GRIFFIN
It's really hard.
It is hard to pretend like she's not right outside while I shower and do every mundane thing I can think of. This was everything I wanted two years ago. To have her with me all the time.
And if I am being truthful, I still want it.
What Aaron said really got to me. What if there is more to the story. There's more to know. Maybe she was blackmailed. That son of a bitch isn't above doing anything, not even to his own blood.
I can't continue to punish her for something she might not have done. But I am not going to be showing her business plans just yet. I need to make sure I am right first.
I change into grey sweatpants and towel dry my hair as I walk into the room to see Ariel sitting on the foot of the bed, her legs cris crossed using her phone, hair in a messy updo. Something tugs at my heart at the sight of her on my bed, looking so casually in place.
I close the door behind me which makes her look up at me. Her big gray eyes trail from my wet hair, down my bare torso then stare at my crotch before she blinks snaps her gaze back up to my eyes.
"You aren't wearing a shirt." She frowns.
"I'm aware." I toss the towel to the arm chair near the window, walking to the dresser to check my phone.
"Well, put one on." She says.
"I don't sleep with a shirt on, you know that." I say distractedly, scrolling through my texts.
"That was different. We have to have some ground rules if we're sharing the room." She says. I put my phone down and turn towards her.
"You mean my room?" I question.
"Actually, it's our room." She smirks.
"Since when?"
"Since you begged me to move in." Her smile turns malicious.
"I did not beg, tesoro. You won't ever see me beg." I shrug. "Why do you care if I am wearing a shirt or not." I ask.
"Because it's distracting! How would you feel if I took off my shirt." I smirk at that. Her face twists. "Don't answer that." She spits. I chuckle at her increasingly reddening face and puffed cheeks. Riling her up is too tempting not to do it.
"Just sleep Ariel. I am sure you can resist me if you try." I smirk wider at her frustrated groan.
"You are impossible." She crawls up the bed, giving me a distracting view of her bottom before she snakes under the covers, getting some cushions and placing them in a line down the middle of the large bed.
"Mama asked me why she doesn't see us talking or going out together. She thought there was something wrong." Ariel tells me.
"We'll talk more infront of her. Act like we're," I pause, "Civil atleast." I finish.
"Okay." She says, putting the last cushion down. "This is the line. Neither of us will cross it." She glares.
"Sure, micetta." I drawl, laying down on my side of the bed, turning out my light making it dark.
"Thankyou." She whisperes into the silence, and I fall into a sound sleep after months of restlessness.
________________
"Griffin." I hear a soft voice call.
"Hm?"
"Your arm." She says. My arm?
I peak an eye open go see gray eyes looking back at me, her face close to mine. I lean back to see Ariel tucked into my body, my arm wrapped around her waist.
"Please let go." She whispers. I look back up at her face. She looks sad, her eyes glossy.
I unwrap my arm from around her and move away.
Ariel quickly scrambles to get off the bed and races into the bathroom. Why did it look like she was about to cry?
I get out of bed and grab my phone, checking my calls and texts then head into the closet to take out a suit. I hear the bathroom door open, and Ariel walks into the closet aswell, in a white robe covering her. My white robe.
She doesn't look at me, just walks to the drawers on her side of the closet, and starts doing something. I look at her a second longer, trying to see why she's being unusually quiet, then head to take a shower myself.
When I come out after my shower and getting dressed, Ariel is standing at the dresser, putting on earrings. I see her reflection in the mirror, her nose is red and her cheeks flushed.
"Are you crying?" My tongue slips before I can help myself. Her eyes meet mine in mirror, looking even sadder than earlier.
"No." her soft reply is delayed. "I'm going to go downstairs and see if they need help with anything." she mumbles, walking out of the room.
Great. One night of normalcy, of just us talking and now she's back to icing me out again.
ARIEL
I had to get out of Griffins room.
Waking up wrapped up in his arms was so devastating, it took me my surprise. Amongst all the angst of not wanting to let him have his way, I hadn't factored in how hard it would be to keep my feelings at bay when he was always there.
I had gotten so emotional, I cried in the shower. Embarrassing, I know.
"So, how was your first night in your new home?" Alana asks, while she sets the croissants in a plate, and I put bread in it's basket.
"It was nice. Comfortable. Dinner was great, and I love how you all sit together and talk after." I smile.
"I meant with Griffin." She says softly. I look up to see her eyes having a knowing expression.
"You know." I simply state. She purses her lips in silent agreement.
"Well, it was awkward at first. It's not easy going from being with him all the time, to not seeing him in two years, then suddenly living with him." I shrug.
"I know that you're not both entirely enthusiastic about the wedding. What I don't understand is why? Why are you getting married if neither of you truly want it?" She asks.
"If you find out, I'd love to know." I laugh bitterly. Alana frowns. "Sorry. All I mean is, I have no idea why he wants to marry me, he's--" I hesitate.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me. But I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about, I promise." she says kindly. "Wait, accept Ares. I can't really keep anything from him." she shakes her head.
"No it's not that. Well, I mean yes partially, but also, he's your brother in law. You two have a nice relationship I don't want to pison him in your mind." I frown at the thought.
"You won't. I've known Griffin for three years, I know him well enough to know he says and does things impulsively, than regrets them later. Atleast with the people he cares about. He's a great businessman, just not a people person." She smiles.
"He says he needs to marry me for a business related issue. And he's threatened to bankrupt my families company if I don't." I finally say. I keep the part about him threatening to kill them to myself. No need to be vindictive.
"He did what?" She fumes.
Uh oh.
