Chapter 29: Chapter 29

ESTRELA

Late that evening, Kian left me a message saying that I should come to see me because he urgently needs to talk to me. The strange thing is that I got the same message from my dad and also from my mother. Something is fishy here. My first instinct was to go to Kian. That's why I'm standing in front of his house now. My eyes widen in shock as he opens the door and I meet his face. "Oh God. What happened to you?" Kian just grins about it and pulls me into the house. I hold his wrist and turn his face to me before I lightly feel the affected areas with my fingers. A bruise adorns his jaw and cheek, and his lip is split.

"It just happens that you get caught boxing a little harder." Although Kian is a good liar, I can't buy the whole thing from him right now.

"But I don't think you look like that after a workout," I say in disbelief. Kian turns to me and looks at me with a crooked grin.

"Is someone worried about me?" he asks mischievously.

"Kian, cut the bullshit. You didn't get into a fight with someone? Outside the studio, I mean." He rolls his eyes.

"No, I haven't, baby. The training today was just a bit harder than usual," he replies soberly.

"A little tougher? You look like you had a bar fight with several men! Who was the one you fought? He must have been pretty mad at you." All I hear from him is a mumble that sounds like if you only knew, before he lets go of me and disappears into the kitchen. He's about to open a water bottle and, without looking at me, asks if I want one too.

"No, thanks," I say, a little annoyed, because it really gnaws at me that he doesn't want to tell me who messed him up like that. Immediately afterwards I feel his arms wrapping around my body from behind. Kian buries his face in my hair and murmurs, "How about a dip in the pool?" Unbelievable this guy!

"No, Kian. I'm not going to have sex with you in the pool right now." I hear his amused laugh before he turns me to face him.

"I didn't mean a lap of sex in the pool, but a swim in the pool." I blush instantly and bow my head in embarrassment. "Well well... You don't have to be embarrassed about me. I love your sexy mindset," he grins.

"Why do you want to swim in the pool with me now?" I ask to deviate from the topic, looking out onto the terrace where the pool is located. Where it's actually very nice out there in the evenings. Kian just pulls me close so I can smell his unique smell and that alone makes me forget all my worries.

"Come on, baby. It's good to relax," he whispers in my ear in a seductive voice. God, how can you resist?

"Okay... But I don't have any bathing suits with me."

"Then leave your underwear on and I'll put them in the dryer afterwards, or you'd best go in naked."

"Kian!" He laughs.

"What? There's nothing I haven't seen." I finally decide to go into the pool in my underwear. Because if I get naked, I already know that we're not going to swim, we're going to do something completely different. And Kian insists that we should just relax. It also occurs to me that he really wanted to tell me something.

"What did you want to tell me so urgently?" I ask him. I am already standing at the edge of the pool and am still waiting for the right moment when I can part with my clothes. I hope Kian doesn't have any curious neighbors.

"I'll tell you if you undress now and jump in the pool." I roll my eyes and look at him. Kian has already undressed and is now only wearing black, tight-fitting boxer shorts. I soak up this sight. The lighting, which comes mostly from the pool, shines on his chiseled, muscular torso. I've never seen such a perfect body.

"Let me know when you're done staring." Caught, I bite my lip and Kian grins at me, head cocked. He has two glasses in his hand, the contents of which I do not yet know. He puts her by the edge of the pool and then goes to the steps that lead into the pool. I watch as this beautiful man slowly goes into the water. "Fuck!" he hisses as the water seems to touch his wounds. Since the water seems very tempting and the man in it even more so, I finally take off my clothes until I'm only wearing a bra and panties. Hungry eyes follow me as I climb into the pool as well. When the water completely envelops me, his arms immediately embrace me and I feel his hard body, right next to mine.

"So what do you want to tell me that's so important?" I breathe right in front of his face since he's so close to me.

"Wait, you have to try this first." Together he pulls me to the edge where the two glasses are. I'm beginning to think he's buying time. He hands me the glass and at his request I try it. It's something with lime and gin.

"It tastes good," I say, taking another sip before putting the glass down. As soon as the glass is standing again, he presses his lips to mine and begins to kiss me deeply and deeply. I can't resist and return the kiss, which becomes more and more passionate. Kian deepens the kiss by sliding his tongue into my mouth. He presses me to the edge of the pool and his hands wander over my body. But when he wants to slip his hand into my panties, I pull away from him. "Kian, you wanted to tell me something..." I gasp. I'm beginning to suspect he's doing everything he can to put it off, even though he thought it was important. Kian runs his fingers through his slightly wet hair. "What's going on?" I ask him softly.

"Your father, he knows about us." My eyes widen in surprise.

"How so? Did you tell him?"

"No, I didn't. I assume your mother told him." Oh man, I should have known that even my mother wouldn't shy away from telling my father herself.

"How do you know?"

"Your father caught me unexpectedly today and your mother was there when..."

"Don't tell me it was my dad who did this to you?" I interrupt him.

"It's nothing, Estrela. I've had worse."

"But that doesn't give him a reason to hit you like that just because he doesn't think it's good that we..." I interrupt myself because I don't even know what we are now.

"It was a fight that served as training. Your father is a good boxer. I just wasn't good enough." Kian grins, but I don't find that funny at all.

"And my mother? What was she doing there? Was that her stupid idea?" He shakes his head.

"She came out of the office just as we were finishing. But she knew because she seemed very happy."

"That beast!" I say angrily. Kian gently grabs my arms and looks at me intently.

"I told them this about your ex - about what he did." I stare at him in bewilderment.

"You have something?" I pull myself out of Kian's grip and move away from him a little. Oh no, why did he do that?

"Your mother talked about that motherfucker like he was your next son-in-law. I couldn't overhear it. I wanted to make her understand why you don't want to go back to Louisiana. Now we have your father on our side too. Because he will." certainly not letting her drag you back to Louisiana to that asshole!"

"It wasn't your decision to tell them, though," I hiss. I'm so confused and have no idea what to think about this.

"Estrela, I'm sorry but..."

"No, Kian!" I interrupt him. "I confided in you. It wasn't your decision to tell them, even though you saw it as right in that moment."

"I don't understand what's so bad about that. You're just making it harder by keeping it a secret from them!"

"You have no idea, Kian!" I snort and turn away. I just want to get out of this stupid pool.

"Estrela! ... Fuck, don't run away now!" Kian calls after me. I wrap a towel around my body that was lying on one of the sun loungers.

"First you smear honey around my mouth. Try to distract me with a drink and sex so you only have more time to tell me the truth!"

"I know I should have told you straight away, but I didn't want to get you upset like you are right now..." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "Tell me why it was wrong to tell them? I just don't fucking understand why you're acting like that!" Kian has already climbed out of the pool again. The wet drops run down his body while he looks at me questioningly and bewildered.

"You know Kian, since I know next to nothing about you, you think you can interfere in other matters and know what would be best. I have no idea if you even have a family!" Kian's facial expression turns from incomprehension to anger. Great, the camel's back has probably overflowed

"You're right, you don't know shit about me and I think it's better if it stays that way."

"Are you kidding me?" I approach Kian, who is now glaring at me. "What are you running from?"

"What I am running from?" He laughs. "What are you running from, Estrela?"

"There are a lot of things. For example, that my ex threatened me as soon as I tell anyone about our incident that he would publish something about me that could destroy me!"

Kian's eyes widen before he breathes in bewilderment: "The wanker is threatening you. With what?"

"No, let it be, Kian. You've already done enough!"

"Estrela, you can't seriously make me believe that this is my fucking fault! I had no idea he had anything on you. Why didn't you tell me that? Why didn't you tell me the whole story ?" He wants to approach me again, but I back off.

"I wanted it, but I had no idea that you were about to tell my parents about it."

"Fuck!" Exasperated, he runs his fingers through his wet hair. "Damn shit! I'll kill the motherfucker!" he snorts in exasperation.

"I'm going!" I say.

"No! You're not going. We'll take care of it," Kian growls, grabbing my wrist. "We. Rule. That!"

"We?"