Chapter 6

As much as I wanted to enjoy the rest of the night with Ari by my side, I just couldn't seem to get the fucking spy out of my head. Who in their right mind would dare to oppose me? Who would have the courage? If he hadn't known better, they'd have been dead the moment they crossed me.

Rage is slowly resurfacing within me. I should have been there so I could have immediately put a bullet through that fucking spy's head. I'm becoming restless, and I'm sure Ari is noticing the sudden change in my mood.

"Hey El, you seemed pretty odd after the call. Who called? Are you sure you don't want to share?" Ari questioned.

I'm bringing her back to her apartment after the gala, though I so badly want to take her home with me.  "Just blunders in business. But it’s nothing that Kyle can't fix." I replied.

I'd like to put an end to this discussion. I don't want her to know the dark side of my family. The dark side of myself that I would try to keep as far away from her as possible. 

"So you have that much faith in him, huh?"

I cast a glance at Ari, who was staring at me intently and couldn't help but notice those red kissable lips. I was distracted once more by those luscious lips, which made me forget about the fucking spy and tonight's delivery blunders. I just wanted to ravage those lips until she couldn't breathe anymore.

"El, can you stop staring?" With her question, she jolted me out of my reverie. I should have been embarrassed that she had caught me staring again, but instead, I began to tease her even more. I love seeing her blush and be affected by my words.

"I'm sorry, Ari. I can't seem to stop staring, especially with those red, luscious lips of yours that seem to want to be kissed all the time."

"You're such a pervert, Elliot! Could you please stop teasing me?"

"What’s the matter, baby, are you being affected? I'll gladly make you feel instead of being teased." Before she could even respond, the car came to a halt. I stepped out of the car as the driver opened the door and held out my hand for Ari to take. I escorted her back to her front door.

"Would you like to come inside, El?" she asks. She extended an invitation. And I'm seriously considering going in, but I'm holding back. I might not be able to control myself if I go in.

"For as much as I want to, babe, I'll decline the offer for the time being. I may do something to you that I am confident I will not regret, but which may make you uncomfortable."

"What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what I said. I really, really want to kiss you right now, and fuck it, I'm losing control. So it's best if I stay away from you for the time being."

"And why would you stay away again, El? You're my back-up boyfriend." She says again, reminding me that I'm nothing more than a fucking stand-in for her ass of a boyfriend.

"Do you have to keep reminding me of that every second?" I inquired, clearly irritated.

"What? And what's the deal with the tone?" she remarked.

I took a deep breath, shocked that after all of my teasing, we ended up fighting. Is this what they mean by a lover's quarrel? I shook my head before speaking to her again. "Are we squabbling? Is this a lover's feud?" I inquired, smirking.

"You sure you don't want to come inside?" She slapped my arm and shook her head before walking straight to open her door.

"Are you sure you want me to? I'm telling you, if I come in and can't control myself, it won't be my fault if I start ravaging you with that dress of yours that has been giving me a boner since I arrived."

"Oh my gosh, Elliot! Why have you become so straight forward?" Her cheeks have turned pink once more.

"This is me, Ari. I've been like this ever since. You just failed to notice." I winked

"Final question, Elliot Allister, will you be coming in or not?" She appears to be commanding me rather than asking me.

"Is that a question, babe? Or are you directing me to enter? I admire your fiery personality. It makes you hotter than you already are."

"Elliot Allister!" she warned again.

"All right, all right. I'm coming in. When was the last time you were this commanding?"

She strutted in, and I can't help but admire her sexy ass. She's very attractive and extremely hot. And fuck it, Elliot, you're going to need a lot of self-control in there. There's no way you are allowed to lose it.

"Elliot!" She called once more.

"Coming!" I responded.

When I walked in, the first thing I saw was a fucking picture of Ari and her ass of a boyfriend. Just the thing to put a stop to this boner I'm having and the lust I'm feeling.

"What the hell is this?" I yelled.

"What? What happened?" Ari returned with a worried expression on her face.

"What on earth is this picture doing here?"

"Oh, Elliot, shut up." she replied, laughing. "It's Matt."

"Who is Matt?" I tried to be nonchalant, but deep down, I'm fucking pissed. Why does this jerk have a picture here when I don't have one? Elliot, what the fuck? You're getting crazier by the day. Why would she have your picture if you haven't even seen each other in ten years?

"That’s Matt, my boyfriend."

"What boyfriend? I'm your boyfriend."

Ari glared at me after hearing what I'd said, and then she responded. "Allister, that's my real boyfriend."

I went straight to her couch, irritated by the way this conversation was going again. "What does your real boyfriend do then, Ari? How did the two of you meet?"

When I asked her that question, her eyes immediately lit up. "Well, we met in college. And he's in the programming field. And more than anything, he loves me. And he is the best."

"Are you certain about that? I mean, that he's the best?"

"Of course, El," she says. "He adores me."

"So, why isn't he here? Why do you need a back-up boyfriend, Ari, if he truly loves you?"

"With his work, things become complicated. And I don't want to stand in his way of achieving his goals. El, he's doing this for us."

"If he truly loves you, Ari, he should be here. He is supposed to spend time with you. Prioritizing you over everything else, because you are the most important thing in the world."

"Wait a minute, Elliot. Why are you passing judgment on him? You've never met him. That doesn't give you the right to judge him."

"Oh, I think I know enough to conclude that he's not good for you."

Ari appears to be becoming increasingly irritated with me. But what am I to do? I wanted her to understand her worth. She should take precedence over everything else. And if her boyfriend is incapable of doing so, he certainly does not deserve her. He does not deserve Ariella in the least.

"Elliot, stop."

"No way, Ari. You put a stop to it. Break up with him." My tone is commanding, just like the way I used to be when I wanted her to stay away from the other boys in school.

This caused Ari to snap and glare at me in an instant. "Pardon me? Why would you even say such a thing? And who are you to order me to do that?"

"Ariella, I am your fucking best friend. And I'm pretty sure he's not good for you. He does not deserve you if he does not treat you properly."

"Who are you to pass judgment on our relationship? And, as you mentioned, you are my best friend, Elliot. Just my best friend."

Those words that came out of her mouth surprised me. Is she really implying that I am just her best friend and that I have no authority to advise her in making decisions? This clearly pierced my heart directly. And it irritated the hell out of me. I was speechless. No words left my mouth as I stood up and walked straight to the door.

"I'm sorry, El. I did not-"

"That hurts! Save it, Ari." I said, cutting her off. I'm not interested in hearing anything she has to say. "I am, as you say, is just your fucking best friend. My job here today, I believe, is complete. I'm leaving."

"El!" She called as I walked to the door without looking back. "Elliot!" Ari tried to chase me down, but I never looked back.

I'm just her best friend. And will always be just like that, always her best friend. Why am I always in the friend zone? This fucking stings!