My fiance’s room housed the cacophony of their moans. Her whimpers of pleasure mingled with his grunts of satisfaction. She screamed his name; he groaned hers - Ashley, that is her name. For a moment, I wished I reached the wrong balcony, although I am a hundred percent sure that I didn’t. For a moment, I hoped I heed Erik’s request of waiting in the morning when the party is all over to come and see him.
It lasted for hours, maybe minutes, but who the hell cares? Clearly not them. I backed up on the wall beside the sliding door, needing something to lean on to, looking up at the sky, loving and hating it at the same time.
I loved this place; I loved this room; I love the man fucking Ashley, only a few feet away from me. The sound of the headboard banging against the concrete wall is deafening. His commands to her to get into every position are loud and clear because his bed is just on the other side of this wall where I am frozen.
I wanted to leave the moment she came for the first time - with his mouth - I knew because she screamed so. But my feet won’t move on their own accord. It seems that my body is doing what it wants to do, all at its own will, because I am very uncoordinated at the moment. I think my heart dropped to my feet and my brain melted or evaporated somehow.
Who in their right mind would listen to her fiance fuck another woman, anyway? No one, just some idiot named Zia.
I regret wearing an almost lingerie kind of dress, it’s not helping me keep my body warm at all.
So this is heartbreak.
The glacial sensation that bathed my frame is colder than the experience I had climbing Mt. Everest. It’s more painful than the prickle and muscle soreness I gained when I did my first attempt at cliff diving. This has got to be tougher than holding my breath 50 feet underwater, free diving with whale sharks.
I closed my eyes, taking a sharp inhale and exhale.
No wonder some people hated ‘Love’.
After a while of banging, moaning, and grunting, the silence of the night finally prevailed again. I wasn’t crying. No, at least not until I got home. What remained was their ragged breathing while I held mine. Now that they are done hammering each other, I fear that my shallow puffs would give away my location.
“So…” Ashley was first to speak. “What happens to us now?” Her voice is as sultry as ever, raspy from all the screaming but still sexy as it could ever get.
“What do you mean?” Calvin answered. Ashley’s giggle accompanied the shifting echo of the mattress.
“Stop, Cal… God, where do you get the stamina…” Calvin chuckled. “I mean, you said you are engaged to that flat board. Will you call off the engagement so we could be together?”
Silently, I was hoping he would at least defend me from her insults. But if I thought hearing them have sex was the worst part, well damn, I was wrong. “No. The wedding will take place as planned, Ash. My parents will disown me if I don’t push through with it.”
The girl huffed, “then what about me?”
“What do you mean, what about you? We’ll still see each other, you know how much I love you.”
“I don’t want to be your mistress,” her voice elevating away from the sultry tone.
Oh, now she dared to act as if the idea of being his secret lover enrages her? What title would she give herself right now, then?
“Come on, Ash, we talked about this,” Calvin pleaded. “Five years and I can divorce her. Just give me some time, babydoll.”
At that moment, I couldn’t stop my tears anymore.
How could he utter those words? It seems like I was living a nightmare. I don’t want to believe anything that’s coming from his mouth. The boy I loved since I was sixteen, the man who made me smile whenever I am sad… planned all of this?
I wiped my tears, having enough of their conversation. There’s just so much I can bear and I’m sure if I hear another betrayal from him, I’d go in there and do something I would regret.
With shaking legs, I climb on the handrailing of the balcony. The sweat on my palms made it hard for me to grab hold of the marble surface, making me lose balance and slipped off.
Oh fuck.
Both of my hands grabbed hold of the railings as I tried to pull myself up.
Since I acted on impulse, I’m too far from the wall for leverage. I looked down to the second floor’s balcony and to where Erik stood guard earlier, glad that he wasn’t there anymore or he would probably raise an alarm to the entire manor. I breathe out, swaying my hips to reach the bottom rail with my feet. The stiff wind slipped through my dress, making me shiver.
My clammy palms are slipping further, I can feel it, the weight of my body is hanging on my fingertips as I try to sway my feet once more on a make it or break it attempt. When my hand slipped and my foot didn’t get a good footing on the bottom rail, I knew I was in for a fall.
I closed my eyes, preparing myself for a dreaded impact, but powerful hands gripped mine.
I looked up to the person holding my hand, but because of the darkness, I could barely make my savior’s face. Begrudgingly, I hope it’s not Calvin. I’d rather take the fall than be saved by him.
The strong arms pulled me up as if I weighed nothing, and soon I was standing on the ground again, heart thumping wildly. The same hands that saved me covered my mouth, stopping me from uttering a word when I had no intention of making any sound.
He smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, but the powerful scent of cedarwood and fresh rain somehow calmed my nerves.
I nodded my head, conveying to my savior that I won’t utter a word. He held my wrist; I was sure he’s a man… a well-built man to be able to haul my 5’5 height and 126 lbs like a sack of cotton. My savior tugged me along with him to the edge of the balcony. We are looking over the room beside Calvin’s while the pair inside the room continue to talk and giggle.
He let my hand go, hopping off of the balcony, jumping towards the other side like he’s a mass of air. His shadow, by the help of the dull skies and security lights on the ground, motioned for me to jump as well.
It’s a good 40 feet high, a dare to fall versus standing here and continue to listen to Calvin and Ashley.
May the odds be with me.
I lift my shaking legs, climbing on the railings again, the wind swaying my hair as I stare at the stranger’s open arms. With a deep breath, I held it in and sprinted forward, breathing out as I felt his powerful arms engulfed me again, saving me from falling.
He chuckled, the sound so deep and sensual.
He placed his palms on the small of my back, guiding me inside the room that accompanied the balcony we jumped onto; the lights flickered on with the clap of his hand and my eyes almost bulged out when the face of my savior came to light.
“X?”
He smirked, walking towards the minibar, pouring himself a glass of bourbon.
I shuffled on my bare feet. Now the idea of the 40 feet fall is rather alluring than being in the same room as my supposed-to-be brother-in-law.
“Here,” his voice, his presence, it changed since the last time I saw him.
I swallowed hard. His company doesn’t only drag forward uncomfortable feelings, but a lot of emotions that I wanted to bury in the past. My eyes scanned the room instead of focusing on him, studying everything around him.
“Zia?” he called, now only a foot away from me, pulling my gaze from scrutinizing the war painting hanging on the wall adjacent to his bed.
“T-thank you for saving me.” I reached for the glass of alcohol he’s offering with both hands. The gentle touch of our skin, now that I am aware of who he is, fuels the shivering sensation I’m nursing further.
He shrugged his shoulders, unaffected by my uneasiness, turning back on me to sit on the couch across from his bed. Everything is black, white, and gray, the opposite of Calvin’s colorful room. It’s almost bare since he hasn’t been here since the funeral.
He lifted the rock glass into his lips, the umber liquid flowed smoothly from his lips down his throat. I was ogling him - I realized - so I averted my gaze from him. His eyes remained on me - watching as I shifted on my foot, eyeing his bed, needing to sit. The adrenaline from the almost fall is threatening to wear off any minute now, and I’m afraid my legs would give out.
The mattress dipped under my weight; I lifted the glass to my lips, aware of his watchful eyes as I stared at the same war painting.
“You’re welcome,” he said, finally done with silent watching.
“Hm?” I turned my gaze back to him, finding him still staring at me.
Crap.
My make-up must’ve been smudged by now.
Double crap!
Awareness washed over me. Because of the style of my dress, I must’ve looked like a slut that came to seduce his baby brother.
I pulled down my skirt to the farthest that it could reach, and crossed my legs.
“H-how did you know I was at Calvin’s?” his name, that liar’s name, I almost choked uttering it.
Xavier didn’t speak, he didn’t have to. His gaze is telling, he knows…
I lowered my eyes, staring at the remaining brown alcohol on my glass, and took the courage to finish everything. My face crumpled at the strong liquor that buried my throat, shaking my head, wishing the effect would give me more…
“You saw everything?”
Xavier nodded.
Well, fuck.
My throat is as dry as a desert under the scorching heat of the sun. It’s painful to quaff down air. My mouth can’t even produce its own moisture to relieve the searing pain caused by the dryness of my throat. I didn’t know how my night turned into this embarrassing nightmare. First, I heard my fiance fuck his secret lover and promised to divorce me five years after our marriage so that they could be together. Second, I am acclaimed to be an excellent climber and almost fell 40 feet because of my weak gripping. Third, I am facing Xavier, fiddling like an uncomfortable idiot. I feel so small that I wanted to shrink into his gray sheets. “Uhm…” I cleared my throat, setting the empty rock glass on his bed, reaching for my phone inside my dress pocket as I stood. “I better leave, E must be waiting for me.” As I fished out my phone, the condom I packed and aimed t
Hang-fucking-over. I hate it. I was never one to hate the world. In fact, I love mother earth, being under the scorching heat of the sun with sweat gliding down my skin. Even the snow on the mountains that would chase my breath away the higher I climb. I love every season but autumn is my favorite one. It turns the landscape into burning orange, red, and brown until all the greens are gone. Now, I hate the cold wind that’s passing through the slightly ajar balcony glass door. It’s so damn cold, freezing my broken heart that needs healing. I also love being around people. I travel every now and then to meet people around the world and learn about their culture. Now, I just want to be alone. For once in Zia’s happy l
It’s not as easy as it looks. My actions have consequences, even when I’m just fighting for my rights. The right to be treated fairly, the right to marry someone loyal and faithful to me. I couldn’t do it. Well, I haven’t tried yet. ~~ After that eventful and fruitful talk with my ex-fiance, I threw the diamond engagement ring he gave me in his face - while he was still nursing his pained wiener. I wish I could say it was worth it, that the pain in my chest lessened, but no. It only worsened because now I don’t feel the heavy ring around my finger, a mark ending everything between Calvin and me. The black hole of desolation in my chest can’t be filled with the amount of vodk
Morning came. The rays of the sun passed through the glass door of the balcony. Its warmth prevailed inside my room, caressing my skin. I’m enjoying the last of the sun before winter, yet my eyes remain open. I’m in deep thoughts because of what I heard last night. That agreement still bothered me. What could it be? From the way my parents spoke of it, I’m sure it’ll have a great impact on our family, or if what I fear is right, on our family business. The Lucianos are a long-time friend and affiliate of the Walkers. I grew up with the tight bond of our families and as far as I know, it all began with Grandpa Josiah and Grandpa Mansueto Luciano. I was never interested in business, and I’m glad that my parents never forced me to drift deeper into it like what Pier did with his sons. The Luciano Corporation and Walker Corporation have ventured into businesses t
The nerve of that man to join this dinner! My father wears a passive look. The way he pressed his lips into a thin line is my only sign that he is in for business. This is what I was afraid of. After this night, a rift will give enough distance to the unbreakable bond of the Walker and Luciano clan, two of the most wealthy and powerful families in New York City. We exchanged pleasantries. It surprised me to see Xavier gracing us with his presence. He never comes to any family gathering, ever… so why is he here? “They forced me to come and wear this,” he said, answering my mother’s compliment about the gray suit he’s wearing. He looks good indeed. The Luciano brothers are quite an alluring sight dressed to the nines. Xavier has that hot and rugged yet smooth vibe goin
‘When in trouble, blame it on the alcohol.’ I reminded myself, swallowing hard, ignoring the ear-splitting silence that followed my declaration. My mother’s hands squeezed my thighs excessively tight, surely leaving a mark on my skin. Francine choked on her wine. The poor lady couldn’t even bring her hand to wipe the beads of the liquid that dribbled on the side of her pouty lips. Pier gaped, green eyes fixated in my direction while my father remained calm. It’s like he was expecting me to say something stupid. “Fuck, no!” Calvin assumed he had the right to speak his mind into this matter, announcing his protest, breaking the painful stillness. “Zia, honey,” my eyes stand glued on Xavier, watching him. His features remain still, as if he’s lounging on a beach, alone
Something in me felt different. I can’t point out what it was. All I can say is that I don’t like what I’m feeling. I hate it. If this was part of his game to change my decision about my proposal, well, it’s damn working. He could’ve just said no. He didn’t have to humiliate me like this. I didn’t wait for Erik to respond to my message and headed straight through the door where we came in. I might have shoved one or two intoxicated clubgoers on my journey to exit accompanied with half-hearted apologies. Truly, I am not sorry because they’re blocking my way out of this suffocating place. So I’m dealing with the asshole, Xavier. He lives up to his surname. He lives up to the standard his brother imposed on my head. I don’t
This is your author CastielLj, and I’d like to introduce my stories before FFMH if it’s your first time stumbling upon my work. If you are already a follower of mine, thank you so much! We’ve come a long way since Devin, eh ;) Here are my books on GN. 1|Devin ~ CEO/Billionaire Romance 2|Don’s Fiancée~ Mafia Romance 3|Promise Me Jake~ Teen Romance [A sad love story.] 4|Evan~ CEO/Billionaire Romance [Devin’s spin off but it can be read as standalone] 5|Falling For My Husband ~~ Lastly, this novel is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. xx ~She’s the flame that melted his cold heart. He’s the glacier that calmed her burning