wide, and I turn to face him. Okay, he is already all dressed up, casually lying next to me on top of the sheets. “You woke up early, didn’t you?”
He grins at me in response. “Just two hours ago.” Given the fact that we made love until five a.m., two hours ago seems quite early to me. “You are so damn beautiful when you sleep.”
“Oh, shut up,” I tease.
“C’mon, let’s go,” he instructs, pushing the blankets down. “It’s a glorious sunny day in Manhattan. Let’s have breakfast and then go outside. You need a tan.”
“The terrace is outside,” I protest, still gaining the courage to get out of bed.
I look around for something to wear. And I realize this was my first time sleeping here in his condo, as I had only spent the weekends in Bedford Hills before. I find his white shirt laying on a chair, and, well, a shirt will do.
I drag myself sleepily to the terrace, waking up at the sight of my fiancé.
Fuck, look at him, with the sunlight beaming deliciously on the locks of his hair and his face as he’s working on his iPad.
Then, as I scan the table, I can’t help but say, “There are only two of us. Why so much food?”
“You said the same thing in Aspen…” And once his eyes are on me, a small smile charms his face, probably in amusement at seeing me in his shirt.
Letting out a quick chuckle, I say, “You did order too much food.” Then I take a seat in front of him and grab some avocado toast.
“And what was my reply then?”
I swallow dryly as his blue eyes lock with mine. No matter how many times I have seen him, his face, his eyes, his smile, and his unbrushed hair falling on either side of his brow, I will never get enough of him. Blinking twice, I think of the answer. “Um, that you didn’t know if the food was good or not. Oh, so you ordered all of this?”
His lips curve up. “Do you see Maria around?”
And hope sprouts inside of me to the point that I can’t contain my smile. “So does that mean we are gonna stay here, just the two of us?”
“For the weekend, at least.”
I take another bite of my toast, my heart filled with joy. I still can barely believe he is finally back. “Did you manage to talk to Dad?”
“No, I didn’t.” Alex looks down before letting out a sigh. “I already left him two voice messages, but we have a meeting Monday, so we’ll talk then.” He pauses, pondering further. “Petra,” he says cautiously, his eyes meeting mine. “What I did yesterday might have grave consequences for both of us.”
I crease my brows at his comment, but I’m not surprised. “I know…”
Then he keeps looking intently at me, and all of a sudden, he asks, “Do you want to live with me?”
Oh my! My jaw drops at his question, and I remain speechless, blinking twice. As I observe him, I can tell Alex is damn serious about it. “Of course,” I breathe, my heart pounding in excitement. “What a question.”
“I’m not sure what your dad is gonna do next,” he warns, his tone laced with concern. “But it’s safer if you live with me and don’t return to Park Avenue.”
“I have always wanted to live with you,” I say instantly. “And, um, whatever happens next, we are in this together.” We remain quiet as we smile at each other. “Thank you for coming back.” My tone is low, but filled with gratitude. After all, I know how much is at stake.
After finishing my toast, I pour some matcha tea into my cup and drink it. Meanwhile, Alex remains engrossed in his iPad. Then, as I watch him, another question pops up. “Why didn’t you reply to any of my texts?” I pause, gauging his reaction. “I know most of them were stupid, but…”
“Your phone is being tracked,” he announces before putting his iPad down to revel in my astonishment. “And mine was too. I had to get a new one in Singapore.”
“Oh…” Of course it’s being tracked! Why didn’t I think about that before? Jeez, I feel so embarrassed, realizing my parents have most likely read all my texts.
As he straightens his posture, he draws in a breath, pondering something. “I needed to make sure your dad knew we had really broken up,” he explains. “If he had any doubts about it, he’d never