Alvarez

Twenty-eight

I know life has scratched your hands enough, and I'm here to kiss them. - unknown.

Mia
It's been good news all around. My father was located and apparently Christian met him behind my back, but they agreed to leave me alone and out of whatever his sick, dark, twisted plans were. It was very unlike Christian to ask for something like a non-aggression pact, aggression and violence were probably his first words. He was probably in the womb practicing krav maga.

He actually apologized for meeting Michael and not telling me. It was very unusual but he even cooked me dinner that night. Something is strange with him. He's been gazing at me, watching me do the slightest things, waiting for me to get home from campus and then leave to his bars. It's making me suspicious, but I also seem to like being the subject of his attention. The more we're around each other, the more disastrous and difficult it's going to be for me to leave him. I've tried my very best to keep my guard up, keeping the house locked and armed when Christian isn't with me, and I always stay in Erin's line of sight.

Much to my dismay, I've grown some kind of attachment to him. I don't know what it is but his recent acts toward me is making it more difficult to figure out. I entered my room the other day, and everything was different. Ceiling to floor shelves filled with books. Hardbacks, red covers with gold cursive writing. First editions with reattached spines. Brand new releases, signed with inscriptions and dedications. He did all this, for me. "I know you love your romance novels. This is everything I could find." "you did all this for me?"I asked him, eyes wide. "of course. You're the greatest professor at that university, I figure you'd need as much literary diversification you can get to further your already advanced knowledge. Thought you might like it." I wipe away the tear on my cheek with the back of my hand. "Of course I love it. Thank you, Christian. But I meant old books, from used book stores, this must've cost you thousands." I say, touching the spines that feel so delicate, they shouldn't even be touched. "Around eighty five, but that doesn't matter. And you said you needed new ones. As long as you're happy with them." he left my room like nothing even happened.

As much as I enjoy nauseating, obnoxious and arrogant Christian, the one he reserves just for me happens to be my favorite version of him. I like seeing him relax, the man is always tense, always on edge like someone is going to burst in here and murder both of us. But with me, when it's just the two of us, recently it's starting to feel perfect. It's exactly what I would want. Despite him being who he is, and hearing more and more terrible things about him, I see him differently. I see him as the man who chose to save me rather than implement his revenge plan and ruin my life in the process. The man who adjusted his life around me, gave me a safe place to live and works his ass off to save little kids. He may be a pretty villain to the world, but if this twisted alliance taught me anything, it's that he has good in him. And a lot of it too. And I won't stop till it shows.

Today is the event at the house. It's been a lot of preparation and arguments with Christian about me overspending. It's not like he cares, he pretends he lives on a budget but we both know that's bullshit. He's been out all morning sorting out security for the night, making sure the place is properly surveiled because he has to take the night off. Erin is also off-duty, I invited him to the event. Him and I really get along but he'll never be Albert.

My dress was delivered today. It's a very unusual design but it couldn't be more me. It's a soft pink gown with tulle sleeves and little Swarovski diamonds across the sleeve. It wraps over my chest and has a very deep neckline. It may be my prettiest dress yet. I have a beautiful teardrop necklace to match, and a very overly priced pair of Ralph and Russo eden heels.

Christian fought me very hard on getting a DJ, saying he refused to have that kind of 'raucous' behavior in his house. I didn't take him seriously at first, but we agreed on a DJ rather than Top 40 radio. Those were the options he was given. There were a lot of women attending with their husbands, and from my previous experience in planning these events, I know they all love to have a dance with their husbands. It's their one chance to feel like a woman again, or at least that's what I heard. So we would have time for that. He bought me a small band for my ring finger because people assumed we were already married. I still smile when I think of how he gave it to me, the way we were standing in the kitchen on a regular morning and having breakfast together, and how he was secretly nervous when he took it out of his pocket. I could tell he put some thought into the ring, it was a platinum band with a small, bright occlusion. It wasn't big and fancy but I feel the weight of the ring and the depth of the diamond with how it shone, I knew it cost way more than it should have. Half this city addressed me as Ms. Alvarez anyway so I guess it was futile to object. I didn't mind, and he already had a ring on his own that he switched to his left hand. Him and those ink stained fingers. God.