4
Xavier
Lina sits across from me on the terrace. Three days have passed since I brought her here. Three days of barely any talking. Three days of awkward silence. She’s taken to Farrah though. My eyes trail over to her as I watch her reading one of the books from my library as the sun shines down on us. Her skin is bronzed from her past few days by the pool. Her dark wavy hair rests just past her shoulders. Her brown eyes look up into mine for a moment before returning her attention back to her book. I wonder what she thinks of me. Having bought her from these fuckers. If she only knew the real reason, would she be on my side? Would she understand even the slightest?
“Are you hungry?” I ask and her eyes meet mine again.
“For the millionth time today, no —” She sighs before flipping another page of the book.
“Would you like to go for a swim or something?” I ask and her head perks up as if interested.
“It’s heated.” I stare over at the pool in the distance. Her eyes follow mine. There it is. She finally seems interested in something other than that stupid book she’s been reading for the last few days.
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” she says reluctantly.
“I think I can find one that fits you,” I say sitting up.
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I lay on the lounge chair as the sun shines down on my already tan skin. The patio doors swing open and I watch as Lina walks down the stairs towards me. Farrah walks behind her and I can tell she’s trying to fight back a smile.
Lina’s wearing a white cover-up and sandals as she walks towards me. She’s still got that damn book in her hand and a towel in the other.
“Find something that fits?”
“I did, thank you.” I watch as she lays the book on the table.
“Thank you, Farrah. You’ve been a wonderful help today,” she says as she lays the towel on the chair next to me. I watch Farrah gush over the compliment.
“You’re welcome, Miss,” she nods, then turns and heads towards the stairs. Farrah is one of the few people I trust with my life if I’m being honest. She and Carl. She was my mother’s best friend and has been by my side during some dark and lonely times. She doesn’t hover like my mother used to, but she’s been there for me and I will always be eternally thankful for her.
I watch as Lina pulls off the white swimsuit cover and places it onto the chair next to me. She fills out the white bikini perfectly. My eyes trail up and down her curves. Her breasts are full and I can’t keep my eyes off of them. I watch her as she makes her way into the pool. The water slowly rising to those perfect breasts. She dives straight in, perfect form and everything. I try to get back to the book I’m currently reading, but I can’t. I reread the same page over and over and over again as I watch her swim in my peripheral vision.
She swims laps in the pool with her gaze occasionally catching mine. Thankfully my sunglasses hide my secret glances towards her, but if I’m being honest, I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off of her since she's been here. There’s something intriguing about her and I can’t put my finger on it. My thoughts pause as I notice her stop swimming and prop herself up on the side of the pool directly in front of me.
“Where are you from?” she asks softly.
“A small town near Dubai,” I answered back almost instantly.
“And do you live there permanently?”
“I have two houses in Dubai and a few here in the States,” I reply back and she nods before dropping back down into the pool and swimming another lap. She swims back towards me and props herself up again.
“Any siblings?” she asks and as soon as those words leave her mouth my heart races fast. I watch as she places her chin on the edge of the pool, waiting for my response.
“I had one sister,” I say quietly.
“Had?” She asks and I nod.
“Yes, had ,” I repeat and her face falls.
“What was her name?” she asks and my heart almost splits in two. Because I haven’t said her name in a long time.
“Nora,” I say as my heart slowly shatters.
“That’s a stunning name,” she says, shooting me a sympathetic smile. Neither of us say anything else and it’s at that precise moment that I wonder what Lina would think—knowing she’s wearing my late sister’s white bikini.
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The two of us spent the entire afternoon by the pool. Both of us have been spitting questions back and forth for hours getting to know one another. I watch as she flips another page of the book she’s reading.
“So do you just sit around the house reading all day?” she asks with her eyes still on her book.
“No.” I scoff.
“Then what do you do?” she asks with persistence.
“I kill bad people.” I smile in her direction and she looks up from her book surprised that I said what I just did.
“You sound proud of that.”
“Wouldn’t you feel proud after killing a rapist or a murderer?” I ask and silence falls between us. The winds from the trees blow hard as clouds now come into the vicinity.
“I don’t think I would be proud of killing anyone,” she says, turning her attention back to the book.
“What if they raped and killed someone you knew or loved?” I snap back quickly and her face falls. She waits a moment before responding. Long enough to make me rethink my harsh but honest statement.
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would do in a situation like that,” she says quietly.
“A person can only handle so much pain before something inside of them just snaps.” I blurt out without even thinking. Her brown eyes pierce into mine as I sit there quietly.
“I’m sorry you were driven to that point.” I feel her reach out and touch my arm. Her touch sends goosebumps throughout my entire body. I’m not sure why either.
A few moments later, I feel heavy raindrops on my skin. I’m not sure where the sun went or when it got so dark. Talking with Lina had my mind—drifting. The cloudy sky hovers over us, threateningly.
“Oh geez,” I say as I begin to gather my things. Thick raindrops continue to fall more steadily. I stand and head towards the staircase that leads to the balcony of the house. However, when I turn around to see if she’s following me, I stop in my tracks. I watch as she tilts her head up towards the sky with her eyes closed. The raindrops fall harder onto me as I continue to gaze over at her. I can't explain it, but watching her gentle and innocent demeanor stirs something within me. I watch as a grin forms on her face. Her dark-brown hair is now drenched from the rain. I continue to watch her stare up at the sky as the clouds growl becoming more dark and angry. Lightning strikes in the distance and I yell from the balcony, “What are you doing?!”
She breaks her gaze from the sky and her eyes bounce into mine. She makes her way up the stairs laughing as I continue to look at her dripping wet body.
“What the hell was that?” I ask taking the heavy soaked towel from her.
“What was what?” She laughs following me inside. I hand her a dry towel and watch as she scrunches her wavy hair with it. She giggles quietly as she dries herself.
“My brother Logan and I—” She hesitates. I watch as she contemplates whether she wants to tell me more or not.
“When we were younger, we would always stand out in the middle of a thunderstorm as the rain pounded against our faces. Seeing who could last the longest. We’d stand out there for hours sometimes until our mom would force us inside because of lightning or something.” Her laugh fades and I watch her eyes glisten with emotion.
“I can’t imagine what they are thinking or feeling right now, do they think I’m—” Her voice breaks away as she overcomes with emotion. I continue watching her, not knowing what to say to bring comfort in such a messed-up and dark situation. I don’t know what she’s feeling, but I do know that at the end of the day, she’s safe here with me. If I didn’t intervene, I’m not sure what her future would’ve looked like. Would she have been sold to numerous men? My jaw clenches hard at the thought of what would have happened to her if it wasn’t for me. If it wasn’t for my sister, Nora.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as she sniffles softly.
“Yes.” She swallows hard.
“Then let’s get you something to eat,” I say, leading us further into the house. I hear her follow close behind me as we make our way into the kitchen.
“Water?” I ask, as I open the refrigerator.
“Do you have something stronger?” Her eyes hold mine and I nod slightly. I pull out a bottle of wine and pop it open. The loud pop of the cork startles us both as we stand in the kitchen. The raindrops hit the windows hard as I pour both of us a glass. I notice her eyes peer outside at the storm brewing.
“Scared of storms?” I ask, handing her the glass of champagne. Not sure why I asked that because she was just outside standing happily in the middle of one. Maybe it’s the nerves that begin to flutter like wings in my stomach.
“It’s my favorite kind of weather actually,” she says, chugging almost half of the glass.
“Slow down,” I say with annoyance. There’s nothing more annoying to me than seeing a drunk person. A person who can’t control their alcohol. Or a person who drinks to simply drown their sorrows instead of owning up to them.
“I know how to hold my alcohol, thank you very much,” she says, finishing the rest of her glass. I watch as she makes her way to the pantry. She opens the double-doors then scans the shelves. She stands there for a few minutes not saying anything.
“You have nothing sweet?” She turns to me with annoyance.
“No, unfortunately—” I try to say, but she interrupts me.
“Why?”
“Because sweets aren’t healthy,” I say, narrowing my eyes on her.
“Neither is paying twelve million dollars for someone.” She scoffs as she raises her eyebrows at me. I watch as she sifts through the shelves of the pantry. I watch as she throws a bag of chocolate chips on the counter behind her. Didn’t know I had those.
“I’m making us cookies,” she says as she begins opening the cabinets looking for bakeware. I watch as she magically finds all of the ingredients she needs and starts mixing together the dough.
“You know the recipe by heart?” I raise my eyebrow up at her and she smiles.
“Mom and I would bake cookies almost every week.” She laughs. “So you bet your ass I know it by heart,” she turns back around and places the pan into the oven then goes to pour herself another glass of wine. I smile as I watch her in my kitchen, slowly beginning to let her guard down. I haven’t seen another woman besides Farrah in here in a very long time.
“Are your parents in Dubai?” She asks, bringing the glass to her lips. And just like that, I feel like someone has just put a dagger in my heart. There goes what’s left of my good night.
“No.” I shake my head.
“They were killed in a car accident, unfortunately,” I say as I hold her stare. Her face falls.
“Oh—” she pauses and her shocked eyes hold mine. “I’m sorry,” she adds before checking on the cookies in the oven. I can tell she's never lost anyone close to her because anyone who has wouldn't want to hear the dreadful and pitying words, 'I'm sorry'.
“Don’t do that.” I shake my head as I empty my glass down my throat.
“Do what?”
“Say you're sorry for something you know nothing about.” I swallow hard. My heart races fast as I watch her stand there. She’s like a deer in headlights as she gazes up at me.
“I —” She hesitates.
“I’ve had a long day. I think we both have. I’ll see you in the morning.” I say, placing my glass down on the counter. As I make my way up the stairs I glance back down at her one more time. Seeing her in my kitchen sends chills up my spine and shoots fire into my icy heart. I can’t let myself feel anything towards her. No matter what thoughts involuntarily rummage around my mind, I just can’t. I won’t do that to myself or to her. This is temporary and one day she’ll be gone.
────
The next morning, I walk into the kitchen and see Farrah making breakfast. Her eyes make their way into mine and I know what she's going to say. She’s going to tell me to be careful and to be mindful of what I’m doing with Lina.
“Good Morning, Xavier.” She nods her head as she continues walking around making the entire house smell heavenly. The smell of eggs and bacon fills the air. My eyes trail to the center of the marble island. I see about a dozen chocolate-chip cookies inside a clear glass cake-stand. I didn't even know I had that.
“They are the best I've ever had,” Farrah says as she eyes the cookies.
“I bet they are.” I roll my eyes as I grab one. Thick and soft. I take a bite and a surprising flavor fills my mouth. Farrah’s eyes stay glued on me. I can tell she's trying hard to hold back a smile. Damn, these are good.
“She's very—” Farrah pauses.
“Annoyingly optimistic.” I finish for her. Farrah’s eyebrows raise as she holds my stare.
“Sir, if I may?” She leans against the counter and crosses her arms.
“She was in college having the time of her life with her friends when all of a sudden—” Farrah claps her hands loudly, startling me.
“This transpired. She's scared sir and I think you need to be more understanding. You need to put yourself in her shoes. As hard as it may be.” She says and the kitchen falls silent.
“And you suggest what, Farrah? That I take her back to her parents? You and I both know she’d be dead within a day.”
“That's not what I'm saying. For one, she has no clothes, nothing of her own. She has no identity here. I'd start with that if I were you,” I watch as she goes back to making breakfast. Then I make my way to the table and open the newspaper, still contemplating her words.
A little while later, I hear footsteps coming from down the stairs. I watch as Lina comes into sight and I'm at a loss for words. She's wearing Nora’s satin dress. It drapes just past her knees and conforms to her curves. Her erect nipples pierce through the sheer fabric and I swallow hard as my eyes trail up and down her perfect body. Her dark waves hang loosely from her messy bun.
“Lina.” I dip my head towards her.
“Mr. Almasi.” She addresses me formally. She makes her way over to Farrah. “Can I help you with breakfast?” I hear her ask softly and Farrah smiles up at her. “Of course, Miss. Lina.”
I watch the two of them laugh in the kitchen. Her eyes occasionally glance over to mine. I had Farrah put that satin dress in her room last night. I thought that maybe because it belonged to my sister seeing her wear it would shove these overwhelmingly nasty thoughts out of my mind. But, unfortunately, that has not happened yet. Truth is, she could wear absolutely anything of Nora’s and my eyes would still be drawn to her.
Fog fills the morning air as I peer outside. I involuntarily flashback to Nora and I laughing on a beach somewhere and it feels like someone has just shanked my heart repeatedly. Nora was the perfect little sister. She was naive, but fun. She was annoyingly optimistic, like Lina. Always saw the good in every damn situation. My thoughts are interrupted as I hear Farrah and Lina laugh loudly.
“More coffee?” Lina makes her way over towards me looking at my almost empty coffee mug. I eye her as she now stands inches from me.
“Please.” I go to reach for my coffee cup and so does she. When our hands touch something electrifying shoots right through me. The way her hand jolts back, I know she’s felt it too. I hand her my cup and she takes it without saying anything. Farrah’s eyes bounce back and forth between the two of us.
“Just black?” She asks.
“Yes, please,” I respond back quickly. She hands me my coffee and our hands touch again briefly. My heart pounds against my chest as I watch her take a seat across the table from me.
“I think—” I pause as Farrah turns and faces me. I know Farrah is waiting for me to say something, especially after our brief talk this morning.
“I think that you and Farrah should go shopping today. So you can get clothes that fit you and clothes you actually like.” I say, returning my attention back to the newspaper.
“Carl, my guard, will follow close behind and the rest of the mall will be guarded as well,” I say and she grins.
“Only thing is—” I pause again and Lina’s eyes hold mine.
“Since you're technically still missing and your face is still on some news stations, you need to keep yourself covered. You’re going to have to wear a hijab, that’s my only condition. I don’t want —”
“Okay.” she interrupts me with a beaming smile.
“Are you coming too?”
“No, I have some business to tend to.” I try to keep my eyes on the newspaper as she stands and heads towards the stairs, but I can’t. My eyes trail down to her perfectly round bottom. I bite my lip aggressively as I watch her disappear up the stairs.
I feel Farrah’s heated gaze on me and when I turn towards her she chuckles softly. “What?” I begin to stand and make my way further into the kitchen.
“I didn’t say anything.” She tries to hide her smile.
“You two be careful today.” I hold Farrah’s gaze and she nods. I watch as she goes about cleaning the kitchen and gathering the plates from the table. I don’t know why nerves fill my stomach at the thought of the two of them going out, but it does and I can’t help it.