The Secret Billionaire

Chapter 9

ERIS

I have nowhere to go. Stacy lives too far, and the shop was closed already. I couldn't stay out here. I know he will get me. I crossed the street and stood in front of Nathan's building. It was my last option.
I saw Darius walk out, and I panicked. It's now or never. I entered the building, and everyone turned to look at me. I had no shoes on, my hair was a mess, and I'm pretty sure the mess on my face wasn't helping. I walked straight to the receptionist, and she made a face at me.
"Can I help you?" She looked me up and down.
"I'm looking for Nathan. He lives here,"
The other two girls looked over to listen to the conversation.
"Do you have an appointment with him?"
I need to see him. I was cold and wanted to get out of people's sight. I looked around to ensure Darius wasn't coming in. "No, I have his phone number, but I didn't grab it."
"He doesn't accept walk-ins," She smiled. "And it's very late. I don't think Mr. Nathan will accept to speak with you." I could tell she was annoyed with me, but I didn't want to go back out there.
"Please! I need to see him right now,"
"Call security. Tell them some crazy skank is causing a scene," She said to the lady beside her.
"No! Please, I need to see Nathan. I don't know the last name. He just told me he lives here. Oh, he works here!"
"Ma'am, you're going to have to come with me," security stood beside me, and I turned to look at him. He grabbed my arm, and I moved away.
"No, wait, I know the first three numbers of his phone,"
"Ma'am, you need to leave now. You're causing a disturbance," He grabbed my arm again and moved me away from the desk.
"What's going on here?" We turned to look at where the voice came from, and I felt relieved.
"Eris?" Nathan said. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Sir, she was causing a disturbance. She said she knew you, which is obviously not possible." The woman in the front stood up.
"Get your hands off her. Now," Nathan told the security guard. They were almost the same size, but Nathan was much more intimidating. The security guard let me go, and he pulled me away from them.
"Next time, call me before you decide to call security on any of my guests," He said to the lady in front.
The look on her face was priceless. I would've enjoyed it if I wasn't so scared that Darius would jump out from around the corner. We got into an elevator, and he was still holding my hand. I was shaking, and I knew he could feel it. He inserted a passcode, and we started moving. His hand grip was soft, but his heavy breathing indicated he wasn't thrilled.
The doors dinged open, and we walked into a big living room. He sat me down on the couch and left. I looked around and was in total awe. This place was massive. Was this his? He came back with a blanket and wrapped it around me. He stood right before me, and I looked up at him.
"Eris, will you tell me what is going on?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. I hadn't noticed he was wearing a short sleeve shirt. I could see a sneak peek of his tattoos and toned arms. My lip began to shake, and I buried my face into the blanket.
I felt the couch dip beside me, and he put his arm around my shoulder. I cried for who knows how long. I was in pain, I was cold, and I was scared for my life. After a couple of minutes, I finally looked up and frowned.
"I'm s-sorry. Your blanket is d-dirty," I said between sobs.
"Eris, who gives a fuck about the blanket. What happened?"
I wiped my nose and looked up at him. I hated being a mess in front of him, but he didn't seem to care.
"My ex. . ."
"Did he hurt you?"
I nodded, and he pulled me into a hug. This time he placed my head on his chest.
"Shh, it's okay. You're safe here,"
Something about his tone made me feel genuinely safe with him.

~

I woke up in an unfamiliar space. I was on a couch with a fluffy blanket and pillow. The sun was shining through, and I had to adjust to how bright it was before I got up.
A ding echoed through the room, and an elevator opened up. Nathan walked in with his workout clothes, sweat dripping down his face.
"Sorry, I didn't want to move you. Do you work today?" I shook my head, and he walked over to me.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," I barely spoke up.
"I'm going to hop in the shower real quick. Do you want anything?"I shook my head.
"The kitchen is through there. Feel free to go in and grab what you like," He pointed at a doorway, and I nodded.
He disappeared into the hallway, and I stood up. I kept the blanket wrapped around myself.
The kitchen was almost the size of my apartment. Everything was either silver or black. It was so clean. I opened the fridge, and it was just as clean. Everything was organized in clear containers. It was amazing. I grabbed a strawberry before I closed it and walked over to the window.
The building wasn't that tall, but when you were inside, it felt taller. The view was terrific, and it also made my knees shake. I wasn't used to being this high up. I didn't see my apartment building, so I'm guessing this was the view from the other side. Maybe that's why he never saw me. Who cares? Even if he did have my building in sight, I doubt he would've ever noticed me.
I turned around, and Nathan was leaning against the island in the middle.
"I was trying to think of a way to come up to you without scaring you," He walked over to the fridge and began to take stuff out.
"Sit down. Let me make you breakfast," I sat on one of the stools by the island and watched him cook.
His hair was wet from the shower and sprawled all over his face. He was wearing a tank top that exposed his arms. Every time he moved, the muscles on his back would flex. It was hypnotizing.
We ate breakfast in silence, but I didn't mind, and I don't think he did either. He gave me a cup of orange juice and sat beside me. The plate in front of me looked delicious. When I was finished, I got up to clean up, but he insisted he would clean.
"Are you ready to talk about it?" He asked as he was drying his hands. I nodded, and he took my hand. We went to the living room, and he sat us on the couch again.
"I won't rush you, but I want to know what happened so I can look for this son of a bitch," I took a deep breath in and out.
"Let me tell you the story from the beginning,"