Chapter 28
♬24/5 ~ Mimi Webb
I watched as Sienna walked over the bridge towards us, dressed in a skin tight yellow dress that hugged her tiny but curvy model body.
Her hair was in a beautiful French braid and she had worn yellow stilettos to finish the outfit off. She obviously looked drop dead gorgeous. Again. I managed to feel a tinge bit jealous concerning her effortless beauty.
"Hey guys," she beamed once she had reached the house. The response, to my surprise, was extremely enthusiastic. She was evidently loved by everyone at the table.
"Do you want us to leave?" Yves whispered into my ear.
"Yes please." He held my hand and helped me out of my chair. Sienna turned to the both of us, her eyes scanning my outfit then averting to Yves and then switching back to me. She gave me a wide smile, which shocked me, but I smiled back.
"You're already leaving? The party is just getting started." She widened her eyes at him.
"Yes. She's not feeling well, so we have to dash. I enjoyed the meal, everything. It was good having you all," he addressed the entire table, which cheered in response.
"Aw, get well soon Isla. I might stop by with some flowers and chocolate for you." She winked, and I suddenly felt horrible for ever hating her. She was really kind and nice to me. I thanked her then turned back to Yves.
We then walked down the bridge, our hands clasped together as I laughed at Yves' humorous jokes and stories. It had been a great evening, and I didn't regret joining him.
"Oh my gosh Yves, you got us the photographer?" I gasped when I noticed a woman walking up the magnificent bridge we had stopped to enjoy while staring at the glimmering stars.
"Of course. That's what you want, isn't it?" He kissed my forehead and I giggled lightly, my face briefly nuzzling into his chest.
"It is," I responded.
"Yes, then so be it. We'll get pictures." He turned to greet the enthusiastic photographer. She liked me at first sight, to the point where we didn't even shake hands but hugged.
"Amazing! Don't be shy with your poses," she praised as I wrapped my arms around Yves' torso, and his were on my waist.
We posed more, and surprisingly, Yves co-operated. If anything, he was more enthusiastic than I about getting our pictures taken.
She showed them to us afterwards, and there were over fifty of them, and they looked high quality and beautiful. Even at night, the images were very clear.
My favorites had been the ones were Yves had his hands on my ass as I stared up at him but with my back turned, and another where he had his hands around my waist, kissing my cheek as I giggled. We looked so happy, so romantic. So cute. So meant to be.
"I loved going out to dinner with you," I sighed happily while slipping my nightgown on.
"I loved it too. Everything is better when you're around me," he pulled a t-shirt that hugged his large muscles on. Holy shit.
"Are we going down for a movie and a cuddle?" I gave him an innocent smile.
"Yeah. Why not?" He scooped me in one swift movement as I laughed.
He took us downstairs and he carefully placed me on the plush, luxurious white couch, as though I were a delicate item. His delicate item.
"Why are you this gorgeous Isla?" He shook his head and I felt my cheeks heat up.
"I don't know," I shrugged as he gave me a chaste kiss.
"Been waiting to do that all night baby," Yves murmured against my mouth as my hand stroked his chest.
"I know you have, because I have too." I ran a finger down his cheek and gave him one more kiss before we finally got to watching the movie. It was a sweet rom-com, nice for a peaceful night with my man.
'Red is your color darling,' the man in the television spoke to his girlfriend, and I didn't miss the jaw clench that Yves executed.
That's when that question popped back into my mind, straight from my subconscious, and I lightly called his name, drawing his attention to me. He had paused the film and all his attention was centered on me.
"Why do you dislike the color red? I couldn't help but notice that there isn't even a red rose on the island," I whispered gently, and I watched his face morph into all sorts of indecipherable but frightening emotions.
I quickly placed my arm on his shoulder when he was about to leave, and I tilted his head down to look me in the eye.
They were now glassy. He was already on the edge. I had hit a sensitive chord and it was evident in the way that he looked so upset, so sad and so neutral.
"You don't have to tell me if you're not yet ready," I said in the most soothing voice that I could muster.
"No, I think it's time you knew. I owe it to you," he exhaled slowly.
"My step-mother's favourite colour was red. Her hair was red, her lipstick, her everything. She was always dressed in something red, be it a scarf or even a ring."
"My father had two wives; my mother, Monalisa and Abigail, my step-mother. Before Abigail came along, my mother and father were madly in love with each other. Two years down the line, I came along and after that, my parents started drifting slowly."
"My mother spent more time nurturing me, my father on the other hand craved attention and it was his first time having a child. He hadn't known what the cons were, and so, to cure his attention crave, he found Abigail and married her. My mother was heartbroken about it, she cried every night, but she still stayed for my sake. However, she found a lover too, Aiden's father. She got pregnant with his child but kept it a secret from my father. And when he eventually found out, we moved out to stay with Aiden's father."
"We stayed with him for years, he loved me more than my father ever had, but I still visited him on weekends. I hated it there because of Abigail and their son. Unfortunately, Aiden's father died from a stroke and we had to move back in with my dad."
"My mom and dad fell in love all over again, despite the fact that they had separated. Abigail became more jealous of my mother because my father loved her more, and she was very beautiful. I also used to get more attention than her son from my father, and she didn't like that one bit." His voice was stone cold. The sharper edge in his tone told me that we were reaching quite a sensitive climax but I never interrupted him. I let him speak in peace.
"It was until one day, I found Mom, I found her-" he inhaled sharply and I quickly held his hand, encouraging him to go on.
"She was dead, on the bathroom floor. Someone had smashed her head against the wall and she had died on the spot. I was too late, I wasn't able to protect her like I had promised-" He broke down and I also started crying but wrapped my arms tightly around him, his face comfortable in the crook of my neck.
His warm tears trickled down my chest and his body heaved violently, his breathing uneven as he poured the bottled up emotions up. It was worse than the last time, and I appreciated that he had let me in. That he had trusted me enough to share his most sensitive story with me.
"It's okay, just let it out. Cry it out," I stroked his muscular back gently as his large hands gripped me tightly, as though I was going to slip away any minute. He really needed my support and my assurance that he was perfectly normal, that it was okay to cry.
We spent the next few moments like that. I was patient and gentle with him as he acknowledged just how hurt he was, just how hard it was to appear strong when he was crumbling inside, day by day, slowly and painfully.
Just how difficult it was to push the thought away this time, and I was proud of him, for enduring it all. For probably holding back the unshed tears for such a long time, until today. For showing me his truly vulnerable side, and allowing me to hold him as he nurtured the pain like a normal human being. Like a little child.
"Thank you," he whispered quietly as I tightened my grip around him.
"You don't have to thank me. I'm always here for you," I stroked his cheek.
"My step-mother had accidentally dropped her favourite ruby ring. It was covered in my mother's blood. I knew then, that it was her, she had murdered my mother." Yves exhaled shakily and I still held him tight, resisting more tears from hearing his emotional story.
"Aiden and I were bitter for a very long time. Monalisa's death was obviously framed, claiming that she accidentally slipped and died, but we knew the truth. We got bitter to the point of revenge, to a point of poisoning Abigail and watching her endure a slow, torturous death." He said lowly.
"That was the end of her. It felt like hell, walking into the bathroom and remembering my mother, so at twenty-one, I moved out with Aiden and never returned to my father's house. I regret us moving back in with him up till this day. Unfortunately, he ended up committing suicide, claiming that everyone had left him, and I felt very bad about it. I mourned my parents for five years, and I think I still am." He was now looking down at me, teary-eyed, and I was also on the verge by just seeing him so sad.
"In his will, he had mentioned that I would get three quarters of his riches, then my step-brother would get a quarter. He is not pleased with that, up till this day," Yves shook his head with a tiny smirk. I smiled slightly and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Who is your half brother?" I found myself asking, and he simply responded.
"Terrence Daniels," I gasped in shock at his statement.
I covered my mouth and gave him a look of disbelief. I suddenly felt ashamed for ever considering him. Or even speaking to him. That's when it finally clicked.
That powerful aura. It was very prominent amongst them, Yves and Terrence. They had that similar energy, and once I thought about it carefully, they actually looked alike, but I hadn't noticed it. It was a shocking but eye-opening discovery.
"Is that why he likes red? Because of his mother?" He nodded at my question.
"Yes. He is honoring his mother, I am too. Monalisa's favorite color was white," he smiled at the thought, and then looked down at me.
"So why is he always at your company?" I frowned in confusion.
"We are sorting out the inheritance. He wants at least five percent of my share and I agreed to give it to him because I already have too much of my own money. He needs it," I couldn't help but giggle at his statement, and surprisingly, he joined me.
"Sorry, it was a bit funny." I sighed as Yves grinned widely.
"It's okay. Thank you for being there for me, for comforting me, you have no idea how much I needed to eventually vent, I had kept it in for so long-"
"No need to thank me Yves, really. I should thank you for letting me into your life and sharing this with me. I know it's such a sensitive story," I hugged him tightly and he did too.
"I love you so much Isla," his deep voice said against my ear as he came on top of me.
"I love you more Yves." I sighed when he started kissing my jaw, his hand stroking my thigh. In no time at all, he had pushed my legs apart.
"Have you forgotten, Yves?" I whined when his fingers brushed my inner thighs.
"You lied to me baby. You're not on your period, it ended three days ago." I gasped at his words, giving him an astounded expression.
"What? N-No-"
"Hm-hm. I checked your calendar, and you didn't put a tampon on after your evening bath tonight," he looked at me in satisfaction.
"You stalker, it was just in case-"
"Just in case my foot. Now, I'm going to punish you for lying to me, how about that?" He bit his lip as he pinched my nipple through the material.
I shut my eyes at the satisfying effect, then whined at his statement. He ignored me, pulled my underwear down, gently pushed my legs open then let his dark eyes wander to my bare pussy.
"There's nothing baby," Yves licked his lips.
"No-"
"Yes. Now get up and bend over on the table, naked."
____________
Oop-💕