{TRIGGER WARNING! EXPLICIT CONTENT! DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT, THANK YOU! Otherwise, enjoy!}



I wake up underneath the soft sheets and roll over, feeling an empty space to my right.

The only thing that's keeping me sane, is the sound of waves crashing against the sides of the boat.

I'm here. I'm not with Hunter anymore.

But I'm still alone.

Because Rio isn't here. He left. Just like he used to...

I try to sit up, cursing at my body for being so sore after last night, and look around the room.

Our clothes are everywhere, yet I'm still wearing my shirt.

I slowly climb out of bed, struggling to head to one of the doors in this room.

My legs are covered in hickeys and it looks insane, but I can't help but feel something warm rush through me. Stop that...

When I open the door, I realize that there's a huge bathroom behind it, and I stumble inside.

'Fucking hell.' I lean against the counter and look at my reflection in the mirror.

I look like a mess. One big, desperate mess.

A mess that will get her heart shattered again.

No. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen.

Last night was something else, but he left. Again.

And I can't let him go that easily. Not after what he did. He slept with Molly.

After you told him how you felt. That pesky voice in my head says, mocking me for even falling back to him.

I let last night happen because I needed it. I needed him and I probably still do, but differently.

Was last night even real? Because it felt like a dream.

Rio didn't actually say those things, did he?

Or he did, just to get me back, right?

Because it's not like him to actually mean those things.

It must've been because of the tension, because of the scene that was about to play out between us.

It can't be real, because he doesn't care. He said that a million times.

The only reason he brought me back, is so he can have me again. Right?

If so, I let him. I let him have me and I feel so stupid for letting him, but God did it feel good.

I shake my head and turn the faucet on, filling a bath with warm water. And while I wait for the bath to fill, I quickly brush my teeth and take it all in.

I'm just going crazy...

Maybe this is real. Maybe he did mean everything he said last night.

Then why did he leave?

I fell for it once, I won't fall for it again.

When the bath is filled with warm water, I take off my clothes, which is only a shirt, and slowly lower myself into the bathtub.

The warm water feels heavenly against my sore skin.

As if I'm just done training with Noah, but I'm not.

I take a deep breath and lower my face into the water, staying down there for a few seconds.

Silence. Complete silence.

Even in my head.

No questions, no doubts. Just warm water and silence.

After soaking in the warm water and lathering my body with soaps and scrubs laying around, I rinse myself underneath the shower, before wrapping a towel around my chest and hair.

When I make my way back to the bedroom I realize that everything is still the same. Nothing's touched yet.

I head to one of the other doors and open it. That one leads to a hallway, not a closet. I turn towards the other door and open it, before closing it again. Outside...

The only door left is the one leading to a closet filled with Rio's suits on one side and dresses, skirts, shirts, and jeans on the other side.

I make my way to the dresses since it's my birthday and all, and grab a long white dress that falls far over my knees. At least that way others won't see what he did...

'Cataleya!' I quickly stumble back into the bedroom and see Neveah looking around the room. 'Cataleya!' She runs over to me, hops over the clothes laying everywhere, and jumps into my arms.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tighter than ever before. 'I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, Rio wouldn't let me see you and I had to wait till he left to do some mafia shit, and I thought he was going to lock you in a room and never let you out! And this ship is huge and I almost got lost but then I remembered the layout a little and now I'm here.'

'I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't mean anything, I swear I was so stupid to say that shit, and I'm so sorry.'

'I know. I know, now shut up about it.' Her grip around me tightens and I can't stop smiling.

I chuckle and lean back so I can look at her. 'I missed you.'

'I missed you too.' I say, hugging her again, 'Why won't Rio let me see you?'

'This fucker locked me up on the other side of the boat, so I couldn't get here earlier.'

'Why?' 'I can't say...' She mumbles as she looks around the room in awe, 'And I see you two made up already.'

I roll my eyes and pull her towards the couch. She jumps down on it and I slowly take a seat, because of my soreness, making her grin. 'It was just a moment of desperation.'

Her grin only increases and I wish I would've kept my mouth shut. 'Nothing special.'

'You call this,' She points at the bed and all the clothes on the floor, 'nothing special?'

'We haven't talked about anything yet.' Her smirk turns into a frown and I simply nod.

'Was he really that desperate to have sex with you? I mean, why did he not talk first? I swear, this dude is going to-' 'He wanted to talk, I just didn't.' She blinks once, twice, before looking at me in shock.

'So you wanted him to fuck you?' When she says it like that, it feels stupid. But it is. It's so stupid.

I nod, feeling shame creep up, and sigh deeply. 'I thought we would talk in the morning, but he's gone.'

'And I kind of pissed him off, so talking to him now wouldn't be such a good idea.' Neveah mumbles, smiling sheepishly at me.

'What did you do?' I ask curiously. 'I went back to get the others last night because I wasn't allowed to see you, and he got angry.'

'You mean Celine and Brandon?' She nods and smiles at me, 'And Victoria.' Victoria?

'You're going to love her, but back to you and Rio, what's going to happen now?'

I shrug, honestly not knowing what will happen next. 'I have no idea.'

She looks at me, her smile slowly disappearing. 'But I do know that I won't let him break my heart again.'

'What does that mean?'

'He suggested to keep it professional, strictly business, and I honestly think that's the best for us right now.' That way neither of us will have to go through hell and we could still enjoy each other's company.

'Do you really think that's the best option?'

'I can't let him break my heart again, Veah.' I hate to admit that he even had my heart in the first place, but he did. He had my heart and so much more, and he broke it all. 'So yes, it's the best option.'

She looks into my eyes and I can tell she wants to say something, but she just doesn't know how to. Or she's not allowed to.

'How is it with you and Leon?' She looks at her legs and shrugs. 'What does that mean?'

'I made a mistake last night.' I can tell by her tone that she's hurt. 'What happened?'

'After getting Nico to take me back to England and getting back, Tiago was waiting by the door and we... well...' Now I'm the one grinning at her. 'So I'm not the only one who fell back into old habits?'

'I regret it.' She states, keeping her eyes on her legs. As if she's afraid to even look at me. 'Why?'

'Because it felt rushed and disgusting and wrong.' She mumbles, making me frown even more.

'What? Why would it-' 'Enough about me, let's go to the others before Rio finds out I'm even talking to you in the first place.' She chimes, before pulling me up from the couch.

'Oh, here.' Neveah throws her phone at me and smiles. 'Call your mom and come to the living room when you're done, okay?'

I stare at her phone and can't stop smiling, even though my heart is racing right now. 'Thank you, Veah.'

'Take your time! And happy birthday!' She chimes as she makes her way out of the room again.

I go through the contacts and end at my mom's number, instantly dialing it.

It doesn't take long for her to pick up and I feel my heart shatter when I hear her voice, 'Neveah? Are you okay? Do you have news on Leya?'

'It's me.' I can hear something falling on her side of the phone and close my eyes to picture her in my mind. 'Cataleya! Oh, Dios mio! Cataleya is this really you?'

'Yes.' I say, my voice trembling, 'It's me. I'm alright, I promise. And I'm so sorry for what I said.'

'What happened Leya?' Should I tell her? I mean, I can't keep lying to her the entire time, but telling her will endanger her and that's the last thing I need right now. 'I lied.'

She goes silent for a second, meaning she doesn't want to hear any of it.

But I have to tell her.

'I lied about not liking Theo, I had an encounter with him and he scared the shit out of me, but I know that he cares about you and that he makes you happy. I just lied because I needed to leave and it was the only thing I could come up with, it's stupid. And I'm so sorry for lying to you, I just-' 'Cataleya.' Her tone is hard, but filled with emotions.

'Please don't be mad at me.' I mumble, trying to keep the tears in. 'I know you're back with Veah because you're using her phone, where are you guys?'

I take a deep breath and walk over to the window on the other side of the room, just to peek outside. 'On a boat, it's a long story.'

She goes silent again and I can hear some people talking in the background. 'Mom?'

'When can you get here?' She asks and I can tell that she's trying to keep her sobs in. Fuck. 'I don't know, but I'll get home as soon as possible.'

'I'm in Feria.' Spain? 'What are you doing there, is everyone okay?' The last time my mom went to Spain, was because my grandma got ill.

'Didn't Neveah tell you? I have a job here now.' No, she did not... But she probably had a lot of other stuff going through her head... 'She probably forgot, how did that happen?'

'There's a new station in Feria and they asked if I wanted to manage it for them.' She explains, her voice still wavering like crazy. 'You got promoted?' 'I'm a manager now!'

I chuckle at her excitement and hear a door open on the other side of the room. 'How long will it take for you to get here?'

'I don't know.' I say as I turn to the door.

The tall handsome man that's standing there is making my heart race. 'Soon.' I hope.

'When you get here, we'll talk more, okay?' I nod, keeping my eyes on Rafael, and somehow manage to say, 'We will.'

'Don't disappear again, okay? And happy birthday mi amor.' He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall, his eyes pinned to mine. 'I won't, I promise.'

'Te quiero.' The words make me warm inside. It's either that or the man in front of me.

But I want it to be my mom, not him. 'Te amo.'

I keep the phone at my ear for longer than necessary and keep my eyes on Rafael.

When he realizes that I'm not talking to my mom anymore, he takes a step closer. 'What are you doing with North's phone?'

Sorry Brandon... 'Brandon gave it to me so I can call my mom.'

He tilts his head as he takes another step forward, almost able to reach me. 'And why did he give you North's phone instead of his own?'

'She insisted on giving it to me, because, for some reason, you won't let her talk to me.' I state, keeping my eyes on his.

Something flickers through his eyes and it makes me uncomfortable.

'Everything okay?' He asks, almost whispering. 'I'm fine, I need to get to Spain.'

'We have to stay on the ocean for a while, but after that, we'll visit your mom.' It doesn't even shock me that he knows I want to go for my mom. 'Heard that one before.'

'It's not safe yet.' I can't contain a little chuckle as I head towards the dresser. 'That one too.'

When I turn back to face him again, he's still standing in the middle of the room, looking at me as if I have weirdo written on my forehead or something.

It stays silent for a few seconds before he shakes his head and hands me a package. I frown as I take it from him and unwrap it.

'Since you need one.' I blink a few times and stare at the new phone in my hands. 'Are you going to throw this one out of the window as well?'

His lip curls up a little as he shakes his head, 'I won't touch it.' Right...

I turn on the phone and stare at it for a few seconds again, feeling uncomfortable by the way he's just standing there. Looking at me.

'You think this will make up for what happened?' I ask, keeping my eyes on the phone while I wait for it to start up. 'What do you mean?' He asks, sounding a little confused.

But how can he be confused?

'We still haven't talked about everything that happened.' And I still have my doubts about where we stand...

'You acted like everything was fine last night.' He says, a little too smug for my liking. 'It was a moment of weakness,' and desire and need, 'and I wanted to talk about it in the morning.'

I look up and notice him still looking at me. 'But when I woke up, you were gone?'

'I had to make a call around five and I didn't want to wake you up.' He says.

I can tell he's not lying about that phone call, but he's lying about other things. I just know he is.

'And that phone call took four hours?' I didn't expect him to stay with me the entire day, but at least until I woke up so that we could talk.

'I had other stuff.' Now that's a lie. I know because there's just a slight change in his tone.

'Really?' I place the phone on the dresser and move closer to him, wanting to look deep into his eyes to see his reaction when I ask, 'Because I think you left because you knew I wanted to talk in the morning.'

He stays silent for a while, but I can see him fighting to find the right words. Tell me...

All he needs to say is how sorry he is. He just needs to tell me how much he missed me, how much he wants me to stay and so much more.

But I know he won't say any of that shit.

And for some reason, despite me knowing how this was going to end, it hurts like hell.

'I want to go to Spain, right now.' I state, crossing my arms. He sighs deeply and places his hand on my arm, trying to keep me close. 'It's not safe yet.'

'It's never going to be safe and I know that now, but I need to get to my mom.'

He inhales slowly and nods. 'I will protect you.'

Laughter escapes my lips and I move out of his grip.

'You're exactly the person I should be protected from.'

The confusion on his face is laughable to me.

'What do you mean?' He asks, desperate for answers.

'You're the one locking me up in rooms, you're the one shutting me out, you're the one hurting me.'

'I never laid a hand on you-' 'I'm not talking about physical shit right now!' I step further away from him, trying to create more distance.

'You hurt me and I don't-' I choke on my words and move away when he tries to touch me again. 'You couldn't say the words when I needed you to, and I know that it was hard for you but the least you could've done is show me! But no, you decided to sleep with someone else to hurt me?!'

He looks at me, ready to run to me if I make the wrong move, but I know I'm closer to the door.

And he knows it too.

'You broke my heart and I can't go through that again.'

'I promise you that it won't happen again.' Promise...

Again, I can't contain my laughter at his choice of words.

I feel like I'm going insane.

'Stop with the promises!' I shout, shocking the both of us with my loud voice, 'Promises are just lies covered in dreams, so don't bullshit me.'

His sorrow and worry quickly turn into anger.

Pure rage.

'What did he do to you?' He asks, gritting his teeth, 'What happened to you, Valentina?'

A lot...

And I never want to think about any of it again.

A tear almost escapes, but I blink it away, hating the fact that he can see me vulnerable. Again.

'If we're going to do this, it's going to be strictly business like you said because I can't do more than that.' I say, my voice as plain as possible.

And just like that, the rage, that pure anger inside of him, is gone.

'You stopped loving me.' God.

I don't even know if that's it, because I still feel something.

But I do know that I'm the one that's going to survive this time.

Because there's no way in hell I'm letting him break me again.

He takes another step, making me take another step towards the door, just in case.

'What changed?' He asks, taking another step forward, almost close enough to reach out to me.

I immediately turn to the door and open it. 'I don't know.'

I'm not letting him break my heart. Ever again.

I can't risk it and I won't.

'But it's going to be the way you wanted it to before all of this happened, strictly business.' I say as I turn around and head down the hall.

He doesn't follow me as I make my way down the steps, towards the living room area.

Celine is sitting on the couch, cradling a... baby.

'Is this Leroy?' She looks up and instantly starts smiling at me. 'Cataleya, thank god you're okay!'

I walk over to her right and look at the cute baby in her arms, trying to hug her back as she tries to keep her baby comfortable while hugging me. 'He's adorable.'

She's glowing. Literally glowing.

'Only when he's sleeping, because when he's crying he turns into a devil.' She jokes.

Celine can't keep her eyes off of her son, and I feel something warm when I look at them. Someday...

'Neveah told me to wait here until you would come down, so we should probably head to the deck.' Right. 'Alright.' I follow her down a long hall, towards the back of the boat, and try to memorize how we get to a new set of stairs, going all the way to the top.

When we finally make it to the top deck, I enjoy the feeling of the sun against my skin, thanking myself for choosing this dress.

'Look who's here!' Brandon shouts from the other side of the deck, closer to the bar and pool. Holy shit.

Marco, the guys that introduced themselves yesterday, Leon, Isabelle, Neveah, and... Kai are all standing on the other side of the deck.

'The birthday girl!' Leonardo shouts, walking over to me.

Brandon's faster and runs into my arms, almost hugging me to death.

'The queen herself!' He chimes as he lifts me up a little. 'Welcome back bitch!' 'I missed you too!' I chuckle, trying to keep the groans of pain in.

'Welcome back, little one.' Little one... I didn't realize I missed Leon's nickname for me until now. 'It's good to be back.'

'I'm going to put Leroy to bed real quick.' Celine says, heading back down the stairs.

'Happy birthday Cataleya!' Neveah shouts from a distance, pouring me a glass of something red. 'I'm not going to drink-' 'It's just juice.'

I walk over to the bar and take a seat next to Isabelle, looking at Neveah who's standing behind the bar, and smell the drink she just made. Strawberries and... 'Mint.'

'You made this?' She nods and smiles at me while pouring herself a glass as well.

'Isabelle do you want one too?' So they met? Isabelle seems hesitant about all of this, but nods and smiles at Neveah.

'How are you feeling?' I ask, keeping my eyes on her for a second.

She looks fine. Good even.

But something's bothering her.

'I honestly don't know.' She admits, smiling a little, 'But I think I'll be fine.'

Veah hands Isabelle her glass and leans on the bar.

'Can I have one?' A soft voice asks, making me frown. 'Of course, here you go.' Neveah says, bowing down a little to hand someone else a glass as well.

'Oh, right.' Neveah lifts a girl up onto the counter and smiles at me. 'Leya, this is Victoria, Victoria this is Cataleya.'

A little girl, probably a few years older than... Jade, looks at me with wide eyes. All the air leaves my lungs and I have a hard time filling them up again.

Jade... She's dead because of me. Hunter killed her to be with me.

'That's Cataleya?' She asks, her voice just as innocent and sweet as Jade's.

Neveah nods and proudly smiles at the girl, radiating the same aura I felt with Celine and Leroy.

'She's very pretty.' Victoria whispers to Neveah, but since the boys are on the other side of the pool, I can hear her loud and clear. 'I know right, she's my best friend.'

'Nice to meet you Victoria.' I chime while smiling at her, fighting the tears trying to break through. 'Hello Cataleya, it's nice to meet you.'

She's adorable... Just like Jade was... God...

'You okay?' Neveah asks when I stare at the glass in front of me. 'Yeah, just a lot on my mind.'

'Want to talk about it?' I nod and take a sip and enjoy the sweet taste of the strawberries. 'I'll give you two some time.' Isabelle says, slowly climbing off her chair.

She doesn't have to leave, but I would much rather just talk with Neveah about this. 'Do you want to go swimming with Brandon?' Neveah asks the little girl who's already done with her juice.

'Yes!' Neveah helps her off the counter and watches as she runs towards Brandon who's hanging by the pool.

'What's up?' She asks curiously, slowly taking a sip of her juice. 'Everything just seems so surreal.'

She doesn't respond, but simply places her hand on mine. 'Victoria reminds me of Hunter's cousin.'

'So she's a good kid.' She replies with a soft smile on her face. 'She's dead.' Her smile disappears and I fight the tears forming in my eyes again, 'Hunter killed her.'

'What happened in there?' I wish I could tell her everything. From my first night there to the moment they got me out of there. But I'm not ready yet. 'A lot.'

She squeezes my hand a little and nods. 'You don't have to tell me, just know I'm here okay?'

'Thank you, Veah.' I mumble before taking a big sip from my glass. 'How did you know where I was?'

'Long story, but we hunted down some guys and tortured them for info.'

'We?' She nods and smiles as she rinses her glass real quick, before turning back to me. 'Rio basically hired Nico, Vincent, and Killian to help us.' He did...

'And you took Isabelle?' I ask curiously, wondering who let that happen. Because I know Rio wouldn't let that happen.

'Marco didn't want to kill her and she seems nice. I told Rio that she's the girl you wrote about in the letters.' The letters?

'You got those?' She nods and sighs deeply, 'I couldn't write you back because there was no address on it.' So Noah lied...

'When do you think we're going to leave?' I ask, making her frown at me. 'You want to leave?' 'Why would I want to stay?'

'Because... you need to figure shit out with Rio.' Now I'm the one frowning at her. 'I thought you wanted me to stay away from him?'

A chuckle escapes her lips and I wonder what changed in those few months I was with Hunter. 'I know, I know, but I just want you to be happy.'

'I don't need him to be happy.' Sure, he makes me feel good and he taught me a lot of things, but I don't need him to be happy.

All I need is my mom, Neveah, and safety.

'I know that, but you can't deny that something is going on between you two. You can't just throw that away, Leya.' Except apparently, you can.

'He did.' I mumble, holding onto the edge of my seat to keep myself in check, 'He did the moment he slept with Molly.'

She sighs deeply and looks at the bar, staying silent for a while. 'What happened to her?'

So far I haven't seen Molly anywhere and I hope I won't run into her any time soon. But I'm just curious.

'She's dead.' Neveah answers, looking me directly in my eyes, 'Rio killed her the first night you were gone.' He did...

'Oh...' 'Yes, and you know what that means, right?' She asks, wiggling her brows at me. 'He's indecisive as fuck?'

She snorts while grabbing a new glass and pouring some whiskey into it. 'That too.'

'Hello ladies, how are you guys doing?' I look to my right and see Nico walking over to us. He's keeping his eyes on Neveah, even though he greeted me as well. Oh...

'Here's your drink, alcoholic.' Neveah jokes, handing him the glass. 'Just because you aren't drinking today, doesn't mean we don't have to zayka.' Za-what? 'Plus, you drink most of the time, so don't make it sound like you're a saint.'

He lifts his glass, winks at her, before walking away while taking a sip.

I slowly turn back to Neveah and wait for her to explain whatever that was. 'What?'

'Don't what me, what the hell was that?' Her cheeks turn a little redder and I know she'll blame it on the sun, even though the sun isn't shining directly on her.

'It's just- He flirts with me and he likes me, but I just want to stay friends and it's awkward sometimes and I just leave it as it is.'

'Because of Leon?' She freezes on the spot and glances past me, making me wonder if he's standing behind me or something, but when I turn around, I don't see anyone. 'Veah?'

Tears form in the corners of her eyes and she starts shaking a little. What the hell is going on? I jump off my chair and walk over to her side of the bar, grabbing her hand. 'Neveah?'

'I'm fine... I just... Uhm... Could you give me a minute?' She asks, looking into my eyes. I let go of her and watch as she rushes towards the stairs, making Leon look at her as well.

He slowly makes his way to me and asks, 'What's up with her?'

'I have no idea.' I admit, making him sigh. 'She seems jumpier than usual.'

I walk over to the other side of the bar and take a seat next to him.

'Really?' I spoke to her for a while and she did seem a little off, but not jumpy. 'I left the bed early because of something with Adriano, and when I got back she was gone. And when I try to talk to her, she shrugs me off and walks away.' Oh...

'You had to do shit with Rio this morning?' I ask, wanting to know more about that because I can't tell him about the things she said earlier today. 'Yes, something about Marcello and marked bills for an exchange coming up.'

'I wondered where-' A strong set of arms goes around my waist and before I can even blink, I can feel myself being lifted off the chair. 'Adriano-' 'Shut the fuck up.' What the hell?

Rio throws me over his shoulder and turns around to walk away again. 'Put me down you piece of shit!' I slam my fist into his back, hearing him grunt at the force of it.

I'm hurting him. Even if it's just a little, because he doesn't put me down and simply continues walking.

'Put. Me. Down!' I hit him between every word and start kicking him as well, hurting him a bit more.

He casually walks past the pool and heads towards the stairs again. 'I hate you!'

'Heard that one before.' He chimes almost in the same tone as I did earlier. Asshole...

I grab onto a ledge in the hall and hold on for dear life, feeling him fight me to continue his way to the room we were in earlier. 'Let go, Valentina.'

God... I only hold on tighter, not wanting to give in to this shit just yet.

I made the mistake of doing that yesterday, I won't do it again.

'Put me down!' He grunts and lets go of me, almost dropping me to the ground. 'You're being a pain in my ass.' 'I was talking to Leonardo, now if you'll excuse me-'

I barely have time to turn back around, before he throws me over his shoulder again. This time, he's taking big steps, almost running his way to the bedroom. 'Asshole!'

He locks the door and throws me onto the bed, looking down at me.

'You fucking-' I move to the edge of the bed and feel his hand go around my neck with just enough pressure to silence me for a second.

'If you have questions about me, you come to me, understood?' Fuck...

His lips brush against mine and I can see him fighting the urge to kiss me. 'Do you understand, Valentina?'

I nod and look right into his eyes, hating that he's making me do all of this shit again.

He lowers his hand until it drops to his side and takes a deep breath. 'You didn't have to do all that.'

'You wanted it strictly business, this is what you get.' He states, keeping his eyes on me. 'Now take off your clothes and lay on the bed.' What?

I blink a few times, wondering if I heard that right, and look into his eyes. 'Take off your clothes Valentina.' He repeats, a little tenser this time, 'Before I rip it off of you.'

My body starts doing as he asks as if I'm compelled, as if I'm drugged, and I keep my eyes on him.

I already know I'm blushing as I take a seat on the bed, keeping my legs together as much as possible.

His eyes stay focused on my breasts, more specifically, underneath my right breast. 'What's that?' Shit...

'What does it look like?' He tuts and climbs on top of me, his hand around my throat as if it's formed just for me. 'Don't play smart with me, Valentina.'

There's anger in his voice, but if he wasn't holding onto me, I would say that he's completely calm.

The friction of his clothes against my bare skin is driving me insane, it tickles, and I need more.

'When did you get it?' He asks, pressing his knee between my thighs to pry them apart. I don't even fight it anymore and simply keep looking into his eyes while arching up a little because of the sudden feeling rushing through me.

'A few weeks ago.' I breathe, wishing he would just lean down a bit. I would be able to flip us around and undress him and just- 'Fucking hell.' He mumbles before pressing his lips on mine.

Warmth rushes through me and I let it soak in every inch of my body, allowing it to melt me back together.

'Off.' I moan, trying to get rid of the layers of clothes he's wearing. 'No.' He pins my hands above my head with one of his hands and starts leaving kisses down my neck, slowly making it to my chest.

'Rafael...' I beg, desperately needing to feel him inside of me again. I know it will probably hurt a lot, but I need to feel him again. 'Shut up.' He mumbles against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

And I don't ever want those shivers to stop.

He sucks on my breasts and my back arches automatically, making him look up at me through his lashes. Fuck...

'Amazing.' He breathes, lowering his free hand towards my stomach. 'Soft.' He whispers, continuing to place kisses on both my breast while his hand goes lower and lower.

'Perfect.' My heart makes a big leap against my chest, making me wonder if he could possibly feel it.

Rio slowly moves down with both his lips and his hand, reaching my clit with his hand. 'And so fucking wet already.'

He kisses his way towards the butterfly tattoo and kisses it, making me wonder if he would do that if he knew Hunter put those on me, and slowly makes his way across the Curzio tattoo.

Every letter gets a kiss while he pushes two fingers inside of me. I don't stop the moans rolling out of my mouth and feel him smirk against my chest.

He slowly makes his way back up again and takes my right nipple between his teeth, sending a burning sensation through my body.

'Rafael please.' I beg, hating the slow pace he's holding onto right now.

'Please what?' He asks, placing kisses on my chest again. 'I want to-' I can't finish my sentence as he takes my other nipple between his teeth, and press my legs together again.

He sighs deeply, placing his knee on one of my legs to keep them apart. 'What do you want?'

'I want to come.' I moan as I try to break free from his grip on my wrists.

I want to touch him, I want to brush my fingers through his hair and I want to kiss him. 'Please.'

He slowly kisses his way back up to my neck and smiles against my jaw. 'You only had to ask, Valentina.'

I tilt my head back when he quickens his pace, his thumb circling on my clit and his fingers pumping in and out of me. 'Shit.'

Right as I'm about to burst into a billion pieces, he takes my nipple between his teeth again, making me grunt. 'Don't- I was close.'

'Not close enough.' He retorts, grinning as he starts sucking on my skin. Fucking hell...

I try lifting my hips, but he simply pins me down again, slowing down again. 'No.'

'Don't move.' He instructs, making me fight the urge to grind against his hand. 'Okay, I won't. Just-' I can't finish my phrase again when he picks up the pace again.

I can feel my orgasm building up again and silently pray to God that he doesn't stop again, my eyes rolling back just a little.

'Look at me.' He demands, going even faster on my swollen clit. 'I want to see you explode for me.'

I have a hard time keeping my eyes on him as I fight the explosion going through my entire body, letting the heat flow through every nerve, and my legs start to shake.

Rio continues to rub my clit, making my legs shake even more, while I fight the urge to squeeze my eyes shut.

Because the way he looks at me makes this feel a thousand times more powerful.

He keeps rubbing until I turn away and shut my eyes, feeling the entire world spin for a second.

'Heaven.' I open my eyes to look at him and see him licking his fingers. Fuck...

He slowly lays down next to me and I turn around, pulling him in for a kiss.

Strictly business...

Just as he pulls the covers up, I sit up and try to put on the dress without falling. 'What are you doing?'

I don't turn around to look at him and finally get the dress to work with me instead of against me. 'I'm going back to the others to hang out.'

'We can lay in bed for a while.' No.

'Someone once said: people who lay in bed together catch feelings. So, no thank you.' I reply, walking back out of the room again. I need to talk to Veah.

I hear him sigh deeply behind me and can't contain the grin creeping up my face.

When I walk back down the stairs, I hear Celine and Brandon bickering in the living room, and keep my distance.

'She should've told him so that he could keep it in mind and help her through it!' Brandon shouts at her, making me frown. Are they talking about Neveah?

'She doesn't have to tell him anything! She clearly wasn't ready and she didn't want to let him down!' Wait... what? 'She just needs time.'

'She didn't even tell Leya! I doubt she'll tell anyone else.' Brandon continues, looking tense as hell. 'She doesn't have to tell anyone unless she's comfortable doing so.'

'It's not fair towards the others Celine.' Celine scoffs and steps away from Brandon a little. 'It doesn't have to be fair towards them, it should be fair for Neveah! She said that she hates herself for feeling disgusted even though it's not her fault!'

What the fuck are they talking about?

'Do you know how hard it is to go through that? To think that you're disgusting, simply because some man couldn't keep their hands off of you!?' What?

'No... I-' 'Exactly, so don't decide for her when or how she tells anyone because she doesn't have to.' Celine states, obviously annoyed with Brandon's reaction.

My stomach starts to turn and all the fire I just felt, all the heat, turns to ice and darkness.

I stumble down the last steps, making them look at me, as the word starts repeating in my head.

Because some man couldn't keep their hands off of you...

Some man couldn't keep their hands off of you...

Hands off of you...

They both turn to me and shock takes over their features as I lean against the wall.

'Neveah got raped?'

----

A/N: Well... At least they're back together, right?

What will happen next? Rio needs to come up with a new plan since this one isn't really working... Or is it?

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See you guys in the next chapter! Have a good day/night <3