Immense /i-mence/
adj. extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree

AVELINA HAD DONE her makeup lightly. She wished she could do more of an extravagant look, but she never took the time out to learn beyond the basics of makeup.

With a smile, she glanced down at the gold dress that did her figure an immense amount of justice. The material hugged her every curve and provided an emphasis of her breast seeing as the dress left a long slit for cleavage. Although that wasn't the only slit on the dress, seeing as there was also a slit at the bottom that stretched higher than mid-thigh. Everything about the dress was beautiful.

Avelina walked into her closet and grabbed her gold stilettos. She wasn't much of a 'heel' kind of girl. Avelina always wore shoes that slipped on easily. Her closet back at home was full of shoes like vans and converse.

After she slipped on the shoes and took her time to strap them in, she stood up and instantly felt twice as tall. Her heels clanked against the flooring as her hair bounced with her every move. She had tried her best to make her hair look like it had been professionally done before giving up after a while. It wasn't like she had all the time in the world to worry about her hair. She was only given a two-hour limit.

Just as Avelina exited the room, a smile grew on her face. She felt amazing and couldn't wait to share her look with Adrik.

Avelina almost sprinted to the top of the staircase just to see Adrik. The second her eyes met his, she couldn't help but smile. His eyes wandered down her body, tracing every curve. The gold looked just as beautiful as he thought it would on her. It was entrancing.

She made sure to not rush because she didn't want to fall and embarrass herself. Despite how careful she was being, it didn't stop gravity on her last step because she managed to lose balance. Luckily for her, Adrik was quick to latch onto her waist only to steady her.

As he held onto her, she couldn't stop her arms that curled around his neck. Her eyes moved down to his lips as the temptation to kiss him oh-so-badly only intensified. Her words and mixed-emotions had only complexed the burning passion that just continued to grow between them despite how many times she tried to put the fire out.

"Avelina," he said. Her eyes moved away from his plump lips and up his beautiful face before gazing into those eyes that held so much blockage from the world.

"Adrik," she replied.

"I do not know what you want from me," he began. She started to pull away, but he only pulled her right back. Her body was flush against his and all she could pick up on was how amazing he smelled and how perfect it felt to be in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at absolutely nothing. His hand lightly grasped her chin before slowly craning her head up to gaze into his eyes.

He leaned down, his eyes flickering from her lips to her mesmerizing eyes before wandering back down to her lips. The closer he got, Avelina could feel her heartbeat exhilarating.

His lips hovered over her own, grazing her top lip that protruded out a little further than her bottom one. The lip gloss that she wore had gotten slightly smeared on his lips but he didn't care. All he cared about was how magnetic their attraction was to one another. Neither could pull away due to this invisible force that stuck them together.

"Just tell me what you want from me," he spoke. He could hear her breathing harder. Even her arm around his neck was tightening. He knew that she was fighting with her mind on exactly what to say at that moment.

"Kiss me," she whispered against his lips. He pulled her waist even closer and pressed his lips to hers. Her body immediately melted against his while one of his hands traveled up to her hair. Her silky strands welcomed his dominance as he gripped her hair and aggressively pulled her closer to him only to get rid of every inch that separated them.

She parted her lips and he made sure to take advantage of that. His tongue swept against her own. Her whole body felt like a flame that left behind nothing but sparks and tingles. There was such a hunger and intensity that he engraved with each stroke of his lips against hers.

Avelina didn't realize her hand had crept down to the waistband of his pants, but Adrik did. Every touch she left behind only led to Adrik's need of her to strengthen-to pulsate.

It was like he couldn't get enough of her soft lips. Even her quiet moan against his lips was better than any song Beethoven had ever written.

He was slowly pulling away only to enjoy the way she pushed her lips even closer just to keep kissing him. She didn't want it to end just like Adrik didn't want it to end. It was taking everything within him to not throw her on the sofa and take her in a million different ways.

Suddenly, there was a knock that pounded on the door. Avelina jumped and was quick to pull away just before slipping from Adrik's arms.

Her eyes immediately dropped down to look at the ground as she came to the realization of what just happened. That kiss felt like it was more than a kiss. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Adrik.

Adrik stared at her. He was trying to figure out what was going on in her mind and why she wouldn't even bother to spare him a glance. When another knock echoed against the door, Adrik turned away from Avelina and quickly grew frustrated when he saw that it was Ivan who had been outside the door.

"Kakogo khrena ty khochesh'?" Adrik questioned. Ivan glanced over at Avelina, his eyes trailing down her body. He had never seen a woman in Adrik's home before, but he understood how she managed to squeeze through Adrik's scary exterior. She looked to be the most beautiful woman Ivan had ever seen.
[ Russian translation : What the fuck do you want? ]

"Svad'ba," The man spoke. Adrik noticed the way his eyes were on Avelina. Adrik turned to look at her only to presume that there was something off about her.
[ Russian translation : the wedding ]

"If you ever look at her again, ya tebya ub'yu, along with everyone you have ever loved," Adrik told him. Ivan gave Adrik a curt nod before turning on his heel and heading into his car.
[ Russian translation : I will kill you ]

"Avelina," Adrik called out to her as he made his way back over to her. She finally looked at him with a look he couldn't seem to figure out. Was she angry, sad?

He wanted to punch something out of frustration. He wanted to be able to talk to her. He needed to find some way for her to choose him.

Actually, the more he thought about it, Adrik couldn't help but feel down at the thought that maybe that is why she didn't want him. It was because he couldn't care for her the way she wanted him to.

He hated himself more than he ever hated anything because he wished he was normal. Just like what everyone used to scream at him when he was a kid, 'be normal'. His mother said it, his father said it. At some point, Adrik would repeat those words to himself every day. Be normal.

When he was a kid, he couldn't help it when he would repeat the slang people would use around him just so he could practice normal communication. They punched and bruised him just because he only wanted to help when he told the boy that he needed to brush his teeth more and the girl that she should stop eating so nasty because she resembled a cow with the way she chewed her food.

With a face so purple and bloody, no one noticed him because everyone was so happy that it finally swelled his lips shut. No longer were words seeping from his mouth to anyone only because he was scared.

He had no friends at school. All the teachers knew he was too smart for his age, so they didn't interact with him much because they didn't feel the need to. Every time they tried to talk to the odd boy, he would ramble about Ludwig van Beethoven. It was this weird obsession that he never stopped talking about.

They found him strange in the way he never ate any food at school. He always had to eat the same thing at the same hour. He held such great posture with big gray eyes that were so eager to learn something new. His vocabulary from so many different languages were already so articulate that he sounded more intelligent than his teachers. It scared the other kids. It scared the teachers.

No one ever chose him until he got older and rich. No one ever chose him until he had gotten powerful and struck fear into everyone.

As he looked at Avelina, he realized that she could see what those kids at school had seen in him. A weird, strange, odd little boy who will never be normal.

"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened. I was caught up in the moment and it won't happen again. It was a mistake, Adrik," she told him. He looked away from her as he finally recognized exactly how she was feeling-ashamed. He knew she was ashamed of the kiss, ashamed of how she felt, and most of all, she was ashamed of him.

He was feeling that heart-squeezing feeling again. She kept jabbing him with all her might, and he was finally prepared to surrender.

"I agree," he told her.

She looked at him surprised. Knowing that Adrik never tells a lie, it only seemed to hurt her. At least deep down, she knew she was only lying to herself. She really enjoyed that kiss and it scared her how much she wanted more of them. Sadly, he didn't feel the same.

"Adrik," she spoke, grasping his arm. He snatched his arm from her hold and began to walk towards the door where he held it open for her.

"I am not sure what you learned about my autism, but I am not a f*cking robot. I feel everything you are telling me and it hurts. You tell me you do not want to me, but then you tell me to kiss you. So, I kissed you and now you tell me you do not want me again. Well, for once, I do not want you. So, yes, Avelina, the kiss was a mistake. It will always be a mistake. Don't ever ask for anything ever again," he told her, walking out of the house leaving her stunned.

She never expected that from him.

Her head hung low in sadness as she walked out of the house and towards the vehicle that was parked out front in patience. Slowly, she made her way into the car, her eyes cast out the window the moment the door was shut and the vehicle began to move.

❦

At the wedding, Avelina was standing by the group of screaming women with a frown on her face. She kept thinking back to what happened with Adrik. He was right about everything. She knew she was only confusing herself. She also knew that it was unfair to play with his emotions as she tried to figure out her own.

When she glanced over at Adrik who looked as handsome as ever, her frown only deepened. She didn't want to ruin her job. Being with a client is like a teacher being with her student-it's wrong. Not only was being with Adrik wrong, but she could jeopardize her job. Yet, as her eyes gleamed over at him, she wanted it to be right.

It didn't matter, though. She had already jeopardized it. He didn't bother to say one word to her after they had gotten into the car. She had sat by him at the wedding reception, but when the after-party began, he busied himself by speaking to the groom-that Valentino guy she met at the casino not too long ago.

Suddenly, Avelina's eyes grew wide as her hands instinctively latched onto a bouquet of flowers that the bride had thrown.

Her heart was racing as she looked up and saw the happy smile on the bride's face. All that occupied Avelina's mind was that she caught the bouquet. Based on the numerous movies Avelina had seen, she knew exactly what that meant-she was going to be married next. Of course, it was only a myth, but it still wouldn't slow the fast pace of her heart.

Out of nowhere, Avelina was pulled into a set of arms. Based on the flowery scent, she knew it had to be the bride. Avelina looked over at her, smiling gently even though nervousness was occupying her brain.

"Are you a friend of Valentino's?" The bride had asked. Avelina gazed at the woman's blonde hair before her eyes dropped down to her swollen belly. She was a gorgeous bride, and Avelina couldn't help but wonder how someone so angelic married someone as scary as Valentino.

"Oh, no-," Avelina began.

"Anastasia, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Adrik Zolotov," Valentino spoke to his wife, coming from absolutely nowhere.

Avelina's eyes wandered over to Adrik who looked at her before looking away. Avelina couldn't help but sigh in response. He was still pissed and she knew that she deserved it.

"Hi, nice to meet you," the bride, who Avelina guessed was named Anastasia, had smiled at Adrik.

Avelina knew she had to do her job of talking for Adrik at the moment. There was still tension between them, but she took a deep breath and pushed it aside.

"He is having a great time. He also would like to thank you for inviting us," Avelina spoke. She felt a chill run down her spine as Adrik placed his hand on her lower back. She knew that meant she had done a great job. It also gave her a sprout of hope that maybe she could fix their friendship.

The confusion was as clear as day on Anastasia's face, but her smile never faltered.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Anastasia began before continuing, "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name.

"My name is Avelina," she smiled. "We are so happy to be here and can't wait to see more of you both. If you will excuse us, we were just about to dance."

After Anastasia had nodded her head, Avelina guided Adrik to the tables. She wanted to talk to him-to clear up everything. One thing Avelina began to really dislike was when Adrik was upset with her. It made everything feel uneasy and it would occupy her mind for as long as she could think.

The second no one was within hearing range, she sighed. Her heart opened and she was ready for it to spill out. As he looked off in the distance, she stared at him. Avelina really looked at him like she did every morning before he woke up. She looked at him like when he'd hold her after a hug. She looked at him and saw everything she couldn't have but truly wanted.

"Adrik, I-" She began, but her mind was already nagging her about what she was going to say next. There were so many words compiling up, but nothing coming out.

"Adrik," she said in a whisper, still not knowing what to say after that.

"You look gorgeous," he told her. Her eyes flashed down to her dress. A smile was quick to whisk itself onto her face. She wanted to hug him and possibly even kiss his cheek, but it would only provide evidence to prove that Adrik was right.

"Thank y-"

His eyes snapped to hers, suddenly seeming colder. Her heart shattered as she watched him get up and walk away from her. It broke even more when she saw a woman ask him for a dance. She couldn't help bear the sight so she turned away.

At the end of the day, no matter what happens-it was her fault.

"Avelina!" A voice called out. Avelina turned to look at the source only to see it was the bride, Anastasia. A smile quickly plastered itself onto Avelina's face. Avelina quickly noticed the raven-haired girl as she strolled right beside Anastasia.

"Hi," Avelina spoke, glancing between Anastasia and the woman beside her.

"This is Bella, my sister-in-law, and best friend. Bella, this is Mr. Zolotov's plus-one, Avelina," Anastasia said, smiling as Bella held her hand out for Avelina to shake.

The duo then moved on either side of Avelina, leaving her to be in the middle of both Anastasia and Bella.

"So, the hot man in the bun is your boyfriend?" Bella asked. Anastasia narrowed her eyes before pinching her friend's arm.

"Ow! Stop always pinching," Bella spoke softly as she rubbed her arm lightly.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," Avelina chuckled, her eyes moving over to him. He must've told the girl who had asked him for a dance 'no', or walked away. Now, he was talking to Valentino.

"You have to ignore Bella. She has always been nosy," Anastasia spoke. Bella's mouth dropped as she dramatically placed her hand on her hips.

"I am not nosy," she let out.

Suddenly, a man walked up to them. He had a lot of tattoos that were practically on every inch of his skin. Avelina had never seen someone so tatted before. He definitely made it work.

"Baby, come dance with me," he said, holding his hand out to Bella. She smiled at him before slipping her hand into his. Just as he began to drag her to the dance floor, she turned around and waved goodbye to Avelina.

"That's Vincenzo, her husband, aka, my husband's half-brother, aka, my brother-in-law," Anastasia said. Avelina nodded her head in response.

She looked over at Adrik only to see that he was gone. Her eyebrows pulled together but she tried not to make her worries obvious.

"So, how long have you been working for Mr. Zolotov?" Anastasia asked.

"About a month," Avelina answered. She realized she was sounding more like Adrik. Very short answers and completely straight to the point.

Suddenly, a loud pang could be heard. The guest seemed to have noticed but assumed it was all apart of the party because they cheered loudly. Avelina, on the other hand, didn't take it as lightly.

When Avelina saw someone running in all black, she jumped up out of her seat and quickly ran off to the direction of the sound. Anastasia swiftly followed as best as she could, but it was difficult due to her pregnant belly.

Avelina ended up in a field and her heart dropped when she saw Adrik.

"Oh, my god!"

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