EIGHTEEN
The room is pretty, and although it’s almost too pink, I love it.
I assumed it was Arlo who decorated it. The idiot was stalking me for years, so he knew my preferences and made the room exactly how I would love it. The soft cushions scattered on the big bed, the small decorations on the dressers, and even the lamps on the bedside tables— everything is in different shades of pink, gray, and lilac.
The sheet and pillowcases have small butterflies on them in the most gentle, eye-soothing baby pink I’ve ever seen. It’s the cutest set I’ve ever had, and I’m almost ready to jump straight into bed and fall asleep then and there.
He even had a picture of Arson framed on the wall. He definitely planned this a lot in advance.
The wardrobe is packed with clothes my size. From gym wear and comfortable clothes to cute outfits in my favorite colors and elegant dresses that I’m not sure I’ll ever have an event to wear to.
A soft knock comes to the door once I’m dressed. The shower was blissful, and the outfit I picked consists of a baby pink blouse that is tucked in a white pleated skirt, with the matching knee-high socks and chunky heels.
“Come in,”
I called out, fixing my hair and looking at him through the mirror.
Arlo strolls inside, wearing a fitted shirt with the top two buttons undone, dress pants and fancy shoes, and a belt. His hands are tucked in his pockets, his perfect white hair styled back. There’s a glint of excitement in his eyes as he looks at me.
“You look beautiful,”
he breathes out, watching me in a way I can only describe as awe. His eyes twinkle, a wide smile across his face. “So pretty.”
My cheeks flush, and I fiddle with the hem of my skirt. Turning around to meet his eyes is either the best or the worst decision I’ve ever made because with a single look thrown my way, he knocked the wind out of my lungs.
“Thank you,”
I whisper, tucking a freshly curled piece of hair behind my ear. Arlo steps forward and pulls out a small box out of his pocket. I frown, not expecting a gift from him.
“I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but,”
he pauses and opens the box, revealing a small piece of satin.
My eyes skim the piece, unsure of what he’s expecting me to do with it. It’s in the same shade as my blouse, seemingly soft and beautiful, but eventually, completely and totally useless.
“Ah, thanks?”
He chuckles. “Turn around.”
I listen and turn around, feeling his front touch my back. His soft breath hits my neck, and I shiver slightly at the unusual sensations that scatter through my body. Carefully, he takes the satin out of the box and twirls it around his wrist twice. He proceeds to grab the front of my hair and gently pull it back.
His eyes are on my head, brows knitted together as he focuses on the task at hand. I silently stare at him through the mirror, unable to speak or move, just letting him do his thing. His fingers are soft and gentle in my hair, and it makes goosebumps appear. Within a minute, he creates a perfect half-up, half-down hairstyle, tying the perfect bow.
“There you go,”
he says, stepping back with a soft smile.
I twirl around until I can see the pretty bow myself, smiling. It’s adorable, and it makes my heart clench in an unknown emotion, squeezing it tightly.
“Where did you learn how to do this?”
Arlo chuckles. “I practiced on my little sister a lot.”
I don’t know what comes over me. The emotions I’m feeling are overwhelming me, and I never learned how to properly regulate them. Before I can register what I’m doing, my arms are wrapped around Arlo’s torso, my head buried just below his chest.
It takes him a moment, but he hugs me back, holding me impossibly close. Neither of us speaks – we’re barely breathing, but there’s no need to speak. The silence we find ourselves in starts to heal something in me, and that speaks volumes.
In this exact moment I realize that there’s no letting go of this man. In every sense of the word, he’s mine. I’ll never give him up; I’ll never let him leave me, no matter what. Something deeper than mere feelings is binding us together in a tie so tight that there’s no going back.
“Blair,”
he whispers softly against my head, then places a kiss on top of it. “I’ll hunt him down for you, I promise. I’ll do everything I can, and beyond, for you to get your revenge. I’m here, and I’m never leaving.”
A choked sob comes from the depth of my throat, my mind finding solace in his words. “And if you can’t?”
I whisper. “What am I supposed to do if he hurts you in the process?”
Arlo’s response is immediate. “You’ll never lose me, butterfly. I’ll always be here.”
Undoubtedly, he means every single word. I inhale his scent while closing my eyes, and all I can think about is how I wish this moment would never end. Feeling the warmth of his body through the thin material of my clothes makes the lower part of my stomach twist and turn in the best way possible. Being in his arms like this is a big step for me, but it’s only the beginning.
Arlo’s hands trail up and down my back, softly stroking it. The soft patterns make me relax further under his fingertips, my heart skipping a beat. I take my sweet time, memorizing every single second of how it feels to be held by him. His heart is beating fast – it’s beating for me, and it’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever known.
“Promise?”
Desperation laces my tongue, and I bury my face into his body more, desperate for contact.
“I promise, butterfly.”
For another while, we remain embraced, listening to the sound of each other’s heartbeat. It’s a perfect symphony, almost like a lullaby. All of me wants to give and devote myself to him.
But I can’t do that.
Not until Paul Simmons is dead.
I’m starting to realize what it feels like to have someone on my side, someone who will be there with me every step of the way. It’s not just for me; it’s for Arlo, too. For the only person who didn’t judge me or see me as less. He treats me like an equal, but Simmons isn’t a small fish.
Things are bound to get bloody, messy, and twisted quickly, and time isn’t in our favor.
Though, now I’m motivated to work harder than ever.
Arlo’s family is willing to help me, and he is a professional. I’ll make sure their efforts and time spent on me aren’t in vain – it can’t be in vain. It will be the toughest battle of my life, and if I lose it, I’ll lose Arlo in the process. I’ll never let that happen.
The man who took the brightest days of my life, the man who ruined my childhood – I’ll come for him. When I saw him in the park, I froze in fear. That was the last time he had that much power over me; never again.
I won’t fail Arlo.
Despite the odds being in Simmons’ favor, the tables will turn. A public execution is something I’ve been dreaming of when it comes to the bastard, and no matter if I end up behind the bars again, I’ll make sure the world can see how he’ll die.
And he’ll die by my hands.
The mere thought of that brings a wonderful shiver down my spine. Anticipation, excitement, and exhilaration.
I’m taking my life back.
Arlo leads me downstairs, and I’m nervous. From across the house, I can hear laughter and talking, and a very comfortable atmosphere is all around. It’s lively, chatty, and pleasing to the ears, despite it being a little too noisy.
“Arlo,”
I tried yanking my hand back from him, but he only tightened his grip. “What if they don’t like me?”
“Nonsense. Only a fool wouldn’t like you,”
he rubs circles on the back of my palm with his thumb, trying to soothe my anxiety. “Although, I’d prefer if Cove actually disliked you. He can be a menace when he wants.”
I snort. “I can tell.”
Falling into step next to him, I decide there’s no one to hide from. These people will be the biggest allies I could get, and I need to get comfortable around them, at least enough to hold a decent conversation. His mother, who seeks revenge for her sister, and his father, who loves his wife beyond words and would do anything to ensure her revenge.
We enter the kitchen, and the conversation immediately dies out.
His mother is one hell of a woman. She’s taller than me by a few inches, with gorgeous brown hair and eyes. One of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen, and she’s definitely aging like fine wine. Not a single wrinkle on her face, not a single imperfection.
My hands start trembling a little, and as if she could sense the sudden anxiety, she approaches me with a soft smile.
“You must be Blair,”
her voice is smooth, her smile reaching her eyes. Arlo shares her smile, for sure.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
I return the smile, praying it doesn’t look like a grimace instead.
She extends her hand for me to shake, and I take hers in mine. She pulls me into a hug, the softness of her body catching me by surprise. The hug lasts a few seconds more than necessary, but I don’t comment on it. It wasn’t that bad.
“I’m Noelle,”
she smiles as she distances herself a little. “You can just call me Noah.”
“Alright.”
“Come,”
she says, pushing Arlo out of the way and leading me further into the kitchen. “I cooked a lot of different things. Arlo told me your favorites.”
I snort to myself. Of course he told her my favorite meals.
Peeking over her shoulder, I see Hudson and Cove already sitting at the dinner table, talking in hushed voices. Well, Hudson’s doing most of the talking, while Cove’s blinking and nodding his head from time to time.
There’s a girl. She looks to be around sixteen and a spitting image of Hudson. She has her mother’s hair, though, falling down her shoulders. She’s mumbling something under her breath, setting the table, though grumpily.
The amount of food at the table catches me off guard. There are too many meals, from soups and salads to cookies and meat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much food for a single meal, and I worked in a restaurant.
Arlo returns to my side after a brief, hushed conversation with Noah and leads me to an empty chair. Hudson and Noelle are sitting on the head of the table, on each side, with Arlo’s sister and Cove sitting across from us.
The first couple of minutes are spent in silence.
Hudson’s eyes are on his wife only, not moving once since she sat down. Something in that longing, loving gaze makes me look away. As if the moment is too intimate for me to intrude.
“Blair,”
Noelle’s voice makes my eyes travel to hers, only to see her already looking at me with that soft expression. “Has Arlo been treating you well?”
I blink. “I think so?”
“You think so?”
She shoots a pointed look at her son, though he chooses to ignore it with a faint smirk tugging on the corner of his lip.
“Don’t worry,”
I tried to reassure her. “He’s been good to me.”
“Good,”
she clears her throat. “If he does anything remotely inappropriate, let me know. I taught him manners; he better use them.”
I crack a smile. “I think I can handle him, but thank you.”
Hudson takes a sip of the wine, and it’s only then that I realize that the four of us, with the exception of Hudson and Noelle, are not having alcohol. Not that I’m a drinker, but it’s kind of hilarious that they’re treating us like children.
Arlo doesn’t wait for the rest to fill their plates and starts putting a little bit of everything on my plate. My stomach growls, and I ignore it, hoping no one else hears it. The food is delicious, and as soon as it hits my tongue, I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Arlo’s cooking is great, but Noelle’s? Out of this world.
“So, kids,”
Hudson stirs up a conversation. “Any plans for tonight?”
“I was thinking of going to a party with Rose,”
Arlo’s sister says.
“No,”
Hudson immediately shoots it down. “You’re staying put, Aria. There are too many dangers right now.”
The girl mutters something under her breath, clearly displeased.
“Cove’s fighting tonight,”
Arlo interjects. “We’ll go to watch him.”
Hudson’s eyes narrow at Cove. “You’re still doing that? Why?”
“Thrill, mainly. I have to try extra hard tonight; I have a special guest watching me.”
Arlo chuckles. “I’m not that special.”
“You’re right.”
Cove’s voice is flat. “I meant Blair.”
All eyes land on me, and I struggle to chew properly. Their plates are still half-full while mine is nearly empty. I choke a bit, coughing into my fist before gulping down the juice.
“Watch your mouth,”
Arlo warns. “I don’t want to kill you because you decided to act stupid.”
Cove is unbothered by the threat. “Right, right. But I’m glad you’re coming. Maybe you’ll return to the ring one of these days.”
Arlo snorts. “I doubt it.”
“So,”
I cleared my throat. “How long have you been a fighter, Cove?”
“Give or take five years.”
“That’s impressive.”
A ghost of a smirk tugs on his lips. “You think?”
This is the first time I’m looking at Cove properly.
He’s a little taller than Arlo, and their personalities cannot be further apart. Cove’s dark hair is neatly trimmed and perfectly styled, with a strand falling over his forehead. His shirt is tight on his body, showing off his muscular and toned body. Definitely a handsome man.
One of the most attractive men I’ve seen, yet nothing like Arlo.
Arlo’s protective aura is what lured me in. Where Cove is cold, distant, and rough, Arlo is soft, cautious, and secretive. He never does anything without a reason, and although I’ve not known him nearly enough to know exactly who he is, I know just how calculated he is.
“Cove,”
Noelle’s motherly, stern voice breaks my train of thought. “Can we eat without the two of you bickering?”
I’m itching to ask questions about Simmons and Adams to know how exactly we’ll proceed and when the plan will officially start. And whether or not there is a plan in place as of right now.
“Not now, Blair,”
Noelle says, her eyes softening. I’m momentarily flabbergasted how well she was able to read me. “We’ll start the preparations and discussions tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Arlo reaches and takes my hand in his, giving me a small squeeze of reassurance. It’s enough for my trembling body to calm down. For the rest of the dinner, he doesn’t let go of my hand. In fact, he seems to be holding it tighter with each passing moment.
Cove ends up being silent most of the evening, and the conversation was led by Noelle and Hudson. Aria, the sulky teenager, would roll her eyes and scoff. I find it endearing, and quite honestly, adorable. She thinks no one notices it, but whenever she’d look at Cove, her cheeks would slightly flush.
And once dinner ends, we head out to watch Cove’s fight.