Celia

19 Your Secret's Out

Celia

Gio.

Just thinking his name makes me smile.

The way his lips softly and hesitantly captured mine. His earthy, citrusy scent filling my lungs. The heat from his broad chest enveloping mine. The way his green eyes looked like he could take over me like a storm.

It's been four days since then and he's been hiding like some giant, scaredy cat, flinching when I'm near, stammering when I speak, and finding any excuse to leave.

He's either at the auto shop or locked in the garage or running errands. My dad's been absent on a mysterious business trip and I haven't been bothered by Alex, so my mind has been at ease.

Daydreaming about his lips.

I've been keeping myself sane by helping Marilyn with her herb garden, trimming the crops for her special blends and distributing it to her friends.

We've been having poker nights and I've even made some trips to the confessional box. My studies are progressing well— diving deeper on the fallacies and law...

Ignoring my student debts, saving every penny I can get... planning how next year will unravel.

Of course I don't plan to stay in this town, not even for Ari and Gio. Hell no.

I'll be dragging them with me once I find out what's keeping them stuck here in the first place. My guess is that is has something to do with the garage, but I can't figure it out.

Is he maybe a male prostitute? Is he running a brothel? Like a biker fetish for older women? I don't know... maybe that's why he's doing so well suppressing his urges.

I just hope it's nothing creepy... sometimes his gentle demeanor is weird, given how muscular and commanding he is. I just know there are exciting parts of him locked up that need to be unleashed and the more he resists, the harder I want to sneak in.

Just like I sneaked into the backyard today to chill in my hammock he bought for me.

I texted him in advance— followed his damn rules— but he hasn't replied, which isn't my problem so I showed up anyway, about an hour early to enjoy this dirty poetry book.

Chanel's dancing Zumba behind the gate and I wish Luna would claw her skin off, but she's basking in the sun next to me, eyes closed and black fur shining prettily. Every once in a while, she'll try to catch birds or butterflies, but she's a lazy bum like me who just wants to chill.

I nearly get a heart attack when the garage door bursts open and Gio hurries out with a bloody hand into the house, not even noticing me. I didn't even know he's in there.

A gasp leaves me when I notice he left the garage door open and I sprint out of the hammock, my bare feet meeting the grass as I run towards it while Gio's still inside.

My brows furrow when I notice how tiny the garage is... something's off, it can't be this small.

Luna purrs by my feet, wrapping her tail around my ankle before strutting to the dark corner.

"You freaking genius..." I gape when she leans her front paws on a second door I didn't even see. "How'd you know there's another door?"