Chapter 9 Creeper In The Night

It was a cool and quiet Sunday afternoon, and for most people, a day to focus on house chores, to sleep in, or attend a spiritually calming church service.

However, for Enzo who just got a call from his long time friend, it was a perfectly peaceful day ruined.

*"Oy, Enzo! Guess who's back? It's me~! I'll be at my old place in thirty minutes, so get some booze on your way here" *

Recalling the conversation only annoyed Enzo further, and he let out a disgruntled sigh.

He grabbed his car keys, then paused when he caught a familiar grey lunchbox sitting on his island unit.

Taking the lunchbox with him, he locked his door and headed for room '9'.

He planned to drop it at her doorstep on his way out and leave the rest to history.

As he gently laid the lunchbox before her door, he heard a loud yelp resonate from inside her room, and a painfully loud 'thud' followed soon after.

He furrowed his brows and drew closer to the door.

"Ms. Brown?" He called and listened in for a response, but he got none in return.

"Ms. Brown?!" He yelled, and immediately ran to his room in fear of the silence. He grabbed the the spare keys to the rooms and sprung towards her door; fumbling with the keys till he was finally able to unlock it.

He ran inside and whipped his head around in search of her.

"Ms. Brown?!" He called out one more time and froze up when he heard a faint sound.

"Ms. Brown, are you in the bathroom?" He asked as he approached the bathroom door.

"Yes" Riele breathed weakly.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, please " she replied, almost in a plea.

He hesitated a bit, but pushed the door open and widened his eyes at her state.

She was soaked from head to toe. Luckily, she had her towel on, but she was sprawled on the floor and had her left leg stretched out.

Riele looked up at a puzzled Enzo and the throbbing in her ankle provoked tears from her eyes.

"I think I sprained my ankle" she cried.

☆

It didn't take ten minutes for Enzo to make a quick trip to the closest pharmacy and back.

Riele heard him knock, then he entered her place and made his way to her bedroom where she sat, wincing and letting out little whimpers as she iced the sprained ankle.

"How long have you been icing it?" He questioned and dropped the small bag on the small wooden table next to her.

"A little over right minuites " She replied.

Enzo took out the bandages from the bag and went down on one knee; tapping his lap and gesturing for her foot.

Riele hesitantly placed her left foot on his lap, and hoped to the heavens that she wouldn't stain his navy blue slim-fit pants.

She let out a wince when tightened the bandage over her ankle and unconciously moved her feet; earning a 'you better stay still' look from him.

"Sorry.." she muttered, and he looked back down at her feet; tautly wrapping over the ball of her foot. As he worked his way up to her ankle, Riele jolted back in response to the stabbing ache.

"Keep still!" He snapped.

"Well, try being gentle!" She snapped back.

"It's *supposed* to be done this way. It's a *sprained* ankle. Being gentle won't do you any good"

"But it hurts " she muttered and thinned her lips shut when he shot her a glare.

He tied the bandage up, then gently laid her foot down on the floor.

"Any dumbness, or tingling sensation?" He questioned and she shook her head.

"If the blood circulation around your foot gets cut off, go to the pharmacy for a rebandage "

Riele nodded, and Enzo turned to leave.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yes" He replied.

"But I haven't even thanked you yet!" She rushed out, "at least let me make you some tea-"

"No. No thanks needed. I only did this because I happened to be around. Next time be careful when you turn on that shower. The pressure is strong, so it's sure to cause a small accident. There are handles to reduce the pressure of the water, so try using your head the next time you try to take a shower "

With that, he turned around and walked out of her room. Rieles jaw dropped in disbelief and she stared after him till she heard her door slam shut.

"He's really unbelievable " she scoffed. "What? I can't say thank you? One second he's being nice and the next he's acting like such an ass!"

She glared at the door, then paused.

"This scent..." she whispered.

It was Enzo's perfume. She recognised it anywhere. It was an AURA brand. One of the first perfumes to be released under the AURA 'Scent of spring collection.

It was one of her favorite perfumes, and also the reason she decided to become a perfumer and work in the company.

The scene was all too familiar to her, but for some reason it smelt different when it came from Enzo.

It smelt sweeter.

She recalled how close he was to her earlier, and the touch of his long and slender fingers against her skin. Even when he lashed out, and shot daggers at her.

Even with the throbbing aches that accompanied the bandaging of her ankle, Enzo's touch was gentle, and warm.

It was strange.

The moment she met Enzo, she felt that he was completely different from Gilbert. And as time passed, those differences only grew.

It was the same face, and the same voice. However it all felt like a new experience, a new encounter with him.

She grabbed her laptop from the bedside table and switched it on.

*It's time for a little research.*

She stared at the search button, then let out a deep sigh and typed in the words; Dissociative Identity Disorder.

She breezed through several articles about DID; refusing to miss out on a single detail.

Signs, symptoms, causes and treatments.

"Dissociative disorders usually develop as a way to cope with trauma. The disorders most often form in children subjected to long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse or, less often, a home environment that's frightening or highly unpredictable....."

She stared at her laptop, then looked down at her bandaged ankle.

"Trauma...." she muttered.

She jerked at the sound of her phone buzzing and let out a sigh when she saw the caller ID.

"Hey tiger" she answered and rose a brow at the clattering and thudding sounds she could hear from the other end of the line.

*"Riele" Tara breathed, "I don't care what I have to get you. I'll do anything, so please help me"*

"What's wrong?" Riele chuckled.

*"It's open mic night tonight and I just got a call from that dick Logan. He bailed last minute and I have no idea who to call. I need you right now, or I'll start the night by breaking bottles on people's heads"*

"You don't have to go that far" Riele chuckled, "I'll be there, don't worry"

*"Ah" Tara breathed out in relief, "You're amazing. Be here before six pm and make sure you store a lot of energy. It's going to be a busy night"*

"Gotcha" She smiled and hung up. She looked down at her ankle and pursed her lips.

"It'll be fine, right?"

☆☆

Open mic night was a success, and Tara was loving it.

"Where the fuck did all these people come from?!"

Well, a little.

"You should be elated" Riele smirked. "They're all having fun, and you get to make a lot of money in one night from all the drinks they're buying."

"Well, it's pretty hard to think that far when we have a lot of orders to cover!"

"Calm down, Tiger. Just focus on making the drinks and i'll go around and take orders"

Tara let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed some glasses from the shelf.

Music boomed through the room as the customers engaged in their various conversations; each person holding a glass of their individual drinks and most already halfway drunk.

It had been over six hours since the open mic night started, and Riele was beginning to feel the ache in her ankle increase.

She let out a wince when she tried to move it, then sighed.

*A little more.*

"Goodevening, what can I get yo-" she paused and her eyes widened when they met with deep violet ones.

Enzo's eyes widened a fraction, then he looked down at her leg, then back up at her.

"Oh~" a deep voice spoke and Riele looked at the man who sat across from Enzo.

His auburn hair fell in parted bangs over his forehead and his red eyes scrutinised Riele; a flirty smirk glued to his lips.

"Hello, dark beauty" He said and his smirk grew even wider.

Enzo squeezed his eyes shut at his friends comment and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Riele mustered up a bright smile, choosing to dismiss the handsome man's comment.

"What can I get you handsome boys?"

"A Manhattan and an Old fashioned" Enzo replied.

"And maybe your number?" Enzo's friend smirked, and Riele shot him a smile.

"Order two more drinks and i'll consider it" she teased and earned a grin from him.

Enzo narrowed his eyes at Riele, then looked down at his friend.

"Remy, stop" -He looked up at Riele once again- " You, drinks. Now"

This rude son of a-!

She took in a deep breath, then forced a bright smile.

"I'll be back with your drinks"

"One Manhattan and one Old Fashioned. You won't believe who it's for"

"I doubt that I'm capable of thinking right now" Tara said as she poured the mixed drinks into glasses and passed it to the middle aged man holding a much younger woman.

"Enzo"

"Wait, what?!"

"Mmm" Riele hummed with a nod.

"What? Did he come here with a date?"

"Unless his sexuality took a drastic turn within the last few years, I don't think so"

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Nothing but their drink order. So quickly whip it up. Thankfully, things are dying down, so I'll be able to head home soon. My ankle acting up"

"I'm sorry you have to walk around with an injured leg. And I'm really grateful to you for this"

"You owe me one" Riele smirked and earned a smile from Tara.

"Definitely "

☆☆

A deep sigh escape Riele's lips as she walked her way to the next street.

She left the bar the second things calmed down, and couldn't find a taxi next to the bar, so she decided to walk till she found one.

Her phone was dead, and her ankle hurt a lot.

*If I knew this would happen, I would've charged my phone earlier. *

"Why are you so lost in thought, pretty?" A voice slurred from behind her and Riele froze up.

The rough looking man inched closer to her, and she flinched at his cold touch.

"You didn't even notice me following you" He slurred again and let out a chuckle.

*Fuck...*

They were a long way from the bar, and very few people passed by the path they were.

She pondered over whether to run towards home, or back to the bar, but;

*Can I outrun him? Would I be able to get away?*

"C'mon!" The man let out in a roar and Riele flinched back. He smelled of booze and he looked completely out of it.

"Let's have fun. I might look small, but I'm bigger than I look"

He shot Riele and smug smirk and proceeded to grab hold of her hand, but she let out a yelp and pushed him away.

The man; taken off guard, staggered back a little and held himself up.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" He roared and Riele immediately turned on her heels to run, but let out a scream when a sharp pain shot through her ankle.

The drunk man grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

"You've got some nerve, you black bitch! You think you're all that because I called you pretty? Huh??!"

"Let go of me, you dick!" Riele screamed and struggled to release her hand from his tight grip.

"Let go-!"

She was interrupted by the violent release of her hand from the drunkard's grip, and she watched him fly and hit his back against the wall with a loud 'thwack'.

Riele's eyes widened when she looked at her savior and her mouth fell open.

"Enzo...?"