Chapter 21 Mixed feelings âGideon âCan you give me directions? So I can come here.â
You wonât need that, Iâll get you a driver who will bring you here and wait for you.â
She looked out of the window for a second.
âGideon, you donât need to care about that. I can come here on my own. You spent enough on me.â
âAlice, first, I promised I would do that, and I donât mind. Second, I wonât let you travel nor drive or wander alone in Los Angeles.
That is dangerous.â
I instantly regretted my last sentence, because she looked at me with a sudden move.
I pretended I was focusing on driving instead of responding to her. What she told Lily about escaping was still in my mind. I didnât want to let her go. It wasnât just 1 wanted her to stay with me, but it was also about I would have broken if she would have ended up in Riccardoâs hands.
I knew I shouldnât hold it back. I should have let that happen sooner than later, and maybe then it wouldnât be so painful. I might have gotten over it sooner and in a few years 1 would forget her completely. But it didnât matter how much I fought with my feelings inside me. I wasnât able to let her go yet.
She slowly turned her head back to the window, and she took a deep breath.
It was lunchtime, and I decided, Iâm going to take her out. My dadâs words were in my head. I had to show myself with her. I knew she ate healthy food. Actually, I preferred that too, so I drove to a restaurant where they only made healthy, organic food.
When I parked the car, she looked at me, surprised, and I could see a bit of fear in her eyes again. I wished I could tell her not to be afraid.
âItâs lunchtime. We are going to have lunch here.â I told her.
She just nodded sadly, undone her seatbelt, and opened the car door to get out. I took a deep breath, and I followed her. She just walked next to me, but I held her waist, pulling her closer to me. She nearly jumped when I touched her. From this close, I could smell her delicate scent, and that just made it harder for me.
a busy place, but it wasnât too busy this time, so we could choose a table. I chose one in the middle.
The restaurant was in a We got She didn the menu cards. As I looked at her, I could see her hands were shaking. I forced myself to ignore that.
didnât speak, just as usual, but I could also see that she had no appetite at all.
âHave you finished?â I asked her after I finished my dessert.
She nodded and wiped her mouth. I paid the bill, and I pulled her close again while we walked back to the car.
I drove back home, and as soon as we entered, she disappeared into her room. I sat down in the living room, and I held my head. It was a real torture for me too. I knew what could help me though, and even if I didnât want that, I knew what I had to do.
I took my phone to check my messages. Gemma wrote a lot of things, probably she was drunk when she wrote them. I think spending a little time without her made me feel sorry for her again. I dialled her number, and she picked it up in two seconds.
âGideon?â
âHave you calmed down?â
âYes, I miss you so much.â She said that in a crying tone.â
âMeet me tonight in the club. Iâll be there at the usual time.â
âOkay.â
+10 Bonu Chapter 21 Mixed feelings âRight, Iâll see you the then.
And I hung up. I didnât want to be too nice to her. I wanted her to understand she canât behave like that.
Tonight Iâd be staying up for sure, I thought, so I thought Iâm going to get some sleep. I went to my room. Before Iâd have entered mine, I watched Aliceâs door for a few seconds, then I pushed my door open. I just laid in my bed, but when I closed my eyes, I saw Aliceâs trembling figure. This was the picture I fell asleep with.
When I opened my eyes, it was sunset already. After I showered, I put jeans on with a white shirt. I did my hair. I used my favourite perfume, and when I felt satisfied with my look, I walked downstairs.
When I passed the living room, I looked out the window. The sunset was beautiful this time. As I watched it, I saw something from the corner of my eyes. Alice. She sat at the pool, but instead of watching the beautiful view, she lowered her head. From her trembling shoulders, I knew she was crying I took a deep breath, and I turned around. It was painful to see her like this. I fought with myself while I sat in my car. Finally, I punched the steering wheel, and I decided I would get drunk tonight. After partying, I would have a long wild sex with Gemma, and then I would go back to normal.
I drove to the club. This time, I went straight to my private room, straight to my minibar and took out a bottle of whisky. I was hungry, and I planned to eat, but I avoided that instead. I thought I could get drunk quicker if my stomach was empty.
It actually worked. I only drank two single ones, and I could feel the familiar dizziness. When I took my phone, I called one of my guys to find out where she was. I sat down on the sofa and I waited for her. I didnât need to wait for too long. In a few minutes, someone knocked on my door. I held my glass in my hand and 1 awaited her to enter.