A Trillionaire's Revenge

XII

He gets up to leave, but stops at the door. "It's a Saturday tomorrow. I'll be home all day. If you forgive me by tomorrow maybe you can show up at the stables by 9 and I'll teach you how to ride a horse. If you don't show up, I'll know you haven't forgiven me" He leaves.

**
I lay on my bed, looking up at the ceiling as I think of everything that had happened in the last two months. I hadn't heard from José or any of my friends from Dubois C, I hadn't heard from Aunt Ruth and I certainly hadn't heard anything about my father. I knew he wasn't dead or worse off because if he was, I'd have been contacted already, so I was half glad I hadn't gotten any calls from home. I hadn't heard from my mother, but I had heard Luke talking to her multiple times. I was certain she must've been calling to demand for more money.

My mind drifts off to Rocky, and I think off all the moments we had. The first time I set my eyes on him, I had known that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I wasn't so sure about that now.

After successfully wearing my brown boots, I concentrate on my hair as I style it into front bangs. My blond straight hair fell back, almost reaching my waist. I had a head full of hair.

I apply a thin but noticeable coat of pink gloss and some powder. It was a few minutes to nine and I wanted to get there exactly by nine. Although, I wanted to seem a little difficult and go a little later, I knew if I went too late, I'd miss him.

Entering the kitchen, the workers chorus good morning at once and my face lightens up. "Good morning everyone, what's happening? What's for breakfast?"

Emmanuele dusts her apron, "Well it's Saturday so we thought you'd have some traditional shepherds pie and some wine"

I panic as I realize it's already a minute to nine, "Alright, Emmanuele, how do I get to the stables though?" I ask, a bit anxious.

"Well you just walk straight down, take your left by the fountain and keep straight. You will find it there" She says, a smile on her face.

*****
After much effort, I finally find the stables. I look around, but my mood drops as I don't see Luke around. I didn't have a watch on me or a phone, but I knew for certain that it had past nine.

I'm still standing there when I feel breathing on my head and a body pressed to mine. Luke, my mind races. We were dangerously close. My rump was against his manhood, my back on his chest and his breathing on my body. I turn around and I look at him. He was really tall and I realized I was nothing compared to tall beside him.

"Good morning," I say, consciously parting my lips.

"Good morning, Natalie. You came" He says

"Yes, yes, I did" I chuckle nervously. He smiles. "Shall we?" He asks and I nod.

After preparing the horse, Luke was helping me get on it. "Slowly" he says as I try to set my foot on the paddle. "Shall we?"

He guards the horse as it moves. "Her name is Milo, she's very dear to me"

I smile, ready to indulge in conversation with him. "I like her too. She feels soft"

He laughs, "Milo's definitely not a softie"

My face reddens at his reply, but I shrug it off. I wanted to talk about other things. "I hope you wouldn't mind my asking but how did you become so rich?" I scan his face, "What do you do?"

"I'm not a drug lord if you're thinking I am," He says and I laugh. "When you're fueled by anger, resentment, rage or whether it's your thirst for vengeance, it's impossible to not achieve your goal"

I process his words, "So you were fueled by something?"

He stops the horse and turns to look at me. "Not something, everything"

"Is that why you're always angry?"

"I'm not always angry, Natalie. My face might look it, but I'm usually happy most of the times. You just don't let me share that happiness with you because you hate me"

"Wait" I say, stopping the horse. "Help me down?"

I get down and stand directly in front of him. "I agree that we got married on very disturbing conditions and you don't like my family, but honestly Luke, I don't hate you anymore" I say, giving him a light smile.

He looks at me in shock, lips parted, "You don't hate me anymore?" He asks, "When?"

"It just happened, I don't think I'm that heartless to hate someone who constantly saves and helps me."

"As much as I want to believe you, I'm having doubts. I can't help it."

I tuck my hair behind my ear and scrunch my face in confusion, "Doubts?"

"Yes, doubts. You've tried to run away so many times, you've even made it clear that you'll do anything to go back to your old life- his voice breaks, "Your boyfriend." He says and I notice his eyes becoming red again.

I shake my head, "I understand that, but I don't want to do that anymore. My life now begins and ends here, with you." I say as I hold his hand.

"How can I trust you?"

"You'll learn to. Eventually." I say, as I wrap my hands around his neck and tiptoe for a kiss. We kiss. It was soft, gentle and slow. It lasted for a while. It felt like the world stopped and we were the only ones there. The taste of his lips made me wonder what I had seen in Rocky.

After the kiss, there was peaceful silence as we walked to the river ahead of us. The silence was truly calming.

"Let's sit by the tree." Luke says and we walk to sit by the tree.

"You go first." I say but he declines. "No, you go first," He smiles. He continues. "Say what's on your mind first, then I will."

He declines again, "Ladies first. Always." and I agree.

"You know, I really didn't get to know you before we got married. I still don't know anything about you." I chuckle. "And we're married."

He looks at me and I look away. "I wanted to say the same thing" He pauses and touches my hair. My body freezes at his touch. He continues, "Well, ask me whatever you want to know and I'll answer them for you."

"And as honest as you possibly can." I add. I continue, "I know your name is Lucas Carrington, Luke for short, do you have a middle name?"

He freezes at my question but composes himself quickly. "Yes" he responds, "It's just Lucas Carrington."

"You're how old?"

"Twenty five this year. You?"

"Twenty," say as we look at each other. I give a fake cough. "Your parents? Do you have siblings?"

"No, I don't. Well, I used to but something tragic happened to them. We were separated and I escaped, but they were murdered, including my little sister" He says and I gasp. "Jesus, I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to, I didn't know."

"It's fine."He smiles. "Whoever killed them deserves to die a horrible death. Did the police find the killers?" I ask

"You think so?" He asks me. "Of course, you don't just go around killing people, they deserve it too."

"If you say so," He responds, a weird look on his face. It must've been a very sensitive topic for him so I ask another question. One which had been bothering me for a while now. "Who's Laurel to you?" I ask, "She's very close to you and she doesn't like me much."

"Laurel's father used to work for me a few years ago, until he died. He left her in my care and asked me to always look after his daughter. There's no special relationship. If you think there's one,I assure you— there isn't. My love for her is purely platonic." He says and I feel a sense of relief. "However, there is someone I'm interested in."

My heart drops hearing those words, but that feeling disappears in a split second as soon as I hear his next words. "It's you."