Bab 18: Alcohol Induced Confession

Even after a long and tiring day, Irene could not sleep. It is as if her eyes have their own mind. No matter how hard she tries to close her eyelids, they would just open up on their own.

In her pink pajamas, Irene goes outside of her room to drink a glass of warm milk hoping it would help her fall asleep.

"Oh, you're not sleepy too?" Irene spots Amiel solemnly sitting by himself by the counter top table on a chair.

Deeply exhaling, Amiel replied. "Yes,"

Having a change of mind while looking for milk in the fridge, Irene pulls out two green bottles of Korean soju instead and brings it to the countertop table.

Amiel is silently observing Irene search for shot glasses and place it in front of him. Irene skillfully twists the soju cap open and poured each of their shot glasses full.

"Bottoms up," Irene emptied the entire glass in one go, wincing as the alcohol entered her mouth. Amiel slightly winced as well as he drank what is in his shot glass.

His strong arms stopped Irene from drinking several consecutive glasses, "Can you drink this much?"

"Of course! I may look petite and weak but I have an incredibly high alcohol tolerance. Trust me," Irene winked at him and proceeded to take a shot.

A few bottles and full shots later, Irene can barely keep her eyes opened. Her porcelain rosy cheeks has turned into crimson. She rested her chin on both of her palms while staring at Amiel who is still sober even after finishing several bottles of soju.

Shaking his head, Amiel stared at an extremely wasted Irene. "High tolerance, huh?" He scoffs while moving empty bottles away.

Irene narrowed her eyes at him, "You!" She pointed at him using her index finger, "Why did you come here for me? I mean," Irene burped in the middle of her statement.

She tried to keep her eyes open, "I mean, you were really mean to me back then and even your sister says that you're an evil jerk!" Irene gesticulated and started laughing out loud.

Amiel shot his eyebrows up to the ceiling, "She said that?"

"Not directly but I do get what she is trying to say," Irene poured herself a drink and gulped it down.

Suddenly, Amiel hung his head low and chuckled. Irene really has her own way of saying things which makes it funnier. Thinking that she may not remember this at all due to intoxication.

"I came all the way here because I care for you," Amiel spoke seriously and drank the remaining alcohol straight from the bottle, his prominent Adam's apple bobbed as he does so.

Irene laughed hysterically until tears came rushing down her crimson drunken crimson cheeks. At this point, she sounds funny and absolutely intoxicated.

"What? You care for me?" She stopped laughing for a while and pointed to herself while trying to maintain balance on the chair.

Amiel simply nodded his head with a smile plastered on his attractive face, "Yes, I do."

Without a filter on her mouth, Irene replied. "But I thought… I thought you never had that feelings because you were the so called incinerator in Rosemoor?" She barely constructed a sentence out of her alcohol dominated mind.

Amiel thought about Irene's remark for a while. It's true, he has never cared for someone other than his family this way. Irene was the first person whom he wanted to protect with all his life.

She was the one who made him feel like he has the potential to be a better version of himself, that he can do good without hurting anyone.

"I am not bad, Irene. I had to punish individuals in Rosemoor who intentionally disobey rules and cause harm to others." Amiel explains solemnly, in a way that he wants Irene to fully understand him without judgements.

For the first time in Amiel's life, he wanted to be understood and loved but he does not know how.

Irene genuinely smiled at him, "You don't have to explain yourself. Come to think of it Amiel, I never thanked you did I?"

Amiel just wistfully stared at Irene, memorizing every beautiful curve on her beautiful face. Her expressive eyes that draws him in and her warm smile that melts an accumulated layer of thick ice surrounding his heart.

"Thank you, Amiel. Thank you for saving me that night. No matter how anxious or no matter I hate my life, I realized that the only thing I wanted in this world is to live." Irene sniffs and bawled her eyes out like a child weeping.

Extending his hands, Amiel caressed Irene's wet face and wiped the warm tears coming from her eyes. She has been concealing these negative feelings for a long time that it is wearing her down.

"I'm so tired, Amiel! I love and hate my job at the same time. I love that I am able to pursue my passion and that a lot of people love me but sometimes it is just too tough," Irene's shoulders shuddered as she vent out to Amiel.

She added, "I hate that I am constantly fearing for my life though the incident happened long ago. I hate that every time I close my eyes, I imagine myself standing on the edge of the cliff, waiting to die." Irene's chest became so heavy that she had trouble breathing.

Irene looked up to see Amiel's face, "I sound pathetic, don't I?" She asked, beads of tears escaping her beautiful eyes.

"No. I'm all ears," Amiel spoke, staring directly into her sad eyes. He gritted his teeth, the sight if Irene crying wrenches his heart into miniscule pieces and wanting to go back in time to shred those bastards into pieces and burn them slowly alive.

Amiel could feel his palms getting hotter and hotter every second, he wanted to explode and avenge Irene from the people who made him this way.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, Irene noticed Amiel's palms sparking a bluish fire. "Fire," Irene spoke softly to get Amiel's attention who was staring at her.

He closed his fist and put his powers down, afraid to startle Irene seeing how monstrous he becomes when fuming with anger.

Amiel caressed Irene's face from the other side of the table and kissed her tenderly. Finally getting the courage to let her know how much he loves her. And finally able to recognize love in his once barren heart.