Chapter 69 - A Kind Of Love

If there was one word to describe this still dark Sunday morning among a bird or two chirping—Different. It was different because he told her beautiful truths yet was still hiding ugly lies he never wanted her to discover.

How beautiful yet scary this creature of a lynx seemed before him. Sound asleep through soft snores unperturbed by the world, her petite body fit snugly into his arms as if they were made just for her body to mold into.

He trailed a finger along Prisana's slender waist and her small neck, marveling in the fact that she was all his. Every inch of her to touch, was all his sole sight to behold. He sighed.

The beast wasn't sure if the lynx knew what she was getting into. Rather, he would protect her at all costs until he could shed all truths to light.

What remained was the truths and the deal with the devil.

All which he never wished to burden upon her with because she was accused of burden from birth. Now that she was free, he wanted her to properly experience the joys of youth. He wanted to give her the whole world to the best of his abilities lest the happiness they tried so hard to build would come crumbling down.

God help him, he loved her.

It was true.

He knew it all at once, as he kept gazing at the beauty of her very being. A man's greatest weakness was his woman.

His was Prisana.

Prisana, which he felt reluctant to let go of but he had to shed the truths.

Dane looked into the mirror, at one of his truths as the makeup fixed onto his scar began to wilt off. The scar reminded him of the truths so he washed it off completely to reveal his ugly detestable self. Moments passed by as he recalled how his lynx fed him beautiful lies of tolerating his scar.

His fingers brushed over to where she sullied her lips with. She was too sweet for his own good. His lynx only deserved his beautiful mask, not the ugly real and true face.

Then he rummaged to find his mask supplies.

He felt like a silly woman who awoke to do makeup every morning but it was to hide his identity. Using his skin's foundation and powder, he expertly concealed the monstrosity away.

A creak to the door jolted him to cover whatever else left he hadn't yet finished concealing with his hand.

"Who's there?"

"Cleo."

"It's just you," he breathed and finished apply his mask.

"...Excuse me sir," Cleo whispered, as to not wake his lynx because his narrow eyes instructed any loud movement would be the end of him. "Your suitcase has been packed into the car. Was there anything else you needed?"

Dane chuckled to himself as he turned away from Prisana, "If only I could pack her with me inside my suitcase, then I would."

"That would be illegal," Cleo dared to point out, then cleared his throat.

"It was a poor joke. Of course I know it'd be illegal," Dane began to unbutton his shirt and slip on something formal like a light grey collared sleeve. "What about the doctor?"

"The doctor has been taken care of and will arrive when the morning sun rises."

"Oh sir! Allow me," Cleo said as he ran inside the room to grab the tie from Dane.

As Dane stood comfortably watching Cleo make the tie for him, he began to grow nostalgic.

Since when did Cleo begin his mission to make his ties?

Ah that's right.

His secretary, Cleo Mancuso was originally clumsy. Cleo wasn't always perfect. In fact, he was the worst secretary in existence but Dane hadn't cared much as he chose the first person that he interviewed. Time was of essence when Silver Linings hadn't even rose to it's abrupt fame so the timid man before him had immense luck.

At one point during the three months that Cleo worked for him, he nearly quit. The duties were demanding. Even more so, Dane pushed him to his limits and treated him like an equal. That meant he showed Cleo no mercy at all.

Before he resolved to quit, Cleo asked Dane why he chose him.

Dane said to him, "You're terrible at your job...But, no matter how terrible you are, I need persistent and headstrong men like you to work for me. You've demonstrated ability to persevere so I never gave up on you. So if you decide to leave, I won't stop you. Thank you for all your hard work."

"...Boss," his eyes teared up but Dane roughly patted his shoulder.

"Not to mention, you're quite good at cleaning."

"That's the real reason you kept me around, huh?"

"More or less."

"Your tie is crooked," Cleo then fixed his first tie on Dane.

After that day, Cleo became a capable secretary and made it his job to assist him with presenting Dane in utmost professionalism. When Cleo finished, he smiled and patted the tie at Dane's chest. Soon after the smile turned up, did it soon wilt as he found Prisana sound asleep.

"Are you sure you sure you want to leave without saying goodbye?"

"It's for the best."

How silly.

Dane wouldn't be gone forever. At most, a week's time. And yet even though he knew this, Dane could still feel this dread wash over him knowing they would be apart. It was cruel of him to part without saying anything but it was for the best. The moment he saw her waken form then he would wish to abandon even the truths.

"The look on your face is like a lover parting from his beloved."

we To Cleo's surprise, Dane didn't glare at him but smiled tenderly toward Prisana, "Cleo. Have you ever been in love?"

"Why, yes sir. I have two female cats."

"Not that kind. The kind where...a man loves a woman."

It was embarrassing that his darn secretary pushed him to say it out loud.

Cleo shook his head and eagerly leaned in to whisper, "No. Have you?"

"Twice. The first time, I was young and ignorant. Now, I'm old but still ignorant," Dane walked over to his lynx still so sound asleep to the world.

His fingers brushed over her lips.

"Only that this time, I vow to love her with all my heart and soul until the end of time."

Before Dane completely left Prisana's side atop his black velvet sheets, he planted a light kiss against her lips. Cleo recieved zero warning and bulged out his eyes, while immediately turning to look the other way.

When Dane pulled away, the devil's words called out to him like a plague that wouldn't leave his thoughts to rest.

'Men like us can never have a chance at true happiness. In the end, we're doomed for the bad ending.'