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“You sure you want to set this bomb off so soon? You guys should take a day or two at home to recoup from the trip and the police interrogation,” I suggest, but Andries makes a noise of dissent immediately.
“We can’t do that, not when my dad might be behind this, paying people to tarnish Roxanne's reputation," Andries explains, his voice laced with anger. “All I wanted was for him to just leave us alone. I accepted that he was going to hate me and shut me out, but the constant attempts to ruin both myself and Roxanne are too much. This interview is his comeuppance.”
I flinch at his harsh words, all the enjoyable memories with Andries, his dad, and I flashing across my mind. But this is Andries’s struggle, not mine, and I can’t even pretend to understand what he’s going through. “I hear you, and I’m with you. Just tell me what you need.”
He lets out a long breath. “Thanks, Dan. I appreciate it. Right now, I just want to make sure Roxanne’s name is cleared. I won't let my father destroy her reputation or our wedding. He can try, but by now I’m wise to all his tricks.”
“Don’t hesitate to call if you need something. For now, take care of poor Roxie and have a quiet night together. You’re going to need it for tomorrow.”
His sigh is deep, and full of a thousand different feelings. “Indeed we are. Have a good evening, Dan.”
Once I hang up, I stay with my weight leaning against the bathroom counter for a few more moments, contemplating everything that has happened in the last day. It has flown by for me, but I bet that it has crawled by so slowly for Andries and Roxanne. I feel somewhat guilty that I’ve had it so easy while they’re going through hell. Then, I think about Andries bringing Johan to the villa and scoff to myself. Okay, maybe Andries deserves some of the strife after all the meddling he did with me and his sister’s relationship, but Roxie certainly doesn’t. Regardless of his thoughtless actions, though, I will be Andries’s right hand man as long as he needs me to.
I go to my empty bed and lay down, not bothering with any clothes, missing the warmth of Elise by my side. Again, the events of the day play in my mind like a film reel. The way my stomach had dropped when the plane landed it became apparent that law enforcement was waiting for Roxanne, the pleased confusion about Elise demanding to go to lunch with me, how welcoming my parents had been of her, showing Elise my childhood room before fucking her in it, and, most importantly of all, making our relationship official. I have the brief inclination to tell Andries that his sister and I have decided to give a relationship a real try, but his reaction is more likely to be negative than positive, and he has enough going on right now anyway. I’ll keep it to myself for a few more days.
When I picture Elise’s flush face, gasping my name, and her warm weight in my arms as I pressed her up against the wall, I feel my cock start to swell beneath the light duvet. God, she gets me going like nothing else. Without thinking, I grasp myself and pump it a few times, but the action feels hollow somehow. I want her here. If I can’t have the real thing, at least I can hear her voice before I go to sleep in this cold bed.
She picks up quickly enough, her voice deep and sleepy. “Hello, Dan.”
“You sound so sexy right now,” I tell her as a way of greeting, and I hear her snort.
“Thanks, I think. Do you need something?”
“Just to hear your voice,” I say honestly, “When am I gonna see you again?”
Elise makes a thoughtful, humming noise before responding. “Is it you or your cock that misses me?”
The accused member jolts at the sound of the word in her mouth, and I grin. “You know me so well. Both of us.”
“I figured,” she says, amused. “It can’t be tonight, I’m sorry to say. I was getting ready to head back to my apartment when Mom insisted I stay at the family estate for the night since I have to work in the morning and can just ride with my dad.” Elise’s tone sours when Sebastian comes up. “So yeah, I’m still here, but I’ll be back in Amsterdam tomorrow.”
“Huh. I guess I forgot how busy you are in reality.” It makes me feel down to think about how little time we’ll have for each other until an idea pops into my head. “Hey, how about next weekend we go somewhere, just the two of us?”
She seems surprised by the suggestion. “So soon? After everything my family is going through? I can’t, there’s too much going on.” I hear the tension in her voice and I feel for her. I know that her family is going through a tough time and I don't want to add to her stress, but on the other hand, I’m a selfish man, and I want her all to myself.
“Did you speak to your brother yet?” I ask, trying to get a bigger picture of how involved Elise is going to be in the upcoming days.
“Yeah, he told me about how he and Roxie are doing the interview tomorrow.” She blows out a long breath. “Dan, I've got such a bad feeling about this one. Dad is gonna lose his shit,” her voice is filled with anxiety.
“Hey, don’t worry too much. If Sebastian gets too angry, you can always come here and hide from him,” I joke, but from her small noise of doubt, I’m not sure it landed.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she offers before her voice softens. “Thanks for calling to check on me, Dan. Really. I appreciate it.”
My heart goes soft at her words. “Anytime, sweetheart.”
When we wish each other good night, a compulsion rushes over me to tell her that I love her. I’ve known for a while now that I do, and I’ve told her as much, but the certainty that she won’t say the words back to me gives me pause. Every time she doesn’t reciprocate, it hurts.
The need to tell her so fills me to the point that I begin, “El?”
In her sleepy, sultry voice, she responds, “Yes?”
Talking to her has been so calming and nice that I don’t want to end it on the note of her not returning my affection, so the words die on my tongue. Instead I just tell her, “Take care, okay?”
She seems confused, but says, “You too, Dan.”
When the line goes dead, I sit the phone on my bedside table, any inkling of arousal having fled my body completely. It’s still early, all things considered, but the only thing I want in the world is at her family estate, unreachable for now.
So, with nothing better to do, and an odd, empty feeling in my chest, I roll over and try my best to find sleep.
