Livia was, well, livid. She only meant to tease him a bit to see if he would get jealous. Of course, she knew he was prone to having a temper. Still, she didn't see what was so wrong about what she said. The music from the roof was now audible, so Livia figured she needed to get going.
Livia huffed over to the counter and wrote a note for him, noticing that he had already fallen, or began to feign, sleep. Well, that was a bit of an overreaction, don't you think? I'll be back later. And if you miss a dose, you have to start your training all over, so you better be here when I get back. -Bella-
She hated how she had to leave in the middle of an argument. In fact, she planned to give him a kiss, or a couple, before she left. Now, she wanted to hit him. Livia headed upstairs to join the party that was now in full swing.
The first thing she did was meet all of the new clients and prospective clients. She made sure to oversee all of the wait staff and have a word with the orchestra conductor before going to meet with the current partners of her father. She started talking in depth about their trade deals and agreements while thinking to herself about Zephyr. She hoped he wouldn't really leave. He wasn't in a good condition and he really would have to start his training all over if he left. Of course, the real reason she wanted him to stay was because she was already missing him.
The night progressed and Livia kept meeting and mingling. Every new person offered her a drink and, thanks to propriety, she had to accept them. Livia was never much of a drinker. She could handle wine well, but liquor hit her system hard. It had to do with how fast it entered and retained in her blood stream. Alcohol was a type of poison and her body was trained to quickly absorb and retain all poisons. She had about an hour left and already she was feeling the alcohol.
She was thankful when it was time to dance because it meant that she didn't have to worry about drinking more. Livia danced with eight people. Most of them were her father's VIP clients, but the last one was a new prospective buyer. Naturally, he wasn't buying into the business side of her father's holdings, but more of the private protection side. Basically, he was considering hiring the mob to protect and back his own businesses. These clients were of great importance to Luther, and Livia knew it.
The man spun Livia around a few times and let his eyes travel all over her body. One would think he had no sense of dignity or tact in the way he drooled over her. It disgusted her, but she kept up appearances for her adoptive father's sake. Still, when his hand kept finding its way to her posterior, Livia was getting fed up. She gave him a few kicks and sharp looks, but he seemed to be oblivious. "Sir, I've noticed your hand keeps dropping. Are you perhaps tired of dancing? You should rest if your arms are losing their strength." She said, trying to be polite, but firm at the same time.
"Oh no, my dear," the man reached down and squeezed her ass tightly. "I have quite a bit of strength." By this point, Livia was done trying to be polite. She had pride and she wasn't the type of girl to just let any man touch her as he liked. Well, unless that man was Zephyr, but that was a different story. Livia took the man's hand and bent it backwards at the wrist. The man tried to move, but he was immobilized. He wriggled in pain, but didn't make a sound. Even he knew that making advances on a crime boss' daughter meant trouble.
"Interesting," Livia replied, "I have quite a bit of strength too. Thank you for the dance. I suggest you don't ask me again." Livia released the man and walked over to the bar. She was so infuriated that she ordered herself three shots of tequila, one of the few alcoholic beverages she enjoyed. She lined them up, salted her palm and shot all three in a row. She finished with the lime wedge and spit it out into the trash.
Livia almost instantly regretted her decision. The alcohol hit her system and her vision blurred. It was bad enough to have blurred vision with normal eyes, but since Livia's saw so well and her vision was very detailed, every little thing began to move and sway. Her mind went from thought to disconnected thought. Knowing she shouldn't stay any longer, she stopped by her father and told him goodbye and headed downstairs.
It was much more difficult to get her key into the door than before and she made quite the racket walking through it. She saw her note still lying on the counter and she remembered how angry she was with Zephyr. She threw her purse and shoes, which she had taken off in the elevator, on the couch and marched into the bedroom where he was sleeping. Livia wasn't sure on what she was about to do, but she was damn sure going to do it. "Get up Zeph! Get up!" Livia shook him and continued to shout, "Stand up! Now. Stand up!"
Livia waited until Zephyr got to his feet to continue. "What the hell was that all about?! I can't even tease you a little bit without you biting my head off? What the hell, Zeph?" Livia didn't mean to shout, but she couldn't control her voice very well. It's a good thing the penthouse was sound proof. "I may be a cold-blooded killer, but I'm still a girl, for fucks sake! Is it too much to ask that I know what you're thinking? Just once I'd like to fucking know what it is you think about me! Do you like me? Do you hate me? Am I just convenient, Zeph? Are you only with me to mess around? Are you using me for my poison? Do you even give a damn about me at all? Tell me! Say something!" It looked like Zephyr was about to say something, not that Livia could see straight, but she shouted anyways. "Don't interrupt me! How the hell am I supposed to believe that you care about me if you're willing to leave me over a little comment like earlier? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to do this with you?! We have to make things work between us for work! We can't fight and then hate each other! We have to work together! You can't hate me! You're not allowed! Anyone can hate me except you! They can hate me as Belladonna or they can hate me as Livia! I don't care anymore! But you can't hate me! You can't hate me if I can't hate you! And I fucking can't, Zeph! Not anymore! You made damn sure of that didn't you! Being so fucking sexy, and heroic, and always fucking being there when I'm weak! Letting me fucking depend on you and making you do the dirty work when you have things harder than me! Why do you fucking do that! Why do you always save me? Protect me? Why do you make me fucking love you, Zephyr? It makes things so damn hard! Every time I try to run away from you, I end up running right back! I'm not supposed to care about people! I'm not supposed to trust people or let them get close! You don't poison people you love! That's what I am! Poison! Do you not get that?! And then you threaten to leave me because I have to go to this stupid fucking dance? It's not like I want to go! It's not like I want creepy guys touching me and grabbing my ass! But I have to keep up appearances! I have to train to be the new leader! But you're going to leave me if I do that?" Livia had hot, angry tears streaming down her face. "Why do the people I actually care about leave me? My parents, and now you! Do you not get how hard I'm trying to stop myself from loving you? If I lose you, what do I have left?! I shouldn't be fucking dependent on you, Zeph! I shouldn't feel attached to you! Poisons are supposed to be locked up, away from people's reach! Don't you know anything!"
Livia's voice was hoarse from the shouting and it kept cracking because of the tears. She was a mess, but she said everything she was thinking. She didn't even know she felt half of those things until they came out of her mouth. Still, she put everything on the table in front of Zephyr. "Say something!" Livia waited for his response.
