ARIANA
Alistair and I had grown close. He called me daily and his watchful presence at the restaurant every night reassured me. Our friendship had blossomed but the tension between us sometimes got the better of us. I couldn't imagine a day without hearing his voice or seeing him.
He'd grown on me and I realized I couldn't go a day him without seeing him or simply hearing his voice.
That's why I was restless now. Weeks had passed since I'd last heard from him, and my calls went unanswered. I tried not to worry but it was no use. Nicole noticed my distress and attempted to lift my spirits but nothing worked.
I was worried. What if something had happened to him? No. He'd be on the news if anything had happened to the man. Or had he lost interest in me? My heart sank at the thought.
A knock at the door broke the silence. Nicole was out grocery shopping and Ava rarely left her room, so I got up to answer it. Sighing, I swung the door open and swung it open, not caring I looked like shit at that moment.
I gasped, my heart racing, and slammed the door shut. My heart accelerated ad I combed through my messy hair with my fingers. I took in deep breaths, trying to calm down.
I opened the door and frowned though a part of me was excited. Alistair stood before me, his smirk a mixture of amusement and apology, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. The warm sunlight streaming through the doorway highlighted his chiseled features, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe.
"You finally decided to show your face," I said, trying to sound angry.
"Hello to you too, love," he replied, his eyes crinkling. I fought the urge to smile, still hurt by his absence. Oh how I'd missed him!
I glared at him. "What do you want Mr. Belmayne?"
He stepped closer, his proximity sending shivers down my spine. God, how he affected me.
As Alistair brushed his knuckles across my cheek, his fingertips grazed my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I sucked in a breath. "Don't be like this love. How I've missed you."
My heart raced, feeling my cheeks heat up. I opened my mouth to speak only to let out a squeak. I flushed in embarrassment as Alistair stared at me in amusement.
"What happened love? Cat got your tongue?" He teased with a smirk.
I groaned "Shut up. Come in before I make a total ass of myself."
He walked in and I shut the door. I turned to him. I stared at him questioningly. He sighed.
"Love, I'm sorry. I -"
I cut him off as I wrapped my arms around him, holding tight as a mix of emotions swirled inside me. For a moment, he hesitated, taken aback, before his arms slowly encircled me, his warmth seeping into my skin.
"Do you know how lonely I felt without you?" I asked.
He brushed my hair with his hand. "I know, love. I'm sorry"
I smiled and led him to the couch. "So where have you been all this while?"
"I was busy," he said, avoiding eye contact.
I felt a pang of hurt. "You were busy?" My voice cracked.
He avoided eye contact. I scoffed. "You were busy! Wow, Alistair! I'm not as important as your job, I know. But you could've just called once or answered one of my numerous calls and here I was worried about you!"
"Ari -"
"Get out."
He groaned and tried to hold my hand but I pulled away. He cursed under his breath and I watched as he began to pace. It hurt, knowing this man meant a lot to me but I meant so little to him.
