47. Josephine
Josephine
The moment the elevator doors to the penthouse open, I make a beeline for the stairs and up to my new room at the end of the hall.
Throwing open the door, I toe off my boots and set them on the shoe rack in the closet, and hang my leather jacket up on a hanger.
Once my shirt is in the clothes hamper, I pull my hair from its braid.
In nothing but my black cargo pants and bra I take a moment to center myself in the middle of my closet.
Closing my eyes, I inhale long and deep breaths, allowing the tightness in my body to relax.
And every breath that passes grows easier and easier.
Suddenly, I feel a lightness that I only remember experiencing as a child, before my life became something else entirely.
As if this is the first time I haven’t felt the weight of everyone else’s decisions, of other people’s mistakes, of my desire to find better, pressing down on my shoulders.
Here, in the middle of my closet, on a random Wednesday night, I feel free.
I feel unburdened.
I feel… peace.
But as amazing as it feels, it would feel even better to wash this entire evening off of me. I’m desperate to crawl into bed, get some sleep, and put this entire ordeal in the past.
Now, all I want is the future.
Walking into my bathroom I reach into the shower and turn it on.
Once the water warms to an almost unhealthy level, I remove the rest of my clothes and throw them in the hamper as well.
Then, I suddenly remember my phone is still in my pants pocket.
I dig it out and check for any last messages from Clara, happy to find only one.
Clara
Dreaming about pictures of Enzo shirtless. Goodnight xx.
Once the cleaning crew assured us they would take care of the scene in a timely and discreet fashion, the six of us were eager to leave Vittori Enterprises for the night.
I don’t know who that cleaning crew was and they seemed to be unlike any cleaners I’ve ever seen but it’s clear they’ve done a great deal of work, not for Vittori Enterprises, but for The Horsemen.
We dropped Clara off at her apartment, and after waiting until one of her many eager suitors arrived and was properly interrogated by Dante, we left her to get some much-needed and deserved TLC.
And TLC is what I give myself as well. I scrub and exfoliate every square inch of my body, wash and condition my hair, and shave every hair from my legs.
And when I get out of the shower I spend time lathering my entire body with lotion, doing my nightly skincare, blowing out my hair, and finding the comfiest pair of silk pajamas I own.
An hour later, I feel exquisite.
I have every intention of crawling into my bed and getting the deepest night of sleep I’ve had since the night I slept under the stars with Jasper at the Taylor’s the summer before Dad got hurt.
I was nine. But when I open my bathroom door, Dante, Enzo, Luca, and Sebastian are all standing in my room.
Each of them wearing nothing but their black cargo pants.
And when I look at each of their faces, they look like they want to devour me whole.
I swear on everything that is good, I don’t think I’ve seen anything sexier.
And just like that, I’m not tired at all.