“If you’re going to whisper into everyone’s ears to hide your confusion,” I can feel the energy inside me dancing chaotically when I smile, “I’m going to put a bullet between their eyes, not yours.”
Christian’s eyes widen.
“You might not have heard, but people find me charming mostly because of how unreasonable I am.” It’s true really. “If I see you flirting with staff again, you can bet I’m going to shoot them. So to save them all that trouble,” I step into his space again, his face barely a few inches away from mine, “I’ll explain everything you don’t understand.”
If his eyes could spew fire, I think I’d be melted by now, “If you treat me like a freak, I’ll hit you.”
Are you threatening me with a good time,estrellito?
“I’ll allow that.” I step out of his space, more than happy to have reached a consensus, but he’s still glaring at me.
“… And you promise you'll explain anything I don't understand? Without being an asshole?”
“Yes, yes. I won’t be an asshole.” Anything that prevents that shit from happening in front of me again. For a moment I really thought I’d pull my gun in public.
I can tell he doesn’t believe me at all, but he’s watching me with a new question in his eyes, “How did you know I was confused?”
I hum, “You're a much easier read than you think,estrellito.” On the contrary, he's damn good. But it's a different feeling knowing that I can see the parts of him others can't.
He looks troubled by my response, but there’s something else that’s been gnawing at me too, and I can’t help but grin, “You don't know who Jake Gyllenhaal is?”
Christian's energy burns pink with new embarrassment as he shoots me a devastating glare, and I have to stifle the laugh burning in my throat.
“You just said you wouldn't—”
“No assholery here I swear,” I raise my hands in surrender as I walk away, unable to peel the smile off my face.
Because Christian Adler is having a really strange effect on me.
And it really does seem to be getting worse by the day.
Chapter 7
Reuben
I pass Christian’s measurements along to Julia, who helps him pick out some custom pieces, and by the time he steps out of the store, he looks like a completely different man.
I almost regret the moment I considered shipping her to the North Pole; Julia is a genius at her work.
Christian’s long coat is a dusky grey that brings out the colour of his eyes. His matching grey pants and collared white shirt hug his body tightly, and just those differences are enough to make me bite my fucking lips.
Since the moment he’d stepped out of the changing room, I’ve been forcing myself not to stare, like all the other ‘feral city people’ as Xavier puts it.
After the first few weeks I’d thought this shit would go away on its own.
But it’s like I’ve been fucking starving the entire time.
Settle down, settle down, settle down—
I have to chant it in my head because there’s no way by now this shit is normal.
Maybe I’ve been working too hard.
Abuelita’sshop isn’t far from the Louis Vuitton store in the city. Back then, the owner tried to rent out the ground floor, but she haggled with him until he agreed to rent out the second floor instead. Something about not wanting bad energy to leak down through the ceiling.
The Chinese restaurant on the ground level came after. Before I can blink, Xavier and Tobias have disappeared inside to order food, and Gabriel is sucked into a card game at a rowdy table. So it’s only Christian and I treading up the stairs to visitAbuelita, with me leading the way.
“Abuelita—”I call for her as I step into the shop, and the moment I do, salt slaps me in the fucking eyes.
