Page 75 of Sexting My Ex's Dad
“Stella?” Elio’s voice startles me, his arms wrapping around me from behind. I hadn’t even heard him come downstairs. He triesto plant a tender kiss on my neck, but I stiffen and pull away, too angry. “What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, Elio,” I apologize, my words coming out more rushed than I mean for them to. “I... I have to go.”
He furrows his brow, confusion etched onto his handsome face. “What happened?”
I swallow back the lump in my throat before explaining, “It’s my brother’s care facility. My mother took the money I paid upfront for his care. I don’t know what she took the money for, but I need to get it back.”
It’s only after the words leave my mouth that I realize I might have said too much. That isn’t exactly the kind of information you should unload onto your new boyfriend. He’ll think my family is crazy – which they are, but that isn’t something he needs to know yet.
“I’m sorry, I…”
But Elio cuts me off. His eyes darken with concern, and he reaches for my hand, his grip strong and comforting. “Let me come with you.”
“What? No, you don’t have to??—“
“Stella,” he cuts me off again, his gaze firm but gentle. “This is what boyfriends are for.” The word ‘boyfriend’ sends a wave of warmth coursing through me, surprising me.
My hand grips Elio’s arm. “You don’t understand, this could get ugly.”
“I didn’t sign on just for the easy times,” he kisses the top of my head. “We can take my helicopter. It’ll be faster.”
He has a helicopter?Why does that surprise me? He’s my billionaire bully afterall.
44
STELLA
As I approach the helicopter on Elio’s pad, a mix of nervousness and excitement pulses through my veins like electricity. The sleek, powerful machine looms before me. I’ve never even ridden on a plane, and now I’d be in a helicopter.
“You’re sure this thing is safe?” I ask, looking up at him, nervously.
“Safer than a car,” he answers.
“Who told you that?”
He laughs. “Google.”
“But google…”
“Trust me, Stella,” Elio says with a reassuring smile. “I’m a great pilot. You’re in good hands.”
“You’re the one flying?”
“I didn’t get my license to be flown by some other man.”
Is there anything this man can’t do?
The groundbeneath me seems to fall away as the helicopter lifts off, my stomach lurching. I clutch the armrest tightly, my knuckles whitening from the pressure as I try to anchor myself to something solid.
“Are you okay?” Elio asks, his voice steady and reassuring despite the whir of the rotors above us.
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yes, just... it’s so different up here,” I say, forcing out the words despite my racing heart. The landscape below unfurls like a beautiful tapestry, the once-familiar city streets now transformed into tiny threads. It’s breathtaking, yet somehow terrifying at the same time.
“Give it a few moments,” Elio advises. “You’ll get used to it.”
As we soar higher, my grip on the armrest gradually loosens, replaced by a growing sense of wonder. Towering skyscrapers give way to rolling hills and verdant forests, each new sight more astonishing than the last. It’s as if I’m seeing everything for the first time – the colors more vivid, the shapes more intricate, all bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.
“Isn’t it incredible?” Elio says, his own amazement evident in his voice.
