Chapter 319: Peace
Somehow the discussion between Cylus and Olivia about Mina, had detoured down a path involving Peter. Olivia had begun to feel that her cousin was too focused on the man, and it was probably because he had made her cry.
Still Olivia felt as though Cylus was being extra harsh toward Peter. She had slapped him, he had beat him, someone was pushing his ex into success, and the man had people mocking him at every turn.
Olivia no longer liked Peter, and in truth she fell in love with the impression of who she thought Peter was, but she still had a heart. She could accept the fact that Peter had made his own bed, but she did not want to continue adding to the man's stress. The damage had been done, and he would have a tough time climbing out of the hole he had dug for himself.
"Can you let Peter rest now?" Olivia asked. "I don't want him to keep pestering me; looking for a way to save his career." Cylus was impressed with how much maturity and wisdom Olivia showed, so he agreed with a nod.
"As long as he stays away from you, I will leave him alone. Besides, I think I like President Lee's punishment better," he replied.
"It's a bit harsh; don't you think?" Olivia was not advocating for Peter, but even in The Four Cities, where things were much better for women; a man in Peter's shoes would be tempted to kill both people involved. In fact, it was not uncommon in either country.
"Peter has been sleeping around for years. It's about time his actions caught up to him." Had it been a few weeks ago, Cylus would never have told his cousin that the man she had a silent crush on since she first tried to become an actress, was not a good man. Because of their age difference at the time, he did not see a need to.
Olivia was fourteen when she came to Pan, and only fifteen when she decided to give acting a try. At that time Peter was a legal adult male, who only looked at Olivia as a potential starlet.
Cylus was unsure of when things changed between the pair because Olivia retired as an actress at only seventeen. She had gotten tired of playing side roles, and became more interested in behind-the-scenes work.
Looking back, Cylus was sure that her decision may have had something to do with Peter, because if the man were involved in a production in any way, Olivia would beg him to get her onto the set.
Back then, he thought it was because she wanted to grow her name as a set designer by using the wave Matthew Porter was beginning to create, but he now knew he was wrong.
"You are no different than he is," Olivia said after a brief silence. She knew Peter was a serial dater, but she had only just come to the realization that he was just a less discrete version of Cylus.
"No, no, he and I are much different. Besides Vanya, can you tell me the name of one woman you know I've been with?" Olivia did not want to answer her cousin's question, but since he had asked...
Cylus froze when he heard his cousin go down a list of several women he had been involved with. She had even named some that he had forgotten about, and his mind was asking him if Mina knew about the women as well.
"Does Mina know?" He asked anxiously. When he and Mina had met, Cylus had alluded to the fact that he had plenty of options, but hinting at something and being told something were two different things.
"Mina doesn't talk about men much. I'm not sure she is interested." Cylus questioned Olivia's statement. She had spent more time with the girl, so she would know best. "I mean, I don't think she is interested in anyone at all," Olivia clarified.
"What makes you think that?"
"We were teasing her about men one night, and I'm fairly sure she wasn't happy. I don't think Mina has had good experiences with men." Cylus would have loved to add himself as an exception, but he was not. Mina had walked in on him and President Lee discussing her in an intimate way, and based on her actions, it was clear that what he had said was nothing new to the girl.
----
Ian was holding an ice pack to Mina's face as she slept. She did not have much of a reaction to the cold compress on her face in the beginning, but Ian could tell by her furrowed brows that the sensation was uncomfortable.
Anytime Ian saw a slight grimace on Mina's face, he would move the ice pack to a different location. That meant that he had to keep careful time of each section of her face he iced. He was told by the nurse not to exceed twenty minutes, and although he knew that it was not a life-or-death situation, he took Mina's recovery seriously.
Zane had long ago left to get something for them to eat, but Ian knew it was in part because he felt like an intruder on a romantic scene.
In truth, Ian was glad the man was gone. It was rare for him to spend any time alone with Mina, and even more rare for him to be able to sit so close to her, without her shifting or hiding away.
Unable to control the impulse, Ian kissed the spot between Mina's brows. He had wanted to kiss her lips, but he knew it would make him guilty of what Mina already suspected him of. Not satisfied, Ian placed yet another gentle kiss on Mina's forehead, and was surprised when the woman settled into the bed, almost as if she had finally slipped into a peaceful sleep.
Ian knew it was not uncommon for people to get used to gestures and actions, and he correctly assumed, although he was unaware, that Mina must have been kissed on the forehead often.
Knowing that his actions were inappropriate at the least, Ian climbed out of Mina's bed and allowed her to rest. He made himself comfortable on the nearby sofa, but instead of sleeping, he guarded Mina, as if she would be gone the next time he opened his eyes.
----
Luna called Tavin more times than she thought possible, but the man did not answer any of her calls. She finally settled on showing up at his apartment, but he either ignored the knocking or was not home. She did not know why she was looking for the man, but she needed to hold on to him.
Luna finally understood how Lisa felt about Ian. Loving someone who was indifferent to your fondness, was far worse than any punishment she had ever received. When Tavin was still chasing after her, she at least believed that her feelings were reciprocated too late, but having him walk away from her after she practically begged him not to, was too much for her to handle.
No matter how badly Luna wanted to blame Mina for what was happening, she could not. She only had herself to blame. She should have asked Mina directly; it was not like the woman would have lied. If nothing else, she could have asked Tavin, but for whatever reason, her pride did not allow her to act.