Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“You’re hurting yourself too, Ayla. This is hurting both of you. You aren’t eating properly either, and I can see you lack sleep. Those dark circles don’t look pretty on you. Can you please, for everyone’s sake, let him off the hook and just let the poor man explain!”
Yup. She was definitely scary.
Crossing my arms over my chest too, I leveled her with a look. “I know.”
Maddie scoffed, but then her expression softened. “I know he hurt you.”
Shaking her head, she mumbled something under her breath before speaking loudly. “And that’s why you need to let him explain so you both can figure this out together. You need each other. I also know that you have forgiven him already but are too scared to say it. Just let him fucking explain!”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” I fired back.
Maddie paused, her mouth opened, but then she closed it again. She huffed and twisted her lips in a pout. “Aylessio’s side.”
Aylessio? What?
She stared at me expectantly, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly.
Ayla and Alessio. Aylessio. Her ship name for us.
I let out a laugh when realization dawned to me. She really wasn’t giving up.
“Don’t laugh. This ship is not sinking, you hear me? It has sailed and will keep sailing! It’s not sinking under my watch.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but her tone had taken a teasing lilt now.
“I messed up, didn’t I?” I asked, thinking of Alessio.
“Not really. You just need to talk to him and fix this misunderstanding,” she replied, coming to sit beside me. “I understand why you reacted the way you did. I would have done the same thing. But it’s now time to fix the hurt both of you caused each other.”
“I know. I’ll talk to him tonight,” I replied. It was time to mend this broken relationship. I had to let Alessio know that I had forgiven him, and I had to ask for his forgiveness in return.
Maddie breathed a sigh of relief beside me. “Oh, thank God. Make sure Alessio is back to his normal self, please. He scares the shit out of us at the moment. Although I’m glad he is taking it out on everyone else but you.”
I didn’t think I would be able to bear it if his anger was directed at me.
Maddie shrugged and then encouraged me in a sweet voice, “Go get your man. He needs you. Just don’t give up on him.”
She was right. Alessio was always fighting for everyone, even for me. He fought to keep me. He fought to get rid of my darkness and never gave up on me. And now it was my turn to fight for him.
Maddie got off the bed and smiled. “In the meantime, I’m going to get my man.” She sent me a wink and then walked out of the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, I quickly went to the bathroom. After washing my face, I combed my hair and decided to leave it down. It flowed beautifully down my back, just the way Alessio loved it.
I walked out of the bathroom but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Alessio standing in the middle on the room. He was turned sideways, facing the wall.
He looked even worse than last night. His rough stubble had grown another inch, and it was obvious he hadn’t shaved for days. His suit was wrinkled, as if he’d slept in them. The side of his lips were cast down in a frown.
Even though he appeared completely worn, Alessio was still the most handsome man to me.
My thoughts were interrupted when he turned to face me. My eyes widened when I saw the change in his expression. Alessio crossed his arms over his chest; his legs were shoulder-width apart as he glowered at me.
He was glaring at me so fiercely I almost took a step back.
“Alessio—” I started, but he cut me off.
“I’m not doing this anymore.”
Oh no. Please no. Did I break us beyond repair?
Alessio started toward me, his steps slow. No, he prowled toward me, looking dangerously like a predator hunting his prey.
I lifted a hand up to explain, but my mouth snapped shut when a deep, angry growl vibrated from his chest.
Maddie was wrong about one thing.
This time, Alessio was definitely taking out his anger on me.
“I told you I won’t wait for long. I am not a patient man, Ayla,” Alessio said in a low, deadly voice.
“Alessio, please—” I muttered shakily.
As he walked forward, I retreated backward, but then bumped into the wall. Damn it, the wall always got in my way. Every single time.
Alessio tilted his chin up as he regarded me with angry blue eyes. My chest squeezed painfully tight, and I swallowed nervously under his penetrating, intense gaze.
“I was just about to come up and talk to you,” I tried to explain, hoping this would calm him just a little bit.