Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 12-1

I finally walked across the tarmac of Los Angeles Airport under a blazing heat. Since our departure that morning from New York, the conversation with Faïz had been limited to the very least. Pouting wasn't in my nature, and I wasn't avoiding him, either. Any feeling of resentment didn't occupy me. Up to him, if he wanted to talk to me about his late evening. For my part, it was out of the question to ask him for an explanation. However, it seemed that he did not know how to approach the subject. On that point, I wasn't going to help him, either. The valet had brought Faïz's car, which waited for us down the stairs of the jet. Then I glimpsed a Bentley beside his McLaren, which was also waiting.

— "Zoe," said Faïz in an embarrassed tone, the girls came to get you directly from the airport. They wanted to finish Victoria's birthday preparations with you. I thought it would do you good to see them.

— "They didn't have to."

— "Asarys and Lexy are happy to see you again, and I'm sure you are, too. You must have a lot to tell them."

Faïz stared at me with an accusatory look. I couldn't believe it. It was he who had finished the night in his suite with his ex-girlfriend, and he seemed to practically reproach me.

— "Not so much!" I spit, harsh.

My remark stung him sharply, and his black look answered in his place. Screams came out of the car. Asarys and Lexy rushed towards me. I hurried to get back to them without even taking a look at Faïz.

— "Oh! You look tired, Zoe!" said Asarys, placing herself in front of me.

— "We wonder why," said Lexy.

I sighed as the only answer to my friend's misplaced remark.

— "What? But no, I wasn't thinking what you were thinking," she continued to provoke me.

— "Lexy, grrrrr, not now, please!" I asked her to stop her innuendo.

Faïz, behind me, pretended he hadn't heard anything and escorted me to Asarys's car, where he put my suitcase in the trunk. The girls greeted Faïz and then went up to the Bentley to give us some privacy so we could say goodbye. Lexy's curious look in the passenger mirror was not very discreet, but it was just like Lexy. Faïz put his bag on the ground and approached me with his hands in his pockets. I tried to silence my weakness so as not to succumb to his destructive charm.

— "Look, Zoe," he hesitated.

— "I assure you, I don't need you to explain anything to me. Rachelle came, and I know it wasn't planned."

— "Nothing happened," he said.

His eyes begged me to believe it. He continued,

— "She stayed in my room, but I slept somewhere else, in another suite. She knows it's all over."

A great relief seized me. I was so afraid to hear a completely different truth. I carried a hand to my forehead, trying to hide this sudden tranquility. I then changed the subject to one that was much more worrying to me.

— "The fires? What's the status? From here, LA doesn't look like it's on fire."

His face closed abruptly.

— "The flames have not progressed, but a strong wind is expected to rise in the late afternoon. The situation is likely to get worse. I'm going there and will follow this closely."

— "Be careful. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. The girls are waiting for me. I'll see you later?"

— "Yes."

His gaze lingered on me before he took his bag and moved towards his McLaren.

**

When I sat in the back of the Bentley, the reactions of my two sidekicks were not long in coming. Their two heads turned at the same time.

— "I warn you, we want to know everything," Asarys said to me.

— "With every detail," Lexy added.

I tilted my head back, letting myself drop to the back of my seat.

— "Nothing happened," I began, waiting for the repercussions of my confession.

Asarys started the engine, accompanied by Lexy's cries. During the ride, I told them broadly about my stay in New York.

— "If Rachelle hadn't shown up, you and Faïz would have spent your first night together," Asarys breathed, disappointed at the turn of events.

— "I can't say if we're together or not right now, but we've gotten quite a lot closer over the last couple of days."

Before my friends continued their interrogation, I also took advantage of the opportunity to catch up on out what had happened during my absence.

— "How is it going with Ray?" I asked Asarys.

— "Yes... We're considering moving in together."

She glanced at me in the rearview mirror, worried to observe my reaction. Indeed, I almost choked listening to this news.

— "Is this a joke? I mean, isn't it too soon? Asarys, come on, you've only known each other for a few months."

— "I knew you were going to say that," she replied, "but it's getting serious between us and I don't know how to explain it to you. It's as if I've known him forever. We are so fusional."

— "Well, you're in love, basically! We understood it well," Lexy cut her off.

— "It's your choice, Asarys. If you're happy, that's the main thing. If he breaks your heart, I'll kill him," I said without appeal.

— "Yep, that's how it works where we're from."

Lexy made the West Coast sign with her hands to imitate the gangster mafia in Los Angeles. Then she chose a Jay-Z song from her playlist, which she put at full volume.