Yara |18+|

42

VICO

"That's all that happened?" I asked Yara, the pad of my thumb giving her short strokes across her knuckles.

Since I picked her up, it was hard to let her out of my sight—not that I had an easier time doing it in the first place. But the way I was acting, one would have sworn she was gone for a week, at minimum.

I couldn't help myself. The thought was...frightening, to say the least.

"That's it," she murmured, her voice convincing and I nodded.

She had her eyes fixated on the television, caught up on something I wasn't paying attention to. I, however, was engrossed by the explanation she had given me.

Yara had, quite briefly, described what happened with Amir. From the time she sat down to speak to him, to the moment he had surprised her with a knife to her neck and the lack of handcuffs on his wrists.

He had threatened her and demanded that she drive him to the nearest park—all within a few sentences. I was dying to know more.

Not wanting to pester her, I clamped my mouth shut. But I had questions, and a lot of them. I watched her still face, the light from the television dancing on her eyes. It was dark in my living room and Yara was nestled snuggly under a fleece throw, but there was a certain uncomfortableness in the air that I couldn't exactly pinpoint.

Yara had gaps in her story.

And I struggled to understand why.

What are you hiding?

"You'll tell me if there's anything else I need to know, mama?" I whispered, clasping her hand underneath the blanket. I was worried. There was more to it and that fact stung.

Why isn't she telling me that I need to find Amir? Why is she so calm? Why was my heart beating with rage?

I wanted to find Amir.

As soon as she called me, I found it hard not to place a bounty on his head. He had me thinking the absolute worst and I couldn't take it lightly. Amir was young, and Yara wanted him to live. For a reason beyond me, she thought he was just a dumb twenty year old who had no idea what he got himself into. And she guess she felt bad for him.

Where did he get the knife?

"Yes, you know I will," she said, a small smile on her lips when she turned to me, gifting me with a light peck the corner of my mouth.

I grinned, unable to stop myself. I was relieved to know that she'd be honest with me. Not now, but soon. The shadows of the TV flashed across her face, and I was reminded of how I was always incapable of tearing my gaze from her.

"Thank you, baby," I murmured, the background noise slowly vanishing. "I'm just happy you're okay."

Yara smiled, glancing away from me but I eyed her.

What are you hiding?

I couldn't shake the feeling that something happened that Yara didn't want me to know about. Perhaps because it would upset me. Perhaps she was sparing me the details of what actually happened as a little white lie.

I turned forward, finding strangers on the screen but their words were floating through one ear and out the other. I couldn't focus on anything else.

She squeezed my hand, pulling the both of us out from the blanket to kiss me on the back of my hand. I smiled, a warm feeling erupting in my chest. Perhaps I was thinking too much.

She has nothing to hide and I'm being a paranoid fucker.

"That smile," she whispered, tracing my cheek with the tip of her finger. "Thank you for caring so much about me, Vico."

"Always," I muttered, my eyes searching her own. "You're...everything." To me.

"I am?" she chuckled, toying with my fingers and tracing the tattoos I always forget about until she examined them. "Well, you're more than that."

"Impossible," I rebutted.

"Yeah?" Yara murmured, her grin was giddy and her eyes were glistening. Beyond beautiful. "I don't think it is."

When she kissed me, this time on my lips, I closed my eyes and momentarily forgot about everything that had been worrying me. She pulled back, returning her eyes to the screen. She seemed at peace, and after the long day she had, I didn't want to burden her with the concerns I had about Kortez.

It never left my mind—not for a single second.

The doubt, the confusion, the never-ending questions were a plague I couldn't get rid of. Everything about the situation set off the warning bells in my head. How did Amir get loose? How did the locked door miraculously unlock? Why didn't Kortez find the knife when he patted Amir down?

Why was Kortez dead set on having me stay and wait, instead of leaving and looking for her?

So many fucking questions.

And not an answer in sight.

I squeezed my eyes shut and ran a hand over my hair, breathing out a sigh that directly translated to I'm stressed.

Before Yara, nothing could faze me. With Yara, it felt as if I couldn't breathe without her. A weakness, some would say. But Yara was anything but a weakness and I refused to have potential and hypothetical circumstances ruin my time with her.

Taking her hand, I kissed her palm and felt her cup my chin after.

I fall harder and harder each day.

When is it going to stop?

"What's bothering you?" she asked, her eyes soft and warm.

Yara moved her hand, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck and I let my eyes fluttered shut. She truly brought a serenity that couldn't be bought. I wish she could touch me forever.

"There's a lot of things about today that doesn't make sense to me, my love," I muttered, leaning into her and her fingers interlaced into my hair—giving me head scratches that I almost moaned at.

"Like what?" she asked, frowning at me.

"Don't worry about it, amor. When are you going to bed?" My attempt at changing the subject was a fail.

She gave me a look, folding the blanket off of the both us to reveal her bare thighs. I couldn't look too long before she was on top of me, straddling my lap while her arms closed around my neck.

I looked up at her. Yara was warm against me, and I rested my hands on her hips.

"Don't tell me not to worry about it," she murmured, her scent engulfing me when she leaned closer. It felt good to have her on me—too good, and I almost forgot what I intended to say. I wondered if I should tell her. Maybe it would have been good to have an outside perspective.

I swallowed, watching her face while I spoke. "How do you feel about Kortez?"

"Kortez?" she repeated, her brows pulled into a look of confusion. "I trust him. Why?"

"That's all I needed to hear." I kissed her, hugging her closer.

"Okay," Yara said, and no further questions were asked except, "You ready for bed?"

I was quick to nod, ignoring the fact that I was left feeling more confused than ever.

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