Music Recommendation: Novo Amor - State Lines

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Belle then asked, "Do you know why they painted the walls? I thought the houses that are under investigation in the council were always left open and untouched."

"They closed the case as there was nothing to find. Turning the walls white is better than having bloody walls, don't you agree?" the woman's words struck in Belle's mind, and she only nodded at the person, "How were you acquainted with the family?"

"I was a friend of their son. An old childhood friend."

"Oh, you must be feeling very sad after knowing it. Expectations always hurt, don't they, dear. Why don't you come to my house and I will make you something to drink? I have freshly baked cookies," offered the woman.

Belle wished she could call the woman to be kind but her sudden interest and showing up in front of the house when there were no other houses at least not in a few yards. Belle felt something very peculiar about the woman.

"I just had my meal but thank you for your kind offer," Belle bowed her head in acknowledgement.

"Not even cookies?" asked the woman, and Belle pursed her lips. Where was Lucas? He usually took less than one minute to check and return from where he had apparated.

"What kind of cookies do you have?" Belle tried to elongate and drag their conversation.

The woman stared at her for two seconds and then answered, "They are made of butternut and milk, a pinch of blood sprinkled on them like salt."

"They sound delicious, but I said I was going to wait for someone here."

"Oh, no worries," the woman nodded her head and Belle somewhere felt bad that she had denied the offer of having cookies from a woman who was only being nice, "I will see you some other time then. I live just across the forest there," she said, looking in the direction and Belle nodded her head.

"I will remember to visit if I come by there," she offered the woman a smile who bowed her head and started to walk away from the house. Belle continued to look at the woman whose frame was turning smaller and smaller until she heard the door open, and out came Lucas.

By the time Belle had turned to look at the road, the woman had disappeared, "Did you find Vivian?"

Lucas looked at the line of sight Belle was looking at, and he then looked back at her, "It starts in a few hours."

Belle nodded her head and took a deep breath, "Hours," she said, hoping everything would go according to their plan. They had put Charlotte in the ghoul's world, all they had to do was put Vivian in there, but they couldn't put her there the way Charlotte was sent with the knowledge about the ghouls' world.

"Wait time now."

The day passed by and Belle and Lucas saw themselves back to the inn.

Though Belle was in love with Lucas, she was shy to change her clothes in front of him, and she took herself behind the wooden stand that partitioned the small room.

"You're being shy about nothing," she heard Lucas say to her from the other side where he was, "I have already seen you."

"You don't have to remind me of that!" replied Belle, her face turning red whilst she was still working on removing the dress she was wearing right now. She was embarrassed with the thought that Lucas had time after time changed her clothes when she had fallen unconscious or when she was sick. There were maids to do it, "Why didn't you let the maids change my clothes?" asked Belle in a soft voice, bringing the dress close to her chest she waited for him to speak, wanting to hear why he didn't ask the maids to do the work when she was sick.

"I was your guardian. I felt it was only right that I do the work. Not to forget you were or are not an ordinary girl. I didn't want them finding something to report it to someone outside," he answered her and Belle slightly sank at the memories of the past on how she was trying hard to catch hold of his attention.

"I see," she murmured under her breath.

"Were you expecting another answer?" the voice came right behind her and Belle was about to turn to be quickly held by Lucas' arms, bringing her back to touch the front of his body, "So shy."

"I am not," she retorted back like a child.

"Then why are you running away from me?" he asked her, his lips moving towards the shell of her ear and Belle shuddered in his arms as her exposed skin welcomed the cold quickly.

Belle didn't have an answer for it because she was shy about Lucas seeing her when she was conscious. After a second, she came to realise that he had removed his shirt, which was why she could feel his cold body on the surface of her skin. Without needing to use her hands, she could feel the firm muscles on his body, and she softly gulped.

"Did you know, little Belle, that when you ask someone to sleep in your room, it is an open invitation to spend the night together. Hmm?" he asked her, his voice low and whispering into her ears.

Belle's eyes darted all over the place.

She could feel every fibre of hers come alive as seconds passed being in his arms and she could do this forever, "Am I wrong?" asked Lucas and Belle blushed, her cheeks turning pink and he had her turned towards him where Belle was still holding the dress in front of her which she had taken out.

"I am nervous," blurted Belle and one side of Lucas' lips twitched to pull up subtly.

"I can tell," he answered. He then pushed her reddish-brown hair that had come to fall on the side of her face. Leaning forward, he pressed his cold lips on her forehead. Both Belle and Lucas had almost the same temperature except that Lucas' body was colder than hers.

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