21
I finish drying my wet hair with music playing in the background.
Then, stretching my back, I go to open the bedroom window.
My feet brush against the petals of black lilies scattered on my bed and floor.
He still sends me flowers daily, varying their color and type, even though it’s been days since we last met.
With every petal, I feel less unsure about our relationship.
About him. When he stays on the call at night, even as I sleep, a part of my heart goes along.
I don’t like that, but I doubt there’s anything I can do to stop it.
We talk on the phone much more than before, every day and at all hours.
He is now in Italy, so that’s our only way to communicate.
I’m grateful for that because I don’t think I could see him and act normal after that night.
His words are still running through my head, and more than once I’ve wanted to know who he killed.
Is it normal that his sick attitude no longer frightens me?
Although it never did. Not really, because after all, that’s what I’ve always wanted.
Even if it sounds unhinged and toxic. For him to lose his sanity over me.
But that doesn’t stop my head from being full of worries, starting with the big question mark over our relationship now.
I frown in annoyance when the song cuts out, interrupted by the vibrations of a new message. I take my phone out of my shorts and unlock it. I smile when I read Grace’s messages asking if I’m free for a video call. A second after sending my reply, I receive a video call from her.
“Hi,” I greet, putting the camera in front of me, widening my smile. It disappears as soon as I see her puffy eyes and sad face. “What happened?”
The only response I get is a loud sob. Then she starts babbling unintelligibly, her nose full of snot and tears running down to her lips.
“I can’t understand a single word you are saying,” I reply, making her sob even louder than before.
I have to turn down the volume on the call so she doesn’t deafen me.
I have to suppress a smile when some hairs accidentally get into her mouth.
“Sorry,” I apologize quickly, pressing my lips together.
“It’s okay. I’ll come see you, okay?” She just nods, blowing her nose hard.
I hang up the phone and start looking for a new skirt to wear. I don’t have to think too hard about what to wear on my feet. The same boots are waiting for me by the door. As I’m about to leave, Jason stops me, rushing down the stairs.
“Where are you going? Got a date?” he asks, raising his eyebrows with a smile.
“I’m going out for a bit with Grace.”
“And have you thought about what I said? Forgiveness is wise and purifies the soul.”
“Leave it already,” I say with a sigh. He’s been trying to get into my head for days with how good it is to forgive and how beautiful love is. I liked him better when he was a witch.
“Just remember that there is nothing more beautiful and pleasant than living in harmony with those who love you. Especially with teeth.”
He has definitely lost his mind.
“See you later at the same place,” I say as the car stops in front of her house. Lance nods, looking at me in the rearview mirror.
“If she asks about me, tell her I quit and went to Asia to work with the Yakuza.” He gives me a look that is both puzzled and amused.
“I saw how she was staring at my delicious ass the other day. I’m too old to put up with this shit,” he adds the last part to himself, shaking his head from side to side.
I burst out laughing and get out of the car, saying goodbye to him with a smile as the car drives off.
From the main gate to the front door, there are a few meters to walk, and I hate walking for long in this heat. Once there, I ring the bell and wait for someone to open the door, returning the greeting of some guards who already know me.
“Hello, sorry to keep you waiting, but you’re just in time. Please come in,” says one of the employees, stepping aside as he opens the door.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be in Grace’s room.”
“Please, let’s see if she’ll shut up already. Her screams are really stressing me out,” he mutters with a grimace of annoyance, making me chuckle.
I quickly climb the stairs and enter her bedroom without bothering to knock on the door. My lips part with surprise when I find the floor covered with papers, then my eyes go to the blonde who is sobbing, hugging a pillow.
“Good heavens,” I murmur in dismay at the sight of Grace lying on the bed with her hair completely disheveled. Her face is swollen, and her red eyes leave a trail of dark circles beneath them.
I climb onto the bed and stroke her back. Minutes pass until her crying finally subsides, and she decides to lift her head off the pillow.
“I’m going to die alone,” she whispers between sobs, and I look at her in confusion until her words make sense.
“This is all because of Lance?” She pretends to wipe away her tears, turning the lines under her eyes into black smudges. “So, what happened?”
“He has a girlfriend, that’s what happened, and they have wedding plans and everything.”
“Oh,” is all I can say. Although he’s a private person, I never thought he would hide his engagement from us. I definitely have to investigate further.
“That’s not the worst of it. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve done anything? Six months next week! He was my last hope for bringing a little life to my garden of delights.” She breaks down in tears again. I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a laugh.
“And how do you know all this?” I ask, my lips curving upward.
“I’ll just tell you never to underestimate my powers.” She blows her nose into a tissue before trying to throw it into the small bin, failing. “Besides, some assholes stole everything I had today.”
“What?”
“This morning I went to the spa to forget about my wilting petunias, and some hooded men dressed in black came and blindfolded me. When I woke up, I was at home, right in my father’s office where we keep the money, and they forced me to give them everything inside.”
“But are you okay? Did they hurt you?” I ask in an alarmed voice, searching her face for injuries. She just nods with a dismissive look.
While I’m here, worried as hell, she tells me everything as if she were reciting her shopping list. She seems to care more about watering her petunias than the fact that she was literally mugged.
“Yeah, but fuck, it was a lot of money, and I don’t even know how they knew where we lived or where our stuff was. This is all very strange. And the bastards didn’t even let me get dressed.” I sigh and shake my head.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll find the thief. The important thing is that they didn’t hurt you.”
“They’re going to pay for this,” she whispers through clenched teeth, her sadness turning to anger in a matter of seconds.
“Are you sure you don’t need help? I can talk with my dad if you’d like. Get some hints of where they ran to.” She shakes her head.
“And how are you doing with Mr. Magic Tongue?” she asks, looking at me with curious eyes and a suggestive smile.
“Nothing new.”
“When do you plan to get a little more action?”
“I don’t know, but it’s better this way for now.
I want to have time to think about our relationship or non-relationship.
The whole situation confuses me, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be having sex when my head is a total mess.
” I click my tongue when I see her amused expression and her big smile.
“I have the perfect solution for that.” I look at her curiously, settling myself more comfortably in bed.
“What is it?”
“You have to eliminate the sexual tension between you. That way, you’ll be able to see things much more clearly and know if it’s just sexual or if it goes beyond that.” I look at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue. “By having sex.”
“And then what? Let him have me as his sex slave for a few days and then goodbye?”
“What’s wrong with that?” she asks with a smile.
“You say that sleeping with him is the solution when it’s more likely to be my grave.”
I don’t even think I can separate my feelings from my sexual attraction to him. How could I have a relationship based solely on sex? It would mess everything up, and he would end up dumping me in the worst way. She bites her lower lip, thinking about something.
“And don’t you think that his commitment issues are just your own problem? Maybe he’s just inexperienced in romantic relationships.”
“No. Otherwise, he would have asked me to be his girlfriend again or formalized our relationship a long time ago. He would have made things clear to me,” I reply with a bitterness that I hide with a disinterested grimace.
Every time I brought it up on the phone, he would change the subject or say he had to go and end the call. It was as if he was hiding something or wanted to hide our relationship, not only from my parents but from the whole world.
“It sounds to me like you’re putting up barriers because you’re afraid to start something serious with him. Or to continue it.” I shake my head, forgetting the hole my earlier thoughts were forming in my chest.
“Maybe.” Grace gives me a sidelong glance with a smile.
“That’s not going to happen. Stop sabotaging yourself all the time, Len.
” I let out a pitiful sigh as I feel her caressing my hair, just like he did that day before I fell asleep.
“In the end, he’ll kidnap you and lock you up in his palace.
” Her giggle is contagious, even though I don’t find what she said funny.
Partly because I know it’s not far from the truth.
“Let’s go out and do something that will help us forget about men for a while,” she says with a smile, looking up from her phone screen.
“Don’t get lost,” Grace screams in my ear, grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward our private table.
“What would you like to drink?” I take the 6oz Hip Flask out of my bag with an amused smile, making Grace burst out laughing.
“I guess we’ll need something to mix it with.
Unless you want to drink it straight,” she says, moving both eyebrows with a smile.
“Let’s go to the bar,” I suggest, getting up from the long sofa. Grace follows behind me.
We have to wait for a few people to be served.
I take a quick look around the place as we wait, meeting his gaze.
I didn’t expect to see him here. I didn’t even know he had returned to the city.
He looks like he’s having a great time with his friends and those two girls, the usual blonde of always and a brunette.
They seem to be discussing something next to him.
Should I greet him? Smile at him, perhaps, or is it better to pretend he’s not there?
In the end I wave at him from afar with a friendly smile, but just then he looks away from the two girls to say something with an annoyed expression.
They immediately stop arguing reluctantly.
Just as I’m about to greet him again, someone else catches my attention in the distance.
“Hi there!” I turn around to find Liam grinning. I don’t know whether to feel relieved that he’s still alive or to run away to avoid his irritating presence.
“Hi,” Grace says in a dry tone.
“Where are you sitting? If you want, I can bring you drinks. No problem.” He winks at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Grace giving him an irritated look.
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”
“I insist, let me bring them. It’s crowded, you’re going to be here for a while.”
“Okay, just bring a couple of sodas and some glasses,” Grace replies, grabbing my arm and leading me back to the sofa.
“I still don’t like that French guy.”
“You don’t like anyone,” I scoff.
“I like you.”
“Oh. I’m honored,” I murmur with one hand on my chest.
The screams of a woman a couple of tables away catch our attention when we already sat our arses.
They’re coming from his table. The woman is totally enraged, spitting furious words at one of the burly men there.
I gasp when she throws a drink at him. He looks at her furiously and stands up, slapping her so hard that I almost believe he broke a bone.
Then he drags her by her hair to somewhere far away from the room.
Romina’s blond friend is also there, but he just laughs his arse off and watches the scene with amusement.
“Wow. Now that’s a good show,” Grace says, taking a swig from the flask.
I look back at that place again, this time his blue eyes stare at me angrily, making me frown. What am I supposed to have done now? It’s his friends who are causing a scene.
“Isn’t that Sergei?” Grace says beside me, her eyes fixed on his table. “And he’s in good company.” I stay silent, pressing my lips together and ignoring his icy stare that is beginning to pierce my forehead.
“Ladies, here you go.” Liam appears out of nowhere with a couple of unopened cans of Coke.
It is then that I remember his words and understand the reason for his sudden anger, but I do nothing.
If anything, I’m planning to make him more pissed.
I refuse to be the only one dying of jealousy here.
It’s not like I’m jealous of the two girls, anyway.
I just want to know what they were talking about before. I’m dying to know.