Page 11

I bought the building. I bought the fucking apartment building. Yes, Aubree’s apartment building, the one that she lives in, the one I took one look at and knew it wasn’t good enough for her. Is that a little crazy? Yes. Is it also a little stalkerish? Also yes, but I don’t give a fuck, it was clearly in need of a new owner, so now it has one. I may have paid three million more than what it was worth to make it happen, but between the money and the help of Duchess, we got it done in two days. I signed the papers this morning, and the work will start next week. Nothing crazy of course, just some basic maintenance and painting, but the security cameras and night guard will be going in this weekend.

The new building manager I hired, who will act as the new owner, sent notice to all the tenants this afternoon about the change in ownership and the upcoming amendments, and I’m just hoping Aubree doesn’t put the pieces together. I did my best to hide my thoughts about where she lives, but it was fucking hard, and if she asks I won’t lie, but I also have no reasonable explanation as to why I did it, except for the need to ensure she is safe.

Which is why I can’t sleep, because why the fuck do I care so much?

I’m sitting at the kitchen island, sipping a cup of tea while studying paint samples for the building, when my teammate finds me. Daemon shuffles into the kitchen quietly, not meeting my stare, but I can tell from his eyes that he is struggling to sleep. Archer has been practically glued to his side since he found out his father supposedly killed himself in jail, but I have enough money and connections to guess it was more than that.

“Can’t sleep?” I ask quietly, though the question is pointless, because whenever he has stayed here recently I hear him moving around, trying his best not to wake Archer.

He shakes his head, leaning into the fridge to grab a bottle of water, but instead I grab an extra cup from my tea tray and pour him one, sliding it across the counter when he turns around. When he doesn’t move to accept it or say anything, I add, “It’s chamomile and lavender, it will help.”

A defeated sigh leaves him, knowing me well enough to know I won’t let him leave a perfectly good cup of tea, so he slides into the chair opposite me and accepts it with a nod of his head. “Why are you up so late?” he asks, taking a sip before another sigh leaves him, this one more settled.

“I did something a little crazy,” I admit, and to my surprise the broody fucker just smirks.

“What’s new there,” he grunts, draining more than half of his cup before he moves to reach for my teapot. I slap his hand away in horror, because no one touches my teapot! Then pour him another cup, and when I don’t say anything he adds, “Come on then, what have you done this time?”

I almost roll my eyes at his question, it appears Archer is rubbing off on him, and not just with his dick. “I bought the apartment building that Aubree lives in,” I admit softly, and his eyes widen in surprise.

“You bought the building?” he repeats in confusion. “You bought a whole apartment building?” he confirms, still staring at me, and when I nod my head he begins to shake his. “Fucking hell, Reign, who even does that? How much money do you have?”

I know his question is rhetorical, but I can’t help but mumble, “About two billion alone, two hundred if you count my family's money.”

At my response Daemon is rendered speechless, and for the first time in my life I recognize how privileged I am, not because of my money, though it helps, but because I grew up with loving parents who gave me anything and everything. They didn’t just meet the basic needs that all parents should, but went above and beyond to ensure I had the best of everything that money can buy, and I will never be able to repay them for that.

Daemon wasn’t so lucky, and given the brief mention of her mother’s death, and the fact she has moved across state to share an apartment with Evie, I’m not sure Aubree is either.

“Why did you buy it?” he eventually asks, and all I can do is shrug.

“I don’t know, I just wanted her to be safe I guess,” I reply, not really sure how to put my reasoning into words, but still he nods as if he understands me completely.

We both fall into a silence drinking our tea, but I feel him watching me, and it isn’t long until he says, “Bree has a boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah, and?” I snap far too quickly and the fucker smirks, rolling his eyes, once again reminding me so much of his boyfriend.

“And she doesn’t like you?” he dares to add, and I narrow my eyes at him, before sighing and focusing back on my computer.

“She’s coming around,” I reply, because surely she can’t still hate me after our tutoring session the other night, right? We got on great and she stayed for dinner after, she even thanked me for taking her home.

“My point is I spent my whole life not feeling safe,” Daemon starts, and my eyes snap back to him. “And it wasn’t the pain in my body that defined me, but the ache in my chest that never went away, no matter how hard I tried.” It’s the most vulnerable I have ever heard him be, and he stops to take a sip of his tea, as if the emotion burning up the back of my throat can also be felt in his. I’m not stupid, I have glimpsed the scars on his body and saw the background check on his father, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what he went through. “I was in hell every day and then Archer saved me.”

His words are said with so much emotion that I know he truly believes that, that my teammate didn’t just save him from his father, but from himself too, and I nod, wondering why he is bringing this up now.

“Is this your fucked-up way of telling me to leave her alone?” I ask with a forced laugh, and he smiles at me softly, a hint of darkness and sadness still lingering in his eyes.

“No, it’s your reminder that even with obstacles in the way, if it’s meant to be, nothing can stop it,” he states simply, and I blink back a little in surprise, just as Archer appears in the entryway, as if Daemon just saying his name summoned him.

“What the fuck are you two doing? It’s 2 o'clock in the damn morning,” he groans, his tired eyes dragging over our little tea set up, before they quickly snap to Daemon, as if silently ensuring he is alright. He moves straight for him of course, any distance between them unacceptable since they move like magnets these days, and I smile. “Are you trying to steal my boyfriend, Alexander?” he asks, slipping his arms around Daemon and pulling his head back for a kiss.

I snort at my best friend, shutting my laptop, leaning back in my chair with my cup of tea as I look at them both. “If I were, it wouldn’t be hard, we all know you’d both enjoy choking on a dick as big as mine.”

Archer only smirks as he pulls himself from Daemon and replies, “Oh please, we could tag team you right now and it would be the best night of your fucking life.”

“Promises, promises,” I muse, comfortable enough in my sexuality to not just admit that my teammates are hot, but to flirt with them too.

“Don’t worry, baby, I’m not the one Reign is interested in stealing,” Daemon grunts, finishing off his tea with a smirk, moving to rinse his cup before drying it and putting it back on my tray. “Thanks for the tea,” he adds, sliding his hand into Archer’s and pulling him back towards the stairs, no doubt ready to sink into his comfort now that it’s awake.

“Anytime, Forbes,” I tell him truthfully, and with Archer at his side, the smile he gives me this time is filled with nothing but lightness and relief.

So much so that I know I’m gonna be dancing at their damn wedding in the next couple of years.

When our next tutoring session rolls around, I wait for Aubree to call me out on buying the building, but she doesn’t, and to my surprise she doesn’t even mention anything about it. Just scolds me for not booking a meeting room in the library, but once I explained it was pointless, considering the business books I have in my room could never be matched by the ones in the library, she relented.

Now she is sitting at my desk scribbling away at the questions I prepared for her, while flicking back and forth between the numbers and information I provided to help her answer them. I’m sitting on my bed reading, but really I am watching her and cataloging her every move. Today’s theme is baby blue, a soft, fitted wool sweater, with a black pleated skirt, pale tights, and black boots. Her hair is up in some fancy swirl, secured with a blue clip, and there is a gold charm bracelet secured to her wrist, with little ocean-themed charms. As usual, she looks fucking delicious.

“You’re staring again,” she grumbles, not even looking up from her paper, and I don’t even pull away my stare as I smirk and turn a page of the book I am pretending to read.

“Just making sure my favorite student is working hard,” I muse, not bothering to add how hard her tutor is for her right now.

“I’m your only student,” she reminds me with a glare, before focusing back on her work. “Now leave me alone so I can get this done.”

We go back to our comfortable silence for about thirty-seconds, before my phone starts to vibrate on the nightstand and Aubree groans. I move to silence it, until I see my mother’s name flashing across the screen in a FaceTime call, and I risk a glance at Aubree as I answer it.

“Hello, Mother, to what do I owe this unexpected surprise,” I beam, and just like I knew it would, Aubree’s head whips in my direction.

“Can’t a mother call to check in on her son,” my mother replies sweetly, her accent nothing short of elegant, and I can see Aubree practically hyperventilating at my desk. “I haven’t heard from Jeremy in a while so I was just looking for confirmation of life,” my mother adds, and I snort a laugh.

Jeremy is our personal family lawyer who has dealt with my fair share of indiscretions over the years, so much so that my parents have had to give him a raise. Twice .

“Well as you can see I am alive and well, and I’m in the middle of a tutoring session,” I start, rising from my bed, and I see my mother’s eyes flash with panic.

“Please tell me that isn’t some new term you kids are using for orgies these days, because I am too young to be a grandmother, Alexander.”

“Mum, please,” I groan, moving towards Aubree, who is vehemently shaking her head. “Tutoring means tutoring, I’m helping a fellow student in our business class.” I drop to a knee beside my desk chair and pan the phone until it includes Aubree, who is glaring at me like she is willing my death. “Mum, this is Aubree Callows, Aubree, this is my mother, Sinclair Reign.”

My mother’s eyes widen in delight, because not once have I ever introduced her to a girl before, and she is probably mentally planning our wedding right now. Hell, even after working with Duchess for almost five years and hearing all about her, my mother has never met her, and I can tell from the surprise in her stare that she is going to take this and run with it. Like mother, like son I guess.

“Oh my, Aubree, I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to meet you dear, and my gosh, aren’t you just beautiful. Alexander, isn’t she beautiful,” my mother gushes, and Aubree is silently awestruck.

“Yes, Mum, she is very beautiful,” I respond, only making the girl in question blush even more than she already is, that I can’t help but add, “Also Aubree is a big fan of your work, so excuse her if she is a little shell-shocked right now.”

“Oh, my dear, aren’t you sweet, we should get together for lunch,” she starts, and yep, that is definitely wedding bells I’m hearing in my mother’s head. “Alexander, bring her home with you the next time you visit,” she demands, and I nod, not bothering to hide my smirk. She’s the best damn wingman I’ve ever had.

“Sorry, Mrs. Reign, I just can’t believe this is happening right now, I’m such a huge fan, I’ve watched all of your runway shows with my mom on repeat, and your design work is just out of this world amazing,” she gushes, and my mother does that thing she does when someone compliments her, and quickly moves past it. It’s the British in her.

“Now now, none of that, please call me Sinclair, and we must invite your mother to lunch too, it can be a girls’ day,” my mother replies, and being so close to her, I feel Aubree’s flinch.

“Oh, well, she passed away, but thank you for the invite,” Aubree replies awkwardly, the slight shake of her voice isn’t lost on me, and I suddenly feel the need to end the conversation with my mother.

“Lunch sounds great, I’ll check with Jen about your schedule and set it up,” I start, pulling the phone away from Aubree. “We have a lot of work to get through so we need to go, but I’ll call you tomorrow after the game, okay?”

My mother nods, looking a little guilty for potentially upsetting Aubree, but just replies, “Okay, sweetheart, sounds good, and Aubree, it was a pleasure speaking with you, dear,” she adds, and I turn my phone back to the girl in question and she offers her a quick wave.

“Goodbye,” Aubree breathes, and I can tell she is feeling some emotions, so I quickly turn the phone back to me, say goodbye, and cut off the call.

“I’m sorry,” I start, but she shakes her head vigorously.

“Please don’t, I fucking hate it when people apologize,” she grits, focusing back on the work, and I nod my head in understanding.

Sensing she needs a moment alone, I excuse myself and head downstairs to grab us both a drink, before joining her back in my room, and once I return, she is scribbling away again and things seem back to normal. I take my spot back on my bed and pick up the book I definitely wasn’t reading.

“So are you coming to the game tomorrow?” I dare to ask, knowing that Evie hasn’t missed a single game since freshman year, and I can only hope her dedication rubs off on her roommate, and it’s a perfect way to get us back to normal.

“Eurgh, don’t you start,” Aubree groans, not looking up from her work, and her voice sounds so back to normal, that I wonder how often she has moments like that before she brushes them off. “Evie has been on at me about it all week, and I finally relented before I came over.”

I take the opportunity her answer offers to move us back to our usual banter. “Ah, so you’re saying the expectation of seeing me tonight was so much, that you had to agree to come and watch me work up a sweat tomorrow?” I tease, and those glaring eyes snap back to mine, the green a little lighter than a moment ago.

“The only person who gets excited to see you is your own reflection, Alexander.” She pairs her words with a teasing smile, and fuck, I don’t think anyone more beautiful in the word exists. “Besides, I’m sure there will be an endless hoard of your fans chanting your name that you won’t even remember I’m there, let alone notice,” she adds, as I slide off the bed and move to my set of drawers.

There could be every woman in the world there and I’d still notice her, but I don’t bother telling her that, not yet anyway. Instead, I rummage through my clothes until I find one of my jerseys, and then drop it on the desk beside her. She looks between me and the jersey as if the mere fabric offends her.

“What the hell is that?” she demands, pushing it with her pen, and I smirk as I drop back down onto my bed.

“Best way to find you is if you’re wearing my name on your back,” I muse, and she actually scoffs.

“Keep dreaming, Prince Charming.”