Smokescreen of Lies

Steve walked into the apartment and immediately noticed the faint smell of cigarette smoke. He looked around the room, searching for the source of the smell. His eyes fell on Maria, who was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. She looked exhausted and different, like something had changed inside her.

"Maria, have you been smoking?" Steve asked, narrowing his eyes.

Maria looked up, surprised by the question. "Uh, yeah. I needed to relax after a long day."

Steve's eyes widened. "You've never smoked at home before. What's going on?"

"Nothing, Steve. I just needed to take the edge off. Can we talk about this later?" Maria replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Steve sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "No, we need to talk about this now. Something's been off with you lately, and I want to know what's going on."

Maria could feel the weight of Steve's hand on her shoulder, and it made her feel guilty. She knew she had been distant lately, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet, anyway.

"Steve, I'm not cheating on you or taking ****. You have to believe me," Maria said, looking at him with pleading eyes.

Steve shook his head. "I don't know what to believe anymore. You've been acting so strange lately, and now you're smoking. What's going on, Maria? I need to know the truth."

Maria's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away. She couldn't bear to see the hurt and anger in Steve's eyes.

"I can't tell you the truth, Steve. Not yet. Please, just give me some time," Maria said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Steve stood up, his anger boiling over. "No, Maria. I've given you enough time. I'm done playing these games. You need to tell me what's going on right now."

Maria stood up too, feeling weak and ****. She knew she couldn't keep lying to Steve, but she couldn't tell him the truth either. Not when she wasn't sure what was happening to her.

"I can't deal with this right now, Steve. I need some time to think." Maria said, her voice breaking.

She decided to leave the apartment, grabbed her purse and headed out the door, leaving Steve alone, angry and distraught. She needed a drink, a cigarette, and Nikolai.

As she waited for Nikolai to arrive, she realized that the vampire's influence on her is slightly diminished when she saw Steve. It reminded her that she still loves him and doesn't want to hurt him. But the lust and the attraction to the vampire were still there, and she couldn't shake them off. The darkness inside of her was growing, and she felt as though she's losing control.

As time passed, she became increasingly anxious, taking long drags on her cigarette and downing shot after shot of tequila, trying to numb her awkward feelings towards this whole situation.

Maria is at the club, anxiously waiting for Nikolai, who is already an hour late. As the clock struck 9, Maria's restlessness grew, fueled by her intense desire for Nikolai. Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Steve:

Maria, please come home, I understand everything. I don't want a fight, I will not stand in your way if that is truly what you desire. Let's talk.

She instantly tried calling him, but he didn't answer, only responding with a message insisting they meet in person at home. This was unusual behavior for Steve, making Maria feel uneasy. She left the club and headed home.