Chapter 33

Though the assassin had been dealt with, the night was still quite young. The two lovebirds, having had their fill of the festivities, decided to take a cab together back to the penthouse where Caleb and his mother lived.

During the cab ride, the two were almost completely silent. Even as they ascended the elevator, neither one had much to say. They were nervous and with good reason. Now that all the distractions were gone, all that was really left was the two of them. Alone...together...

...with no adult supervision in sight.

It was clear to them both which way the wind was blowing. Try as he might to stay clear-headed, the fact was all Caleb could think about since the battle on the roof was how brilliant this girl was. Not only did she manage to figure out exactly what their enemy's plan would be, she created a near-perfect counter-strategy in almost no time flat. Not only that, but she created a cannon out of stolen fireworks and festival prizes. Caleb always knew he was intelligent, but not like her. His girlfriend was an absolute genius.

On the other side of things, Akane was going through a bit of a crisis. Today had been easily one of the most special and wonderful days of her life, and it was all thanks to this gorgeous boy she was sharing an elevator with. Whether he knew it or not, Caleb was making her feel things she'd never felt before, and Akane didn't exactly know how to handle it.

Angelika was right; hormones had definitely become a factor. As it was, the tension could be cut with a knife.

"I'm really excited to see your penthouse," she spoke up meekly, fidgeting in place a little. "I've always been curious about how the upper crust of society lives."

He nodded, his mask of confidence holding strong. "I'm really happy I get to be the one to show you."

Another silence. Akane turned her gaze away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

God, I'm so nervous. My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest. And, of course, he's as cool and calm as ever. Argh! It's infuriating. Why is it I'm the one who's constantly an emotional wreck?

Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! She's looking at me again like I've got the answers here. I'm not ready for this! Mom, why the hell didn't you warn me it was gonna be this intense?!

Seriously, does anything rattle this man? Bad, bad night to scarf down a bunch of takoyaki! Whatever you do, Akane, don't barf.

It's not even that I just like this girl. For crimson's sake, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with her! I mean...granted, she's certifiably insane. But no one's perfect. At least not until I become God, anyway. Fuck, I cannot mess this up!

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor before opening up. Akane's excitement returned in full as she marveled at the gorgeous luxury apartment.

"Your home is beautiful," she insisted, smiling brightly while taking it all in.

Caleb's confidence returned as they stepped through the elevator. "Want me to show you around?"

She spun around towards him and nodded happily. Caleb began giving her the full tour, from the decadent parlor room to the kitchen adjacent to it.

"Why does the meat locker have a keypad on it?" she asked curiously.

He smirked at her. "Wanna see?"

Akane nodded. He entered a six-digit pin on the locker before opening the door. She stepped into the chilly walk-in freezer and looked around. Human limbs and torsos hung in equal parts to the fresh cuts of wagyu beef. Upon walking over to a nearby shelf, she noted vacuum-sealed bags containing various organs. Some said cow, others chicken or pig. Yet still, a few simply said idiot or moron or pervert.

"What do you think?" he asked sincerely, a hint of caution in his voice.

Akane looked around for a moment before turning back to him. "What does human taste like?"

Again, he smirked at her. "You know already."

She was about to ask what he meant by that when she remembered the liver. So that's why she couldn't place it! Akane placed a hand up to her lips, considering the full gravity of what she had just learned.

Whereupon she giggled.

"Well, I'll be. So we really do taste like pork." Akane smiled at him, completely unbothered. "I hope you'll make something new for me one day. You're an amazing cook, darling."

He smiled back at her and nodded. "Of course."

They continued their tour. Caleb showed Akane all around the first floor, from the parlor to the dining room, to the TV lounge, before finally taking her out to the outside balcony and sitting area overlooking the city.

"Oh wow..." Her breath was taken away by the gorgeous view of the streets below. "It's beautiful."

"It really is," he agreed, leaning against the rail beside her. "On nights like this, I enjoy looking down on it all. Reminding myself how if it wasn't for the life I was born with, if it wasn't for the destiny I was given, I'd just be one of them." He sighed in a melancholy tone. "I have to remind myself every now and then...so as not to forget what my father died for."

She frowned at him thoughtfully before turning her gaze back out over the city and smiling. "I like that I get to look down on it with you now." Akane curled her arms around his and hugged him tight. "It feels like I'm finally where I belong."

He smiled back at her. "You are."

Their faces heated up as that now all too familiar tension formed in the air. Akane shivered and clutched him tighter as a gust of wind blew across the deck.

"Cold?"

She turned her flustered gaze up to him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Not right now, I'm not."

Despite the chill in the air, they both felt warm at that moment. Almost uncomfortably so.

"Ready to see the upstairs?" he finally asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes."