Silent Sins ✓ ( book 1) Editing in Progress

Chapter 45

"Where the fuck have you been? Bitch, I swear, when I find your ass-"

I smile at the sound of her voice. I should have called Camila earlier. I could use a pep talk for this exam. "Hey,"

"Hey? Hey?" she demands with ferocity.

Okay, maybe she didn't call to give me a pep talk.

"Look, I know that I've been absent."

"Absent?" She cuts me off. "You disappeared for a week. You better have a wild explanation for this. He better have tied you to your bed and taken away your phone because I won't take any excuses."

Oh, how I've missed her.

"You make a fair point. He hasn't tied me up in a long time." I muse. "I should ask him to do that again.

"What?" she demands. "Have you lost your mind?"

A throat clears behind me and I jump out my seat. Romero is standing at the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised in question.

Crap.

"I have to go."

"Wait, at least tell me if I can come over. I need to see your ugly face."

"Tomorrow?" His eyes are like soft blazing daggers in my back. I can't believe I said anything about him tying me to my bed. Especially to Camila, who is completely oblivious about what is going on in this house. If she knew...

"Okay! I'll be there bright and early."

"Please don't"

"Bye Babe, send me the address." She ends the call and I stare back at the device, not willing to face the obstacle behind me.

"Who was that?" His tone is void of emotion.

I drum my hand against the phone. "Camila."

He's quiet for a moment, and I'm prompted to face him fully, with a look that hopefully passes as being unfazed. On the inside, I'm fighting the urge to run out of this house.

"I'll be down in a second." I tell him at last.

His features soften. "Okay." And he shuts the door behind him. I blow a puff of air and sit back in the desk chair. He will be the end of me.

************************

I tread down to the kitchen anxiously without bothering to get changed. I just want to get this exam over and done with, and the most I could manage was a brushing my teeth and fixing my hair.

When I see Romero in the library setting up my exam papers, i have the sudden urge to crawl out of my skin. The man who fingered me last night is the same one who's testing me on financial statement formulas.

The universe is laughing at me.

"Ready?" He calls out without even looking in my direction. How did he hear me?

He looks up and those blue eyes narrow at my choice of clothes. I suddenly can't breathe. "I- um." I stutter.

"Forgetting something?"

I clear my throat and walk along the carpeted floor, holding my head high with false confidence. "No."

The corners of his eyes crease with humour. "Okay." He drags out. "Ready for the exam?"

"I think so." I glance at the digital clock he's set on the table, no doubt a timer for the exam.

He catches me off guard when he pushes my hair behind my ear. I never knew Romero to be so... affectionate.