4. Surprise guest

Larissa Maynard

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I was more than happy when the guests started to reduce two hours later, but that meant Bridget was about to leave as well and I was sad about that.

She gave me a kiss on my cheek, bidding me bye. As she left, I set out to find Alexander, but I ran into my mom instead. She smiled when she saw me. “I knew you weren’t up for a party, but you did well.”

I returned the smile. My mother was the only one that considered my feelings, but that still never stopped her from doing what she wanted.

“Come on, let me introduce you to this high-end model, she can help push the business forward.”

I shook my head at once. “No, ma. I haven’t eaten all day and I’m leaving.”

“But–“

“If I stay any longer, I will die of hunger.”

She pouted, but she let me go. I spotted Alexander in a conversation with three other men, but thankfully, he excused himself when he saw me. “Hey, baby.”

“Can we go now?” I went straight to the point.

He looked around at the few guests that were still around. I wondered what the hell they were still doing here anyway. “Isn’t it rude for the host to leave before the guests?”

I scoffed. “Our parents are the hosts. The party has run long enough. I am tired.”

Alexander knew I didn’t like crowds. He knew how introverted I was when he decided to be with me and even if he tried his best to bring me out of my shell, it never amounted to anything. He laughed. “Okay, baby, whatever you say.” He looked me up and down and his gaze dropped to my breasts. “Should we go upstairs?”

I knew what he was implying but I was not in the mood for sex. Imagine exercising with an empty stomach. That was a recipe for disaster. “Your mother had me wear the smallest dress known to man. I haven’t eaten for more than twenty-four hours. I’m going home.”

He nodded. “Should I go with you?”

I also wasn’t in the mood for company. “I’m just going to eat and crash anyway.”

“I’ll drop you off.” Alexander decided.

Satisfied, I held onto his hand as he led me outside the hotel. We had to stop to talk to a few people though because they just never ran out of things to talk about, which was annoying.

Alexander and I sat in the backseat as his driver drove us to my house. My parents bugged me about moving in with Alex, but I liked my space and I wasn’t going to give it up until we were officially married.

I was relieved when we got to my house and as soon as I entered and locked the door, I was unzipping my dress. It was a modern bungalow with three rooms, one of which was my bedroom, the other was my workstation and the last one was a guest bedroom. Apartments were noisy, which was another reason I didn’t move in with Alex. His parents were going to buy us a house as a wedding gift though.

My dress pooled at my feet and I stepped out of it. Not caring that I was naked, I went straight to the kitchen to grab an apple before I went to my room to get dressed. Getting dressed meant putting on an oversized shirt.

I went back into the kitchen and started making pasta. I was tired as fuck and I just wanted to sleep, but I didn’t want to sleep on an empty stomach again. I needed to eat.

It was probably a bad idea to drink while I cooked but I didn’t care. I opened a bottle of wine and poured myself a glass, dancing around as I chopped the vegetables for the pasta. I was able to get through the party without running away mid-process. That was a huge feat. The wine was a gift to me.

While I ate, I poured myself another glass and another, until the bottle was half empty. Only then did I close it and return it to the cabinet.

I was a little tipsy, but it didn’t matter because I was the only one at home and I could do whatever I liked without the judging eyes of my mother-in-law watching my every move.

After doing the dishes, I took a glass of water. I didn’t exactly want to sober up but I didn’t want to wake up with a hangover the next day.

Just as I finally lay on my bed, I heard the sound of the doorbell. I let out a groan, looking at the digital clock on my nightstand. It was seven o’clock. Who the hell was visiting by this time without informing me beforehand? Very few people knew where I lived. I’d already told Alex I wanted to sleep and Bridget was busy. Could it be my parents? What would they want in my house by this time?

The doorbell rang again and I stood up begrudgingly. My feet were padded with black socks and aside from that, I was only putting on a t-shirt. I didn’t have the energy to wear anything else. They would have to deal with me like that. It was their fault for coming to my home.

When the doorbell rang for a third time, I got irritated and tried to hasten my pace, almost stumbling over because of the alcohol that resided in my system.

I pulled the door open, ready to scold whoever was impatient enough to ring my doorbell three times in the span of a minute. However, when I saw who it was, my breath got caught in my throat.

I never thought I’d see him again, but here he was, standing on my doorstep, in the same black hoodie he had been wearing years ago when we saw each other for the last time. The hood was above his face but I’d seen him in my dreams enough that seeing only his eyes would give away his identity.

His eyes were rooted on me and for a moment, time stopped. I really couldn’t believe my eyes. I blinked and rubbed at them. Was I drunk enough to start hallucinating? Or was Caspian Bianchi, the man who broke my heart five years ago, standing on my doorstep?

There was a faint scar on his jawline; the only difference in his appearance since I last saw him. He was still as beautiful as he was five years ago. It didn’t seem like he had aged a day as well. Why was he here? Why did he ring my doorbell? Why did he visit? What the hell did he want from me?

Without asking any of those questions, I slammed the door shut. He had some nerve showing up in my house after five years.