CHAPTER FIVE

Arielle's POV

When I woke up, Victor wasn't on the bed.

I got up slowly, still feeling the ache in my lower abdomen from last night. I hadn't showered after, I still smelled like Victor’s strong cologne and sex.

Memories from last night rushed through my head, fuck! I had to admit that Victor did things to me that David would have never done. Last night was heated, I didn’t know if I wanted more or not. 

I ran the bath water hotter than usual. I stood under it longer than I needed to, letting the heat work into my skin. My hands caressed my nipple, and rose to my neck where Victor had bit me. Just the thought was enough to make me wet. 

I walked to the living room. He was standing at the counter, stirring coffee. His back was to me. He wore a dark shirt, sleeves rolled up. Revealing his veiny arms.

"Morning," I said.

"Morning." He nodded without turning around, then set a second cup on the table.

I sat down. Neither of us said anything about last night. That was fine by me. I wasn't ready to go there and I got the feeling he wasn't either. I reached for the cup and took a sip.

The knock on the door broke the silence.

Victor pushed off from the counter. "I'll get it."

I sat back. It was probably a delivery. I turned and looked out the window, the fine petals of tulips outside was enough as a sight. I didn’t know Victor liked flowers – there was almost nothing I knew about him, and knowing that made yesterday night only more dangerous.

The delivery guy was taking too long.

I stood up and walked toward the door, then paused when I heard the oddly familiar voice.

"My girlfriend is in there. Arielle Hunt that's her name. I've explained this to you and you are still wasting my time."

"Your girlfriend?" Victor's voice was flat. "Who gave you that information?"

My heart dropped.

David.

He stood in the doorway in a white shirt and black pants, jaw tight, eyes already scanning past Victor's shoulder. I stepped forward before either of them could say another word.

"David." My voice came out smaller than I wanted. "What are you doing here?"

"Thank God." His face shifted. Relief obviously flooding in from his face. He reached for my hands, held it tight. "Arielle, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No." I shook my head and glanced at Victor then back at David. "I'm totally fine."

"Come back home, Ari." His voice softened in that way that I was already used to. "Your dad really misses you. He unfroze your accounts. Your cards will work now. He wants to see you."

He paused and looked past me at Victor.

"Who is he?"

"He's… just my neighbour." I kept my voice even. "I got thrown out of my apartment and begged him to take me in for some nights. He means no harm."

David stared at me and then him. With that particular stare he had that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite suspicion but sat somewhere uncomfortable between both. He'd had years of practice making me feel like I owed him an explanation I hadn't prepared. I wiped invisible drop of sweat off my head and put my hand on my waist while holding his gaze . 

"Let me go get my things."

He nodded in reply.

I went back into the bedroom and threw everything into my suitcase without folding any of it. I did a quick sweep of the bathroom, grabbed my charger, checked under the bed. My heart was pounding harder than normal. My head was too loud to be thorough about it.

When I came back out David was still at the entrance, one hand in his pocket, watching Victor the way men watched each other when they were pretending not to. Victor stood with an expressionless face, arms loose at his sides. Like nothing that had happened in this apartment would ever show on his face.

I looked at him.

He looked back at me.

I bit my lip nervously. Neither of us said anything. There was nothing to say. Not with David standing three feet away, But something passed between us anyway. It had nothing to do with one night and champagne and a silly roleplay game. It was something heavier. Like it had been sitting there since the morning I stood in the courtyard with my hand stretched out and he'd looked at me like I was a problem he didn't need.

I dropped my eyes first.

"Thank you," I said quietly. Like I was thanking a stranger for holding a door open.

He nodded once.

I picked up my suitcase and walked out.

David took it from my hand the moment I walked through the door, already steering me toward the stairs with a hand at the middle of my back. He said something about my father, something about the drive, something about stopping to get food. I heard the words without really listening. My feet moved. My hand held the strap of my bag.

I told myself I wasn't going to look back.

But at the bottom of the stairwell I looked back. God I couldn’t help it.

But it seemed that Victor didn’t think the same way I did as the door was already closed.

I turned around and followed David to the car. He opened the passenger door for me  a gesture so practiced it meant nothing  and I slid in. He walked around, settled in, and started the engine.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, pulling out.

"Yeah." I nodded turning to the window. "Me too."

The apartment block got smaller in the side mirror as we drove. I watched it until we turned the corner and it was gone.

My neck was still tingling where Victor's teeth had been. My heart still beat when I remembered his breath there.

David reached over and put his hand on mine.

I didn't pull away. I just didn't squeeze back either. I only sat there his hand on mine, Victor's mark on my neck and said nothing for the rest of the drive home.