Chapter 6
I seethe car pull away and furrow my brows, I didn’t recognize it. Climbing the steps up to my house, I unlock the door and knock it open with my foot when I see Arizona standing there. Damp hair, wide eyes and waiting like a lost little girl.
“Oh, Ari,” confusion laces my tone and my eyes pinch as I take in her appearance. An old, oversized sweatshirt that is far too big for her delicate frame and worn-out leggings.
“Hi,” her voice is barely audible as she locks her fingers together in front of her, and I’m ashamed to admit that I let my eyes linger a little longer as I stare into her crystal blue eyes.
“I wasn’t expecting you… I…” I turn to look at the closed door, who dropped her off? Was she okay? My mouth parts and closes. I mean, she didn’t seem okay but after the day I have had, I don’t have it in me to even ask.
“I had a work thing,” she rubs her lips together, and it’s as if she is trying to guess what is going on through my head.
“I didn’t think you were working tonight,” I squeeze out as I drop my keys in the bowl, and I feel my body tense.
“Something came up,” the words sound pained, her throat bobbing as she swallows. “How about you?” she asks me, her eyes bouncing between mine, but my phone rings in my pocket allowing me to break contact.
“I had a private client across town,” I sigh as I fish my phone from my pocket and take that as my cue to leave, walking past her and not looking back.
Once in the kitchen, I gently walk to the doorway and crane my neck around the doorway to see her still standing there.
“Yeah,” I say into the mouthpiece of my phone.
“Xavier wants a meeting tomorrow, does that work for you?” Kaleb asks and I can hear Connie singing in the background. I rub the tension from my temples, but it only moves it to the base of my neck before spreading towards my head.
“Sure, yeah,” honestly, I wasn’t paying attention. I was too busy trying to work out what was going on with Ari.
“Ten, Sarabeth’s?”
“Yeah cool,” and I cut him off mid-sentence. Leaving my phone on the countertop I pace slowly back towards the hallway, but she’s gone.
Resting my hand on the ball of the newel post, I look up the stairs wondering whether I should follow her up. Probably shouldn’t. My foot is already on the bottom step as I begin to climb and head for her room. I pause, lifting my hand to knock but retract it back.
Maybe I should just leave her.
Nah.
I knock on her door before I change my mind.
“Go away,” and I’m not sure why, but her little temper makes me smile.
I ignore her, of course I do.
Pushing the handle down I walk into her room and see her sitting on her bed whilst cradling a bottle of tequila in her hands.
“That’s my tequila,” I frown, but my tone is light and playful, but all I get in retaliation is a scorned look over her pretty face.
“Tough,” she shrugs her shoulders up and takes a swig, her nose scrunches as she winces.
Folding my hands into my suit pant pockets, I walk over to the bed. The oversized sweatshirt is loose and hanging off one of her shoulders and her leggings are nowhere to be seen.
It’s not until I am standing at the side of her bed, my eyes graze across her and I notice red blemishes and scratches on her neck. My back is immediately up, and I kneel on the bed. She stares at me, all wide-eyed and shit. Like a doe trapped in headlights. Gripping her chin, I lift her face up and look a little closer at the fucking marks on her skin.
My blood boils in an instant, my rage simmering at the thought of someone hurting her.
“Who did this to you?” and I fucking growl like a possessed demon, protective over what is his.
She snatches my hand away from her skin and shoves the palm of her hand into my face, pushing me away.
“Don’t worry about it,” she shakes her head and lifts the bottle to her lips, taking another gulp. “I just want to drink and forget about today… it’s not one I want to remember.” I don’t miss the stutter of her breath when she inhales. That’s when I notice her eyes are swollen and red.
Fuck, has she been crying?
“Look…” I sit on the edge of the bed; my eyes focus on just her. “You might not want to tell me what happened, but it’s clear that something has…” I pause for a moment and snatch the bottle of tequila out of her hand.
“Hey!” she lunges towards me and tries to grab it, but I stand, holding the bottle above my head and shake my head disapprovingly.
“But just know this,” my voice lowers, my eyes darken, “I’ll make sure whoever upset you never gets a chance to do it again, do you understand?”
She blinks at me.
“Ari…”
“Yes,” she drops her chin, her eyes cast down.
“And I’m always here, if you ever wanna talk…” I try and soften my tone, but I am so fucking angry.
“Can I have my drink back?” she gives me her best puppy eyes along with a pout and my lips twitch, one side lifting into a slow smirk.
“Only if you let me have some with you?”
“Fine,” she rolls her eyes in an exaggerated manner, “I didn’t want to drink by myself anyway, what a loser.” And that’s when I see a ghost of a smile on her lips.
“Oh, fuck off,” Keaton bellows and a loud laugh fills the room. My cheeks hurt from laughing, and god, it feels so good to laugh.
“No, I’m serious,” I sniffle for a moment as I reach for my own bottle of tequila, Keaton has moved to scotch. Bad move Keaton. Bad. Move.
“I don’t believe you,” his head is dropped as he moves it from side to side.
“I’ll show you,” defiance burns deep inside of me.
“Go on then, show me,” his eyes narrow on me and my stomach flips at the way the once light green that is so prominent in his eyes turns to a darker emerald as they dance over me.
“Okay,” I clamber off the sofa and sit on my knees in front of him, one of his brows lifts and his lips purse.
“Mind out of the gutter, old man.”
His head tips back as he laughs loudly and I swear, it’s one of the sexiest laughs I have ever heard.
“Right come on, stop stalling,” he shuffles, sliding to the edge of his chair.
Rolling my eyes, I ball my hand into a fist.
“You ready?”
One curt nod confirms his answer to my question.
Placing my hand by my lips, I slowly open my mouth around my fist and make it disappear behind my teeth and Keaton just sits, wide eyed, jaw lax as I sit on the floor with my fist in my mouth.
“Well, fuck,” he slaps his thigh just as I maneuver my fist from my mouth, my jaw clicking.
“Ouch,” I rub my cheek and get a burst of giggles. “Told you.”
“Okay,” I sit down next to him on the sofa and take a swig of my drink, it’s going down far too easily now. “Truth?” I fire the question at him, and he turns to face me.
“I’ve never been in love,” he takes a mouthful of his own drink and I just stare at him.
“Oh, piss off, you were married to….” I pause for a moment and scratch my head. I have no idea what her name is, to be honest, she was never an important part of my life. “Satan,” I settle on that, it is what Keaton and Kaleb call her anyway.
“So? Didn’t mean I had to love her.”
“So, you just existed in a loveless marriage?”
“Seems that way,” he puffs out his cheeks.
“That’s pretty pathetic really,” I shrug my shoulders up.
“It is, but that’s all in the past. I’m not made for love anyway. I’m happy just fucking,” and the crudeness of his words makes my cheeks burn.
“Too much info,” I smirk, crossing my legs underneath me.
“What about you? Truth?” he asks, taking a mouthful of his scotch.
“Errrr,” I think for a moment, “I slept with someone for the first time tonight and it was a fail,” I half laugh, half cry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know I shouldn’t have. I hurt myself a little bit, and Keaton is staring at me weird.
“First time as in with that person or…?” and I know this is strange, this whole evening is fucked up. I’m talking to my dad’s best friend about my sex life.
My cheeks burn and I can’t look at him. So I drink. And drink.
“No,” he whispers, but it’s so loud.
“Mmhm,” my eyes are still cast down.
“Boyfriend?” his question comes out tight, as if his jaw is clenched, his teeth are gritted.
“Work,” I squeak and I know it’s going to cause uproar.
“Ari,” but the way my name falls from his lip is soft and sweet, and not at all angry like I expected.
“It’s fine,” I swallow.
“It’s not. Do you want to know what it is?” his fingers grip my chin, and my head is tilted back so I have no option but to look up at him and try not to lose myself in his deep green eyes. The warmth of his breath dusts across my face, the smell of scotch comforting in some way.
“What?” I whisper.
“It’s a fucking travesty.”
I didn’t get a chance to respond. He was in front of me, my face in his hands.
Our lips locked, our teeth clashing and all I can taste is our alcohol mixing as our tongues dance together.
And that’s when everything blurred into one.