50 Shades of Drake 3 and 4

Torn: Chapter Twenty-Four

    "Your dreams," she said, turning her head again.

    "They were the only entertainment I had," he said, and cleared his throat. "But, yeah. It was a dark period. I wasn't sure I'd ever get out of there. I made a lot of promises to myself, promises to be a better man once I got out. Promises never to let you go again."

    She leaned back against him, staring straight ahead while he rubbed body wash into her skin.

    "And before you ask me, no I don't think that this agreement we have in place is letting you go," he added. "It's my way of fighting for you, fighting to keep you in my life. Fighting to prove that I'm the man for you. There's a difference."

    She smiled at her words. "There are movies, out there. A lot of movies who do the love triangle thing," she said, raising her eyes to the ceiling. "Twilight is probably one of the best known, but there are so many. And in those movies, it's never clear why two men are head over heels for this one girl. For instance, in Twilight. It was hard for me to even enjoy the movie. Throughout the entire movie, I just kept asking myself, Why Bella? You know? What is so interesting about this girl who seemingly has no personality at all? Why would two guys be completely head over heels in love with her?"

    Aubrey continued to wash her in silence.

    Her eyes lowered down to his hands, his perfectly crafted fingers wrapped around the washcloth. "Now I'm in that exact same situation, with you, and with...with him. And I can't help but feel like I've been thrown into some crazy movie. It doesn't feel like real life. I find myself asking-"

    "-What is it about you?" he interrupted. "What is it about you that has two men head over heels in love with you?"

    A tremor shook her voice as she answered, "Yes." She released a sigh as he circled the washcloth around her nipple. "Not just two average men. Two amazing men who are attractive, successful in their own right. Two men who could, without a doubt, have just about any woman they wanted."

    Aubrey laughed.

    "I'm serious," she said, pouting at him over her shoulder. "You met me in a bakery. I'm only...I'm only anything because of you, because you worked some crazy magic to enable me to work at Graham Enterprises despite the fact that I'm not even a Canadian citizen."

    "Technically, you were hired through the Calabasas office," he said, dipping the cloth into the water again. "But I don't ever want to hear you make the statement about me being the only reason you're anything. You're underestimating yourself, selling yourself short. I don't approve of that."

    "It's true," she said, sitting up and turning around so that she was facing him. Water sloshed in the Jacuzzi tub.

    "It isn't true," he told her, his voice growing stony. "Not at all, and you insult me."

    "Insult you? How?" Destiny demanded.

    "By thinking that I would choose a woman who was worthless," Aubrey said, wringing out the towel with both hands. "I have standards. High standards. You could ask anyone. Don't ever compare yourself to a character from Twilight ever again, by the way. You are a real woman. You are...beautiful. Sharp. Funny. A very talented journalist, and I do agree that journalism is your true calling. You are sexy." He stopped himself. "This reminds me of the first real conversation that I had with you."

    She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

    "You're usually very confident, very assertive," he said, looking concerned. "This self-doubt that you have going on..."