7. Winver
SEVEN
Love is such a simple word. It’s the meaning behind it that makes it powerful. I never thought I could be in love with someone until I met the man that continues proving me wrong every day. Who knew running into someone, literally, could turn into this fairytale I never want to end.
Axel has been my boyfriend for two months now and it truly was love at first sight. I had accidentally bumped into him at our local coffee shop here in San Antonio, Texas. The second our eyes met it was like time had stopped and everything around us became invisible. After patting him down with a million napkins and a thousand apologies, it turned into us talking for two hours. It felt like something you only find in romcoms, but it was all very real. On our third official date those three simple words, I love you, fell out from his lips. It didn’t take me long to say it back, either. In fact, I said it back immediately.
A week later I was moving into his penthouse. Luxury isn’t something I’m new to, though. With my dad being the CEO of the biggest law firm in Texas, I was always well taken care of. My mom stayed home while he brought in all the income, making sure I was being a well-rounded student while she also took care of the house. Thankfully, college was never pushed down my throat.
“Sweetie, you’re a woman. Let the man be the one with a degree and a job.” My mom would always tell me growing up.
My parents met him on the night of our third date. They were both on board when I told them about me moving in with him, despite him being twenty-three and me being nineteen. I knew that wouldn’t cause much of a debacle just because of what he does for a living. He’s the owner of the most luxurious hotel, Rivera, here in San Antonio. After that, I was quick to pack my boxes and be on my way.
Initially, it felt weird staying somewhere that wasn’t mine. I even started looking for waitressing jobs just so I could have my own little income, but he was fast to shut that down stating that he is more than capable of taking care of me. That he wants to take care of me.
Since today is our two-month anniversary I decided to cook our favorite meal, chicken piccata, and have a nice surprise waiting for him when he gets home from work. Noticing that he’ll be home soon, I change into his favorite red lingerie set, throwing on a silk, red robe to match, and my red bottoms that he bought me last week before I run back into the kitchen.
The elevator light turns on, letting me know he’s on his way up. Butterflies swarm my stomach as the nerves start to kick in. I’ve never gotten dolled-up for him like this. What if he doesn’t like it? What if he thinks I’m trying too hard? I’m sucked out of my thoughts when the elevator dings, welcoming him home. His face lights up with lust catching him by surprise.
“Winnie?” He says in a surprised tone scanning me up and down, not even noticing dinner on the stove.
“Mhm…” I turn my body facing directly towards him, untying my robe to reveal the set underneath.
He closes the space in between us and takes my hand, lifting it up for me to do a spin.
“Do you like it?” Scanning my body again, he bites down on his bottom lip, looking like he’s about to devour me at any second.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” He pulls out his phone causing my brows to furrow in confusion. He types something then seconds later a ding goes off.
“Who are you texting?” I mean honestly, his work-related things can wait.
“I wasn’t texting anyone. I just bought you fifteen more lingerie sets, baby. You are too sexy to not be greeting me like this every time I walk through that elevator door.”
A big smile forms on my face at his kind words and generous purchase. If this is what he wants me to do every day, then I’ll be happy to do it. If this is what drowning in love is like, then I never want to reach the surface ever again.
I’m abruptly awakened by my nightmare as sweat coats my forehead and chest. Looking over at the time that reads four in the morning, I let out a groan. I wish my nightmares were completely fake, but they’re all entirely real. It reminds me of just how fucking stupid I was to let a man manipulate me, using me for his own personal liking and financial gain. How stupid I was to just give in because my dumbass thought that’s what love is. Even a year later and moving far away, he still creeps into my mind. A constant reminder that no matter how much time has gone by, I’ll never truly escape.
Now wide awake and dripping in sweat, I decide to get up and start a nice, warm bath. I check my phone before getting in and see that Ansley had texted me earlier, letting me know that she wouldn’t be home. After what happened in my bathroom yesterday, there were surprisingly no texts from the masked man or any more appearances.
I unwrap my bandages from the cut I caused, inspecting it to make sure it’s not infected. Luckily, it didn’t need any stitches and thankfully, Ansley let it rest after I told her I cut myself picking up a knife in the kitchen.
Now in the nice, warm bath, I sink myself into the water letting it engulf my face. I stay under the water letting my nightmare drown and lungs fill with fire. I open my eyes and let out a scream as I see the masked man hovering over the tub. I quickly emerge, moving my hair out of the way to see, but nobody is there.
“Hello?” I yell. No response.
“I’m not scared of you!” I shout again. Nothing.
I scramble out of the tub and wrap myself in a towel. I walk into my room scanning it for any signs of him but once again, nothing. I look at my balcony door seeing that it’s locked as well as my bedroom door. I let out a deep breath, calming myself down. It’s nothing, Winver. You just had a nightmare.
Agreeing with myself, I go back into the bathroom, drop the towel, and sink back down into the bath as I hug my knees to my chest. I drop my head and can’t help but let out a sob. I was doing good. In fact, I was doing great. This was my first nightmare I’ve had since moving here and now that it’s started again, I’m terrified of going on another downward spiral. It’s just so hard thinking that you’ve escaped something, just to be reeled back in. Now I have a group of masked men after me on top of everything else.
Great. Just fucking great.
I sink back down into the water, refusing to shed another tear because of him. He is in the past and I need to keep him there. I stay under the water, letting my lungs plead and beg for help while I send the rest of my body into a state of panic for survival.
This is what I thought love felt like?
I stand in the corner of her room watching as her body starts to gently twitch, her breathing now becoming erratic. She jolts awake making me freeze in surprise, although she doesn’t even look in my direction. The faint lighting of her bathroom night light makes it almost impossible to see the sweat coating her forehead but with how…observant I’ve had to be about her, it’s made me notice everything. Even in the darkest of nights she’s the one that paints the night sky. Do I like it? No. It’s just become a routine at this point.
With her now entering the bathroom, I quickly tiptoe across the room where her vanity sits, bending down to not make my presence known just yet. Once I hear the subtle sounds of her getting into the tub, I start tip-toeing closer to the bathroom door. Just as I make myself known and slide into her view, her body is fully submerged under water. She’s not coming up for air, though. What are you doing, little angel? I walk over to the tub hovering over to see, when suddenly her eyes spring open. She screams underwater which has me racing into her closet, hiding behind her hung up clothes.
“Hello?” she yells. I remain where I’m at, not even daring to breathe.
“I’m not scared of you!” She yells again.
Seconds later I can hear her getting out to the tub and stomping over to the doorway, assuming she’s looking around her room for me. Always check the closet, angel…
When her footsteps reside back into the bathroom, I reach for the door knob, opening it very slowly. When I hear a sob escape from her lips I can’t help but grin, trying so hard to hold in my laugh. It hasn’t even been forty-eight hours and I’m already breaking her? Weak bitch.
Hearing her submerge under the water again, I make my way out of the closet and head towards the balcony door. Opening it quietly, I turn the lock halfway then inch myself out of her room, shutting the door behind me. Giving it a quick turn, I hear the lock click back into place.
Before climbing back down, I look at the distant tree that’s straight ahead where we put the hidden camera for our boss to spy on her with. I flip it off then climb back down, heading to my car. Although he won’t be able to see that, it felt really good to do it.
“You did what with the camera?” Weston asks with his mouth dropped as I continue pouring all of us a cup of coffee.
“Relax. All he knows is that it’s fixed.”
Motley scoffs, shaking his head. “Are you fucking stupid? He’s going to find out eventually. You do realize that right?”
I take a sip of the warm caffeine, shrugging.
“Both of you hop off my dick. I got it under control,” I say, sliding over their mugs.
When our boss texted me to fix the camera yesterday, my heart had stopped for a second, forgetting that I had gone over there. Thankfully, it had been broken way before that. It wasn’t long after I received that text that gave me an idea. I took some old camera footage, hacked into his system, and made it look like he’s watching everything live when, in reality, it’s just old camera footage.
“When he finds ou–”
“He won’t,” I say, cutting off Weston.
With no one having anything more to say, we all drink our coffee in silence until Motley speaks up.
Why can’t everyone just shut up for a minute?
“So, what’s the plan now? She doesn’t work today. She hasn’t worked a Sunday in over two weeks now.”
I raise an eyebrow, smirking up at him.
“What are you getting at, Motley?”
Finishing off his coffee, he puts the mug in the sink. He walks back around to the counter top, placing his forearms on the surface while giving both me and Weston a sinister look.
“Let’s go play with our angel.”