Chapter 18 Myles #2
The automatic lights kick on as I step out of my car. I’m far enough away from the city that the world is silent, but I can still see all the lights. Vegas is huge. You can’t truly ever escape Sin City.
I unlock my door and step inside. The lights in my kitchen are on. Strange. As the hall opens to the large room, my eyes land on the tall blonde sitting on the couch. Alexandria…
She’s tall and always looks like she just stepped out of a magazine.
Her blonde hair and makeup are always flawless, even on her worst days.
She’s younger than me, only thirty-three years old.
She’s worked for me for the last eight years and is the only consistent hookup I’ve had in the past twenty years.
She stands and picks up two wine glasses off the glass coffee table. She’s wearing black stilettos and that fucking red lace bra and thong. How long has she been here? I’ve ignored my phone, so I didn’t even see a notification for my cameras or security.
“What are you doing here?” I ask with a bit more bite to my tone than I mean to.
She sets the glasses down on the kitchen island next to me and runs her hand up my chest. The shallow wounds from Declan’s knife sting as she puts pressure against them.
“I wanted to surprise you. I could tell something was wrong. And judging from how you look, I’m right.”
She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses my neck.
“I told you, I have shit I need to get done.”
She steps away as she tilts her head to study me. Her eyes wander all over, as if she’s studying every move I make. Each breath. Each fucking muscle twitch.
“Who is she?” she finally asks. My jaw drops open, and I try to laugh it off.
“What do you mean, who is she? Who’s who?” I growl as I turn to walk over to turn on my coffee maker. One more cup of coffee can’t hurt. I’ve only been awake for almost thirty-six hours.
“Myles, I’ve known you for eight years…I know you better than anyone. Come on, just tell me.”
I walk over and flop down onto the couch. She walks behind me and begins to massage my shoulders. My entire body hurts from the torture and overall exhaustion. But my heart hurts worst of all.
“It doesn’t matter,” I grumble as I lean my head back against the back of the couch.
Her fingers toy with the neckline of my shirt before she unbuttons the top few buttons and slips her hands beneath the fabric. She touches the bandage on my chest and flinches.
“What happened? Did she cut your heart out while you were there?” she laughs, but I don’t answer. I close my eyes and try to drift away. “Well…If she doesn’t matter, then let me help you forget her.”
I open my eyes to find her on her knees at my feet. Fuck. Any other time, I would have enjoyed this. But seeing her on her knees for me does nothing for me now.
Her hands run up my inner thighs as she palms my cock over my pants. I close my eyes and beg my body to react. Just let me forget Mina. Alexandria can help me do that. Please…
When her fingers begin to pull down my zipper, I react without even thinking. I stand so quickly that I knock Alexandria onto her ass.
“Shit, I’m sorry!” I grab her hand and help her up.
“Well, that’s one way to kill the mood,” she chuckles as she grabs her long black jacket.
“Alex…”
“Myles, it’s okay. I’m not mad. Embarrassed, but not mad.”
She cups my jaw and kisses my cheek. I hand her purse to her, then walk her to the door.
“Wait…Where’s your car?” I glance at my driveway.
“Down by the back garage.” She gestures behind the house.
“You sure we’re good?” I quietly ask.
“We’re good. Just…Promise me something,” she asks as she looks at me with that same questioning look.
“Sure.”
“Whoever she is, don’t let her go.”
“It’s not that simple, Alex...”
“Don’t care. Fucking figure it out. I’ve known you for eight years, and I’ve never seen that look on your face when you thought about someone.”
“What look?”
“The look of a man in love.” She sighs as she glances up at the darkening sky. “I’m a bit jealous of her, though. Maybe one day I can meet this mysterious woman who stole your heart.” She jokingly slugs me in the shoulder.
“Good night, Alexandria.” I shake my head as I step back inside.
“Night, Myles.”
I wait to make sure she gets to her car safely and drives away before I close and lock the door. Her words keep running through my mind on repeat.
“A man in love.”
Fuck. I need sleep. Tomorrow will be better. I just need a good night’s rest to clear my head.
I kick off my clothes and strip down to nothing before climbing into bed. My phone dings with another notification. It’s 1 a.m. here, which means it’s 3 a.m. there. What the fuck is she doing up?
I open the app to discover her coming home. I knew she left the house, but I assumed she would have come home earlier. In her arms are tons of folded-up boxes, rolls of tape, and a canvas tote bag. I zoom in and see a few bottles of wine poking out.
She drops everything in the living room before climbing the stairs. She goes to her parents' old room and lies on the bed. I lie in bed on my side, watching her. She tosses and turns before finally flopping onto her back and hitting the bed with her fists.
She leaves the bed to walk back down the steps and out the back door. She's wearing a pair of short black shorts and a copper-colored tank top that makes her eyes pop. Her feet are bare as she walks across the grass to the pool house.
I follow her on the cams into my old home. She walks through the kitchen and down the hall to the bedroom, then goes into the closet. She comes out a few minutes later with one of my old high-school jerseys on and only that. Her bare legs are fully on display.
She climbs into the bed and snuggles one of the pillows. I watch as she turns over a couple of times before getting comfortable. She picks up the photo that was magnetized to the fridge and holds it to her heart as she slowly falls asleep.
The longer I stare at her sleeping form, the worse I feel. I zoom in and can see the trails left running down her face from crying herself to sleep.
I close the app, then press and hold the little icon until the red X pops up. I press it and watch a second notification pop up asking if I’m sure.
Am I sure? Do I want to cut off the only tie to her I have left? My thumb hovers over the button that says yes. I close my eyes and press it, deleting the security app completely.
“Goodbye, my beautiful Sunshine.”