Chapter 16.

Chapter 16

~Maya~

For the first time in all of my life I woke up with a smile on my face. Finding Elijah with me gave me a sense of security that was never there. After hearing him say all that. After hearing him say I was his and promising to never leave me. And when he vowed to protect me against my own demons. I knew I was falling for him and I was falling hard.

Getting out of the bathroom after taking a shower, I started getting ready for work. Even though Elijah wanted us to go together, I wasn’t ready for it. I wanted us to stay in our own protective bubble before the chaos of the world consumes us. So he left for his apartment but not before giving me a passionate make out session that left me feeling like a love sick teenager.

After getting ready I walked out of my room and made a bee line to Kyles. I needed to tell him everything. Knocking on his door, I waited. And waited. “Kyle open up.” With a frown, I opened the door only to find it empty. Never did Kyle stay away for an entire night. Usually he invited his partners up here.

Rushing towards my phone on my kitchen cabinet, I dial his number but it went straight to voicemail. Calling again and again but there was no avail. My worry forming into fear thinking about the worst. What if he got to Kyle? I won’t be able to live with myself if something happened to him. Something that had to do with my past.

Just when my fear took a turn towards hell, I heard footsteps outside my apartment. Load, thudding, furious footsteps. He can’t be back. He was supposed to be locked up for a long time. Taking a knife with shaking hands I stepped back to stay hidden from the front doors view. Soon, the footsteps stopped in front of my apartment and with a loud band the door opened.

My mind and vision turned black and without thinking about anything but my safety I lunged towards the only danger my life has given me. My knife firmly in my hand, ready to stab him. But before I could succeed in my brutality, my hands were grabbed and the knife smacked from my hands. My eyes still not able to comprehend what’s ahead of me. Not hearing anything because of the fear consuming. I was suddenly pulled against the tight muscular body.

I struggled hard. I could hear screams coming from a distance. There’s no way I’d let this monster win again.

“Maya Stop” The familiar voice roared in my ear and only then my mind clicked. Pulling my head from my intruders’ chest I looked up and came face to face with my saviour.

“Kyle” My voice hoarse. The fog of darkness cleared only to register the chaos my stunt did. Its only Kyle. My mind tried to chant that but my fear still lingered. It was like I was transformed into that twelve year old again. Where survival was never an option no matter how much I tried.

Grabbing my shoulders, Kyle gave me a slight shake, making me somewhat clear about our surroundings. Turning to look around, I saw someone standing behind Kyle. His familiar face covered in horror for what he just witnessed.

“Where have you been?” Taking a step back from his safety, I turned around not wanting to see pity filled his eyes. This is not the first time I had an attack like this. Any sort of suspicion turn my body into survival mode. Taking me straight to the darkness that would never leave me alone.

“I’ve been with Dave, I didn’t know you would be home.” His voice soft. I could feel him taking gentle steps towards me.

After feeling a bit in control of myself, I turned around and plastered a smile on my face “That’s okay. Elijah and I decided to spend the night here.” I face Dave, who still looked uncomfortable. “Hello Dave, I’m Maya” Taking a step towards him I lifted my hand for a shake.

“I need to get to work. I can’t be late.” I told them turning to collect my bag from the couch. “Next time, please inform me if you’re not going to be coming home?” I ask Kyle but don’t wait for his reply even when I heard him call out to me and left because one more second in that apartment, I would break, all over again.

*****

My mind was still stuck on the fear I went through when I stepped out of the elevator on my floor.

“Hey Maya!” Maria chirped from her place behind her reception desk.

“Hey Maria. How are you today?” I said with a smile. My mind gratefully diverted towards this cheerful person.

“I’m good, I’m good” She said with a nod and a devilish smile.

“What’s going on?” I leaned towards her from the other side of her desk. ”That smile on you can never mean good”

“Nothing’s going on.” She pursed her lips like she was holding her laugh. But I knew nothing good is going to come out of her mouth. “Angel”

“Oh my God” She knows. This devil of a woman knows. Rubbing my hands over my face I hid my embarrassment. But my blush had nowhere to hide. That traitor came out and it came out bright. Look up at her evil eyes filled with mischief, I asked “How the hell do you know?”

“Your big bad wolf told me” she winked and was a bit mortified. I told Elijah I didn’t want anyone at the office to know about us. Even though Maria was a close friend of mine and Elijah’s cousin, I wanted us to have some time that was all about us.

My thoughts were interrupted when the elevator dinged and in came the reason for my calm. Just looking at him made me forget all of the distress I felt about being the gossip of this office.

Looking incredibly handsome in his salt and pepper performance suit. He was with another man who was just as hot as Elijah but I couldn’t seem so stop staring at my man. Like he felt the weight of my stare he turned towards me, pausing midsentence. His eyes visibly turned soft and his lips turned up in a bright smile.

My breath caught when he smiled at me like that. Making me feel like I was the center of his universe. He wiped the distance between us in a few confident strides. Before I could comprehend his next move, his arms wrapped around me and his lips moved to mine, devouring me, and me being a totally smitten by him lost myself in him again. It was a good thing this floor was entirely Elijah’s and the only people who had access to this floor were me and Maria.

Our passion was all too soon interrupted by a cough that made me pull back slightly. Our breaths mingled together. “I missed you” his whispered to me, leaning to forward to place his forehead against mine.

My response was stolen when I heard two light chuckles from behind Elijah. When I made a move to detangle myself from him, he tightened his arms around me not letting me move at all. “Elijah let go.” I whispered softly, my blush taking its place on my face

Pecking my lips he groaned “Never Angel” God why does he have to be this sweet, the way he calls me Angel. I fall even deeper.

I softened then and Elijah moved away, shifted us so we faced our audience. Maria and someone I recognize from the articles I read about Elijah. Yes I looked him up.

Jayden Evans, Elijah’s childhood best friend, was a hardcore playboy. Every time being seen with a different woman. So imagine how shocked I was when I saw Jayden with non-other than Maria. I never asked her about it and looking at how tensed she was in his presence makes me grateful and a bit curious. What happened to them?

Deliberately not looking at Maria because I knew she most definitely would have her smug face on “Jayden, this is my Maya.”

Wait a second. HIS MAYA? Happiness sweeping in every single bone of mine. I turned towards him but he was staring at Jayden with a look so cold. Every muscle in his body screamed I was his and he was making sure Jayden knew that.

Controlling my giddiness, I tried to step forward to shake Jayden’s hand but Elijah pulled me against him tightly, not letting me move one bid. Jayden chuckled when he saw Elijah’s possessiveness but all I could do was blush. “It’s nice to meet you Mr Evans” I said politely.

Jayden step forward with an evil smirk on his lips, his eyes trained on Elijah when he took a hold of my hand. He bend forward to kiss it when Elijah snatched me from his grip with a growl and turned around and all but dragged me to his office.

Their laughter combined with mine followed us even after the door to Elijah’s office closed.

The second we were alone, Elijah was on me. Kissing him daylights out of me. “You’re mine Angel”

I moaned in his mouth, content with being his “You do realize he’s your best friend. He was just messing with you” And only his. Taking his bottom lip, I bite down hard cause him to groan.

“I don’t care who he is and what he was doing. Next time any other man so much as looks at you with impure intention. I will kill him”

After and only after it was hard to breathe for both of us he pulled back, looking at me with so much lust. I wanted nothing but to ripe both our clothes off.

“You need to get jealous more often” I said with a smile that made him chuckle.

“And you need to know you’re only mine”

“I know that. That’s all I want. To be yours” He growled as soon as I said that and pushed me away.

“You need to leave before I take you right here right now with an audience just outside who will most definitely hear you scream” He said and took a step to walk away but not before giving a hard swat to my ass.

“Hey” I yelped but I had a huge smile on my face that mirrored his.

For the first time in my life was perfect. Filled with happiness. And my source of happiness was the man who was now sitting behind his desk looking like the alpha male he was.

Who knew fate couldn’t let me have this peace. That this happiness would come and slap me in the face so hard I’d see stars.