Mastermind

Chapter 14

Astor

I sit on the couch while Grace is in the bathroom washing her legs. I start counting the minutes, 5 have passed since she went, which is a reasonable amount of time.
Dylan sits on the couch, waiting Grace. He seems hesitant and troubled. I suspect that the source of it is probably about his best friend, but he keeps glancing at me like he wants to say something.
" Tell me." He jerks his head like I pulled him out of his haze.
" What?"
" You keep glancing at me. You obviously want to tell me something, so go ahead." Surprise is in his eyes while he studies me for a second.
"You are weird." He leans, putting his elbows on his knees. A lot of people find me weird. I never really cared about other people's opinions on me. I am always confident about myself and my capabilities, I know what I am doing and who I am.
Always.
"I've been told."
7 minutes
"Listen I just" He huffs out a breath, and I look at him, waiting patiently to tell me. " I know Grace better than she thinks. She wants to seem like she is always put together and resilient and strong, hell she is, but she has a big fucking heart. She is the most selfless person I know and I don't want to see her get hurt."
I would never want that either. I know she is selfless. I see what's deep in her soul. I see it when she takes care of her sister, when she withstood the vomit on her in order to help her sister, when she covered for her cousin to her parents. She does not want to move out of here where the source of her anxiety is just because she does not want to leave her sister alone. She never told me but its quite obvious. She is all heart. I see her feelings in her eyes every second and the fact that she tries to seem strong and resilient to everyone else in order to help them is even more selfless.
"That was never my intention." That's the last thing I want. Of I suspected that I am hurting her in any way I wouldn't be here.
I want to stay with her. I never imagined myself being with someone long term until Grace. She does not trust me fully yet I know. That what this is all about. She wants me to get into her personal issues to see what I will do. How I will react. But I am not leaving her anytime soon. Whatever happens. I know I will ace her test.
I smile thinking about it.
"You really like her huh?" He smiles a little.
" Like is a dull word but yes I am extremely fond of her. What is there not to like?" He laughs.
"What?"
"She always says that you know? About that word. She hates it."
I smile.
I check my watch.
15 minutes.
" Excuse me." I tell him without explaining or paying attention to his reaction and go upstairs. I get inside her bedroom that I memorised when I brought het the heels and I gently knock on her bathroom door. Water is running so she is most definitely inside.
" What?" She claims sounding irritated. I get inside without knocking twice or asking for permission.
I see her sitting at the edge of the bathtub scrubbing her feet with her sponge fully clothed with the water hitting only her ankles and feet. She maniacally keeps rubbing her feet and more foam is forming by that friction. Her skin is red and irritated.
"I did not tell you to come in." She says eyeing me for a moment anger in her eyes.
" You didn't tell me not to." She makes an angry sound and rubs her feet faster. I near her and I place my hands on hers stopping her movement.
" There are not clean yet Astor." She knows they are. Her brain though is telling her that there are not.
" There are perfectly clean." I rub her arm with my thumb while I am holding her, her muscles ease a little.
"I can still smell the vomit."
"Darling, the only thing that smells here is cherry and blossoms. Just rinse off the foam and let's head downstairs." I kiss her temple. She leans into me exhaling a breath. This is the first time that she is being so comfortable with me and I stay like this for a moment.
"Thank you." She tells me looking in my eyes. They take my breath away. The passion is written all over her face not trying to conceal it. I kiss her again her soft lips feel like velvet and she smells like vanilla. I feel so full in this moment. I've never been so utterly consumed by a person. I feel her in every atom of my body . She breaks the kiss licking her lips and stroking my cheek lightly with her thumb. She then turns away and rinses off the foam. I pass her the towel hanging besides me and she dries her feet. She slips into a pair of louboutin black heels, takes a breath fixing her hair and turns to me.
"Let's go." I smile putting a hand on her back and heading downstairs. Together.