“Let me take care of you,mein Liebling. You don’t have to do anything in return. I’ll get you off and hold you afterwards.”
His hand cups my breast and kneads it before sliding down beneath my pajama pants and panties. His fingers inch towardmy clit, and it feels so familiar to me. I’m enjoying his touch until I remember Jorge’s in the suite beside us. My mind jumps to the things he suggested, the way it felt when he spanked me, how wet that made me. My body reacts to that, and Bastian clearly thinks it’s his ministrations that are getting me horny. But he whispers to me again, and his German accent just doesn’t sound right.
“That’s right,Liebling. Open your legs for me. Let me get into that tight, wet cunt.”
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I finally burst into tears. I haven’t cried all day today, but now it’s a deluge. Bastian freezes, and I rest my hand on his forearm. After a moment, I draw his hand away.
“Bastian, I can’t do this. I feel so guilty thinking about enjoying sex or even just getting fingered while my father’s probably being tortured. It just feels so wrong and so selfish.”
He kisses my temple and pulls away.
“That makes sense. I thought perhaps I could distract you for a while, but I don’t want to make you feel worse than you already do.”
That’s the kindest thing he’s said to me so far, and I finally feel an ounce of reassurance from him. I won’t admit it also doesn’t feel right picturing the man next door. I know Bastian’s a bit annoyed from his aggrieved sigh as he pulls back, but he holds me instead. He curls up around me and spoons me, just like he usually does as we fall asleep. I finally feel like he’s the boyfriend I need.
I didn’t sleep well again last night, and Heidi and I are barely eating this morning. Starvation prompted us to eat more lastnight, but reality sets in all over again with sunrise. None of the guys are much better than my mom, Heidi, and me. Everyone just picks at their food.
When I came into Jorge’s suite, I could tell he’d barely slept last night. He’s been going at it for two nights without enough rest. While Bastian talks to my family and Friedrich, I pull Jorge aside.
“You can’t keep going like this. You look exhausted. Did you sleep at all last night?”
“I got in a few hours, but there’s still plenty to do.”
“You can’t keep running on next to no sleep. You’ll collapse.”
He keeps his voice low as he responds to me, making sure he’s angled so nobody can read his lips.
“Chiquita, I’m used to running on next to no sleep for days at a time. I’ll catch up later.”
Hearing him call mechiquitamakes the world bright again for just a moment. It’s the way hearing Bastian call meLieblingused to, but at a far greater degree.
“What are you two whispering about?”
Bastian stalks toward us and demands to know what’s going on. He continues to pepper Jorge with questions he answers, but Jorge simply won’t engage with Bastian, which only makes him increasingly irritated. It’s my mom who steps in. She’s withdrawn further, and I can tell she grows more despondent as the hours turn into days.
“Bastian, I really don’t want to listen to this right now. Stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. Jorge’s been nothing but polite and concerned for us. If you’re going to pick an argument with him, then you can just go next door because I don’t want to see or hear you if you’re going to be like this.”
My boyfriend turns toward me. “Then, Anne, you come with me, and we’ll discuss more while we’re alone.”
“No, I’m not leaving my mom and sister right now to go discuss something with you I have no answers for.”
“You won’t discuss why a man brought you to his suite alone and is bending over backwards to help a practical stranger?”
I stare at Bastian for a protracted moment before I lose my ever-loving shit.
“Of course! He’s actually useful!”
Everyone stares at me before I realize how horrible that sounds. I walk away from Bastian and Jorge. I need space from both of them, but I pass in front of the window.
“Anneliese, no.”
Everyone stares as Jorge barks at me. It’s a tone I haven’t heard since we first arrived at the suite. I look around the room and know everyone senses something happened with us. Bastian storms off, slamming the door behind him and must march next door because we hear that door slam as well.
I’m so humiliated by his behavior. This tantrum is so unlike him. I’m positive Jorge would never behave like this. He wouldn’t give anybody a glimpse into his emotions, and he’d never embarrass himself like that.
Jorge basically comes to my rescue when he suggests everybody sits down again, so we can discuss what he’s found. He offers me one of his half smiles that’s barely a subtle twitch of his lips, but it’s enough for me to know he’s still on my side. He walks over to the armchair he sat in yesterday, and I take the one that I shared with Bastian. It’s far more comfortable on my own.
“I spoke to my uncle this morning. He’s made some calls as well, and we think we have a lead on who sent the messages, but we aren’t positive yet. I need to go out this afternoon and follow up on this. I don’t want to make any false promises or get your hopes up because I can’t guarantee what I’ll find, but I think we might be making progress.”
