Chapter 38
“And this is your room!”
Ellie opens the door to reveal a beautifully decorated room in the west wing of their compound.
The estate isn’t as large as the one in New York, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in elegance.
As fun as the red latex is in my bedroom, and Mila’s, it’s a breath of fresh air to be staying in more modern surroundings.
The soft blues and beige wood give off a beachy vibe, fitting for a city like Thunder Bay.
“What do you think?”
“It’s fantastic, but you didn’t have to go to all this trou—”
“Oh, don’t mention it. We had it fixed up for you as soon as we moved in. It was one of the first changes Teddy made.”
I give Ellie a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, then turn my attention to Teddy with the cheesiest grin I can muster. “You were thinking about me, huh?”
“Whatever, man,” Teddy mumbles, rolling his eyes.
He never sees my tackle coming, and even if I don’t quite get him to the ground, I still squeeze him in the tightest hug I can manage. “Nah, admit it. You were thinking about me.”
“I’m going to give you two lovers some privacy,” Ellie giggles. “Let me know if you need anything.”
The moment the door closes, I plop on the bed, noticing how comfortable the mattress is. This is much better than the bed in New York. “So, how’s life?”
Teddy lowers down onto a chair beside the bed with a raised brow. “I’ve been with you all afternoon. I’ve told you how life is.”
“Yeah, yeah, but we were with the Santori brothers. It’s not like you can really get into things with them around.”
“Jesus, what kind of things do you think I’ve been up to?”
“Um, their sister for one—”
“That isn’t up for discussion with anyone…You know I don’t kiss and tell—what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Okay, so maybe I really didn’t want to hear the gushy, intimate parts of his and Ellie’s relationship and this was all just a setup to tell my best friend that I’m in love with his sister.
“Um, well, you may not kiss and tell, but I’ve never been able to spare you any details of my love life, and even though she will probably kill me for saying this—”
“Whoa, there’s a she?”
“To you in particular—”
“To me in par—huh?”
“Your sister and I are kind of together!” I blurt out, closing my eyes as if that will protect me from Teddy’s wrath.
He may be a teddy bear, but he’s a big motherfucker.
But after what feels like an eternity of silence, I open them, not to anger, but to a shocked expression on my friend’s face. “Um…can you say something?”
Teddy takes his time looking me up and down before responding. “You. And Mila. Are…together?”
“Yes. Are you—”
“And what do you mean by together? Like, you lived in the same house for a while? You’re friends? Wha…what do you mean?”
“Like…We enjoy each other’s company and have a sexual relationship and decided recently to give this a real shot.”
“How recently?”
“Well, we’ve been…doing stuff for almost two months now. But we didn’t decide to give it a real shot until this past weekend.”
“I don’t mean to sound rude, but does Mila know about this relationship?”
“Yes? Of course she does. I mean, I haven’t heard from her in a couple of days.”
“Well yeah, I wouldn’t assume so since she’s on her way to get ma—fuck.” Teddy’s face turns as white as a ghost. “I…I need to go see about, um, Ellie. I forgot she likes, um…foot rubs.”
“Wait! Are you mad at me? I know it’s your sister, but…but I love her!”
“Fuck,” Teddy mumbles as he combs his fingers through his hair.
“I swear I’m not mad. I always knew you had a crush on her.
I’m just surprised as hell that she gave you the time of day.
No offense to you, she’s just…intense. But look, I really need to get to Ellie’s, uh, feet.
You’ve got a mini fridge and a snack bar stocked with all of your favorites.
Your bathroom is right through that door and should have all your preferred toiletries.
If you need anything, just let us know.” He pauses at the door, looking more troubled than I’ve seen him in a very long time.
“I really am happy for you, man. I…I hope it all works out. I’ll see you in the morning. ”
Well, that’s fucking weird. I guess it’s good that he’s not mad at me.
Although I’m not sure how to feel about “I’m just surprised as hell that she gave you the time of day.
” I’m an excellent catch, thank you very much.
I mean, in his defense, Mila is like…the ultimate catch.
Okay, in all honesty, I’m also shocked that she chose me.
Nobody has ever really chosen me for me.
Sure, I’ve had plenty of women throwing themselves at me, but let’s be real—I’m a very successful athlete and a trust-fund baby on top of that.
Add in the fact that I’m decently handsome, and I’m every gold digger’s dream.
But if you stripped the money and notoriety from me, not even my good looks would be enough to grab their attention.
I know this because there have been plenty of people in my life who haven’t been interested in those things, and they sure as hell didn’t care about me.
My parents, in particular. So for a woman so incredible to take interest in who I am at my core, well, I don’t know if I’ll ever completely believe it.
It’s why I enjoy submitting to her. I have to please her.
Deep in my soul, I feel the need to do whatever it takes to be Mila’s good boy.
It ignites a fire in me to know I’ve made her happy.
Maybe that’s why we work so well together.
Whatever trauma she’s had that’s led her to her sexual preferences blends so perfectly with mine.
Falling back on the bed, I check my phone to see if there have been any new messages, but there’s nothing.
Why won’t you answer my calls?
I want to believe she’s just busy, but the longer she stays silent, the more I doubt it’s so simple.
Fuck, I’m over here worried about her ghosting me when she could be in legitimate danger.
Grabbing a pillow, I hold it tight to myself as my tears finally break free.
Tomorrow, I’ll have Teddy and the new team to keep me occupied, but tonight all I can do is pretend this pillow is Mila.
That the love of my life is here with me, safe and happy.