Z A R A Charlotte looks at me with the most horrified expression. I put Alejandro on mute for a second, "Please bear with me, Charlotte.""Ma'am, please don't—"I put a finger up to my lips to hush her as I unmute the call."Hm, this is an odd request," he says."I'll feel much more comfortable with her alongside with me," I try two convince him."I won't be enough?" He sounds slightly offended."You're a popular man," I sigh. "I'm sure you won't be able to spend the whole night beside me to keep me company.""Frank will be there as an undercover bodyguard," he says as if Frank's a good company to have."Charlotte will keep me at ease at the party because I'll be able to speak with her more comfortably," I'm trying to push this as much as I can without upsetting him."Fine, you win, my love. Have her choose out something appropriate, she has to look the part of a socialite. Charge it on my card," he finally agrees."Thank you! I appreciate it!" I grin."Maybe you can show me some of

Z A R A I did see Alejandro the next morning, but, shockingly, both of us ignored each other. I was half expecting him to slam me against the couch, violating every inch of my body yet again but he didn't. He didn't even glance over in my direction.This went on for a whole week and a half. The same routine: we would cross paths in the morning, but he wouldn't acknowledge my presence, and neither would I acknowledge his. At night, he would come home late and go straight to his room or wouldn't come home at all.However, our eyes met just once one morning, in the middle of the week. He looked extremely tired, the shadow under his eyes was dark enough for anyone to notice at a glance. His lips looked dry and thin, his cheeks sunken in, his hair messy compared to it is never out of place, and his usual clean shaven face has a 5 o'clock shadow.He looked rough.As he should after everything he did to meThis morning isn't any different, in fact, I'm starting to enjoy this. I can live the

Z A R A Five minutes in, just as I predicted, Alejandro was swept away by many people. He tried his best to keep me by his side so I can keep up with the pace but soon realized that I would rather not."Do you want to start with some appetizers?" He asks, which surprises me. "They have a table set up on the other end. You can take Charlotte with you. I'll have Frank hover around you.""Yes!" I'm grateful for two reasons: one being that I hate being dragged around into conversations I don't understand and two, I am starving but I'm always starving so that's not new. "I'll be back after I'm done."He nods and lets me go. Charlotte and I make our way to the food when I gasp at the different, colorful assortment."They all look healthy, yet so delicious," I'm drooling at this point, looking at the various dishes I can try."They're all assortments of antipasto," Charlotte says as she picks one up."Anti-what?" I blink."Antipasto is Italian for appetizers," she explains. "That's a grill

Y A S M E E N I arrived in New York with my cousins about two weeks ago. I sincerely did not want to come, I want to stay at home and not leave my room like I've been doing for the last couple of months since Zara's death.When Zara's parents informed me of her death, I cried for weeks on end. I refused to believe she was dead, this can't be real. She just started her life, graduated from school, and started interviews for a stable job, it's unfair! It's too unfair!I quit my job and stopped leaving my house, I don't even think I've been getting enough sunlight to be alive right now. I stopped eating and drinking, I was losing weight faster than anyone can imagine, and I was turning into bones. My hair became brittle, my lips completely chapped and dehydrated, and the shadows under my eyes were horrible. I didn't have any way to cope, depression had swallowed me whole. She was my only friend, my best friend and I refused to believe she was dead.Bless my parents, they tried and kept

Z A R A The first wet brush of Alejandro's tongue against my clit felt so good it was almost overwhelming, my body jolting at the sensation. It made me gasp, his firm touch keeping me still for him to repeat the motion. Already, I was shaking.It wasn't like anything I felt before, this was something I can feel at the core of myself, spreading the ecstasy throughout my body. The patterns of Alejandro's tongue traced across my heated flesh are satisfying in a way I'd never felt, full bloom of sensation and heat.When one of his fingers teased my entrance, I can barely even form a coherent word. The thoughts simply have no traction, falling away at the new stimulation as it pushed in. And that felt right, didn't it? The second finger hurt a little bit, but the pain of the stretch was lessened by the taunt coil of pleasure encouraged with every stroke of his tongue."A-Alejandro—" I gasp out, disgustingly needy as I'm writhing beneath him, so close that I can feel myself beginning to un