RULE NUMBER FOUR

“No. No, you cannot do that. There's still time to cancel your application.” He was affected by what I told him, but he was proving to be difficult. He held on to the steering wheel, probably trying to ground himself so he doesn't reach out and touch me.

 “I told you already, I plan to disobey every single one of your rules.”

“Alec... You don't want to play this game with me.” His voice was lower, had even more vibration beneath it. Inside of my pants, I was hard, really hard. If he touched any part of my body right now, I might explode.

 “Really? Because it seems like it is you who should not play this game with me.” I refute sharply.

 We were dancing to a new tune, it was never like this between us. And now I was openly daring him. And he liked that I was daring him.

 “You have gotten a lot bolder little good Alec.”

He said with raised brow. He used the nickname, a score for me.

 “I was raised well.” I say, referring to him. He wanted me to say whatever I wanted, if it had consequences, I could face them later. Because not saying what you have to say was painful.

 He smiled, impressed.

“Our world was at the resort. Here, it’s the real world. Go back Alec, for your sake and mine.”

This again?

I raise my chin stubbornly. “No, not unless you’re coming with me, and if you sneak out at night, I will follow you.”

 He opens his mouth to argue, but I didn't want any more of that. He was my happiness, and I choose to pursue him.

 “Nothing you say will change my mind. I was able to find you here even with a fake name. Imagine what I would do with your real one.” I say with a hand poised to pause his thoughts. I was pushing it now, being a brat.

 I pull his phone out of the phone holder in front of him, the one that didn't make an appearance at the resort. The phone was password encrypted and his wallpaper was one of a home. I knew instinctively he designed the home.

 “I want to input my phone number, so you can decide when next we meet, or I will keep randomly showing up.”

 Silently, he takes the phone from me and inputs his pass-code. All the while I was buzzing with excited energy. Everything was sharper, brighter, even more beautiful.

 “Call me.” I whisper, it is laced with the thing he liked so much, me begging.

 Just as my hand touched the handle of the car, his voice makes me pause,

 “You do know you'll pay for this right?”

Right on cue, my belly exploded with a mixture of feelings, anticipation, longing, excitement.

“I deserve it.” And then just before I leave, I tell him.

“I missed you.”

I wasn't sure I heard him correctly, or I imagined it, because he was gone when I turn around.

 “Even more so, more than you know it.”

Maybe I heard it right, maybe it was wishful thinking. But I met him again. It took everything in me not to squeal. I didn't give up, I met him again.

 “Christopher.” I try his name out loud.

“Did he say he was going to do it??” A woman asked, startling me. She came from behind me, still lugging a lot of bags around with her.

 The woman that might be late for dinner. She made his food. I didn't allow my mind travel that way, because it was obvious it would end badly.

 “Do what?”

She frowned, “Weren't you meeting him to design your home?”

 Oh. She did think we were having a business meeting. She seemed close to him, she didn't know about me. Was I a secret?

 “No, I applied to work here part time.”

Her brows relaxed, “I am in charge of that this time. Caitlyn Holt, everyone calls me Cait.”

She arranged her plenty bags into the other hand, stretching the other to shake me.

 I take her hand, it was small in mine but she had a good grip and a firm handshake.

 “Alec Sanchez.”

She nods once, retracting her hand and distributing the bags back into the other hand.

“Did you bring your car?”

I nod, pointing towards the beat up truck, I would have been ashamed, but Christopher liked it.

 She grinned, “Great, mine is at the mechanic, Lord knows it develops a new fault the longer it stays there.” She walks in the direction of the car and wouldn't let me take some of her bags.

 “Instead of that, I need you to drop me off. I got this new inspiration for this condo Chris flipped, and I had to.”

The excitement in her voice is contagious, so I don't mind dropping her off. Even if she got to call him Chris and I was just finding out his real name.

 “Did you just move to town?” She asked looking at my stuff at the back.

I nod again, it seemed i only had words when I was talking with Christopher.

 “Have you found a place to stay yet??”

There was excitement in the way she asked the question, so I hesitantly answer no.

 “You are in luck. One of the apartments Chris flipped is on the market for a renter. I think you are going to love it.”

 I already loved it hearing that it had something to do with Christopher. I didn't care if it was a tent, he flipped it, so it was perfect.

She went on and on about how all the apartments flipped by Christopher gets snatched immediately, but he just finished this one this last week, and nobody knew about it yet.

 While I sat on his bed feeling like he left me behind, he was busy flipping apartments. It left me feeling sour, but I was here now. I wouldn't be left behind again.

 “So, I assume you have your resumé on hand.”

I did, but it was on my phone and inside of my box, it was impressive since I spent my entire life accumulating work experience.

 “Why do you want to work with us Alec?” She asked when I slowed down in front of the apartment that he just flipped.

On the tip of my tongue was my practiced speech I gave everyone that asked for it. But this time, something in her eyes stopped me.

 I inhaled,

“I want to know how it happens, the magic of it all. What makes people so excited about construction... I want to learn.”

 She chuckled breezily at my spiel.

“Well then, I think you are a perfect fit. Still, come in for the interview, it is only a formality.”

My heart swelled, feeling gratitude to the woman who I wanted to dislike, because she might mean something to Christopher. But how could I? She was so nice.

 The moment I step into the apartment, it felt like I was transported back to the resort. His room back at the resort, mixed in with bits and pieces of how I decorated my old apartment, and then his touch.

 “Wow.” I say softly.

Caitlyn chuckled,

 “I still get that same feeling. It always blows me away. He remodeled the entire apartment and did the decorations himself. I would say he poured himself into it. He holed himself in here after he...” She caught herself. But I got it,

 After he disappeared for days, without letting anyone know his location.

“Anyway, you'd be getting the best apartment out there.”

 I knew that. I paid for two years upfront, surprising Caitlyn. But I couldn't let the apartment slip from my grasp.

 Later when I was laying on the bed, looking at the ceiling that looked similar to the same one we stared at together back at the resort. While he listened to me ramble, his hands stroking my hair.

 My phone dinged with a notification that pulled me upright, it was from him. It was an unsaved contact but the message...

 “Daddy's little good boy? Really?”

I chuckled. That was the only way I could think of saving my number on his phone.

 “I saved yours with Daddy.” I send quickly. I did save it that way.

His response doesn’t come until I had nearly bitten my nails to a quick.

 “Heard you already got the job...”

They must be close... could they be living together? As what?

 No. No. I couldn’t think about it.

During my internal monologue, his second message had come in.

 “Too bad... I got work outside the state, and I would be gone for a long, long time.”