Chapter 13: Chapter 13

ESTRELA

Throughout the day, I can't concentrate on anything as Kian fills my mind. He kissed me and not just once. And I've allowed it every time, without protest, because I wanted it - because I want him. It's scary, because when I think about it, I've never desired a man as much as Kian. Since I've known him, I've realized what was always missing in my last relationship. And passion. Kian is definitely turning my life upside down. Writing isn't much of a distraction either, because my laptop had decided it was going to stop working. That still annoys me. And to be honest, calling my mother to ask her to send me the contract with the guarantee really terrifies me. That's why I was quite relieved when Kian made this decision for me and lends me his laptop for the time being. Of course, I realize that I can't keep him forever and that I'll have to do something about my life and call my mom willy-nilly. But since the last conversation between her and me, I had really thought that I wouldn't have to talk to her anytime soon.

My cell phone pulls me out of my swarm of thoughts and I'm glad about the little distraction. "Hey strangers," Summer greets me, a smile forming on my lips.

"Hi."

"I wanted to go shopping today and ask you if you would like to accompany me?" she asks cheerfully.

"Sure, why not," I say, because the more distractions today, the better.

"Cool. I'll send you the location where we're meeting. We're going shopping in Vegas!" she exclaims enthusiastically and I laugh.

"Okay. I was planning to go to Las Vegas anyway," I say.

"Well then, is that a good thing...let's say three o'clock in the afternoon?"

"Sure thing," I confirmed. I could really do with a little or a big shopping spree today. Besides, I hadn't done that for a long time. Especially not with a girlfriend. I did have girlfriends in Louisiana, but if I'm honest, they were only superficial friendships. I also got to know them from my ex Matthew since they were all in his circle of friends. Matthew is popular, so he has a lot of friends, and well, since I was his girlfriend, it went from one to the other and his friends became mine. But I was always aware that they are never true friends for me. Everyone was so focused on themselves. It was downright a compulsion to deal with them. I just made this for my ex-boyfriend, Matt, for love.

The bus I took into town stops in front of a Las Vegas mall. The Fashion Show Mall. A popular place for shopping. I get out and immediately feel the dry air that I still have to get used to. But since it's the end of October, luckily the warm air is slowly cooling down, but it's still a miracle when it rains in Nevada. From afar I can already see a shock of blond hair. When Summer spots me, too, she meets me halfway. I am immediately drawn into a warm hug.

"Hi sweetie. I'm so glad you're coming with me," she says, as cheerful as she is. Summer is a little whirlwind and she rarely seems to be in a bad mood. "In this mall, there is really everything your heart desires!", she says enthusiastically and already pulls me into the mall.

While shopping, I notice Summer's fondness for clothes. We probably go to every shop around here and she almost always comes out with a piece. I suddenly wonder where she got all the money from. Whenever she pays, she presents a gold card. I've also treated myself to something, but I'm quite careful with my budget. Summer, on the other hand, doesn't seem to pay much attention to prices. I can still remember her telling me that she started at the club to fund her college. But she must have finished her studies by now. I'll have to ask her about it later. Maybe she works somewhere else besides the club or is self-employed.

"Uiii, we absolutely have to go to this shop. They really have the most amazing clothes!" Summer exclaims enthusiastically and I follow her into the shop, laughing. She's right, there are gorgeous dresses in this store and everything is there. From classic, like evening dresses, to party outfits. Summer is headed for the latter. "I need another dress for Kian's party." Kian's party. There we have this topic. I go through my closet in my head, hoping I have a dress I could wear to the party.

"Have you got a dress yet?" Summer asks me like she can read my mind. I shrug.

"I think I might have one," I say, and Summer gives me a critical look for a moment.

"You think?... Come on, pick a dress. It's on me." She says that casually, like she's just asking me out for a drink.

"Oh no, Summer! I can't take that!"

"Of course you can. Pick a dress. The credit card is from Jason anyway." Ah, so this golden card is from Jason.

"And that's another reason not to take it. What would Jason say to that?"

"Jason wouldn't say anything about it and if he did, it wouldn't bother him. Really." Her big smile and that hopeful look in her eyes that I should accept the offer makes me think about it. "Come on, Ela. I like doing it as your friend," she tries and finally I give in. I could really use a new dress.

"Okay..." I give in a bit hesitantly. She claps her hands contentedly. Is Jason really okay with that? And if so, he seems like a very generous friend. I dismiss the thought and look around at all the gorgeous dresses. In the end I have at least five hanging in the fitting. Of course I paid a lot of attention to the prices. But the cheapest ones I've found are all between 200 and 500. But I was only really drawn to one dress. It's nothing exciting, but I really like it. The fabric is light gray satin. The back is bare and thin straps form a cross at the back. The neckline in the front is not too big. In one sentence: It's perfect! I step out of the dressing room to present it to Summer, who is also trying on dresses. Right now she's looking at herself in the mirror in a burgundy dress that looks pretty hot on her. Summer is a beautiful woman. She's got that surfer girl look a little bit. Her blonde hair is a bit wavy and she is slim, yet has curves in all the right places. Jason must be really lucky. Not only does she seem perfect from the outside, her character is great too and you just have to like her.

"Wow, you look hot!" Summer says to me, who has turned around and is studying me closely. "You absolutely have to take this!"

"And you that." I point to her dress that she is wearing. Although it's really short, she doesn't look cheap in it in any way. "When Jason sees you like this, he won't leave your side," I wink at her. She blushes her cheeks slightly before taking a last look at herself in the mirror.

"Then my decision is made and yours too." She smiles broadly. As already offered, Summer pays for my dress. The price was still acceptable but had it been more expensive I would never have let her buy it. Her dress, on the other hand, was a lot more expensive. Oh, when Jason checks the next bank statement, he'll probably lose his eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" We're sitting at a little café outside the mall and we're both having a cappuccino.

"You can always ask me anything," she smiles, taking off her sunglasses and tucking them into her hair.

"Do you do anything else besides working at the club?"

"Indeed. I'm a freelance graphic designer - specializing in websites," she says.

"Wow cool, you must be enjoying that."

"Yeah, I've always wanted to go in that direction. I made the Malone99 nightclub home page." I still remember the homepage when I found out about the club.

"I've seen her, she looks really great," I say. "You certainly make good money with it. Then why are you still working at the club?"

"Hm, on the one hand I really enjoy it, on the other hand I think it's a habit. I've been working at the club for what feels like an eternity and I would like to support Jason a little," she smiles.

After the interview, I got to know Summer better. She also asked me a few questions and I told her a little bit about my old life in Louisiana. "What do you think about ending the day at my house with something to drink?"

"Yes, that sounds good."

Summer is here with the car and I am amazed at the car that she drives. A red Ferrari. "It's Jason's car," she explains, laughing, over my astonished look.

***

"Are you staying here with Jason?" I ask her as I look around the lovely house.

"Yes, we moved in together two months ago." She hands me a glass of martini before settling on the couch next to me. We talk for a while until Jason joins us. Summer told me he's been spending a lot of time at the club right now because he's planning on a second Malone99 nightclub in Las Vegas.

"Hey, babe," calls Jason, who appears around the corner. "Hey, Ela," he greets me when he spots me.

"Ela and I went shopping today," she tells him while he bends down and kisses her gently on the lips.

"Mhm, Martini," he smiles as he licks his lips. "Have you spent my money on tons of clothes again?" Jason doesn't sound angry, more amused.

"Yes, of course! That's what I'm best at," Summer laughs, pinching his chest.

"The woman is crazy about clothes," he explains to me, while Summer gasps in disgust. "But it has its advantages." With a twinkle in his eyes, he looks intently at his girlfriend. I laugh as Jason continues to tease Summer about her great love for clothes.

Jason was so nice and offered to drive me home because they both live a little further away from me. "Thanks for taking me home." I'm about to open the car door when he stops me.

"Ela?" I turn to him questioningly. His gaze is serious now. "Be careful, okay?" I know immediately what he means by that - or rather, who he means. Doubts come up in me. Even his best friend warns me about him and that must mean something. I lower my head and nod before I get out and take myself home again, thank you.

As I lie in bed, the thought just won't let me go. Jason - his best friend, warns me about him. Is Kian really that bad for me, or is there more to it than that?

KIAN

"Hello, Mr. Warren," the nurse greets me.

"Hello. How is she?" I examine the young woman who has been taking care of her for many years.

"She just got some painkillers, so she may be a bit sleepy," she explains.

"OK." I turn away from her and make my way to her room. When I enter, my eyes fall directly on her. Her skin is even paler than the last time I visited. Her blue eyes are also losing their shine. She stretches out her delicate, bony hand to me. I walk over to her, sit down on the chair next to the bed and hesitantly take her cold hand in mine. "I brought you flowers." I show her the bouquet of flowers that I bought before I drove here. She smiles softly and examines the bouquet. She puts her hand, which is shaking, on my cheek. I close my eyes - not knowing what to think of this touch.

"You're such a good boy," she whispers. "And so beautiful!" I open my eyes again. Her eyes are loving on me, but I know she never loved me the way she was supposed to. Still, I sit here once a week and donate to her presence because I'm the only one she has left. And because she's the only one I have left. But it's only a matter of time before she leaves and I finally... "Kian?" she says in a shaky voice. My blue eyes examine me closely. "He... he's here." I look at her with a frown.

"Who is here?" I ask her confused.

"Watch out! ... E-he's dangerous." Her pressure on my hand tightens. My tension rises.

"Who is dangerous? Tell me who you're talking about." My heart starts beating harder. I have no idea who she's talking about.

"Your father." I yank my hand from hers, dropping the flowers carelessly to the floor, and turn away from her. I put my hands on my hands at the window and look out blankly.

"I don't have a father," I say coolly. I turn back to her angrily. My fists are clenched and about to punch something. I look at her coldly. Her expression is impassive and she says no more. "You can't say such a thing!" More and more anger, takes over my body. I go back to her bed. Her gaze is directed past me, lost.

"He was your father," she says softly. I clench my fists even tighter. She has no idea what she's saying. What did they give her?

"NO!" I run my hands through my hair. "You always said you didn't know who my father was!" She lowers her head. I have to get out of here before I forget myself. "Who is he? What's his name?" If she's really telling the truth, she needs to know his name too. Her eyes widen in shock at my question.

"No! ... Kian. Stay away from him!" Her voice is filled with panic. I almost thought she was worried about me. But she has never done that.

"TELL ME HIS NAME!" I yell. She flinches. The door is thrown open and the nurse appears, looking worried. Fuck! They can shove their concerns up their ass!

"Mr. Warren, what's going on here?" she asks me.

"Who else visited her besides me?" I turned to the nurse angrily.

"Come out with me, your..."

"NO!" I interrupt her immediately. "I want to know immediately who visited her!"

"You have to ask that at the front desk, they have the entries from the visitors." Without another word to her or the nurse, I disappear and go to reception. The hurried steps of the nurse follow. "Mr. Warren! Calm down first." I turn around so abruptly that she almost bumped into me.

"Don't tell me what to do! I want to know right away who visited her! ... I've been the only one to come here for three years! I have the right to know who was with her!" The nurse takes a step back.

"Two days ago a man came to visit her," she finally replies.

"What's his name?"

"We don't know!" I look at her in disbelief and furrow my eyebrows.

"What, you don't know who visited them? I thought you put their names on the visitors' list? Are you kidding me?" The nurse turns her head away in embarrassment. What the fuck is going on here?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Warren. We can't give you any more specific information." I laugh, turn my back and walk out of the crappy hospital. With a racing heart, I lean against my car and pull out a cigarette, which I light and take a deep drag on.

"Fucking shit!" I smack the roof of my cart with the palm of my hand. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This can not be true! I put out the cigarette, get in my car and race to the boxing club.

Arriving at the club, I waste no time. Just take off my shirt and then go for the punching bag with full force. The first hit is for them! The second for him! The third for my shitty life. "Watch out. He's dangerous." - Punch. "Your... father." - Slap. "He was your father" - Slap. "No!... Kian. Stay away from him!" - Punch. "Two days ago a man was here who visited her." – blow. Those damn voices are like an endless loop in my head and I can't do anything with them. Nothing! The only thing left are more questions.

"Kian?" I don't have a shitty father! "KIAN?" The loud voice pulls me out of the anger in which I am trapped. I turn around, my eyes blazing. Estrela looks at me with wide, wide eyes before her gaze travels over my sweat-covered body.

"What?" I bark at her. My breathing is ragged and loud.

"Your hands are... bleeding," she says, startled. I tear my eyes away from her and down to my hands, the knuckles of which I've bruised from boxing. Apparently I hit the sack too hard out of anger.

"That's nothing!" I say coolly and walk past her to wipe my face with a towel.

"Kian?" Her voice sounds again. I grab a water bottle and drain it in one gulp before turning back to her. "This needs to be disinfected," she says with a worried look, still on my hands. Why is she concerned about my hand?

"What do you actually want from me? Mind your own shit!" The anger comes over me again. She gasps in shock. I get pissed when people just act like they worry about you. I leave her and go to the changing rooms. I angrily throw my bag against the locker, which hits it with a loud crash and hits the floor.

ESTRELA

What's the matter with him? He's really upset. And then he just leaves me here. When I came to the boxing club to actually visit my father, I found Kian so completely beside himself. He punched the punching bag so wildly I was afraid he was about to rip it off the ceiling. When I saw that his hands were bleeding, I wanted to stop him, but at first he didn't react to me at all. As if he were somewhere completely different. His anger took over him completely. I won't soon forget that look when he turned to me. In his eyes, apart from the seething anger, there was emptiness and darkness. Something must have happened to make him so upset. I can't let this stand, which is why I follow him into the changing rooms. Just as I want to open the door, I hear a loud crash. I wince and open the door. Kian is sitting on the bench with his arms resting on his knees. His grazed hands buried in his hair.

"Kian?" I try slowly. He jerks his head up and looks at me coldly.

"What do you want?" he snaps at me. I know the anger isn't directed at me. Still, he's a little scary in this state. With wobbly legs, I walk past him and feel his burning gaze boring into my back. I go to the first aid kit and pull out everything I need for the wounds on his ankle, hearing his annoyed hiss as he realizes what I'm about to do. Then I drop to my knees in front of him and look into his eyes.

"Give me your hands," I say decisively. Kian eyes me intensely, feeling warm underneath.

"I told you that is nothing!"

"No, Kian! You're bleeding and if you don't disinfect that, it will become infected," I say sternly. He rolls his eyes.

"Here you go." He stretches out his hands for me to take care of. I suppress a grin and start cleaning the burst open wounds with alcohol.

"It might hurt a bit now," I warn him before I put the cotton pad with the alcohol on the wound. He doesn't even bat an eyelid when I clean the wounds. Surely this has to burn?

"I'm used to that," he explains. After everything is cleaned, I smear wound ointment on the affected areas. Always aware that Kian is watching my actions closely. "Why are you doing this?" comes his voice, much softer now.

"You didn't look like you'd care." I explain and dare a look into his ice gray eyes, which are still on mine like hot coals.

"And? That doesn't mean that you have to take care of it," he replies.

"But I wanted it. So stop questioning," I say with a sigh, before attempting to rise with a "Done." But it doesn't get that far, because Kian grabs my wrists. I look into his stormy gray eyes, which really are in a storm.

"Thank you," he whispers. My breathing quickens as I notice him still shirtless in front of me and I look up at him, kneeling between his legs. Kian notices the change in mood. Without hesitation he pulls me up to him, grabs my hips and pulls me with a jerk onto his lap. "I think I owe you something now," he whispers in my ear, sending goosebumps down my spine.