Ready to Leave
While Ava had fallen silent, Mateo looked at her attentively, hoping she would ask a question about everything.
“Do you still have anything to do with Morgana?” the girl asked, her expression very serious.
Mateo was about to laugh upon hearing the question she had asked, but he restrained himself. He found it amusing that after telling her everything, what worried her was whether he was still with Morgana. Her question gave him a new glimmer of hope.
“She’s just a friend. Whatever happened between us ended years ago, like I said, we don’t maintain the same partner for long in this lifestyle.”
“And the girl from the bar? It’s obvious she knows you.”
“She was my bondage partner until a few months ago. Even though she knew the rules and that we shouldn’t involve feelings, I had to distance myself from her because I realized I was starting to have them. I haven’t reached out to her since, but she doesn’t seem to want to accept it.”
Ava analyzed things for a moment. Although she couldn’t see Mateo’s face, she had a feeling he was very handsome. It would also be difficult for her to accept something like that, and she had just met him.
The poor girl’s thoughts were all over the place. She never imagined that by accepting this trip, she would learn about all this. She had no idea that such a thing existed, let alone that Mateo was into it. Vanilla sex, Romantic Bondage, consensual restraints – that day, her vocabulary had expanded, and not with words she could casually use.
“I apologize. I know I shouldn’t have taken you to a place like that. I shouldn’t have exposed you. I’m a complete idiot. I don’t know what I was thinking. I just wanted to go for a moment and support Akiro. He’s a good friend, and I didn’t want to let him down. I really didn’t think the situation would get out of hand. I unintentionally put you in great danger.”
Mateo hoped she would say something, but she remained silent. He could see an infinite sadness in her face, fearing that their relationship would end before it even began, and it hurt him deeply. It would be more than he could bear. He had tried to interpret the girl’s gestures and reactions, but he had no idea what she truly thought. The silence that prevailed was incredibly uncomfortable. He preferred that she tell him what she thought of him; trying to guess was even worse.
Mateo never thought he would be in that situation; he felt compelled and knew that the girl could be forming the worst impression of him at that moment.
The sound of his phone interrupted his thoughts. He had no intention of answering, but it was ringing insistently.
“Soon,” he answered, irritated. His annoyance dissipated when he heard it was Akiro.
“Friend, I’ve reviewed the camera footage. I’ll send it to you right now. You better see it for yourself. Morgana told me that Clara told her that you asked her to initiate Ava, which is why she took her to the cross in the center of the track. She also said you ordered her to take Ava to one of the red rooms where you’d be waiting. She realized it was a lie when she saw you with me at the bar. Clara intended to do something more with Ava.”
Mateo shivered upon hearing this; Clara’s intention was to harm Ava even more.
“Clara doesn’t know what she’s done. That woman was trying to harm Ava severely. Investigate if there was any man waiting inside the designated room. If there was, I want to know who that man is.”
Akiro realized that things would be very difficult for Clara. Mateo was not a forgiving man.
“Brother, you have to be careful about how you approach things with Clara. Morgana has told me she’s prepared a press conference. That woman intends to seriously damage your reputation if you try to harm her. You’ve gotten yourself quite an adversary.”
Mateo was furious; Clara had become a major thorn in his side. Ava listened in silence, not a fool, she had understood what was happening. Without saying a word, she headed to the bathroom; she wanted to be alone for a moment and hoped that Mateo would leave for his room. She needed to clarify her thoughts about him.
He understood the message perfectly and went to his room. He would return to her for breakfast after taking a shower. Minutes later, he knocked on her door, repeatedly, but there was no response. He became concerned. He had requested a spare keycard just in case something happened, so he used it to open the door.
Ava wasn’t inside. Where could she have gone in an unfamiliar place? A thousand catastrophic ideas crossed his mind. He hurriedly went down to the hotel lobby to ask if anyone had seen her. A girl like her would have stood out, not just because she was visually impaired but because she was very beautiful. He approached the bellhop to inquire.
“A blonde girl, with blue eyes, very beautiful indeed. Of course, I saw her. She asked for an assistant to take her to the beach a while ago, then she told him there was no need to wait.”
Mateo turned pale; Ava could be in danger if she entered the sea. He rushed towards the beach, feeling desperate. Upon arrival, he scanned the area, and in the distance, he spotted her standing with her feet in the water.
He approached her slowly and could see that she was calm, her gaze fixed on the horizon. It was as if she could see, perhaps she was concentrating on listening to the gentle sound of the waves. At that moment, the sea seemed to respect her; its sound was like a gentle purr.
Ava knew his scent well. When he got closer, although he didn’t make a sound, she could sense him.
“I know you’re here. I can feel you,” he marveled at the girl’s ability to know she wasn’t alone and even more that she could recognize his scent. She moved a few steps away, and he followed, embracing her from behind.
“Ava, please, I’m sorry you found out this way. I just ask that you think carefully before making a final decision about me.” It was the first time he felt tainted by his peculiar tastes.
“Could you take me back to the room, please?” she replied with a sigh. In her face, Mateo could see an infinite sadness.
“Don’t you want to enjoy the beach a bit more?” He felt desperate; he was the cause of her sadness, and she had already suffered too much over the years for him to continue causing her pain.
“No, thank you. I’d rather go back to the room. I’d like to be with my nanny again. Could that be arranged? I can take public transportation. You have things to do here with your friends; you can stay. I don’t want to be the one to interrupt your plans.”
Mateo didn’t respond; he silently escorted her to her room. Ava entered and tried to close the door to keep him out.
“Ava, please, just give me a moment,” he said softly while gently holding the door.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
“I need to go back; I have a lot to sort out with what my father left me. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I’ll reimburse you for the expenses as soon as possible, and I also need to find a place to move to,” Ava said. Mateo took her hand, and she felt him tremble.
“Ava, please, I’ll go back with you. I have nothing to do here if you’re not with me,” he said, unwilling to leave her.
“Fine, but keep in mind that as soon as we get back, I’ll leave as soon as possible.”
On her sweet face, besides sadness, Mateo saw a great coldness, and he felt a strange sensation in his chest, a profound emptiness. She was already missed even before she left.
“Of course, I’ll allow it,” Mateo thought, willing to do whatever she asked if it meant being allowed to stay by her side. He knew he could have any woman he wanted, but she was the only one who mattered.
Meanwhile, Ava was determined to distance herself from him as soon as they returned. For an ordinary person, a relationship with someone like him would be challenging, but for her, it was even more so. She didn’t have the capacity to tolerate his preferences or his little friends. A deep wrinkle appeared in the middle of her forehead as she thought about it. Mateo noticed that something had upset her, but given the circumstances, he refrained from asking.
“We’ll drive back,” he decided, wanting to spend more time with her. The journey would take eight hours, and this time he wouldn’t bring the driver; it would just be Ava and him.
“But won’t that be too long?” She actually had no idea how long the drive would take.
“Don’t worry about it. They’ve announced a major storm in the area, so it’s not safe to fly right now, but it is safe to drive,” Mateo said, feeling like he was sealing his own fate by lying to an angel like her.
Ava resigned herself; in her current situation, she had no other choice. She depended entirely on him to return to Lola.