Chapter 31
I head into the office, and my stomach drops when I see Rey inside, hanging Javier’s belt next to his in the glass case. Rey must be proud of him. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at Javier with love and admiration.
When Rey finally notices me, he closes the glass, turns the lock, and steps to the side so I can get behind the desk.
He leans close when I walk past. It’s not enough to touch me, but enough that I swear I could feel the intake of his breath like he was breathing me in.
His fingers lightly brush my hand, sending a signal to my heart.
I look up, and his eyes fixate on me like they hold a big secret.
I’m lost. Trapped in the power of his spell.
My heart screams at him to have mercy on me.
I sit in the chair and place my purse in the bottom drawer.
He doesn’t move. I could never get tired of watching the hard lines of his face. The fullness of his mouth. Remembering how they felt when they pressed on my skin.
I pull out my phone. His eyes drop to the screen. Then, slowly, he moves to my face, watching me like he always does, causing my pulse to thump in my neck. The mystery that is Rey entangles me in its grip.
Hoping. Yearning .
Because I love him.
The seconds ticking by feel like years. I send Javier a message.
Ari: I’m sorry to bother you, but Rey is in the office. He’s been staring at me after putting your belt on the shelf beside his. It looks awesome, by the way. Could you ask him what he needs, and I will get right on it?
I never thought my relationship with Rey would come to this after everything, but it has. I can’t torture myself. I can’t love someone who doesn’t want to love me in return.
Rey looks down at his phone when it goes off. He types in a response.
My phone dings from an incoming message before he walks out.
Rey: I never thought my heart would break from hearing your silence.
I rush out of the office. His words break me apart like his fists right now, connecting with the bag like lightning when it strikes.
Everyone in the gym stops what they are doing. They watch, thinking he’s training, but I know whatever he has deep inside is ripping him apart, keeping him from being happy. He deserves to be loved the way he deserves.
All I can think about is taking it away. Healing his pain. Telling him that there is no such thing as silence between us. It doesn’t exist because I’m his.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime, gorgeous. ”
He kisses me on the cheek before I shut the door.
Chase is a nice guy who makes sure I get home safely and walks me to my door.
I double-check the lock on my front door before I go to take a hot shower. I finished my homework on campus before heading to the gym. I look around my empty apartment. After sleeping in my car and gas station bathrooms, I’m proud to be able to support myself.
I finally called my parents and told them I had moved into an apartment on my own and found a job.
When I step out of the shower, the steam fogs up the vanity mirror, and my phone vibrates. I unlock it, hoping it’s spam, but my stomach drops when I see it’s from Javier. I hate the way Rey feels. I hate that I can’t reach him emotionally, and I don’t know what is going through his mind.
Javier: Ari, I need your help. My brother sucks at making soup, and it's too late to order takeout. Can you come over and help a guy out?
I smile. Javier has been recovering from his fight. He had a swollen eye and jaw, but thankfully, he is okay and was cleared by the doctor to stay home with pain meds for six weeks. When he came home, he had bruises all over his body.
There is no way I can get an Uber to his house at this time of night.
Ari: I’m already home, Javier. I don’t have a car, and it’s late.
Javier: Please, Ari. I’m starving, and Rey sucks at cooking. The soup he made tastes like old salt water.
I giggle because it’s true. Rey can’t cook for shit. He made lunch for Javier and almost gagged. He let me taste the chicken, and it tasted like cardboard. It was horrible.
Ari: I can’t order an Uber now. How am I going to get to school in the morning? I have a class.
Rey: Open the door, Ari.
I jolt when I hear a knock on my front door. My heart starts racing. My knees shake.
Javier: Rey should be there to pick you up soon. You can take my truck if you want. I don’t care. I need you, Ari. Please.
With a sigh, I practically drag my feet across the carpet to the front door and unlock it.
The door swings open, and I shiver as a rush of frigid air assaults my face and hair.
Rey walks right in, causing me to step back. He shuts the door behind him, his broad frame like a wall.
His eyes roam the interior space of the apartment. There isn’t much to see except that it’s clean with no furniture.
“You’re here to pick me up because you can’t cook soup?” I sign.
He nods, giving me a shrug.
“I need to dry my—” I point at my wet hair. He nods.
I walk into my bedroom to blow-dry my hair in front of the vanity mirror. I’m picking up the blow-dryer when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
I turn around, and his lips form a thin line. I place the dryer and brush with a thud on the vanity counter.
“What’s wrong?” I sign.
He points at the inflatable bed with the cute little pillows I bought from Walmart and then looks at me grimly .
I raise my chin. “I don’t have money for a bed,” I sign, pointing at the inflatable mattress. “That… is what I can afford.” I shrug my shoulders. “It’s not that bad once you get used to it.”
He shakes his head disapprovingly. I turn around to dry my hair. He leans on the wall with his jaw set and arms firmly crossed over his massive chest.
Obviously, he has a problem with my sleeping arrange‐ ments, but this is my life until I can find a job that pays me more.
I watch him pull at the neck of his hoodie. It must be getting warm from the blow-dryer’s heat. I turn around and place the round brush on the counter. He hands me my phone.
He pulls his hoodie off with one hand, his bicep bulging as he does it. Why is that so damn sexy?
My eyes trail over his ab muscles when his shirt rises. My phone goes off. I look at the screen.
Rey: I’m ashamed that you sleep uncomfortably. That you don’t have a bed when you could have mine.
I place my phone on the vanity and turn on the blow-dryer. I can’t do this with him.
After I finish drying my hair, I make my way to the closet. I take out a set of thermal leggings, an oversized cream sweater, and UGG-styled shoes.
I’m about to remove my robe when he hasn’t left my room. In fact, he’s leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed, staring at me with fire in his eyes. I nudge my head, telling him to go wait out in the living room, but he doesn’t budge. I place my hands on my hips.
“Really?” I mouth.
He licks his lips. Heat pulses between my thighs. He watches. He waits. His intense stare and the sight of his physique traps me in his bubble. A bubble where nothing matters but us. Nothing can come in, and nothing can go out. No words are needed; it is just the energy surrounding us now.
I’m irrevocably in love with him.
In my mind, he is part of me. I can take back the piece of my heart and place it inside me, but it doesn’t matter because he is imprinted. Rey is imprinted in my mind, heart, and in my soul.
He walks closer until he is inches from me. His eyes burn with desire. He touches my face with two fingers, leaving goose bumps in his wake. I briefly close my eyes, and just for a minute, I let myself… feel.
He leans close and touches his lips to my forehead, causing the scent of him to swirl around me. I inhale him deeply, memorizing his scent again, just for a second, until he pulls away.
“I-I miss you, Ari,” he stammers. His voice is struggling with emotion.
I open my eyes but don’t look at him. I grab my clothes and walk to the bathroom to change.
Once I close the door, I lean back and let the emotion that has been building behind my eyes go. Tears begin to scar my cheeks like hot lava dripping down my chin. I sniff after a sob leaves my chest and wipe my eyes.
“Get a grip, Ari,” I mutter to myself. I look at my reflection and turn on the faucet to wash my face so he won’t know I was crying. I quickly dress and with one last look in the mirror, let out a deep breath and open the door.
I leave the bathroom, and he waits for me in the living room. I grab my bag, phone, and keys. He walks over to me and lifts my chin to look into my eyes. His expression tells me that he’s noticed I was crying, and he isn’t happy, but he signs, “Why are you crying?”
“I wasn’t crying,” I sign in response. “You’re right. You are a terrible liar.”
After we are both outside, he opens the door, and I lock it. He leads the way to the parking lot, but I don’t see his Range Rover. He lightly touches my elbow and leads me to a white SUV with red seats that look brand new.
I point at the car questioningly. It’s a Mercedes SUV that looks like a Jeep, and it’s gorgeous. He smiles and holds out the key. He moves to the driver’s side and opens the door but steps back, waiting for me to enter.
I look at him with a confused expression and sign, “You want me to drive?”
He nods approvingly. “Okay,” I sign.
He makes sure the driver’s seat is adjusted to my height. The interior is beautiful, and the light glow inside the cabin is pretty. It reminds me of the sensory lights he has in his home.
The way it drives is amazing. I look at all the lights on the dash with the fancy screen. The car smells like heaven. It will probably take me a month to figure out how to use all the features.
After the twenty-minute drive, he pushes the garage door opener, and his gate opens. I drive the car down his driveway and notice he doesn’t open the garage. I brake, and he points at the nearest spot by the entrance. I place the vehicle in park and rub my hand over the Mercedes symbol on the steering wheel, loving the feel of it under my fingers.
“It’s beautiful,” I sign.
He pulls out an envelope with papers tucked inside the glove compartment, takes the keyless fob, and hands it to me. I look up in confusion. He takes his phone and sends me a message before I can read what is inside the envelope.
Rey: I’m glad you like it, Ari. I hope you don’t mind, but it’s my gift. I ordered it two weeks ago, and it was delivered today. I’m sorry you had to take so many Ubers, but the car I bought for you had to be perfect, and I’m glad I was right.
My eyes fill with tears, and my throat gets thick with emotion. No one has ever given me something so beautiful. This car must have cost him a fortune.
Ari: I don’t know what to say, Rey.
I look up, and my eyes are full of unshed tears. He grins and tilts his head toward his phone.
Rey: You deserve it, Ari. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to manage the boxing gym and train Javier and the other fighters. I also got this for you because you mean the world to me. I know I might be too late, but I wanted you to know.
Ari: Thank you, Rey. I love it.
Javier turns his head on the three stacked pillows under him and grimaces at the sudden movement. He is still sore. He thought he could return to training, but it was too soon.
“Hey,” I say, greeting him. “You can stop pretending.”
He raises his hands in the air like he’s in prayer. “Thank God. My favorite woman on the planet is here. How do you like your new car, princess?”
My cheeks burn hot, and Rey passes by me with a smile on his lips, taking my bag upstairs. “I love it! Who wouldn’t? It’s gorgeous.”
“I see he gave you the papers. He placed it in your name and took care of all the details. He has been driving me crazy getting you that car. He had the dealership special order it for you. I’m sorry you had to take Ubers for so long, but we knew you wouldn’t borrow any of his other cars.”
“He told me, but he didn’t have to do that, Javier.”
He waves his arm. “I think he has the Ari bug, so watch out. He might sting,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
I laugh. “You’re crazy.”
He points at Rey coming down the stairs. “You need to teach him how to cook, Ari. He sucks.”
“I’m going to start your soup.”
He nods with a content smile on his face. “Thank God you’re back.”