CHAPTER 26
Lucy kept a really straight face by the time I was done narrating how I had been looking for her at Mr. Meteo's funeral and how I stumbled upon her and Mr. Sebastian Montoya in the woods.
Then suddenly, very unexpectedly, she burst into laughter. A deep, primal, uncultured laughter that startled even the driver. Her laughter was so weird and funny that I had to join her.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked between bouts of laughter.
"Oh, nothing. I just hoped nobody had seen us at the time. I suspected somebody was lurking at some point, but I was too far gone to be so discerning," Lucy replied in between her bouts of laughter.
After a while, we quieted down to little giggles and hiccups.
"So what was he doing to you?" I asked.
"In all honesty, he was eating me out. He's good with his tongue, I'll give him that," she said and giggled. My knowledge of sex was limited to the steamy novels and movies I'd watched.
"So do you love him?" I asked.
"I don't know, Alice. He's a bit too possessive and wants to treat me like a princess," Lucy complained.
"That must be nice," I said.
"Well, I don't want that. He's the boyfriend I told you I broke up with some days ago. He just had to come over and make my life one confusing mess," she explained.
"Is he your first?" I asked, but only out of curiosity.
"First love? Yes. But first to touch me? No. My father was the first man that ever laid his hands on me in that way," she answered, and I got confused.
"I thought you said you were an orphan," I voiced my confusion.
"Yeah, actually, you see, it was my stepdad. He, um, put me in an orphanage home."
"Where was your mom?" I questioned.
"I don't want to talk about this, Alice," she whispered.
She was lying, and it made me wonder why she would lie. Was anything she had told me about herself true? Weren't we friends already? She said she had once been in an orphanage, which meant she was an orphan child. And that meant no parents in sight.
Now, she was alternating between a father and a stepfather who had touched her, probably indecently.
"And you, who was your first?" she asked, probably so I wouldn't dwell on her reply too long.
"No one yet. But I do have a first love; he's just a friend—Leonardo, Cynthia's older brother. He came with Cindy, but you missed him because he left early," I answered.
"Cool. Does Cynthia know you're crushing on her brother?" she asked.
"Yes," I answered simply with a smile.
The cab finally arrived at the Montoyas' mansion, and we alighted.
"You shouldn't have watched us, though. It was a private moment," Lucy remarked.
"Not so private, I guess," I answered, and we both giggled.
"What's so funny?" a familiar deep, husky voice asked.
Mr. Montoya was dressed in a fitted black long-sleeved shirt, slightly unbuttoned at the top, which revealed a smoothly tattooed chest. His chest was additionally layered with a subtle gold chain as a touch of luxury.
His shirt was neatly tucked into a pair of tailored black trousers that were slim-fitted and perfectly structured to enhance the silhouette. A black leather belt with a simple buckle added a polished finish at the waist. His rich chestnut mahogany hair was slicked back with gel.
"Alice was telling me a funny story. Excuse me, I'm going to go get the kids from Doña Esperanza," Lucy said and disappeared. For a few seconds, Mr. Montoya and I stood in silence.
"Good day, sir," I greeted and moved to go around him to disappear into the house.
"You seem… rejuvenated, Alice. Was the 'party pooper's' kiss that effective?" His voice traveled through my whole being before its words registered, and I froze. The blood drained from my face. My heart hammered against my ribs—the same ribs that only some hours ago were encased in lace I thought no one but Cynthia saw.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Montoya," I replied.
Mr. Montoya closed the distance between us until I could smell the dark tobacco on his breath. "Don't you? The boy with the backpack. The one who couldn't keep his mouth off your skin before he fled the gates," he whispered into my ear.
My breath hitched, and realization dawned. The 'feeling' of being watched was no longer a theory; it was a cold, hard fact.
"You… you were watching? In my room? My private room?" I asked in disbelief. Mr. Montoya tilted his head; his expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned.
"Nothing in this house is private, Alice. I assumed you were smart enough to come to that conclusion on your own. You asked permission to invite one stranger into my sanctuary, but two turned up. Did you think I'd simply take your word that you were bringing in family?" he questioned.
"Cynthia is not just any kind of family; she's my best friend, and she brought her brother Leo. Unlike you, some people show affection without the need to purchase a person or own them," I sputtered. The fear that had turned my blood to ice suddenly began to simmer. My jaw tightened, and I found my voice.
Alex leaned down, his voice dropping to a dangerous, gravelly whisper. "Affection is a liability. And 'owning' things is how I ensure they aren't stolen by 'party poopers' who have no business being in my halls."
His gaze dropped to my lips, then to my chest, as I still had the dark denim corset-style tube top on. After lingering there for a while, his gaze came back to find my eyes.
"Tell me, did you enjoy the fashion show as I did? Or was the lace reserved just for the camera?" he asked with a smirk.
A dark realization dawned on me: he was interested in me. I'd never imagined he'd be interested in anyone aside from his kids, and probably his siblings and parents. And, of course, Lucy and Doña Esperanza. But to have cameras in my room, watching me, was just another level of his apparent derangement.
It's funny how he never gave me as much as a side glance, except when he was addressing me directly. Even then, he did it like a chore.
An uncontrolled deep flush flared across my pale skin. It wasn't from pleasure but from the sheer intrusion of it. He was privy to the view of my breasts.
"You're a monster," I whispered, my legs feeling unable to hold my weight all of a sudden.
"I'm the monster that pays for your Tía's breathing, Alice. Don't forget that," he said. He straightened up; the coldness returned.
"Now do me a small favor: scrub the scent of that boy off your skin. You have school tours in the morning, and I expect a full report just like always. Don't make me regret my generosity, little rabbit."
He moved away from me.
"Oh, and one more thing: start using your room more," he instructed simply and walked to a waiting SUV where some men stood in dark suits with subtle pinstripes—his bodyguards. I watched as they all got in, and the vehicle drove off.
That was a bit too weird; it felt like a dream. No, scratch that; it felt like a fucking nightmare. I walked into the house, my legs feeling like lead, every security dome in the ceiling feeling like a cold, glass eye tracking my pulse.
When I opened it, I found Lucy, Carlitos, and Serena inside. Lucy was picking up and putting away my clothes that were scattered all over the place.
"Oh, don't do that, Lucy." At the sound of my voice, Serena turned and ran to give me a big hug. "Oh, Serena, baby, I missed you too! How'd you guys get into the house?" I asked Lucy. "I didn't see you come in through the front door," I pointed out.
"There are other doors, Alice," Lucy said matter-of-factly, as if I was supposed to know this. "Plus, you and Big Gun were having a conversation that wasn't meant to be interrupted," Lucy said, winking.
"Don't do that, Lucy," I said, referring to the wink. "And give me my clothes. In fact, go out and find somewhere else to be busy." I collected my clothes from her and playfully led her out of the room amidst giggles.
"How was your meeting with your best friend?" Carlitos asked after Lucy had gone out.
"It was alright. She came with her brother, and they bought me these clothes," I replied.
"How nice of them. I want a best friend too," Carlitos said.
"You can, and you will. Your dad gave me an assignment to find a school—a reputable and suitable school—for you both. You get to make friends too," I finally announced what I'd been dreading to tell them.
I waited for the protest, for the fear of the outside world he'd been hidden from.
"Yay!"
"That's nice!"
Serena and Carlitos said simultaneously. My initial dread wasn't necessary, though, because they both took it quite well.