Should Have Not Asked - New Adult Romance (Wattys 2014)

Chapter 27 - Stone

"Unless you ask for it," he adds.

"Of course." I lean closer and tenderly kiss him on the lips.

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself glued to Damien. He is sleeping like a child. His arms around me, his torso bare and beautiful. We kissed all night. He kissed me everywhere until we both fell asleep, but it didn't go beyond that. I was amazed at how much patience he'd drawn out to himself to not take advantage of my weakness and vulnerability. He brought me to a new world, and if he only took one more step farther, I would have let him make love to me, but he is more than the asshole everyone thinks he is.

Damien drives me home after we had breakfast in his house, then I go straight to Max's for work.

"Are you not coming to the party tonight?" Ray asks while dumping the ice cubes for a strawberry flavored sludge into the bucket. "I'd be there. I can be your date. I'm sure Charles won't mind," he adds with a smirk on his face. I remember Joanna Sloane invited all of us to her birthday party. "And there's still our graduation ball."

I managed to keep my relationship with Damien a secret from Ray for three grueling days. I feel like killing myself for keeping secrets from my best friend. Every time Damien comes to the school cafeteria or to Max's to check on me, I can't help rejecting every candid and thoughtful deeds he wishes to do for me just to keep Ray from suspecting us. I wish I can freely tell him, but every time I try to, something comes up, and I end up not telling him.

Maybe this is the time to tell him, I thought.

"Ray, there's something you must know," I say after taking a deep breath. I turn to face him. "Damien and I are together."

"What?" The cup of iced water he is holding fell straight to the floor. Ray's mouth widens like a piranha's. "Since when?"

"Three days ago."

"And you're just telling me now?" The shock has completely turned his face pale.

"I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you right away, but things just happened and... I don't know."

"Oh, my God! I thought you hated the man!"

"I was an idiot."

"I know." Ray quickly gives me a hug. "You owe me one night of storytelling."

"So no party for tonight?"

"Definitely no!"

After three hours of nonstop storytelling in Ray's place, Damien came by and treated us with the best burgers in the city. Ray couldn't stop teasing us, and all I could do was shoot him with glares.

"Who would have thought?" Ray kept on saying while eating his burger.

After the date, Damien couldn't drive me home because his mom called and said that the mayor had a mild heart attack. Damien would have introduced me to his family tonight weren't it because of his dad falling sick. He insisted on bringing me to the hospital anyways, but I told him it would be a little rude to introduce me when his family is stricken with fear for the mayor's life.

On my way home, I notice a black car parked across our house. There is a man in a business suit leaning against the car's door.

It's Hunter Stone.

I cannot be wrong. His midnight black hair matches the color of his car and tie.

"Mr. Stone?" I literally take a lungful of air when blurting out his name. I think I know the reason he is here.

"Miss Mohr." He straightens himself up at the sight of me and bows his head slightly.

"What are you doing here?" I ask despite knowing his intentions. "How long have you been here?"

"Paul conveyed to me the bad news," he says.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stone, but I don't think I can do it again. I'm just not the right girl to be your Angel Grant." I remember how I made a fool out of myself that night.

"No, you are just perfect."

I smirk. I swear I feel my heart lurch to my throat when he uttered the word perfect. He wasn't serious when he said that, was he? Or is he just trying to persuade me with flattery?

"You played the part so well. I will be pleased to work with you again." Finally, he's making some sense now.

"Did Paul tell you what we talked about before I even agreed to that?"

"Yes, it was all my conditions."

"You have the answer right there, Mr. Stone," I say confidently.

"I can modify the contract. Hell, I could even write you a new one."

He's too adamant, isn't he? I thought. He's not anymore the cold and snobbish Hunter Stone I met before. He's not intimidating and all-powerful anymore. Now I realize, I possess the power over him this time. What made him so desperate by the way? To think there could be hundreds of girls who are more than willing to take my place. I am not even a very good actress to begin with.

"I could raise your pay," he goes on.

"I'm sorry, but I don't need your money," I answer immediately.

"I didn't mean to offend you by saying that. I just meant I am willing to make some financial compromise just to get you back."

"Mr. Stone, I don't get it." I shake my head. "You have all the resources to find a better substitute. You know I can't be the refined lady you are asking me to be. I almost blew my cover back there."

"You do not know what you are talking about," he says. "They were mesmerized by you. The media adores you. You are different from the girls I dated, and my office is always in disorder every time they call me to ask about you. I have to end this. You have to come with me tomorrow."

Tomorrow?

"Ms. Mohr, my aunt is throwing a party tomorrow. My entire family and the media will be there. After you showed up with me that night, my entire family had gone crazy to meet you. Just this one time. I have to do this for my dad."

"What happened to your dad?"

His face turned unexplainably sad.

"I didn't know he's sick. Now he wants to me to come tomorrow with you."

All of a sudden, I feel Hunter's pain. He reminds me of myself. I could do anything for my family, and so is he. I bet he is just doing this to do his dad a favor. Who knows, maybe his man is on the verge of saying goodbye forever? With the way he's pleading to me, it seems that there is no other way to make him happier than to see his son happy with a woman.

"After tomorrow, what happens next? What happens to Angel Grant?" I ask.

"He won't suspect. Eventually, I'll tell him that we didn't work, and you chose to leave the state."

"When are you going to tell him?"

"When he's all better."

His raven eyes are so serene and gentle, and they are pushing me to accept his request.

"So do I get a yes now?"

I still don't know.

I am afraid I'd be worse tomorrow than the first time I was with him. I don't know anything about the rich's party. I don't even know anyone from his circle. What if this time my disguise fails me? It wouldn't just be my end but Hunter's and his dad's too.

"Ms. Mohr?"

"Okay, but this is the last time, Mr. Stone."

"I promise."