Page 52 of Deadly Secrets

“No worries, darling. Rosita and I can manage, right, Rosita?”

“Sí, señora,” Rosita said in Spanish. She was born in Mexico but raised in Miami. She’d been William’s housekeeper since he divorced Nora, Ander’s mom, five years ago.

“Can we talk a minute, Sienna?” I asked her.

“Of course, let’s go outside.” She grabbed my hand and led me to the back porch. Feeling her touch once more felt incredible as images from last night rushed into my mind like unstoppable waves. It felt so good to be inside her, finally appeasing the burning flame that consumed me. But last night wasn’t enough—not even close. I yearned to feel her body once more, to have her all to myself in a room for an entire weekend without any interruptions.

We settled on a couch tucked away in the corner, which offered direct views of the swimming pool and the forest surrounding the manor.

“I talked to Noah and want to have a similar conversation with you.”

“What did you two talk about?” I questioned in a quavering voice.

“About last night. Zayn, I do like you. Like a lot. But I also have feelings for Noah. I’m not exactly sure what that means. Maybe you think that last night signified the end of my relationship with Noah, but honestly, I’m unsure if that’s what I truly want. I don’t want to let him go, but dammit, I also want you. Whenever I’m around you, I feel a pull that I just can’t resist. I’ve told him I need some space and want to ask you for the same. Could you give me that? Some space until I figure things out?”

I hesitated for a few seconds, unsure if I wanted to give her space. I was a selfish bastard who wanted to spend more time with her and make her mine. But I also suspected that if I didn’t give her the space she clearly needed and pushed her to decide now, I would lose her forever.

I moved nearer to her, gently grasping her face with my hands and peering deep into the depths of her eyes. “Done. I’ll give you the space you need, but let me tell you one thing, babe. If, when you make up your mind, you come to the conclusion that you want to be with me, I expect you to come back to me on your knees and show me how much you want me. Then I shall decide your punishment for making me wait this long. Trust me, you will hate it, but you’ll also love it in equal measure.” I kissed her fiercely, ensuring she would remember how good it felt when we were together.

* * *

Thanksgiving lunch was surprisingly pleasant. William behaved for the most part of our lunch, making uncomfortable comments here and there, but aside from those moments, I truly enjoyed it.

Sienna told us over lunch about that one time when William decided they needed to sacrifice a real turkey for Thanksgiving. Apparently, having heard the conversation, Ander decided to hide the turkey in his wardrobe with the aim of sparing its life. The turkey ended up shitting on all his sneakers, and Sienna couldn’t stop laughing while she told us the story. I loved her laughter. Ander insisted that she was exaggerating, and for a fleeting moment, I could envision the friendship they once had right before my eyes. I wondered whether they could ever regain that friendship, but unless Ander chose to let go of all his bullshit, I found it hard to believe such a reconciliation was possible.

Ander hadn’t told us why he was still upset with Sienna even though it was his father’s fault rather than hers. But given the secrets that Noah and I were keeping, I wasn’t in a position to demand anything from him.

“Are you going to tell us about the stalker, Sienna? Or shall I ask Noah, who apparently is the only one being kept in the loop?” Ander asked.

We were seated on the living room floor, facing the crackling fireplace that cast a warm glow. My mom and William had gone for a walk, so it was just the four of us and Rosita. She had kindly prepared popcorn and mulled wine for us, and as I reclined there with a satisfied stomach after a delightful meal, a protective sensation swelled in my chest, knowing that Sienna was dealing with a creep.

“Well, there’s not much to tell. Someone broke into my apartment over a month ago and left a black dahlia and a note. It sounded romantic at the beginning, like a gesture. But I got pretty scared when I later found out that Noah had not delivered the note. I’ve received a few more notes and dahlias, and the intensity of the messages has escalated,” Sienna explained.

“What do the notes say?” I asked her. She mentioned they were kind of romantic, so I started to think that maybe we were facing a guy who had clearly become obsessed with her in a very unhealthy way.

“It went from a ‘you can’t escape your fate’ kind of thing to ‘you’re not special and can bleed like everybody else.’”

“I would say your pussy is pretty special,” Noah deadpanned.

“It’s not funny, asshole,” Ander said, smacking Noah on the arm and spilling some wine on the carpet.

“ANDER! Your dad’s gonna have my head for this, you idiot.” Noah jittered, clearly influenced by the mulled wine.

“What are we gonna do about it?” I inquired. “About the stalker, I mean. Not about the carpet.”

“We?” Sienna asked, raising her eyebrows. “It’s my problem, not yours.”

“Well, that’s not true. I won’t leave you all alone at Aster Hall. Who knows what this freak is capable of? When we return tomorrow, you’ll pack a few things and stay in our apartment until we catch the stalker. Right, Ander?”

Ander almost choked on his drink, the unexpected comment catching him off guard.

“She can stay with me,” Noah suggested in a clear attempt to keep her all to himself. I wasn’t gonna let him have an advantage at wooing her.

“We have a spare bedroom, so she can have privacy. You live in a one-bedroom apartment, and as far as I know, we have both agreed to give her some space.”

Shit.

I wanted to retract my words as quickly as I spilled them.

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