Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 1-4

In the living room, jazz music filled the room and a wonderful smell reminded me how hungry I was. The three of them were at the table and were talking in low voices. When I arrived, Victoria and Lily shut up, and Mr. Mattew stood up when he saw me. He was a tall, muscular man with brown hair. He came up to me, smiling. Despite his natural authority, he immediately seemed very sympathetic to me.

— "Hey, Zoe! Nice to meet you. Have you got your bearings?"

He gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek. His smile illuminated his face.

— "Yes, everything is going very well, Mr. Mattew. You have a very beautiful home."

— "Please, call me Charles. We'll spend at least one school year together, after all. Come on, let's sit down."

He cleared his throat before adding,

— "Has my son introduced himself to you?"

Seated in front of Charles, who had placed his elbows on the table and joined his hands under his chin, I opted for as detached a tone as possible without showing my irritation. Lily served me salad.

— "Not yet. I arrived only a short time ago."

The meal took place in a good atmosphere. The Mattew family told me about their professions. Lily lamented that her husband worked too much, regretting that he couldn't spend more time with his family. Victoria explained to me a basic life that was different from ours in France, on the academic level. The food was delicious. I felt tired at the end of dinner.

— "All right, Zoe! We'll let you unpack your luggage and call your family. Don't hesitate to take the phone on the table, near the entrance," Victoria told me.

— "Thank you all, and thank you, Lily, especially for this good meal," I insisted.

I decided to gather all the plates to help put away the dishes.

— "No, leave it. Miss Arlette will take care of everything."

Lily took them out of my hands. As I understood it, Miss Arlette was in charge of the Mattew house, along with Mr. John.

Upstairs, Victoria disappeared into her room after wishing me a good night. Nine hours of jet lag between Los Angeles and Paris, I preferred to leave a message for my father instead of waking him up. As I walked into my room, I heard a soft voice calling out to me behind my back.

— "Good evening."

When I turned around, I discovered Faïz Mattew. He was standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets. Like all members of his family, he was tall. His thick black hair, slightly disheveled, gave him a very mysterious look. I was surprised to see him dressed in simple white sweatpants and a t-shirt of the same color. He approached me. When he reached me, I could not turn my eyes away from his, and my heart began to beat at full speed. I had never seen a look as deep and penetrating as his, so electric, which took my breath away. His ideal physique and perfect facial features accentuated his hypnotic, almost unreal beauty.

— "Good evening," I replied in a whisper that was barely audible.

He smiled, revealing perfect teeth. Disrupted, I regained what little control I had left by trying to make the least nervous voice possible.

— "Zoe," I introduced myself.

— "Faïz. We'll be in the same university on Monday. If you need me to help you with your schedule or anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

He bowed his head as if to better observe me. I still did not understand what was happening to me.

— "Uh...okay. Thank you," I stammered with difficulty.

I nodded at him while making an effort to try to find two more words to say to him, but it was impossible. Faïz frowned in a moment of doubt and then turned on his heels to get back to the stairs. Zoe, pull yourself together! I was generally unimpressive, but the feeling I felt at that moment made me angry. I absolutely had to keep control of this coming school year.