Done With My Ex, Moving To The Next

Chapter 32: A Connection...with or without meaning

Chapter 32: A Connection...with or without meaning.

STELLA

I knew I shouldn't have dared him. But I was ready to push almost every limit, just to put myself to test.

I'd barely said everything I had deep down. A lot was still bottled up inside of me but as my eyes met his, I could see the darkness and venom in his beautifully carved eyes.

His eyes darkened and glistened in an unidentifiable expression.

“You never listen, Blaze." He rasped with a little bit of roughness in his tone as he leaned closer to where I sat.

“You heard me, Rhys. Dri—" I swallowed it. His eyes fixed on me for too long, as if he was waiting for an exact moment to strike.

“I can tolerate everything but not when it comes to you, Blaze." His palm grazed my thighs slowly. My skin reacted to his soft touch.

My lips parted slightly and I realized how fast the control was slipping out of my palm.

"Don't call yourself stupid before me.” His eyes pressed on mine before he audaciously slid those long fingers of his beneath my dress.

"RHYS—”

It was hard to resist. I wanted to, but my body couldn't…

I hated that I loved every moment of his touch on my skin.

He had control over my body, in ways I couldn't fight or be bitter at.

I gave way as I leaned back into the seat, spreading my legs slightly, my chest heavy with want and yearning for that wavy thing his fingers could do.

“See how much you want it, Blaze? Why punish yourself when yo—"

I didn't wait till he was done before I stepped out of the car, leaving the door to close by itself.

Why had I done that? I didn't know. I probably realized I was being shameless by showing how weak I was, especially when everything about him seemed to be my biggest weakness.

How was I supposed to deal with him?

I didn't know what my stand with him was…..I didn't want to keep going down an endless road of lust and pleasures that would probably be without meaning.

Minutes later, he stepped out of the car too. He didn't say anything aside from my name that he mumbled.

“Stella." I turned in the direction of his soft voice. He already crossed his arms.

“Will you get in now? We're running late. It's been twenty-two minutes outside the car"

I bit my tongue, avoiding his gaze. I hadn't left that car of my own will.

Left to me, I wouldn't have. ..I just didn't want to get all tangled up in something even deeper. Especially with Rhys Adrian.

“Want the press to get lots of pictures of us?" He pursed his lips, like he was going to chuckle at an unfunny situation again.

I hesitated before I settled into the car.

“Drive"

I hoped he wouldn't raise any topic about whatever we'd discussed before then.

I hoped his memory had erased.

He didn't say a word but instead, he gave me a knowing stare as he chewed on something—gum!

How could I f*****g tell him to stop staring at me like that?

“What?" My mouth had opened faster than my brain had processed the words.

“Nothing. Just… thinking of how fantastic riding will be”

My heart hitched. Why did it feel like he was talking about—

He pressed the accelerator, jolting the car forward with speed.

The drive lasted for about twenty more minutes before we arrived home.

A minute or two after we arrived home, I got a series of notifications.

The ride was only filled with a few sighs here and there, and me faking my concentration on the ‘beautiful paintings’ on the streets of London, and a few glances of his jawline, eyes, and hard-built chest.

God. I was such a perv.

“Thanks for the ride," I said, walking back towards the guesthouse.

“No. Don't take that route, come here."

“Why should I?" I stood, a part of me finally happy he was speaking to me.

"No. Just come this way. Please, Stella”

I turned, walking towards the gate of the guesthouse. I didn't want to listen to him.

"Come here, Stella. If I move an inch near you, I swear I'll throw you over my shoulder.” He said.

My feet stopped.

“About 15 reporters are hanging out somewhere in this street. What do you want the public to think when they find out you're living there?”

I didn't know which to feel: Resentment or embarrassment.

I wished the ground would open and swallow me. “Are you coming or not?"

I didn't know how long it took me before I walked into the gate with him. “How did you know? No one is on this street."

I tried to turn back to look because the street looked as silent and quiet as a graveyard.

“No. Don't look—" he cupped my face in his hand.

God. My cheeks reddened before he finally allowed me walk in through the gate first.

“How did you spot them quickly?"

“They were trailing us. Two were on our right, one was at our front, and about four were behind. Including the pink van you liked"

Not only was he naughty. He was smart too—he possessed the smartness that balanced him in all areas of life. He could literally fit in every setting.

I didn't wait. I walked past the house, heading to the entrance of the guesthouse.

“Blaze." He called from behind.

"Are you good?” He asked softly—the kind that melted my heart like sulphur against metal.

I blinked, but the mask had fallen off. It'd fallen off, the moment I stopped.

“Yes…yes, I—”

I blinked even harder, like I didn't know he'd gone into Marcus's office. Like I didn't notice the stains of blood on his knuckles. Like I didn't know how crazy he'd been in that room.

I blinked, like my heart didn't flutter each time I caught his eyes lingering on me.

“I…I am good” I ended my note with a smile.

If I waited a second longer, tears would fall from my eyes.

I didn't know what I was feeling. I wanted to be grateful without feeling any kind of regret.

“I'll be fine, Rhys." I turned, walking as slowly as I could. I didn't want to trip—any tiny hurt could lead me to tears.

I stopped walking and turned to him. I needed an outburst—of all the tears I was holding back.

He wasn't smiling. Instead, he nodded like he was giving me the go-ahead.

Like he was permitting me to let the tears fall.

And I did.

But while I did, something became clearer. Rhys wasn't just Rhys anymore. I could trust him but something still felt incomplete.

But I didnt want to show him this side of me. No. Not when I didn't know what was actually going to become of everything we'd shared.

Not after the breathless moments we'd shared.

Not after the bodily heat we'd shared.

He might had seen it countless times but, I was strong. That was the woman I was.

The woman Valerie made me.