Chapter 28: Chapter 28

ESTRELA

After the sex, Kian pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head that was resting on his chest. We remain silent and indulge in our own thoughts. In doing so, I realize that the sex we just had wasn't just sex, it was much more than that. I trusted him completely this time. I feel safe and protected in Kian's arms. I had never felt that with Matthew. Not even when things were going well between us. It's not just Kian's personality that makes me feel that way - we definitely have something in common. Kian makes me feel safe. Today he opened up to me for the first time. Just a little bit, but it was a small step in the right direction. At some point, maybe he'll be ready to open up to me completely. Because what Kian went through is definitely so much worse than what I went through. It's deeper and much darker with him.

"Is your mother really going to fly back?" his deep voice sounds close to my ear. I sigh deeply.

"No, I doubt it. She's a stubborn woman. She'll come back here and try to persuade me to go back to Louisiana." Kian's body tenses slightly beneath me. I raise my head and look into his gray eyes, which always seem to hypnotize me. "But my mind is made up, I'm not going back." I smile timidly. I feel no sadness at the thought of never coming back to Louisiana. Why should I? I was born here in Henderson, this is where I really call home. Louisiana is a place I never wanted to go and the place I only have bad memories.

"Will she talk to your father?" Kian speaks the doubts that I also have. He knows as well as I do that my dad won't be thrilled if he knows about us. Even though I myself have no idea what we are now...

"Hm, I don't know. My mother hasn't spoken to my father in years, so I don't think she will. But you can never be sure about her."

"If your father finds out about us, I won't deny it. It's just not fair to him. He'll rip my balls off, but I won't lie to him any further if he asks me what's going on between us. He's been training me for years and he's given me a real life. Without him, I would never be who I am now," Kian said with serious honesty.

"Of course, I understand that. You don't want to betray his trust and neither do I. He's going to have to deal with it – he just has to deal with it." I smile and Kian smiles back. "I think it would be even better if we tell him ourselves before my mother does or he somehow figured it out himself." Kian nods and agrees. "Oh, don't you have to go to practice?" I change the subject. Of course I really hope I can spend a few more hours with him. Kian grins at me like he can read my mind.

"I'm only going to the studio tonight, so I still have plenty of time to spend the day with you." He growls the last sentence in a seductive voice. I giggle as he leans over me and buries his face in the hollow of my neck. "Have I told you before that you feel amazing," he murmurs against my skin, and I can feel his breath on her. I grin. He raises his head and his beautiful eyes, which appear like liquid silver, captivate me. As always. He wants to bend down for a kiss before he even gets near my lips. we are interrupted by a ringtone coming from a mobile phone. Kian sighs, noting that it appears to be his. He rolls his eyes, finally gets up and takes the call. "

"Oh okay." Kian grins, leans over me and blows a kiss on my forehead.

"Shit, I'd much rather spend the day naked in bed with you, but Jason is pissed off enough with me."

After about 20 minutes, Kian said goodbye to me, he said he would get in touch with me. I can't stop grinning as I close the door behind me. Even if my mood isn't the best, I'm happy because of my mother who showed up so suddenly. Yes, Kian actually makes me a happy woman, who would have thought. Even though he has a history and he's been with a lot of women, don't judge him too much. I'm also beginning to understand why he is the way he is. I think Kian is just looking for some love that he didn't seem to get in the way that human beings deserve.

KIAN

"Kian!" Jason growls as soon as I enter his office. "Have you any idea how you narrowly missed an ad?" I make an annoyed noise. Yes, I was actually lucky that the asshole didn't report me or anything like that. Jason gives me a serious stare before taking a long drag on his cigarette. "What's going on between you and Ela? And please don't lie to me. I've long noticed that something's going on between you." I snort.

"What do you want to hear? That I fuck her?" Jason looks away.

"I'm your best friend, Kian. You can tell me the truth. I won't judge you."

"Fine... Yes, it's true. Something's going on between Estrela and me." Now Jason gives me a big grin that almost worries me.

"I can't believe you fell in love!" Jason stands and pats my shoulder brotherly.

"Dude, what is this?"

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm just happy for you. Finally a woman has managed to make you fall in love with her. Although I didn't expect it to be Ela of all people, but congratulations … I have the feeling she is brings out your good side."

"I don't have a good side," I answer soberly. Jason shakes his head.

"You have. You just have to try harder to show it. Don't get stuck in the past, Kian. Estrela is a smart and kind woman. And you can lose her faster than you think if you're always in the past."

"I don't live in the past - my past is haunting me and I feel like it's going to catch up with me any minute." Fuck! I run my hands through my hair and take a deep breath.

"Then try to escape from her." If only it were that easy...

***

"Kian!" Harrison greets me as I walk into the studio. "You're going to get serious next week. I hope you feel ready to bust Kayden's ass." I laugh.

"Sure, boss." I grab the bandages and wrap them around my hands before doing some warm-up exercises on the punching bag. Enough warmed up, I look around the studio. "Who's my opponent?" I ask my trainer, since I can't see anyone else in the studio, which is weird because there's always someone around here.

"I," he says. I look at him in surprise. I've never fought him before and I can't tell if I should worry or think it's cool that I get to fight my own trainer. After all, Harrison Clark was a successful boxer and won numerous prizes. Even though he's a bit older and isn't that fit anymore because of his injury, I still think he's still got a lot going for him. Yes, I have respect - and one should have it - to fight him.

"OK." I bite back a grin. Harrison looks at me for a moment before removing his shirt and boxing gloves before stepping into the ring with me. Okay, apparently he doesn't need a warm-up.

"Some things came as a surprise to me," he says, and I frown, confused, having no idea what he means. But I stop thinking about it and focus on the upcoming fight. We stand in position and look at each other. It's a strange feeling being in the ring with my trainer and fighting him now. Let's see how much the old man has left. The first blow comes as a surprise, but I deftly step aside. Harrison raises his eyebrows in surprise. Well, what did he expect? He knows his best boxer is himself. I want to miss the next shot, but he also knows how to avoid it. In doing so he gets a chance and catches me off guard but not hard enough, still a one to zero for him. But I gather myself quickly again and this time lay out my shot, unfortunately only just off the mark. "And I thought you learned from the best," he grins, and I shake my head, laughing. More blows follow, unfortunately I missed them. Fuck! "Come on, Kian. I didn't train you for years to put you on the floor today!" He comes at me aggressively. I clench my jaw and miss to punch, right against his ribs, which is a good spot to knock the opponent out of breath for a moment. In fact, he appears to be briefly out of action, but he gathers himself faster than he thought. "That was good, but not good enough!" Another punch hits me straight in the stomach, causing me to double over briefly. "Kian, what's wrong with you?" Harrison scoffs. I stand up straight, only this time I get a punch right in the face, then notice the blood spurting from my nose. Fuck, I didn't expect the old man to be that hard to fight. I wipe the blood from my nose and deliver a hard punch to his jaw. He was probably sitting, because he staggers back a little. But even that doesn't seem to stop him for long. He laughs and walks up to me, wanting to hit me in the face again, but I parry the punch, taking one in my right arm. "If you keep going like this, I'll fall asleep." I shake my head. Okay, so he really wants me to get out of my head. Should he have! This time I hit a shot that must have been seated. "Good",

"Fuck," I huff as he catches me good. He takes the chance and tries to push me to the ground.

"My daughter is a smart woman..." he begins. His words confuse me and I can't defend myself enough as he pushes me against the ground and then puts his weight on top of me. A slap in my face makes me spit blood. Shit! It's probably all personal. "That's why I don't understand how she could get involved with you. But I almost thought so. I'm not blind and I'm not that old by a long shot that I don't notice anything anymore." I stopped fighting him long ago. This fight has nothing to do with training me. No, he wants to teach me a lesson and I can clearly feel it now. "I should advise you to stay away from my daughter, but I know that you won't and that Estrela is old enough to make her own decisions. But if you ever break her heart, I'll break every bone in your body," he says menacingly. He hugs my chest briefly, then stands up and looks down at me before reaching out to shake my hand and helping me pull myself up "Remember one thing: never get distracted!", he advises me. Shit! I should have known that Harrison had already noticed it. However, I can't get over the fact that he probably didn't think of it entirely on his own. And my suspicion is reinforced when a woman I know steps out of the office and smiles contentedly.Harrison looks emotionless at his ex-wife while I grimace in anger. before he shakes my hand and helps me pull myself up. "Remember one thing: never get distracted!" he advises me. Crap! I should have figured Harrison would have noticed by now. Still, I can't get rid of the fact that he probably didn't come up with it entirely on his own. And my suspicion is reinforced when a woman I know steps out of the office and smiles contentedly. Harrison looks emotionless at his ex-wife while I grimace in anger. before he shakes my hand and helps me pull myself up. "Remember one thing: never get distracted!" he advises me. Crap! I should have figured Harrison would have noticed by now. Still, I can't get rid of the fact that he probably didn't come up with it entirely on his own. And my suspicion is reinforced when a woman I know steps out of the office and smiles contentedly. Harrison looks emotionless at his ex-wife while I grimace in anger. when a woman I know steps out of the office and smiles contentedly. Harrison looks emotionless at his ex-wife while I grimace in anger. when a woman I know steps out of the office and smiles contentedly. Harrison looks emotionless at his ex-wife while I grimace in anger.

"I see you taught him a lesson." Satisfied with the situation, she smiles at her former husband. "But I don't think enough that he will stay away from her entirely." I slip the boxing gloves off my hands and throw them carelessly on the floor.

"Diana, they're both grown. I've already made it clear to Kian what happens if he breaks her heart." She rolls her eyes.

"Don't be silly, Harrison. This boy isn't right for Estrela."

"Oh yes, and how do you know that? You don't even know me!" I step out of the ring and approach the woman.

"Of course I know you, Kian Warren. I see it in your look. A two-legged heartthrob who lures evil. And do you know how I know, because I was married to just one." She jabs her index finger into my chest. "It's hard to resist a pretty face. If my daughter is really as smart as everyone says she would stay away from you and look for a decent man."

"Like your ex?" I growl angrily.

"Matthew?" she asks in surprise. I nod.

"Who's Matthew?" Harrison grunts behind me. Diana ignores him.

"Matt is a great man and would make the perfect son-in-law, unlike you!" I laugh coldly.

"The perfect son-in-law, eh? Raising his hand to your daughter, eh?" Diana looks at me blankly. I realize it's not my decision to tell you about Estrela's ex, but this woman needs to wake up to the fact that her beloved Matthew isn't who she thinks he is.

"Excuse me?" Harrison growls loud enough to make the woman in front of me flinch.

"You're lying!" she says.

"I wish it were," I reply matter-of-factly. "You get the wrong idea about your perfect son-in-law by judging other people you don't know. But the ones you seem to know are usually the bigger disappointment, aren't they?"

"Where does this Matthew live? I'll kill him!" Harrison growls, now glaring at his ex-wife. "How could you let our daughter fall for a guy like that?" Now she doesn't look so confident and content anymore.

"Y-you don't believe him, do you?" she stutters. Harrison looks at me at my extremely serious expression. "Estrela never told me why she broke up with him. She would certainly have said something if something had happened between her and Matt. I'm her mother!" she says desperately.

"I'm beginning to think Diana, you weren't the mother Estrela needed, otherwise she would have confided in you. I'm so relieved now that she came to Henderson."

"Harrison! There is no evidence that Matthew actually hurt Ela."

"Only one person can answer that, and that is our daughter herself." Diana looks at him in shock. "I want you to go now. I'll get back to you," Harrison says seriously.

Harrison sighs and rubs his forehead after Diana leaves the boxing gym, then turns to me. "Thanks for telling us. Estrela seems to be able to trust you more than her own parents." With that he turns on his heels and disappears into his apartment. Fuck! I have to let Estrela know that I told her parents what happened between her and her ex. I hope she won't be mad at me for revealing to her parents the secret she seems to have been keeping to herself.