NINETY-SEVEN

"I was expecting your call."

Yalda had returned to the bar later that evening to get another drink since she had only managed to aggravate whatever it was that ailed her. She was exasperated, exhausted, and utterly distraught. Hearing Ioannis's voice had her unernergetically turning to face him.

She had hoped she wouldn't have to see him today, she had hoped she'd at least get a day or two to get over her shame of breaking down in his presence, yet here she was. She let out a tired breath as she settled down in his usual spot.

He brought with him the fragrance of Prada L'Homme, a sophisticated and elegant scent which took reminded her the person she was trying so hard fo forget. She rubbed her temple wearily as she shook her head.

"I should have called to thank you, yeah?" She asked quietly, unernergetically.

He shook his head.

"Not at all. I thought you'd want to hang out." He replied.

Of course he'd think so. He was a billionaire after all, he was used to having ladies flock after him. She blew out a breath as she reminded herself that she had no reason to be sour towards him; after all, he had been kind to her so far.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, she knew her attitude was anything but pleasing. "And thank you, for the drinks and for yesterday."

A smirk curved his lips and he briefly glanced down at his wristwatch before his gaze returned to hers.

"How drunk are you?" He asked her.

She rolled her eyes subtly.

"I'm not drunk." She replied quietly. She had ordered the drink but she hadn't even taken a sip yet, rather, she had sat there staring down at it.

"Good. Will you walk with me then?" He asked her. "I could really do with some air."

He seemed like he was just fine, as a matter of fact, she knew well enough that he was offering because he thought she needed some air. She blew out a breath once more before nodding resignedly, she needed all the distractions she could get.

"Give me a minute to fetch my jacket." She replied.

He nodded.

"I'll wait for you outside." He replied.

Saying nothing more, she rose to her feet and headed back to her room. She wasn't sure why she had accepted, she didn't know what she expected to come out of this, she wasn't sure about anything at all, all she knew was that she indeed needed some air.

~~

Yalda hadn't been sure where they were going, but she followed quietly as they walked through the quiet streets of Oia Village, the soft glow of lanterns and string lights casted a gentle ambiance which somehow managed to calm her a bit. The breeze was calm and cool, it ruffled through her hair lightly; it had her breathing.

Ioannis noticed she was a bit calmer, he seemed to be glad; after all, he had hoped the peaceful evening air would help lift her spirits.

As they strolled, he pointed out the charming details of the village - from beautifully crafted doors, to vibrant bouquets of flowers, and quaint little shops. He shared brief stories, trying to distract her from her thoughts.

"There used to be one there too." He said referring to the shops. "I liked the owner; good man."

But as much as Yalda appreciated his efforts, but her mind kept wandering back to all that ached her; one minute she would smile, and the next she would have tears blurring her vision. She drew the conclusion that she was getting depressed.

Noticing the tears in her eyes, he decided to distract her once more.

"Let's take a break," he said, leading her to a scenic viewpoint overlooking the caldera. "Sometimes, a change of perspective can help clear your mind."

She dragged in a shuddering breath as they stood there in silence, watching the moon cast its gentle light on the sea. The view for some reason, had her remembering Alexander's island. She rubbed her arms absentmindedly though it wasn't that cold.

A strong arm being out around her had her thoughts snapping back to the present.

"Are you cold?" He asked her.

Cold....

It wasn't the cold that bothered her, and she had a feeling he could tell. Still, she nodded. His presence was.... comforting.

"Talk to me," he said softly. "What's weighing so heavily on your heart?"

Her breath faltered. She hesitated, but then, she spoke.

"Love." She replied quietly. "What else could hurt so much, right?"

He nodded once.

"Right." He replied. His arm around her guided her closer so she leaned against his side. "Happens to the best of us."

She let out yet another shuddering breath before brushing a lock of hair from her face.

"How deep?" He asked her.

How deep? It was deeper than her very soul.

"I can't close my eyes without think of him." She replied quietly, "I can't shower without think of him. I can't breathe without thinking of him, I can't do anything without think of him."

He shook his head.

"He's a fool for letting you go." He told her. "If I had a woman that couldn't breathe without thinking of me, I'd hold onto her forever."

She thought about Mariah, wondered what the story between them was. But she didn't bring it up, how could she? She was a mess at the moment. She tried to lighten the mood by chuckling but ended up seeming pitiful.

"Right." She said almost bitterly.

"What do you need?" He asked her. "What would make you feel better? Anything but him, of course."

She swallowed a lump that has formed in her throat before shaking her head.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. If she knew what she needed, she would have gotten it in other to stop feeling like shit.

"Do you have a lot of friends, Yalda?"

She shook her head once more.

"So, you have no social life then." He pointed out.

Again, she shook her head.

"I believe you need company." He told her. "Not just that of your dog."

A faint smile curved her lips at the last part. But she shook her head still.

"I need to be alone." She replied.

She needed to be alone, she needed time to think, time to sort out her feelings, she need time to heal.

"Do you want to be alone right now?"

His question caught her off guard, she had to think of through deeply. She couldn't deny that she didn't want to be alone right now, she couldn't deny that she appreciated his company very much at the moment.

"No." She responded quietly.

He nodded

"You don't really want to be alone, Yalda; you just think you need to be alone." He told her.

And she didn't know what else to say.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked her.

She shook her head once more, she had been doing a lot of that lately.

"I don't know." She replied.

He looked down at her, stared into her eyes deeply.

"You're not used to doing things on your own, are you?"

How could he tell so much about her by merely looking into her eyes? She felt tears sting her eyes once more and she blinked quickly to hold them back.

"No, I'm not." She replied. He rubbed her arm soothingly.

"Would you like to change that?" He asked her.

Did she want to change that? Did she want to have to start thinking for herself? Did she want to have to start planning for herself? Did she want to....be on her own?

She shook her head. She had gotten so used to not being on her own that she truly couldn't bare to be on her own. She needed Alexander so badly, she needed him to tell her what to do, she needed him to guide her, to lead her.

He stared at her for a moment longer before nodding consideringly.

"Do you want me to guide to them?" He asked her, his words deep with meaning.

She swallowed yet another lump that had formed him her throat. The offer was so tempting, so very tempting. With a masculine and regal ma like himself looking after her and guiding her she could probably get over Alexander, but she wasnt a fool; he knew she was broken and he wanted to take advantage of that.

"You must think I'm so stupid." She said quietly. "You must think I'm so easy."

He smiled, a sinister look flickered in his eyes as he continued to watch her.

"I'm a strange man, Yalda. I like to fix what is broken". He told her. "I am in fact attracted to the broken. I do not think you're stupid, and neither do I think you're easy; I merely want to fix you."

She averted her gaze from his. She could do this, she couldn't hear any more of this.

"I'd like to head back now." She told him.

"Then let's head back."