Page 27 of Corrupted Memories
I scowl. “I’m not?—”
“You are, and for what? Haven’t you heard actions speak louder than words?” Nico shakes his head, opening the trunk to grab the bags. My eyes fall to the empty seat and I realize Sebastian is walking toward the plane stairs without a glance back at me or Nico.
I grab the small backpack, full of my important documents and a few books. Nico scowls at me and I stick out my tongue in childish annoyance. I move to head to the plane, but pause closer to him.
“Actions only speak louder when the truth is apparent. Some actions do not make sense without knowing the clear intention behind it. So yes, I do need those words because some actions led me to believe the exact opposite.”
Chapter 10
Sebastian
She doesn’t speakthe few hours it takes to fly from New Jersey to Chicago, but I breathe a little easier being away from Luca’s and Rian’s territories. Even if I’m technically a free agent, they both see me as my father’s son. I watch her, studying her face while she stares at the passing city through the window as we drive to my penthouse. The lights of the night flicker across her delicate features and a small smile forms on her lips.
“Did you miss Chicago?” I ask, because I can’t ask herdid you miss me?
Gianna shrugs, leaning back in her seat. “I missed the memories tied to it.”
“Have you been back since?”
She’s silent before she looks at me. “You know I haven’t.”
I curb the smile threatening my lips and relish her attention back on me. “Just wanted to see if anything slipped through the cracks. You never know.”
“I finished graduation online and then sought remote work. It took a couple years to even venture outside for activities like Pilates or yoga.”
My heart twists. “Gianna, I was searching for you, not hunting.”
“What’s the difference?” she says under her breath.
I reach out, my fingers wrapping around her wrist long enough for her to look up at me. “One was to keep you, the other… probably gave you nightmares.”
Her eyebrows raise. “Who says wanting to be kept by you isn’t a nightmare?”
My tongue drags along my bottom lip, and I let go of her with a chuckle. “It’s okay. The harder you fight, the sweeter it will be when I finally fuck you again.”
She scoffs, crossing her arms before returning to staring out the window as we drive silently the rest of the way.
Nico clears his throat when he pulls up in front of my building, lingering in the front seat as I climb out and hold my door open for Gianna. He waves at her and she frowns, glancing around as a few men exit the front door and head toward the car as I guide her inside and through the lobby.
“They’ll bring up the bags right behind us,” I explain.
Gianna rolls her eyes. “Fancy. Remember the days when you carried my backpack everywhere for me? I imagine you’d pay someone now.”
I laugh at the ridiculousness. “Perhaps. What’s the point of making as much money as I do and not enjoying some of the luxuries that come with it? Are you telling me that you’d prefer to carry your own bag?”
Her eyebrows dip and she shakes her head. “No, I just…”
“Want to be difficult? It’s time to enjoy the luxuries of the life I want to provide for you.”
Her lips thin. “The life you manipulated me back into.”
I push away the guilty twist in my chest. “Sure, whatever helps you accept it.”
She looks away from me, focusing on the rising numbers on the elevator. My eyes roam over her,studying every inch of her body because I can’t believe she’s here. So many years apart, and I started to believe I’d imagined the pull I feel toward her, but it’s still there. Everything about Gianna draws me in and has me begging for more. The years have been kind to her, and she stands more as a woman than before. A face that has matured, a body that has filled out, and a mind that has sharpened. I’m obsessed. I thought I wanted Gianna before, but now I’m never going to let her go.
The bell startles us both and our gazes lock before I clear my throat, waving her in.
“After you.”
