from Castielle? She read over the note that was attached to it. 'Accept this as a token of appreciation and friendship. You're amazing. Here's to many more encounters!' She folded the note up, and inspected the red wine that was in fancy packaging. 

Her joy was all over the place. Vela was beyond grateful that she had received this, but she knew that their friendship was already more than enough. She was excited to tell Aquila about the events that happened that day, and quickly ran into the house, closing the door behind her. "Aquila!" She exclaimed at the front door, holding the fancy, red wine in her hand. Vela almost tossed the house keys against the table, but when it was finally in its original place she headed straight for the kitchen to get two wine glasses. Vela screwed open the cork of the wine bottle, before letting out a squeal in delight. Tonight was definitely another night to celebrate. This would be one for the books, because apart from celebrating two years without... him, she was going to sing and jubilate aloud to the fact that she had just met one of the greatest people alive. She noticed Aquila coming into her view now, and Vela smirked in her direction before handing her a glass of red wine. Vela raised her own glass in the air, wiggling her eyebrows and swayed her hips playfully. "Here's to new friendships and many more to come." She proclaimed. The mood of the night was just right, and eventually the trauma she had received from writing that letter to her past ex seemed to die down. Well, for now. 

From hereon, her loyalty and friendship to her newfound friend, Castielle, would last forever. As she drank the red wine and shared the joy with Aquila, she talked quietly to herself in her head. 

Castielle... 

When the time comes, I want to be able to run to you. You are one of the very few people I feel that I can trust fully. I promise to you that whatever that may come between us, I hope we can settle it because quite frankly, I would hate to not be able to enjoy your company again. Now, regardless of whatever differences we have, and those we have yet to share, you are the only one my heart has let in so far, so let's not ruin what we have built- an empire of love and friendship. 

-Cheers, Vela. 

The day was coming to an end, but Castielle felt like he just wanted to relive it forever. There was something great about finding that one person you could trust, that one person you could lean on when you felt like no one else would be there for you in those tumultuous times. He had finally found her, and he was happy to find out that what they both felt for each other was nothing more than a friendship. Over their conversations in the cafe, he had been able to exercise the very thing that makes us all human, which was the ability to communicate. As he communicated to her, and sometimes paused to let her speak, his discovery that Vela also thought this whole thing was platonic love, relieved him of his worries. He understood her choice to stay single, because after the last relationship, it had destroyed most of his hope to find someone to cure his heart again. However, he could not deny that the friendship he had established with her made him open up his heart, and it was a fantastic sight to see. There was an obvious glimmer of hope and happiness in his eyes as he shared things with her, sitting across from each other on that little table in that cafe. As they parted ways, Vela had told him that she was glad she met him. 

His eyebrows rose as he gave a lopsided grin. "Right back at you, friend." Castielle gave his salutations, then went off to look for his friend, who was sitting back in the car snoring away. Castielle laughed and shook his head. He opened his door, before turning the engine on and heading back home. As he drove along the long, winding road, he thought about what had happened today. Apart from meeting someone who he would cherish forever, he felt good that he was able to get out of the house for some fresh air. Castielle shook his friend to wake up, and spoke in a clear tone. "We're here now, dude. Get up." He hopped out the vehicle, and finally his friend was starting to rise from his deep nap. "You were knocked out for quite a while dude. We didn't even get to do the errands, but hey, you know how I say everything happens for a reason? I was able to meet her again today. The girl I mentioned last night. I think it's safe to say, I've found my safe haven in her." He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. The world seemed to stop for a moment, and he just stared up at the tiny stars that were appearing, and he stopped to thank the angels that finally he found a genuine soul that he could spend the rest of his days with. 

The friend had his eyes on Castielle as a smile danced upon his lips. He tilted his head slightly and asked when it would be his turn to have the same exact kind of appearance. In response to this, Castielle lowered his head and chuckled quietly. "Soon mate, soon." They both shared a few more laughs, before heading back inside the house. As expected, Castielle saw his friend get back into his deep sleep as he collapsed on the couch, kicking his feet up while he was at it. Castielle didn't blame him, as he must have been tired from the past few days where both of them were always on the go. Tomorrow would be a new day, he thought to himself. He didn't know what would happen, whether he would meet Vela again or if he would be called up to the family headquarters for a very important assignment. But there was one thing he was certain about, and that was the companionship he shared with his new friend, Vela. He truly believed they were like two peas in a pod, and though he had many other friends to keep him company, he could definitely say that he enjoyed spending his time with her a lot. Castielle found himself days later, eventually forgetting that he ever went through all that pain with his ex, and he continued to preserve the love they had for each other, which of course, was entirely platonic.