Yara |18+|

54

YARA

"We'll talk soon, yeah?" I muttered, wrapping my arms around Alexis to give her one last hug. It was hard saying goodbye to her and knowing us—we'd have another fight before a wholesome reunion.

She grinned, nodding her head as the tip of her finger caught a tear that had fallen. I wasn't ready to part with her. I glanced over at Vico, finding him standing by himself as he leaned against the wall. The amount of patience he possessed was baffling. In a way, I aspired to be like him.

"Of course," Alexis said, giving me one last squeeze before letting go. We were still outside Vico's restaurant, and the both of us had walked her to her car.

We didn't talk long. On the contrary. Our conversation was short, but we managed to speak about everything. The food we ate was the highlight of our evening. But Alexis had a flight to catch. I waved, watching as she got into her car and slam the door shut. The window was quickly rolled down, and the luggage on her back seat became clear. In the back of her car, suitcases were piled on more suitcases. Where is she going?

"You'll let me know where you end up?" I asked, handing her a separate container of food for her man. Apparently, he loved a rib-eye more than he loved her.

"I'll let you know as soon as I know," she muttered, chuckling as she grabbed the food. "Thank you for this."

"No problem," I said, stepping away from her car. "Go before you're late."

"Tell Vico I say thanks, okay?" she said, clicking her car into gear.

"Yeah, I will," I murmured, pursing my lips.

Does she know I might never see her again?

"And thank you," she added, her voice soft. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Somehow, we both knew that was a lie. We were on different paths—ones that lead in different directions. For now, I doubt we'd see each other soon. Still, I nodded, finding comfort in the fact that I knew she didn't give me off to Amir.

He said she did, and I knew it was under false pretences. Alexis was my girl. Alexis was hard headed and like me. She was a friend I'd remember until the day I died.

As if it were yesterday, I remembered our missions together.

She was the bait. A tool to lure men who deserved to die. Without her, who knew how many awful people would have been roaming the streets. I smiled down at her, reliving the memories. It was bittersweet. The both of us were happy to be free from blood on our hands and she didn't say it, but I could see she was relieved to be out.

Money was a concern, but it was worth sleeping peacefully at night. But as she said, she had a rich boyfriend and the G-wagon she sat in was hers to keep. I was happy for her.

"I'll see you soon," I murmured, waving at her as she rolled up her window. With a hoot, Alexis sped away and I watched her car until she rounded a corner.

She's going to be gone for who knows how long and who knows where. All we knew was that she was boarding a private jet in two hours with suitcases packed with summer clothes.

I sighed, feeling Vico approach me from behind. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side and I let my arm close around his lower back. There was a sinking feeling wafting through me that told me I wasn't going to see Alexis ever again.

She was happy.

I was happy.

To a certain extent, our lives were so similar yet completely different.

"I don't get the both of you," Vico commented, his voice confused and I cracked a smile. Nobody ever did.

"I know," I said, grinning up at him.

"That was the quickest fight I've ever seen resolved," he said, rubbing my shoulder with the palm of his hand.

I frowned. "That was not a fight."

His head snapped to me, slight surprise written all over his face. "It wasn't?"

"Fights usually involve a knife or two, isn't it?" I murmured, watching as his face dropped. "I'm kidding."

"Oh," he breathed. "Because that would be...crazy, right? Tell me that would be crazy."

"That would be crazy," I muttered, laughing at the stressed expression he held. "But that was just a conversation we had."

"A very hot one," he said.

I paused. "Huh?"

Vico paused too before his face dropped with realisation. "I mean heated, amore. That's the word. Heated."

"Relax," I grinned, tugging on his jacket. "You're so uptight."

"You're tight."

I gasped, giving him a small slap on his chest. "Stop it."

He grabbed my hand, kissing me on the knuckles and I smiled at how affectionate he was. He always was, and it was probably the part I cherished the most about him. When did I turn into a person who loved being kissed on the back of my hand? When did I turn into a person who looked forward to ending the day off with Vico next to me?

My gaze softened and as much as he made me pulse between my legs, my heart throbbed harder. He could affect me in any way he liked and I'd enjoy it.

"Thank you for doing this," I whispered, standing on the tips of my toes to give Vico a soft kiss on his cheek. "I know you had your doubts, but thank you for trying."

"I'll do anything for you, hermosa," he muttered, and I could tell he meant it with his entire being and possibly more. Me too. He grasped my hand, and I realised that we were still standing in the empty street. How late is it? I glanced around, not finding a single soul and I figured it was probably time to go home.

"You ready to go home?" he asked, his gaze soft as he stared down at me.

It was a tough pill to swallow saying goodbye to Alexis knowing that she was approaching her own journey on the opposite side of the world with a man I never met. Through all of that, I couldn't be happier that I was going home with Vico. It was truly a blessing.

"Yes," I told him, happily allowing him to drag me to his car. "I can't wait."

Alexis and I had already eaten, and I was in need of a sweet treat.

As if reading my mind, Vico asked, "Ice cream?"

Immediately lighting up, I rushed to put my seatbelt on as I nodded.

"Fuck yes," I muttered, all too eager. How did he know?

Vico chuckled, clicking on his own seatbelt. "Salted caramel?"

I looked at the man next to me as if he had just uttered the most profound sentence. He knows everything. I could kiss him right there. I could reach for his pants and have him fuck me right there the way I felt. I didn't have a particular favourite flavour. How did he know what I was in the mood for? Was he inside of my head?

Instead of saying yes, it felt more appropriate to say, "You're fucking amazing."

He grinned, showcasing his deep dimples and I almost wanted to squeeze his cheeks.

"Yeah?" he whispered, driving off and heading into the direction of my favourite ice cream spot. "Well, I try," Vico shrugged nonchalantly, brushing the compliment off as if was nothing but the smile on his face told a different story.

"You're pretty amazing too, amore," he whispered, running his hand over my thigh.

I couldn't help but grin at the man next to me.

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