I pull up to Julian’s apartment building with one minute to spare. I’m so glad I made the smart decision to leave a bit earlier than I had originally planned because the gridlock I encountered on the drive here was absolutely insane. Days like today I completely understand why some people get road rage. I used to think road rage was just something they put in Hollywood movies for dramatic effect until I came to the US. Traffic like this is just not a thing where I’m from.I jump out of the car while I text Julian to let him know I’m outside, leaning against the hood of my car. I take a breath and do the usual once over to make sure I don’t have stains, or anything stuck to my butt. I want this date to be fun and casual so we can enjoy each other’s company without Julian feeling like he needs to impress me. Fortunately, the weather is perfect today, so I’ve dressed in high-waisted baby-blue cotton shorts with a matching oversized elbow-length button-down, left open showing my mini, whit
Soon enough I reach our destination and, by some miracle, find a parking spot. So I feel like we’re off to a good start. As we get out of the car, Julian looks around in confusion.“Are you sure you’re not abducting me?”“In public? That would make me a very stupid criminal. Plus I don’t need ICE on my back.” I hold my hand out for him and feel like a giggly schoolgirl when he takes it. “It’s just around the corner,” I promise as we start walking.“It’s not an escape room is it?” he asks with disapproval.“Why would I take you to an escape room?” I counter in bewilderment.He shrugs. “I feel like people talk about escape rooms a lot these days.”“Stop trying to guess.” I give him a playful hip bump and keep walking around the corner until the large, flashing, neon sign of our destination takes up our field of view. “Surprise!” I cheer.He stares in wide-eyed disbelief. “We’re going bowling?”“Yup. I thought it would be fun. So come on.”I pull him by the hand into the bowling alley, t
For five years my life felt stagnant; stuck in a routine, too afraid and guilty to step out from my day-to-day. Now I’ve been swept up in a romantic whirlwind and I’ve never been happier.These past few weeks have been the most exhilarating of my life. Julian took me to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which I thought I’d hate or find boring, but I actually loved it! I walked a red carpet – it’s something the museum offers visitors – held an Oscar and delivered an acceptance speech that made Julian emotional. I learned the history of moviemaking and found the entire experience fascinating. It also allowed me to see Julian’s passion for the art form he has chosen as a career. I even got to see the real shark from Jaws! Who is apparently named Bruce. That was new information. I don’t think I’ll ever watch Jaws the same way now.At my suggestion, we went to Echo Park Lake and rode on those swan paddle things, and on another date, we had a day of fun at the Santa Monica Pier. Just th
I’m pulled from my inquisitive thoughts when I notice the limo pulling up to a marina. I sit up attentively, looking out the window at the lines of docked boats, but it’s as the limo comes to a stop that I see it’s stopped next to a long black carpet. Edward is out and opening the door, holding his hand out to me, which I eagerly take as I get out of the car, smiling in gratitude when I see how excited he seems to be for my date. I look down the length of the carpet to see Julian waiting at the other end, standing tall and dashing with a look of awe on his face.I breathe the sea air into my lungs, pull my shoulders back and walk down the length of the carpet. The closer I get to Julian the more jaw-droppingly handsome he looks. His hair is styled with gel, leaving it motionless in the breeze, a black, long-sleeve button-down shirt left partially open with a pristine white suit jacket over the top with a black handkerchief poking out from the breast pocket. His muscular legs are showc
Julian walks over and holds a chair out for me. I eagerly take my seat as he pushes my chair in, while I place my purse on the table settling into the luxurious cushions. Julian gets to work popping open a bottle of champagne and pouring us each a glass.“You really do look stunning tonight,” he gushes.I smile as my cheeks once again burn at the sound of his words. “I have you to thank for that. How did you know my dress size though?” I ask suspiciously.“I took a look at the tag on your shirt when I hugged you the other day,” he smirks mischievously, handing me a flute of champagne.I snort with laughter as I take my drink. “You get creepier and creepier by the day.”“And yet you came tonight,” he says victoriously, sitting down beside me.“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” I say sincerely. “When did you need everything returned by?” I ask, taking a sip of my champagne, the bubbles tickling my nose and going straight to my head as I feel the cold liquid travel to my stomach. I shouldn’t
***“Did that make it into a blooper real?” I question between laughs, as Julian regales me with tales from movie sets as we relax on the deck’s lounges.I find myself distracted, watching how the moonlight shrouds Julian in this ethereal light almost making him appear angelic. Moments like these make it so hard to believe this is all real.“Sadly it didn’t, but it should have because that was incredible,” he laughs, his thumb caressing my knee as I remain snuggled up to his side.“I’m not a big fan of pranks, but that one sounded like everyone got a good laugh from it.”“You and your brother never prank each other?”I shake my head. “Not our thing. Plus he was just a kid when I left. I feel like I’ve missed so many big moments in his teen years and I worry we’ll never get back the bond we used to have,” I say sombrely.“I envy that you have that kind of relationship,” he says reticently.“You never grew close to the other kids you lived with? Aside from Carter. I saw a picture on your
He wraps his arms around me, returning my kiss as he guides me towards the bed. His hands glide down to the backs of my thighs as he lifts me. I wrap my legs around him and soon feel the bed beneath my back.He presses me into the mattress, his body weight pushing down on mine giving me just a hint of what I’ve craved from him all night. I feel his firm cock pressing against my pussy through my soaked panties as he slowly thrusts against me making me mewl against his lips from the friction. His hands roam my thighs, finding their way to my ass as he squeezes firmly, making me mewl again.His lips find my neck once again, sucking and nipping at my heated flesh as my trembling fingers find the buttons of his shirt, undoing them as I untuck his shirt, pushing the fabric over his muscular shoulders, and down his arms, balling it up once it’s off him and tossing it to the side. His lips begin to move lower, pecking at the tops of my breasts as I slowly claw my nails down the planes of his c
My hips sway as I salsa to one of my songs of the week. This week it's Barrio by YEИDRY. I move to the rhythm of the beat as I wash my plate in the sink, the melody erasing the stresses of a long day at the diner. Ily walks over, brushing against my legs, so I quickly dry my hands and pick her up, dancing with her in my arms as I sing along to the music.“Tu no eres el hombre que conocì. Si quieres la guerra yo estoy aquí. Yo soy mi propria dueña y confió en mi fuerza.”Ily meows, not remotely caring about what’s going on, but happily clinging to me and nuzzling against my neck. As I continue to enjoy the song, I hear my phone ring, and quickly walk over to my laptop, putting the music on pause. I grab my phone and break into a smile when I see Julian is calling me.I answer the call and put the phone to my ears, “Hello, Mr Easton.”“Mr Easton? When did this become formal?” he asks in amusement.“I guess I’m just in a playful mood. Is everything okay? I haven’t heard from you in a coup
Three years LaterI continue to stir the pot on the stove while studying the textbook I have propped up on the counter like a recipe book. Next week is the week I go for my teaching license, and I am a bundle of nerves. I thought when I moved to the US I had to give up my dreams of being a teacher and that all my hard work and education were wasted, but since moving back to the Dominican Republic I’ve spent the last few years diving back into my studies and working hard to get my teaching license and get enough teaching experience to get a job as an educator.Ideally, I would love to teach children under the age of 9, but just being able to get a job anywhere as a teacher would be a dream come true. I thought Julian was insane when he suggested me moving back home, but when he said he wanted to move with me I was sure he’d lost his mind.I feared Julian would struggle to adjust to life here, but he’s taken to Dominican life like a fish to water and he is exceptionally good at the langu
I burst into applause, cheering like an over-enthusiastic groupie as Irina finishes debuting the first song from her very first album. My cheeks hurt from smiling as she takes her bow and throws an excited wave our way that I eagerly return.“I knew she’d make it here,” Áine declares, cheering beside me.I smile and nod in agreement, clapping with all the other guests. I quickly glance around, realising Áine is now standing alone.“Where did your guy vanish off to?” I query.“Bathroom,” she answers, getting that same adorable flush in her freckled cheeks whenever I call her boyfriend ‘her guy’.I can’t believe how much has changed in a year.My life has improved in ways I never expected. I absolutely love my job and as it turns out, I am really good at baking. I always liked to dabble, but it was never something I did outside of a sweet craving or wanting to do something for someone’s birthday. In the past year, I’ve gone from working front of house at the bakery to being one of the b
I’ve been debating on this next question but avoiding it won’t do any good so it’s best to just rip the band-aid off.“Have you heard from Carter?” I ask apprehensively.His body tenses and I see him take in a deep breath through his nose.“I’ve not heard from him, but someone else reached out recently…” he responds evasively.The evidence against Carter was overwhelming, especially when police searched his home and found the evidence that he had been stalking me for months, including all the items he’d stolen from my apartment that I was completely unaware of. I’ve switched perfumes for that very reason. He was looking at up to thirty years in prison for a long list of charges from stalking to aggravated assault, attempting murder, sexual assault, holding someone against their will, animal cruelty, burglary and breaking and entering. He ended up pleading guilty - much to my relief - because it meant we didn’t have to go to trial. The only downside was that he agreed to a guilty plea
I sit patiently waiting, nursing my cup of coffee as I watch the pedestrians passing along the sidewalk going about their day. I glance down at my watch seeing it’s now 12:10 pm, making him ten minutes late. I take a slow sip of my coffee deciding to give it another five minutes, which was the right decision because a minute later, Julian rushes over.“I’m so sorry I’m late, the traffic is insane today,” he pants.I stand up, giving him a kind smile. “It happens, but you’re here now.”He relaxes and goes in to hug me. As I move in to return the gesture we freeze awkwardly with our arms raised in the same position. We each go to switch our positioning, resulting in the same problem. We let out an awkward chuckle at our miscommunication as Julian runs his fingers through his hair.“This used to be easier,” he muses.I take the opportunity and move in, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. I feel his body relax as he wraps his arms around me, giving me a comforting squeeze.“It’s good to
“Miss? Miss?” a voice gently whispers. I open my eyes and see the nurse from earlier hovering over me. “Mr Easton is out of surgery and recovering nicely. I thought you’d like to know,” she says kindly.I spring up, immediately feeling my head spin and throb. “Where is he? Can I see him?” I ask in a rush.“He’s in recovery, but yes, you can go and see him.”I throw back the covers and jump out of bed, instantly regretting it when my knees give way. Thankfully the nurse has quick reflexes and catches me, helping me back onto the bed.“You’re not going to see anyone like that.”“Please, I have to see him. I have to know he’s okay,” I stress, starting to panic.“Breathe or you’ll end up passing out,” she warns. “Now stay put while I grab a wheelchair and then I’ll take you up to see him.”I let out a deep breath. “Thank you so much,” I say appreciatively.“Your boyfriend is very lucky to have such a concerned girlfriend,” she teases.I frown, suddenly feeling awkward. “Actually, he’s my
“I’m sorry if this hurts,” the nurse gently apologises as she cleans and dresses my head wound.I mumble a reply, my eyes fixed on my hands in my lap. The nurse did her best to clean me up, but I can still see the dried blood embedded around my nails and cuticles. I pick at it, trying desperately to get rid of it but it won’t go away.When I was admitted, the nurses took photos of my injuries. They did that the last time I was attacked too but this time it felt so much worse; so much more invasive. They took photos of my head, face, hands, wrists, ankles and chest. I guess there were marks there too but I don’t want to think about it. They did so many other things, but I just tried to tune it all out, even though they were being so kind and gentle the entire time and always asking if I was okay to continue. I wasn’t, but I just wanted to get it over with.“Excuse me, we were hoping to have a word with Miss Contreras,” announces a masculine voice.I look up to see a male and female off
Suddenly I hear a knock at the door and my tears stop dead in their tracks. Hope floods my system when I realise someone might be able to save me from this hell.Carter is quickly up on his feet, retrieving the knife and pressing it to my throat as he leans in and whispers in my ears, “Not a fucking sound, do you understand me?”I stare at the door, hope and panic rolling through me. Help is just on the other side of the door and yet it’s never felt further away. Another couple knocks rap on the door, followed by a voice I never wanted to hear again but now couldn’t be more grateful for.“Nalani? It’s me, Julian,” sounds his sorrowful voice. “I really hope you’re in there. I’ve been trying for days to reach you. I know you don’t ever want to see me again, I just…I just need you to know how sorry I am,” he sighs.Carter fists the back of my hair painfully and as I look up I see the rage filling his eyes. If I don’t do something, he’s likely to kill me out of anger and I am not ready to
[TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter depicts mild moments of SA. This may be disturbing or triggering for some readers, for those people, please proceed to the following chapter. To those who choose to read on, please proceed with caution]As I start to wake up I feel a horrible and familiar throbbing ache in my head and the skin on the side of my face feels tight and crusty, like something has begun to set there. I try to open my eyes, but my vision is blurry. I blink a few times and with each action, my vision starts to clear a little more. I immediately realise I’m in my apartment but I don’t remember coming inside. The courtyard lights shine through my window allowing me to see my room. I go to move but feel a sharp tug that makes me wince.Confusion and panic flood my system when I glance down and see that I’m sitting in one of my kitchen chairs with duct tape binding my wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of the chair. My breath starts coming in fast bursts as I try to yank and pul
Immediately I feel dread wash over me and those unpleasant gut bubbles rising in my stomach. The urge to check behind me starts to creep in and quickly my head begins to spin.“You couldn’t have phrased that another way?” Áine chastises Irina.“Nothing terrible has happened,” Irina quickly assures me, only easing my dread by a fraction.“Then why did you sound all foreboding like that?” I prod, breathing through my anxiety as Áine rubs soothing circles on my back.“Okay, so that’s on me. I was just going to say…Julian’s been calling me. He’s shown up to my place and left voicemails and text messages, all of him looking for you. I haven’t told him where you are because it’s none of his fucking business. I just thought you should know he’s clearly desperate to talk to you,” she informs me.Just hearing his name causes a pang in my chest. Since I left the penthouse I blocked and deleted his number. He came to the diner a couple times but each time someone covered for me and told him I was