There were other small tasks that I managed on those days unless it was rest I needed to prioritize, but the final piece to the puzzle was getting a new cell number so Dewayne couldno longer bother me. Sometimes, he’d go days without calling. Sometimes, he’d only call once a day. Other times, he laid on the call button it seemed.
I silenced the call and my phone as well, knowing that it might be the beginning of Dewayne’s wrath. He could go on for hours, a few calls here and there until he realized I had no intentions of picking up. It was pathetic to watch.
In under an hour,we were crossing over into Channing. I rejoiced inside knowing that the trip was almost complete. I’d never felt as bound in my entire life. What was so shameful about the entire ordeal is that it was by a man who’d barely even open his mouth.
“Finally!” Lyric cheered from the backseat as we pulled onto a secluded street that seemed to go on forever.
As we ascended the back road, I realized we were deep in The Hills, where the wealthy slept peacefully at night with their doors unlocked and windows open. In The Hills, the only true threat was financial loss. Money solved their problems for the most part, and silver spoons were frowned upon. It was diamond-encrusted spoons that the children were fed from and without shame.
“45336,” Lyric called out as we pulled up to a gated home that seemed to go on for miles and miles.
Its beauty was striking. Obviously, a new build, there was grass still being laid around the property. The sleek design was an architectural masterpiece. But even with all its beauty, it looked so cold. That warmth I was accustomed to seeing on older modeled homes was missing. The windows were large, reminding me of the hotel we’d stayed at. Each bend, fold, corner, or top was squared perfectly, without a single round edge in sight.
Luca pulled close enough to the box near the gate and punched in the numbers that Lyric had given him. Seconds later, the gates parted, giving us access to the wide path that led to the home. Up close, it was even more breathtaking.
“Okay, now, how does it feel to be home?” Lyric questioned as Luca parked near the back of the gorgeous home.
From where we’d ended on the curvaceous path, I could see the large, very blue swimming pool that lapped the back of the home. It was just off a gazebo that stopped only a few feet away from the concrete that led to it. There were four cut-outs that offered a bit of privacy and lots of shade. They reminded me of small sections at rooftop parties that were dug out for guests to feel a bit more exclusive than the other partygoers who were either standing around or burning in the scorching sun at an uncovered table.
The smell of fresh soil lingered in the air, slapping me across the face the second Luca opened his door and exited the truck. He then opened Lyric’s door, too, and waited for her to slide out of the back seat. I watched as the two of them embraced before Luca stepped back.
“It feels good, kid,” he finally answered her question.
“I love you,” Lyric uttered, barely audible because her face was planted in her brother’s chest. Her 5’6 frame had no chance with the meaty giant that had pulled her in for a hug.
“Always,” he enunciated before letting her go.
“The bag from Laike is in the back.”
“Yeah. Grabbing it now,” Luca assured Lyric with a nod.
I hadn’t realized just how long I’d been waiting for his eyes to discover mine again or that I was waiting at all until I was able to exhale the breath I’d been holding when his rounds appeared in my line of vision. The glance ended as quickly as it had started, leaving me breathless for the hundredth time.
With flushed cheeks and prickly skin, I snapped my head in the other direction toward the massive pool and state-of-the-art gazebo. They didn’t look as half as good as the man who’d held my thoughts and body captive over the last four hours, but anything to keep my orbs off him would do.
“Ever,” Lyric beckoned for me. I turned to see what would fall from her lips next.
“I’m going to go take a leak really quickly,” she announced, bouncing toward the house.
And for the first time, I wasn’t opposed to the idea of Lyric leaving us alone. Luca was a drug that I’d rapidly become addicted to in only a four-hour time span. I wanted to be the center of his attention even if it was only for a minute or two. Solidarity with my narcotic of choice didn’t seem like too much to crave.
Head forward and chest out, I swept the air for confidence that I wasn’t even sure I could possess as I listened to the rummaging he was doing in the back of Lyric’s truck. When he slammed the tailgate, I waited with bated breath for him to say something – anything to me. I could hear his footsteps as they got closer and closer, but I never expected him to open the door that I was behind.
My chest deflated instantly as my head dropped a few inches. My shoulders were no longer squared and that confidence I’d found was replaced by intimidation. He was so close and so calm. I, on the other hand, was melting down internally.
“Ever,” he started, saying my name as if he was the only person in the world with the privilege. “Nice meeting you.”
I held my breath, waiting for him to continue. I’d reprogrammed my cell number in my head just so that I could be prepared for this moment. Because from the obvious chemistry that we shared, him asking for my contact information had tobe next. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered me and gone into the house.
Right?I questioned myself.
I watched as he extended his free hand until it was underneath my chin. He then lifted slightly until our skin touched. I couldn’t bear the task of looking into his brown eyes, so I closed mine. He lifted my chin slightly and demanded my attention with his words.
“Look at me,” he challenged, ever so softly.
I obliged, parting my eyelids to see his handsome face. It was faultless. He was flawless, physically. From his kissable lips to his large arms that I wanted him to pick me up with and spin me around as if I, too, had been waiting for his return all these years. I hadn’t, but I wanted to be treated as such.
“You should keep your head up.” Luca pored over my features and said to me, “You’re prettier that way.”
