SIN DE RELLA

ARELLA

NORMALLY, after our amazing sex I fell asleep right away with a smile on my face, but last night I stayed up repeating the scene in my head that Skip had witnessed and spent a lot of time thinking. Thankfully, he didn't even ask what happened. I knew it, the guilt would eventually kill me.

Last night wasn't a dream.

Brett opened the door of his old room and let me enter, then locked it behind him. I rubbed my hands together to ease the trembling of my fingers. The way he approached me I knew something was off.

My neck chilled.

"Is everything okay, Brett?" I spoke.

"You tell me." His voice was a cold knife that sliced through my heart.

"Tell you what?" I watched him closely as he crossed his arms over her chest.

His nose flared, trying to control his anger, and added to it, he wasn't impressed by me asking him back. He kept on narrowing his eyes at me with an intense focus, waiting for my answer.

"Cut the crap, Brett. Just tell why did you have to bring me here to ask me. Well, you can tell me now or else I'm going back to Skip." Then I realized something. I raised my hand. "Wait a minute, is this about me and Skipper?"

"Tell me, where did you go the whole six months after you graduated from high school? And don't you ever lie to me and tell me shits, Arella." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. Brett clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, barely holding his patience.

My eyes bulged with complete shock. My breathing became labored. Brett continued asking me and started to yell. The sound of my heartbeat thrusting in my ears made me seeing black spots. Clutching my arms tightly, I found myself walking towards the bed and sat there, searching for something to cling on. I breathed deeply.

"Did you really traveled outside the country with Alys or did you stay the whole damn time at Seattle?" Each word he threw at me was like a dart. It was bull's eye and painful.

Tears fell from eyes and I shook to cry. He knew everything.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us? Why the fuck did you have to decide and do that on your own? Did we not really matter to you at all? What do our parents think about this if they found out, Arella?" His furious voice and piercing eyes continued haunting me.

My brain could barely focus on how I was going to answer him. I closed my eyes to start talking, but my sobs made me harder to speak.

"Does he know? He doesn't, does he?"

My eyes went wide open, alarmed to his question. Lowering my gaze down, I covered my face.

I took a risk by shaking my head. "P-please, Brett, if you still love me, don't do this. I-I promised—"

The door swung open, I knew it was Skip. The only thing came to my mind was to slide down the bed and beg for my life to keep whatever Brett already knew would stay between us.

My morning with Skip became a routine. He was not an early riser before I stayed in his apartment, but he moved his alarm to an hour earlier than the usual time has been set. I dragged my lazy ass toward the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I watched my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were still swollen from crying last night.

I grabbed my phone to check my calls. Mom sent me a message, asking what upset my brother last night. I couldn't even remember how did I get back with Skip to his apartment. The last thing I knew was him hugging me tightly and helping me out of that room.

A message from Brett caught my attention. My eyes started to sting.

Brett: Tell him or I will.

I typed a reply.

Are: I will just give me time.

I tapped the send button.

The apartment was silent. I quickly got out of the room and searched for Skip. I needed time to think of what should I do. I made a promise and that was the only thing I would never break otherwise I was going to lose the only chance I had.

The living room was empty and no sign of Skip spending time there. I sauntered towards the kitchenette, a half-empty glass of water on the sink and a brewing coffee maker. One thing I learned about him was he didn't drink tea like the British used to.

"Skip?" I called out.

I unlocked the door of the pool room. I flinched at the sound of drums welcoming me. Skip sat straight on the stool, giving me the complete view of his sweaty sexy bareback. His hair tied up in a bun. He was only wearing the dark blue jeans that made him look hotter.

"Skip!" I called his name, but he didn't seem to hear me. That was when I realized he had a headset on.

For good seconds, I watched how his muscles flexed every time the drumsticks stroked the set and the simultaneous movements of his feet on the pedals. The beat was perfectly in rhythm even I could only hear was the drums. I wasn't aware Skip actually like music much less played drums of all the instruments. He looked hot and sexy when he headbanged and get lost to whatever song he played. Judging by his moves he was throwing all his frustration onto it.

I stepped closer to him and grabbed his shoulder blades. He stiffened, then turned around, eyes still closed. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. I pulled the headset away from his ears.

"How long have you been here?" I wiped his sweat dry with my shirt.

Skip pulled me closer and slipped his head inside my shirt, then snaked his arms around my waist. He dove his nose just down my braless breasts and inhaled in. "I woke up early."

His hot breath made me suck in a deep breath. Ignoring the sensation he gave me, I complimented, "I don't know you play drums. And for the record, you look hot in here playing half-naked." I pulled up my shirt, releasing him. Then I leaned down to cup his face and give him a soft kiss on his lips.

Suddenly, Skip frowned. "Your brother called." His words made me freeze.

I swallowed. "'What did he say to you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just asking if I get you home safe." He looked up to me with concern in his eyes. "Care to tell me what happened last night?"

I loosened his arms around me. "Let's have breakfast, Skip. I need to go home and I have an appointment with my therapist today." I told him I was seeing a therapist after my divorce and I stopped it a few months ago.

"I won't pry, Reigh. But it breaks me that I can't even help you with your problems. It's your call, everyone has skeletons in their closets and water under their bridge. I just wish you can open up to me."

"I know, I'm sorry. Just give me some time, okay?"

Skip just smiled tightly. "Let me send you home after breakfast."

"You don't have to. I have an app."

"You can drive my car," he suggested, and I didn't need to argue with him, so I nodded.

Skip stood up and wrapped his arm around me for a sweet quick embrace. He loved to do this, and it was like comforting him. "I'll pick you up for dinner tonight?"

"You have me last night, Skip. I have laundry to wash, friends to call, a roommate to talk to. Get a life, mate." I dragged him out of the pool room towards his kitchenette.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't believe my woman just called me mate, and she likes to spend time with other people than her man."

"What do you want for breakfast, your majesty?" I asked as I grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

His hands ran lazily on my waist towards my abdomen then slowly pulled my oversized shirt up until my panties were exposed. "You should feed your majesty according to his wish." His warm breath and his sexy voice behind my ear made me shiver. I could feel his bulge pressed against my butt.

"And what would be his wish?" I turned around, making him groaned. It meant to say, his tease didn't affect me. Where in fact, it's a total lie.

"You're a killjoy." He was holding his smile, then planted a kiss on my forehead. He stepped back, fixing his front jeans.

I couldn't help to not smile when I grabbed the coffee pot.

"You wounded me, woman."

"Am I now, your highness?" I bit my lip when I noticed him looking at me with his eyes sleepy with lust.

"Are you playing with me, Arella?"

"Of course not, Your Excellency." I placed the mug in front of him and filled it with coffee. "Can I re-heat a donut for you?"

"No, thank you. And you? Stop that diet shit you're doing, Arella. You are already beautiful inside and out. You can go to the gym or run as you like, but do it for yourself and not for me or other people." His words were dead serious.

"Thanks for the confident-booster, lad! And what made you think I'm not doing this for myself? I want to look great, feel good and have a healthy lifestyle."

"Then I'm not gonna stop you, but you already look stunning in my eyes. And if my memory serves right, we burned quite a lot of calories last night, yeah?" He smirked, and I tried hard not to roll my eyes with his ridiculous attempt of stopping me from going back to my apartment. It looked good on him though. "And did you forget I have good tastes in women?"

A minuscule of jealousy swirled in my stomach. "I don't like the idea of your good tastes on other women--"

"Shit!" He looked alarmed. "That's not what I meant, love."

"I know."

"So, can I come tonight?"

I sipped my coffee. "No."

"Okay, how about Monday after work? And we have to discuss the perfume."

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Love, we have a deal with you and not to mention a tight deadline."

"Fine. See you on Monday?" I drained the remaining coffee to the sink and washed it with water. I opened the dishwasher and placed the mug inside.

"Can I call you tonight?"

"Oh my, God, Skipper! What's wrong with you?"

"You can call your friends from here, I have a room at your disposal. It's all yours. You can lock the door while you're talking to them and I swear I won't interrupt you until you're done. Do whatever you want as long as you will be in my bed and in my arms every night."

"You are incorrigible!" I walked away from him.

"Think about it!"

* * *

TAKING a deep breath, I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, then pressed the video call button.

Connecting...

My face appeared on the upper right side of the screen.

Connected.