Chapter 26
Mavi didn't know how she felt about Owen's confession.
He had heard everything.... But he never answered.
Owen's eyes searched Mavi's gray orbs for any hint that she understood just how much she meant to him. But when Mavi took a step back from his embrace, he felt a terrible shudder run over his spine.
"Mavi..." Owen called to her gently as he reached out for her hand.
Mavi shook her head slowly as if she was in shock. Owen couldn't think straight. What was he doing? Why did he tell her that? He thought he had made up his mind to stay away from her.
Just then, Alec's voice rang out through the air as he approached them slowly.
"Are you two going to stand out here all day?" Alec asked as he squinted in the bright sunlight. As soon as he saw the expressions on Owen and Mavi's face, he halted.
"What?" He asked looking back and forth. "What did I miss?"
Next to him, Owen heard Mavi sniffle. He turned his head to check on her when she took off running towards Alec.
"I want to go home," Mavi begged as Alec caught her in his arms. "Please. I don't want to be here. I need to go back to the house."
Alarmed by her sudden outburst, Alec looked to his brother. Owen's face was unreadable. He stared at Mavi as he stood still in his spot.
"Alec," Mavi called his attention away from his brother. "Please take me back."
"Okay, okay," Alec said to calm her. "Let's.....let's get in the car. I'll tell mom we're leaving."
Don't touch her, Owen suddenly growled through the mind-link.
Alec froze, What the fuck is happening?
Take her home and leave her alone. Do not touch her.
Yeah, got the drill....still don't know what's happening.
Owen's jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching it. He hated that Mavi had run to Alec. No....she had run to Alec to get away from him.
As Alec walked Mavi back to the car, Owen stormed off towards the ice sheets. Mavi saw him walking away in the rearview mirror as her heart hurt in her chest. There was still a part of her that wanted to run after him and scream and yell if it meant having him near her. But the greater part of her needed to be away from him to be able to breathe.
Alec put the jeep in drive and drove towards the house. Mavi leaned her head against the cold glass and stared out into the white snow covered hills. It was only mind-day but Mavi felt as if she needed a nap to combat how emotionally drained she was.
"Mavi.....did he hurt you?" Alec couldn't help but ask.
He waited for her to answer. She hadn't made a sound since she got in the car, it was unlike her.
After a long pause, Mavi answered.
"Yes...." She said. Her voice barely whispered. "He hurt me."
Alec's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He knew his brother like the back of his own hand. He couldn't imagine Owen doing anything to harm Mavi.....
"I gave him my heart and he broke it," Mavi said with her eyes still on the road.
Alec glanced at her to make sure he had heard right, "What?"
"I love him," Mavi sighed.
Alec knew there was something going on between Mavi and Owen, but he didn't think it was this serious. When had this happened?
"Does he know?" Alec asked.
Mavi wanted to laugh at his question, "If he doesn't know it by now then I don't know how else to tell him."
Alec frowned. Mavi sounded extremely tired and drained. There was no emotion to her voice.
"What does Owen think about all this?" Alec knew Mavi wasn't in the mood to talk but he needed to know what was happening.
"I don't know," Mavi shrugged. "Why don't you ask him yourself....one second I think he might have feelings for me too but then the next second he's pushing me away....I don't know what to think."
"Wow," Alec shook his head. "This is a lot."
"Imagine how I feel," Mavi said, her voice void of any and all emotion. "I am the sinking titanic....your brother is the lifeboat sailing away..... That motherfucker......no offense to your mother. She is a lovely woman."
Alec laughed despite the strangeness of the situation. He quietly pulled the car into the driveway and handed Mavi the keys to the house.
" I have to go drop the car back for mom," He said. "Will you be okay? I can wait and go later if you want."
Mavi sighed as she got out of the car, "No, it's fine. Thank you."
"Alright," Alec nodded.
Mavi stood in the driveway until the jeep disappeared down the road. She climbed the steps with slow dragging feet until. Once at the door she fumbled with the keys before finally getting herself into the house.
Mavi didn't know what to do with herself. The large house was silent as the winter sky. There was nothing around for miles in all directions. Taking off her jacket and boots, Mavi began to roam around the empty house.
She stopped at every picture frame to admire the family histories. She saw family photos of Owen and Alec from when they were little with Manya. There were photos of Owen from high school at prom with some girl with long black hair. There were photos of Alec at football games and family picnics. Mavi smiled as she traced her finger over Owen's baby pictures.
When she was done exploring the first floor, Mavi wandered off to the second floor. The spare bedrooms were all neat and clean and ready to host guests. Manya's door was closed and Alec's room was a mess.
Mavi walked down the hall until she found herself standing at the entrance of Owen's room. She slowly pushed the door open and took a step inside. Her senses filled with the scent of fresh sheets and soap, it was her favorite scent. It had the power to both send her nervous system into a frenzy and calm her at the same time.
Mavi stood in the center of the room as her eyes moved over every inch of the place. Unlike his brother, Owen was an obsessive neat freak. Not a single thing in his room was out of place. Mavi had half an idea to mess everything up just to see his reaction.
As she stood facing the bed and contemplating her idea, she felt someone watching her from the door. The heat that gathered at the base of her neck was enough for Mavi to know it was Owen.
She stood still as she felt him walk up behind her. He was so close, Mavi felt the cold wind he brought in with himself from outside. She almost gasped in surprise when she felt his hands land on her hips. As her knees grew weak, Mavi leaned back against his chest.
Owen knew she was still upset at him. She had every right to be. But he just couldn't stay away. The thought of Alec alone with her while she was emotional and vulnerable drove him insane. He had gone up to the mountains to clear his head earlier, but he felt as if every step he took away from her he grew more and more restless.
The scent of strawberries from her hair pulled at his heart strings. Owen lowered his head until his face was buried in her hair. Mavi's breath hitched in her chest as she felt Owen's warm breath on her neck.
Just then, the bang of the main door closing startled the two. Mavi jumped out of Owen's arms as they heard Frank's voice.
"Owen," Frank called out. "You here?"
Mavi's eyes connected with Owen. He stared at her intensely as he called back to Frank.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a second."
Mavi remained in his room as Owen took a step back before turning and walking out. The frustration and confusion Mavi felt made her want to curl up into a ball and hide. As she went into her room, she wished she could turn off the feeling and forget about everything.
Mavi pulled the thick blackout curtains close in her room and jumped into bed. She let the floodgates lose and cried her heart out into the pillow. When she could cry no more and her head hurt in the most awful way, she slowly drifted off into sleep.
She dreamt she was back in the Kapoor penthouse once again. Avni sat in front of her on the couch as she bounced a baby in her arms wrapped up in a gray blanket. Mavi watched the smile and joy on Avni's face until it morphed into fear. Her eyes watched someone behind Mavi as she clutched the baby tightly to her breast.
Mavi turned her head to find Owen approaching them. She got up to stop him from going near Avni but her hand went right through his body as if he were a hologram. Mavi whirled around and watched helplessly as Owen took the baby from Avni's hands.
Suddenly, Alec appeared next to Avni as she began to weep for her baby. He held her back in his arms as he nodded at Owen. Mavi watched with a throbbing heart as Owen began to walk away with the baby.
The whole nightmare had been a silent affair. But as Owen passed Mavi with the baby in his arms, the shrilling sound of the baby's cry reached Mavi, jolting her awake.
Mavi sat up with a pounding heart as she looked around her dark room. Someone had pulled the covers over her and there was a tray of food by her bedside. Mavi checked the clock by her night stand and blinked in shock when she realized it was almost midnight. She had slept through the whole day.....
As she pulled the covers off of herself, fragments of the dream and her previous discovery of Alec's phone conversation danced in her mind. Mavi couldn't help but feel there was some connection to Alec and the baby. There was only one way to find out and she needed to act fast before her dream faded.
Quietly, as to not wake anyone up in the house, Mavi tip-toed over to Owen's room. A part of her mind shook its head at her because no matter how much she told herself she was doing this for Avni and Alec, she knew there was also a part of her that wanted to see Owen....
Before knocking, Mavi turned the door knob. To her luck, he had left it open. Mavi slipped in and pushed the door close behind her.
Owen sat at his desk and looked up immediately from his laptop screen as Mavi entered. Just the sight of her made his mind and body do strange things he couldn't explain. Getting up, he walked over to her as she hesitated by the door.
Mavi watched him approach her as she leaned back against the closed door. He came to a stop in front of her and searched her face.
"What's wrong?" Owen asked in a low voice. His fingers itched to push back the strand of dark hair from around Mavi's right eye. Not being able to fight the urge, Owen found himself reaching out and taking her silky locks around his finger and twirling it.
Mavi's eyes dropped to Owen's lips as her breathing increased. She shut her eyes tightly as his fingers brushed her cheek in the process of tucking her hair behind her ear.
No, no, no....This is not why she came to see him. She needs to talk to him....about about what again? And why was it suddenly so hot in the room?
The wool of Mavi's knit sweater itched against her skin. She opened her eyes to find Owen gazing at her face with admiration. Her own eyes dropped to his chest.
"Give me your shirt," Mavi said without thinking.
With hesitation or question, Owen pulled his white shirt over his head. Mavi bit down on her bottom lip as she watched the muscles on his body move under his smooth skin. It was as if he was cut from the finest marble and crafted by Michale Angelo.
Once he had his shirt off and stood in front of Mavi in his black sweats, Mavi grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her own head. She tossed the thing aside as she felt Owen's eyes roam over her half naked body. She said a silent prayer for Manya for picking out a decent bra.
Neither of them had any clue what they were doing or what was happening. Owen handed Mavi his shirt and she quietly pulled it over her head. Once the hole was through her head, he reached out and shimmied the thin fabric down her belly. Mavi's trembling hands reached the button of her jeans and struggled to undo them.
Luckily, Owen was there to help her out.
As his fingers reached the button, Mavi pulled her hands back. She watched him undo it and take a step back.
A small quiet part of Mavi's brain was trying to remind her about something....but she couldn't pay attention to it as she pulled her jeans off. It quickly joined her sweater in a pile on the floor.
Owen stood still as a rock as his eyes moved over Mavi. She felt him start at her toes and slowly move his eyes over her bare legs. The heat of his gaze was so intense, she could feel it through the material of the shirt.
Mavi waited for Owen to make the next move. She stood with her eyes locked on him as he held out his hand for her.
The decision to move forward was decided within a second. Mavi placed her hand over Owen's and he pulled her closer. She couldn't explain how natural it felt when he scooped her up into his arm and carried her over to his bed.
Owen's heart hammered against his chest as she laid Mavi down, being careful to place her head on the pillow. He held himself over her as he looked down into her gray eyes. Her hands rested on his upper arms.
As she began to slide them up, Owen closed his eyes and sighed. He only opened them when he felt her lock her hands around his neck and pulled him gently towards her.
Whatever spell had been casted over them, they didn't want it to stop. Maybe, just maybe, for one night they could both let go of everything and drown in their feelings for each other.
Mavi felt her stomach tighten as Owen lowered his lips to her forehead. He pressed a lingering kiss against her skin as her lips parted in a silent moan. Her toes began to curl as he moved down to her neck, leaving kisses in his wake. She felt him lower himself against her and press her into the mattress. Mavi's legs parted as Owen's hips nestled themselves in between her thighs.
Mavi bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from making any embarrassing noises. But it was hopeless when she felt Owen press a wet kiss against her neck and then stick his tongue out slightly to taste her.
When the breathless whimper left Mavi's lips, she heard and felt Owen growl deeply. He unhooked her hands from around his neck and gathered them in one of his hands. Pushing them over her head, Owen pined Mavi's wrists against the bed.
Mavi's back arched off the mattress as she felt him place another kiss against her neck. She almost squealed in surprise when she felt his teeth graze the crook of her neck playfully.
One of Owen's hands, the one he was not using to hold Mavi's wrists moved down to her hips. He pressed them down back against the mattress as he moved his mouth to her ear.
"Stay still, baby girl," He said in a husky voice.
Mavi felt her world swim behind her eyelids.
Baby girl....yes, baby girl.....baby....
Suddenly, Mavi's eyes snapped open. Her heart began to pound in her chest painfully.
"Owen," she spoke his name urgently.
"Hmm?" Owen said still teasing her neck with kisses.
"Alec is having a baby."
I was squealing like a little girl while writing this chapter, my bf thinks I am crazy and now won't stop calling me baby girl :P
What did you like? and also, every time y'all say "kiss already" ima push the kiss part back a little bit more :P hehehe