Chapter 29
W aking up with Amaris in my arms is something I know I will never tire of. Even in her sleep, she gravitates towards me. I suck in a breath when she shifts her bare ass over my dick. It’s covered by my boxers, but that does nothing to hide how ready I am for her before I’m fully awake. The pink nightgown she chose to wear last night was impossibly short—I’m sure she was working overtime to tease and taunt me, but I wouldn’t break.
I don’t remember a time I have ever allowed anyone to truly intimidate me. However, her father only had to give me a two-second pointed look before bed for me to understand where my bounds are. If he hadn’t, I still don’t think I would have tried to fuck Amaris last night or any other time we are in her parents’ house. We haven’t been together since the shitshow she had to witness at Seraphina Hall. Just thinking about it is enough to make me sick. We have all the time in the world as long as we’re together. At the very least, I owe her parents respect in return for their hospitality and kindness.
Something no one has ever shown me aside from my own mother before she passed.
Was murdered. By her own husband while I was sleeping.
It should have been Renato who died that night.
Amaris turns over, starting to wake up when she pins me with those dazzling, sleepy eyes. I tuck her messy hair behind her ear and instantly smile down at her, whispering a gravely, “Good morning, beautiful.”
Mama would have loved her. Sadly, there isn’t much I remember about Mama, but that I know for a fact.
“Good morning, amor mio .” She sighs then closes her eyes again. I respond with a kiss on her forehead. My dick responds by twitching in my boxers like it always does when she speaks to me in Spanish.
“Don’t go back to sleep, we have plans today.”
At that she rolls away from me, and with her face in the pillow, she speaks muffled, “Last I checked, I didn’t make any plans today.”
Pulling her shoulder down so that she’s lying on her back, I swing my leg over her and look down at her with both hands on either side of her head. She refuses to open her eyes, so I lean down and kiss each of them before speaking.
“I seem to have forgotten a step.” Clearing my voice and making it deep but playful, I ask, “Baby, will you let me take you out on our first date?”
Her eyes pop open with surprise and a spark of giddiness. “I thought our first date was that party at the estate?” she throws at me.
Typical Amaris, responding to my question with a question of her own. The reminder of that night and what that party stood for fills my veins with a dark type of anger that I push down.
“Fuck that estate and that night. We are starting fresh, today. So, what do you say?” I look into her eyes, willing a yes out of those pretty lips with my eyes.
“Okay.” She beams that gorgeous smile at me and it’s a shot of serotonin to my heart. “What are we doing today, then?”
Trying to contain my own wide smile, I play it off with a smirk. “It’s a surprise. Get dressed in anything you feel comfortable in.”
Rolling my body off of hers, she shoots me a death glare. I know my little fox loves to be in control, that’s just something we are going to have to work on.
Knowing she will stay in bed until I get up, that is exactly what I do, dragging her off with me. We brush our teeth together and it feels like something out of one of those romantic movies. She is still getting ready by the time I finish, so I join her mother out in the kitchen for breakfast while I wait.
Natalie is telling me a story of her late mother when Amaris decides to join us. She tells me how she passed on certain recipes to her, mostly how her Dominican cooking was the best in the neighborhood and no one could ever compare, even after she showed Natalie how to make every meal. Her deep, green eyes shone with so much love and fondness, only a small hint of grief swimming around.
Amaris is in a casual outfit, indeed. Denim jeans and a tight, gray crop top with her signature jacket over it, the same gray as my Henley—the only difference in our outfits are that my jeans are dark where hers are a light blue. Her hair is out and proud, just how I love it. She never has to try too hard, she never looks anything short of perfect.
The only goddess I will spend the rest of my days worshiping is her.
Natalie quickly makes three plates of what they call Mangú, Tres Golpes . There are a few slices of cooked salami and cheese, an egg, and a side of something that looks like mashed potatoes, but instead of potatoes, it’s plantains and something else with an onion garnish. All I know is that this smells absolutely mouthwatering.
“This is an authentic Dominican breakfast, Kylo. I’m not sure if you have had something like this before, but I do hope you enjoy it,” Natalie beams as she takes the seat across from Amaris and myself.
The first bite has my eyes blowing wide as the flavors hit my tastebuds. My eyes dart to Natalie who is already looking at my reaction with pride.
“Holy sh—this has to be the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
She nods graciously and says a small, “Of course, I’m glad you like it.”
Just like Amaris in that aspect, they are proud of their work, what they created, and how it affects others—as they should be—yet never truly accept the compliments, instead shying away.
Amaris giggles next to me and I glance at her with a playful glare before silence falls over the table. A clear sign that everyone is enjoying the meal. Bites away from finishing, a timer goes off and Natalie excuses herself to the kitchen.
The unmistakable scent of cinnamon rolls wafts through the room shortly after and from her spot next to me, Amaris lights up at the knowledge she won’t be missing out on her favorite treat today. No matter how much she eats, I am sure there will always be room in her stomach for cinnamon rolls.
We take my car back to the compound for the last time—for now, at least. There are soldiers moving things around, going in and out of the estate when we arrive. Neither of us want to spend any more time here than we need to, so we stick to looking through what items we want to ship to Spain when we move. Our bikes will obviously be shipped over first.
There isn’t much we need from here, we will have a true fresh start. I meant what I said to her. If she wants to move to Spain, that’s where we’ll go. And if she changes her mind, I’ll change mine with her.
Soon enough, we are on our way to our first destination. After taking a short ferry trip to Staten Island, we end up at this big, authentic Chinese garden that my mom used to take me away to when I was a little boy. The last time I ever came here was with her. Once we get to the entrance, I instantly feel as if she’s here with us. Like the bright rays of light shining through the few clouds are a product of her smiling down on us.
Since it’s pretty early still, there aren’t many people in the gardens, but that only makes it feel bigger and better. We make our way through a bamboo forest walkway, hand in hand, where we leave behind any reminders of city life. At the end of the walkway, we’re greeted by a beautiful koi pond and vibrant shades of green everywhere, adorning trees, and pillars, and bushes. A small gasp escapes from Amaris and I can’t blame her.
The second most beautiful sight I’ve seen in my entire life.
I glance at the first as the thought crosses my head and the look of amazement on her face makes the whole scene shine that much brighter.
She meets my gaze, but the giddy smile on her face doesn’t leave her face. “It feels like we were transported to a whole different place, that bamboo forest must be a portal or something.”
My smile takes over my face at her excitement and for being able to share this place with her.
“This is only the beginning, sweetheart.” I squeeze her hand twice then lift it to place a soft kiss on top of hers. “Come on, there’s a place I want to show you.”
There are many different paths to take and explore, glorious sights to see at every twist and turn. The architecture is undoubtedly aesthetic as we weave through a longer zig-zag bridge path, stopping occasionally to admire something and talking about nothing and everything as we go.
After we pass over the water, there is a circular entrance leading to a small pavilion overlooking the water and some of the gardens. When we get there it’s just the two of us, sitting and admiring all the colors from this point of view.
“Who would have thought that such a beautiful place was sitting right under my nose, basically? How did you find this place?” Amaris pivots her body towards mine, draping one of her legs over mine.
Focusing on the small shapes I trace on her palm, I say, “My mother used to bring me here when I was younger.”
She moves the hand I’m tracing to my cheek, bringing my attention to her, her eyes warm and open. “I know this doesn’t change anything, but I am so sorry he took her from you. You deserved so much more. What was she like?”
Mama only lives in my memories now, the few ones I do remember of her. But I refuse to ever fully forget her. A deep breath steadies the growing pain in my chest.
“She was amazing. A true angel who was thrusted into Hell.”
Sometimes I can only focus on the bad when I think of her because that’s all Renato wanted me to remember, except there was no bad with her. He didn’t care what he had to say in order to get his way and it laced my thoughts of her with poisonous anger.
It reminds me of how it all led to having Amaris in my arms now, but how simple it could have been to blindly listen to Renato and take out the one person in the world who was made for me.
Brushing off those thoughts, my lips tip up in a soft smile when I really remember Mama. “She shielded me and my cousins from all the bad my world had to offer in any way she could. Sometimes, we went off somewhere and hid away together while I asked endless questions, and with a smile that never faltered, she answered every one of them.”
“She sounds amazing,” Amaris responds, wearing a gentle smile that mirrors my own.
My smile falters for barely a second, then it’s back. “She would have loved you if she met you,” I whisper, tucking her hair behind one ear.
“Do you have a picture of her?”
“He burned them all before I got a chance to take one and hide it. But I’ve tried to remember her face as best I could ever since. Sketching it out helps. Her eyes were blue like mine, but a bit lighter, like the ocean. She always kept her black hair short so she wouldn’t have to worry about styling it and I still remember the way her smiles would feel just as warm as her hugs.”
Amaris closes her eyes and I watch her eyes move around behind her eyelids as I speak, trying to visualize Mama through my words. When they pop back open, the emotion in her gaze hits me with a fierce intensity.
“He won’t be able to hurt anyone else now,” she whispers before pulling me in for a sweet kiss. When she pulls back, I grab on to her throat and slam her lips back on mine until we’re breathless.
For a while, we just sit there with her back to my chest as we admire the view.
On our way out of the gardens, we go through an arched walkway with leaves and vines growing over it, casting a light shade over us. Amaris stops to look at the ducks swimming in the pond before we make our way back to Manhattan.
She looks up at me lovingly, more at peace than I think I have ever seen her. “Thank you for bringing me here, it was truly an experience.”
“We still have two more stops to make, baby,” I say, taking her hand.
Surprise covers her features. “When did you have time to plan all of this out?”
“While I was waiting for you to wake up this morning.”
Playfully rolling her eyes and bumping my shoulder, she beams up at me with newfound energy. “Lead the way, querido .”
Taking our time walking down the strip of shops and restaurants, Amaris slows to a stop next to me, pulling my attention to where hers is transfixed. A small art gallery hidden between boutiques, but from what I can see outside, the art is mind-blowing. We share a look and a smile takes over her face.
“Let’s check it out!”
I can’t deny her anything in this world and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to take a look inside myself.
For years, I have wanted to go to museums or art galleries like this one and let the artists’ emotions wash over me as I admire or connect with their work. I have never admitted it out loud, but there have been times that I think about what it might feel like to put my art out there, too. Give myself a chance to do something else, something fulfilling.
Hope was always a dangerous feeling to have.
Although, now I am starting to realize it isn’t all too bad to have hope.
Inside the gallery, there are a few people wandering around, but it’s not too packed, giving a private sort of feel to the room. To my surprise, Amaris seems to genuinely be almost as interested and amazed by the work we see as I am, though I’m not surprised.
The canvas I am currently standing in front of is phenomenal. It drew me in as soon as my eyes fell upon it. The emotion is bleeding through the artist and onto the painting in a way that resonates with me. Swirls of blue and black combine with an almost amber brown and yellow. Accents of red burst from the middle and spread throughout.
This is chaos and peace. Pain into beauty.
When I turn to find Amaris, her eyes are already on me. She’s looking at me the way I was admiring the art in front of me. Noticing that my attention is on her now, she tries to wipe the look of awe off her face, but I already saw it. It made my heart light up.
“You know, one day it can be you showcasing your work for others to admire.”
The comment catches me off guard. Suddenly, I feel embarrassed to talk about it. As I wrack my brain quickly for a response that will change the direction of this conversation, she beats me to the punch.
“We don’t have to talk about it, but you deserve to give yourself a chance at anything that makes you happy, my love.”
She takes my hand in hers and pulls me away towards the back and shows me a collection of three parts. I follow quietly as I try to swallow the warm lump in my throat at her words. Each of the pieces are different, but they each correlate in a way that makes it seem as one. Only when Amaris speaks again do I realize I was beginning to get lost in the colors again.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom, but I will be quick. I’ll come find you in this general area.”
“Okay, I’ll be over here.”
I watch her walk away shamelessly, watching the way her ass sways when she speed walks, before I shake my head with a quiet laugh and turn back to the art. The feeling I get just by being in here and looking at the work and the people, it’s all…heartwarming? Exciting? I’m not sure how to describe it, but it is a good feeling.
After Amaris returns from the bathroom, we decide to head out and go to our next destination. We stop and thank one of the artists on our way out and have a quick chat, then we walk down the rest of the way to a tall building.
Leading the way through doors and weaving through the few people lingering around, we get to the elevator and Amaris looks at me pensively, likely trying to figure out what we’re about to do since I haven’t told her.
“Come on. We’re already inside the building, you might as well tell me,” she practically whines, making me laugh.
“I told you, it’s a surprise. You won’t have to wait much longer. Do you trust me?”
“I do.”
The elevator doors open, revealing our activity. I watch as her mouth drops open on a gasp and her eyes widen with excitement.
“You’re kidding.”
“I thought you might like to see the sunset from a different point of view today.”
She jumps on me as I finish my sentence, embracing me in a tight hug and wrapping her legs around my waist. I huff a laugh out on impact and rub her back as I walk us towards the helicopter.
The sun is still out, but it is about to set. We have the helicopter for about an hour. I set Amaris down on her feet so that she can look around and satiate her curiosity while I speak with our pilot. Once it’s time for us to get inside, I go in first then stretch my hand out to help Amaris get in.
“Ready for another magic carpet ride, princess?”
A wicked glint shines in her eyes for a second, then her hand is mine.
“Always.”
We speak to each other through the headsets every once in a while, but we mostly enjoy the sights and the company. The sunset was breathtaking, painting the sky with pinks, and purples, and orange.
On the ride down the elevator, Amaris’ stomach growls low at her and her cheeks turn a light shade of red. Luckily, the final stop for us is a restaurant that isn’t too far away from us.
“Let your stomach know I’m going to feed you next.”
She shakes her head with a small smile.
“She said ‘Good, what are we having tonight?’ ”
“How about authentic Mediterranean food?”
“You had me at authentic. Let’s go.”
We walk to the family-owned shop and laugh together all the way there. It’s been a perfect day with my perfect girl. I couldn’t ask for anything more.