“Hold on!”
A moment later, the music died to a muffled sound.
“Are you at the club?” Honey asked, surprised as she glanced at her watch, seeing that it was only one, and the club wouldn’t open until over eight hours from now.
“Yeah, I had to come early with some of the other girls to practice a new routine,” Amber explained, breathless. “But enough about me. Where have you been? Antonis has been going crazy, asking everyone where you’re at, and even threatening us about it.”
Even though Honey had read all of those text messages, she had still found herself speechless from Amber’s words. Threatening the girls seemed uncalled for, but then again, she had to remember that Antonis was a man who didn’t take no for an answer. If he had been, she wouldn’t be in this position now.
“When Brittany suggested she should be the one to take your time slot, and that she could even do it better, Antonis dressed her down so bad that she cried. Even I felt bad for her, and I hate Brittany.”
“What?!”
“It’s bad, Honey. It’s really bad. I’ve even been thinking about quitting with the way he has been lately. Other girls too. He’s been scary since he came back… and it’s just making everyone miss Nikos more.”
Instantly, Honey felt guilty. She wished she could tell Amber and the other girls that Nikos was still alive. But now wasn’t the right time, and she wasn’t sure if they would be able to resolve this situation any time soon. It would still take Nikos time to heal before he could do anything.
“Anyway, I’m just glad to know you’re okay. I had been worried.”
“I’m sorry I’m just calling now. It’s just that—”
“There’s no need for you to apologize. I understand. Be safe, Honey, and wherever you are now, you should stay there for the time being because Antonis is different now. Wait, hold on.”
The phone was quiet for a moment, and Honey waited with a bated breath, feeling her heart slowly start to race. She hadn’t been banking on Amber being at work when she made this call. She thought Amber would be home instead. She prayed that Antonis wasn’t nearby.
“I have to go, Honey. Ashley just fell off the pole, and it was bad. Be safe,” Amber told her.
After saying their goodbyes, Honey left the hall and returned to the room where she stayed with Nikos. He lay on the bed, looking lethargic and somewhat out of it. The doctor had come over an hour ago to check on him, and whatever he had given Nikos seemed to have caught up with him now. But, she was glad to see him lying down because if it were up to Nikos, he would be outside with Kai right now, who was playing in the backyard with one of the neighbor’s kids from next door.
“How are you feeling?” Honey asked as she dropped down next to him and brushed her hand against his forehead, feeling a light sheen of sweat.
“Like shit,” he replied, and Honey sighed. She couldn’t help but feel guilty every time she saw him like this. Of course, it wasn’t her fault, but still, if it weren’t for Antonis’s obsession with her, he wouldn’t be in this predicament.
“I wish I could make you feel better,” Honey said, massaging her fingers through his hair. Then suddenly, his eyes popped open, blue eyes glinting with mischief.
“There’s a way you could make me feel better,” Nikos murmured as he snuggled up to her, wrapping his arms languidly around her waist and plopping his head on her lap.
“No.”
“Come on, Honey. You said you wanted to help me feel better.”
She had, but she hadn’t meant it that way. If she had the power to make Nikos completely healed again, she would. But what he wanted was definitely not the kind of healing she’d been offering.
“I already told you why,” she grumbled, trying to stand up, but Nikos only held her tighter.
“You said you wouldn’t do anything with Kai here, and I accepted that. But Kai isn’t here now,” he said, teasingly, and Honey rolled her eyes, feeling cornered and caged.
“I’m not doing anything in Ava’s home. I wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye.”
“But I need some honey to feel better,” he said, looking at her bright, blue-eyed, and wanting. Only Nikos could look feverish,coated with a light sheen of sweat and heavy eyelids, but still look good enough that her heart raced from his cheesy words.
“Don’t you want me to feel better?” he asked as he pressed firm kisses against her stomach, that seeped through her shirt and stirred awake the butterflies that just had been calmly resting.
“Nik,” she whined softly.
“Honey, help me feel better,” he said before he leaned up and kissed her. He pressed all of his weight on her, making her fall back on the bed, and as she was spelled into lust, she realized that they hadn’t done this enough, just kissing. She had been evading all of his advances, so he could get the proper rest he needed, missing out on his skillful tongue that was already sending shivers through her body alone.
“We can’t,” she said feebly, thinking of the fact that the door wasn’t locked and that Ava was downstairs in her garden with Lefteris, thinking of the fact that Nikos was already eliciting moans as his hands roamed and explored, sliding down her neck, grazing over her breast, and snaking down lower until he nudged her thighs apart and palmed her over her leggings that barely felt like they were there because all she could feel was the heat from his palm.
