5. Amala
Five
Amala
Ares dropped his suitcase off and disappeared almost as quickly as he’d arrived, like a phantom.
Not that I was complaining.
Beige, cream, and gold hues adorned the luxury suite, giving the space an elegant, almost dreamlike quality.
A plush couch sat at the foot of the bed, while sheer curtains framed the sliding glass doors, allowing the afternoon sunlight to spill effortlessly into the room.
I dropped my bag onto the floor and took in the view.
The kitchenette occupied the left side of the suite, while the bathroom sat to the right, concealed behind a large cream-colored door.
Inside were all the essentials—a spacious shower, toilet, and sleek marble vanity topped with an enormous circular mirror.
Fresh towels hung neatly from a silver railing beside two pristine white cotton robes, while complimentary toiletries were arranged along the counter.
The bedroom itself was just as luxurious.
A large flat-screen television was mounted opposite the bed, flanked by bedside tables and lamps that cast the room in a warm, inviting glow.
Needless to say, Kehlani had done her big one because this place was everything my dreams were made of.
Then my nightmare walked in.
Ares casually entered the suite, completely engrossed in a phone conversation with God knew who.
The sound of his Spanish nearly made me forget that I loathed him.
Nearly.
It rolled effortlessly off his tongue, smooth as honey, and I hated how much I noticed.
“No voy a tener esta conversación contigo, Rafaela.”
I immediately decided I had no interest in hearing the rest of the conversation and turned to make my exit.
“Tengo que ir,” he said to whoever was on the other end of the line.
Then—
“Amala.”
Hearing my name in that deep voice made me freeze.
Slowly, I turned to face him.
“Yes?” I grimaced, already wanting the interaction to end as quickly as it had begun.
He stepped closer, reaching into his pocket before pulling out a card. I glanced down at it as he extended it toward me.
“Be ready at seven. Your little friends will come collect you then.”
His condescending tone irked my soul.
I snatched the card from his hand.
“Apparently, that’s the restaurant you’re going to.” He paused, his eyes sweeping over me. “Fancy establishment, so at least try to look the part.”
“Try?” I scoffed. “Sweetheart, there’s never been a day where I haven’t looked the part. And the last person I’d ever take advice from is a man who probably doesn’t even know where the G-spot is.”
I turned on my heel.
I barely made it a step before a firm grip caught my hair, stopping me in my tracks and I winced.
“Probably?” he murmured, a soft laugh rumbling from his chest. It was deep and menacing, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “I’ve known where the G-spot was since the first time I fucked.”
The sheer confidence with which he said it made me gulp before I could stop myself.
His grip on my hair didn’t falter. If anything, it tightened.
“No need to lie,” I bit back. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Not that you’d ever get the opportunity to find out, of course.” He released me with a scoff.
“Is that supposed to hurt my feelings?”
I laughed, stepping forward the second I felt his grip disappear completely. Then I slowly turned back to face him, a smirk tugging at my lips.
“You could be the last man left on Earth, and I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”
“You—”
“Don’t care.”
I cut him off before he could finish, turned on my heel, and hastily stormed out of the suite.
“The food was subpar at best,” Gabriella said, walking alongside Kehlani and me.
Our heels clicked against the concrete sidewalk, easily drowned out by the sounds of chatter around us on the busy street and cars constantly passing by.
“Honestly, this has been my observation since I began eating at different restaurants,” Kehlani said. “The atmosphere and aesthetic is beautiful but the cuisine? Mediocre.”
We laughed loudly, crossing the street quickly.
“Is this why both of you always opt for fast food?”
“Yes!” They answered simultaneously making me chuckle. We walked towards the beach, spotting the three men in the distance.
We removed our heels, holding them in our hands before stepping onto the warm sand.
The sun had set about an hour ago but it was still quite hot, the breeze providing a little bit of coolness.
Kehlani and Gabriella practically ran to their partners, nearly tackling them to the ground.
Young love.
There was nothing more heartwarming. The moment was ruined when my eyes landed on Ares who sat on the sand, conversing with a random woman.
I rolled my eyes, walking straight towards the water until my feet were submerged in it.
I could hear my friends in the background, their laughter nearly completely dissipating as I stared into the darkness. During the day the ocean was beautiful but at night?
Eerie.
“What are you thinking about?” Ares’ voice instantly brought me back to reality and I frowned, slowly turning to look at him.
“Something dreamy until you ruined the moment,” I said, looking up at the stars.
I loved the night sky. Always curious about what lay beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Ares seemed tipsy. His cheeks were slightly flushed and judging by the tone he used to ask me such a normal question as if we were friends, it could only mean he wasn’t in his usual state of mind.
“Why can’t we ever have a normal conversation?”
“Since the day I met you, our conversations have never been normal. You made a terrible first impression.”
He scoffed, stepping closer to me. “I could say the same thing about you.”
“Everybody else who met me that day would beg to differ.”
“And everybody else who knows me would tell you that I’m a lovely young man. You just happen to bring out the worst in me.”
I kicked some water in his direction and held his hand up to block his face. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, otherwise you would’ve been eating sand.”
“Go away. You’re disturbing me.”
“You weren’t doing anything.” He gestured with his hands.
“Exactly.” I shooed him away, walking a little deeper into the water.
“I hope you know how to swim.”
“I hope you leave or I’ll drown you.” He laughed softly, holding his hands up to surrender.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
I glared at him as he retreated and released a sigh. The waves crashed along the shore and against my shins.
Dragging away every worry that ever plagued my mind—along with the sudden thoughts of Ares and how that brief moment made me see him slightly differently.
I looked up at the stars, admiring the beauty thereof.
Until my mind was a blank canvas, serving as a clean slate for a new painting.