THE ORIGINAL NOVEL WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TRANSLATION. IF YOU WANT TO READ IT IN SPANISH LOOK FOR IT UNDER THE SAME PSEUDONYM AND BY NAME "GIRO DEL DESTINO"
—I don't care what happened, nothing you say or do will make me leave you, you need someone by your side. —and as I said this I let go of his hands and cradled his face in my hands.
—You think you can handle anything that happens to me, you are willing to handcuff me at night, share my bed to watch over my sleep and wake me up whenever and however it is necessary. —he said very seriously as I caressed his face.
—I don't know, but I want to try. —I told him honestly.
For a moment we stared at each other without saying anything and only after he had completely evaluated me with his scrutinizing gaze and breathed deeply did he speak.
—I think they must be in one of the boxes in the back of the closet. —he said surrendering and separating a little from me. —I'm not accepting this willingly, I still think it's a bad idea. —he said, exhaling sharply.
And saying this we both headed that way. The end of the wardrobe was filled with boxes each marked on the outside with a marker identifying what was in them. You could count more than 10 boxes, where we started looking.
—Where do we start? —I asked him as he looked at the boxes.
—He must be in one that says London. —he told me as I looked everywhere in the closet.
—There. —I told him, pointing to the box at the top of the closet. —How we're going to get it, neither of us gets it. —I asked him as I stared at the box as if she was magically going down alone.
—That's easy. —he came up to me and bent down beside me and carried me by the legs, making me scream.
And for the second time I felt his embracing warmth burning against my skin again, it felt so good. But I had to get him to take me down.
—Christian, put me down. —I told him as I moved, trying to get him to let me go.
—I'll put you down after you take the box. —and he walked me to the closet where the box was.
The truth is, that this way I arrived perfectly and the box was not too heavy, even though it was big. As soon as I picked it up, Christian put me down on the floor while I smiled.
—See, it wasn't that hard. —he said opening the box and sitting on the floor.
I did what he did and sat down on the other side and between the two of us we started to take things out of the box until we found the handcuffs. When he had told me handcuffs I had automatically imagined the silver-colored steel police wives. But these didn't even remotely look alike. They were basically the same, with the difference that the chain between them was longer and they were lined and looked padded. Hooked into them was the little key attached to a long, thin chain. Christian removed the key and checked the locks.
—Well, apparently it's in perfect condition. — he said as he put them aside and began to put the things back in the box.
I didn't say anything, I just watched them, I didn't even dare to touch them. I started to put things in the boxes just like him until I could see a picture he kept of his parents and that caught my attention, even though I didn't tell Christian... Why did he have a picture of his parents in a box and not in a frame? But he told me not to ask him about his past. What should I do?
—What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost for a few minutes. —he said very seriously.
—Nothing. —I lied to him by lowering my head as I continued to put things in the box.
—Anastasia, look at me. —he said, forcing me to look him in the eyes. —What's going on? — he asked worried.
—You told me not to ask about your past, so I won't. —I said as I continued to put things away.
For a moment he looked at the box and then looked at me again as if guessing what was happening to me.
— You can't help but be curious, can you? —he said to me, Stop picking and grimacing, and for a moment I stared at him. —They're dead, end of story. —he said, going back to pick up the stuff.
Dead! His parents were dead and he just said so. But that was no reason for the picture to be in a box there. There was something else about the story he wasn't telling me, but for the moment I wasn't going to find out.
We finished picking up the things and left the box on the floor in an empty space in the closet.
—We'd better make some lunch. —he said as he looked at his watch. —Do you like macaroni and cheese? —he asked me as I tilted my head sideways.
—Yeah, I love mac and cheese. I said very effusively, I was really hungry.
—I've never seen anyone so anxious for a plate of macaroni and cheese. —he said jokingly as he smiled.
—You see, you're seeing the first person. —I said as we laughed and both of us came out of the closet to the kitchen.
—And how are we going to do that, you're moving into my house or I'm moving into yours. —he said as he entered the terrace with another bottle of wine.
It was late in the afternoon, Christian had changed his clothes, fortunately for me, he had a worn shirt and jeans. After the macaroni from lunch, which had been delicious, we sat at the terrace table all afternoon with a bottle of wine. The truth was that the view from here was incredible, it made you relax and forget everything. But I couldn't forget everything, no matter how hard I tried, I still didn't know how I was going to deal with Christian. Over lunch I had thought about it, but I let it go. Now that I was out here, while the air was in my face, I was thinking about how I was going to share my time, since I was going to spend the nights with him, taking care of him... — At what point had my life become so complicated? — Ever since you met Christian again, my subconscious told me in a sarcastic way. Of course, he was to blame for everything that happened to me.
I didn't see many options, it was to move to his apartment or he to mine. Although on the level that our relationship was...well it's not like we had one, I still didn't know what Christian wanted from me, well if I knew it, but I didn't know what I wanted from him yet, so I dismissed it, I didn't think it was right. We'd have to look at other options to make this work. And then I came up with something.
—And if we split up. —I said to him while I was having my drink and for a moment he would stare at me and meditate on it.
—Do you have any idea how we'll do it? — he said with an eyebrow raised.
— Yes, how about weekends for your house and weekdays for mine, it's closer to work. —the truth that had just occurred to me but so far it was the best thing.
—I like it but with a little change, on Wednesdays and weekends here, so we don't have to move in with all our clothes on. —he said, and while I was thinking about it, I realized I was right. With Wednesday in the middle he could come and pick up clothes.
—Yes, I like your version. — I said smiling and gave a drink to my wine. —It's delicious, it's the same as last time.
—No, this is a Chardonay. — he told me looking over his glass while he was having a drink too.
— Oh, I think I can get used to this, wine and the best view in all of New York. — I replied with a smile as my gaze wandered over the Hudson River.
—Yeah, I can get used to this too. —he said staring at me while I looked back at him with a smile.
By the time the sun began to set I got up from my chair and grabbed my drink and leaned on the edge of the balcony to better admire the view and it was exactly like the day before. It took your breath away.
— How about a bath for dinner? — he told me as he hugged me from behind as the sun's remains were lost on the horizon.
—At what point did you prepare dinner? —I asked him without turning around, feeling his warm arms around me.
—At the times when I went to get the bottles of wine and at other times when you didn't seem to see me. —he replied, resting his head on my neck.
His breath in my neck made my body stand up completely. Her gentle breathing made my body shudder and made me lose my mind.
—Yeah, let's go for a bath. —I answered him as I turned and made him separate from me.
—In mine, which is more spacious? — he asked me as I raised a confused eyebrow over his question until I realized what he meant.
At that moment I imagined that I was scarlet, at least I imagined that because of the poor lighting he would not have seen me.
—You in yours and I in mine. —I answered him as he grabbed his glass from the table and walked into the apartment.
I went into the kitchen, could feel Christian behind me, put the glasses in the sink and was about to head for the room when he intercepted me in front of me.
—Then, on the previous issue, we have an agreement not to. —he said to me, raising an eyebrow as he put the empty bottles on the counter.
—Yes, we have a deal. — I replied as he stared at me with a slight smile on his face.
That smile was already starting to get to know her, it was the same one she put on when she was up to something.
—We can seal the deal with a kiss? —he said suggestively with his gaze fixed on mine.
—You know, I only know two people who sealed a deal with a kiss, and they're both dead. —I told him as he smiled.
—Yes, I know Romeo and Juliet ended in tragedy, but it doesn't have to end like this when it's just beginning. —he said to me as he approached me dangerously.
Only I had thought of making a deal with Christian. A deal that made me stay in a room alone with a guy. And not just anyone, one with whom I had a past and for whom I was beginning to have feelings again. This wasn't going to work out so well, I could feel it. I began to fall back as he grew closer and closer to me. Her mere presence completely upset me, made me lose the ability to think coherently, and made my breathing faster. And now as he was advancing dangerously towards me I was much more upset.
— Why are you running away from me? Don't you want a kiss? — he said with his eyes fixed on me as I backed away from the kitchen more and more on my way to the living room.
To whom I was going to lie, if I wanted a kiss from him, but at that moment I found it very exciting that Christian would chase me around the apartment to get it. I kept going back until my feet hit something and I stood still with Christian in front of me.
—You have nowhere to run. —he told me as he came closer to me.
My heart was beating in my chest as if it wanted to get out, his eyes rested on mine and his warm look pierced me completely, melting me more than I already was at that moment. I felt desired, warm and excited under his intense gaze. His hand went up to my face and caressed my face as I closed my eyes to his gentle caress. And I think I just let out a little moan.
—It seems your body doesn't agree with your mind. — he said, making me open my eyes and our glances melt into one —you want a kiss. — he said as he slid his finger across my half-open lips, which only made me breathe harder. —But you also want more than a kiss, you want caresses. —he said as he slid his other hand down my waist, and my body began to react to his touch. —You want to feel my warm body next to yours. — he said as he attached his body to mine, letting me feel how excited he was at the time. —But for the moment, I think you'll have to settle for a kiss. —he said as his lips seized mine.
I'd really missed his lips on mine, his hands sliding down my body, his warm body, he was right, who I was going to deceive, no matter how much my brain said no to me, my body wanted him completely. I had never wanted someone so much as I do now when our lips and bodies melted into each other until we fell on the couch, him on me exploring my body with his hands. My hands went to his shirt and I unconsciously started to release the buttons. I didn't know why, but it seemed to me that I had already experienced this scene a long time ago, although there was a huge difference. At least now I wasn't so nervous and I knew what I had to do, at least to some extent. After I finished undoing the buttons, I pulled his shirt over his head. And we just stared into each other's eyes. And his words of six years ago came back to me at that moment.
—You're sure you want to do this, I've already broken one of my rules and I'm about to break another, if we continue there will be no turning back. —he said as his eyes, darker than usual, stared at me.
His breathing was fast as was mine while he was on the couch on top of me. I didn't know what he meant by that but at the time I wasn't interested. At that time I wanted more than anything to feel her warm skin on mine.