┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓

Sinking

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

Chapter 48: Sinking (Stella's POV)

The sound of Rhys's footsteps reached me before he did but I was too busy drowning in the closet, organizing my clothes in the guest room- No. My room. 

Over the past week, I steadily brought the majority of my belongings to Rhys's apartment. I still kept enough of my own things in my apartment in case I ended up staying a night there but I made sure most of my clothes were here. 

I was spending all my nights here with Rhys and as much as I loved wearing his clothes, they weren't exactly office appropriate when they were eating up half of my body. 

My apartment was still mine and stored most of my things but items that I used often, I had right here. 

"Lovely," he said as I felt his presence behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him standing in the closet doorway, arms folded and ankles crossed, leaning against the doorframe. "I love coming home to the sight of this." 

I took a look around me where my clothes were scattered and not only on the ground. Some coats were on hangers, half falling off, and some jackets were thrown in the corner. 

Groaning in exhaustion and annoyance, I fell back and lay down, staring at Rhys upside down as he watched me in amusement. "I give up. After spending hours setting up most of my clothes in your closet, I don't have the energy to do it all over again." 

A small smile greeted his lips. 

"Help me," I caved in.

Rhys offered to stay back from work this morning and help me because, after a few days of hassle, I began endlessly complaining, but I didn't want to keep him from work and I stubbornly and adamantly refused. 

Right now, I'm really regretting it. 

Releasing a breath, he stepped over my clothes and into the closet, sitting in front of me and taking my hands, pulling me upright. "Tired?" he asked, taking my cheeks in his hands, stroking lightly with his thumbs. 

I nodded a little sleepily. 

Rhys left for work early this morning and being in his bed all alone didn't feel very good and it left me wide awake and sleepless. He chuckled softly and pulled me closer, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Come on. I'll make dinner. And while you're gone tomorrow to get the rest of your things, I'll set up this closet, okay?" 

"I have to go to work tomorrow," I sighed, throwing my head back and letting out a small groan. "I have an important client coming in to pick up their order and check out our new collection." 

He hummed in understanding. "Can I steal you away for lunch at least?" 

I grinned as he pulled me a little closer, "You can steal me away whenever you'd like, Mr. Romanov." 

"Perfect," he smirked, pulling me in for a kiss as he pushed my hair over my shoulders. 

It was something about the sight of Rhys still in his work attire with his suit now discarded in his lap, his tie pulled loose but still looped around his neck, the sleeves of his button-up rolled to his elbows, and the hint of exhaustion on his face that washed away the moment he saw me. Something about seeing him like this never ceased to make me fall deeper in love with him. 

With a few quick kisses on my cheek, Rhys let go and rose to his feet, extending his hands to me. "Come here." 

Taking them, I pulled myself up and without wasting a beat, threw my arms around him and stood on his shoes, barefoot myself. Laughing softly, he began walking until we reached the bed where he pushed me down onto it. Hovering over me, he kissed me again slowly, his lips moving against mine while his hand slipped under my shirt, resting on my bare waist. 

"Meet me downstairs," he said, drawing back to look at me. "I'll wash up and make dinner." With a quick peck on my lips, he left me craving more and disappeared. 

Sighing in defeat, I stared at the ceiling. 

Tease. 

I was just about to head downstairs when my phone rang with Alex's name flashing on it. I answered the phone, sitting upright. "Alex," I greeted. 

"Stella," he replied, "where have you been? I dropped by your office today." 

"Right. I took the day off, I was settling my things." 

He paused for a beat. "In Rhys's apartment?" 

"Yes," I said in a sing-song voice, "why? Do you have a problem with it now?" 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Of course not. I'm not here to play Dad's role on his behalf. I've been trying to get in touch with Rhys too but he wasn't answering my calls. Is he around?" 

"He's making dinner downstairs." 

A small amused chuckle escaped him. "Shouldn't you be helping him at least?" 

"I do," I said defensively, "I... watch." 

"You watch?" he mused. 

I hummed. "He cooks. I watch. He also cleans. I also watch. Balance." 

"Very balanced indeed. Tell him to call me. There's something I need to talk to him about, give him a heads up." 

"About what?" 

"Stella!" Rhys called out from downstairs. 

"Just tell him to call me, will you?" Alex sighed. 

"Okay," I replied before saying goodbye and then hanging up. Making my way downstairs, I crept up beside Rhys like I always do and watched him as he turned down the stove and faced me. 

"Two plates, please, Ms. Almonte." 

As I opened the cabinet and grabbed them, I told Rhys, "Alex called." 

"Did he?" 

"He said he's been trying to call you but you weren't answering. It sounded important, he asked that you call him back." 

"Did he say what it was about?" 

I shook my head as I watched him. 

"Your father has a habit of using Alex as a pawn to reach me when he doesn't want to do it himself. And your brother has a habit of allowing it to happen." 

"I'll leave it up to you, Rhys. But he sounded a little worried. Maybe you should talk to him." 

Sighing, he turned to me, holding my plate out. "If that's what you want, that's what I'll do, my love." 

I smiled, stealing a quick kiss as I took my plate and then took a seat at the island. 

Our conversations while eating dinner were the same as they always were but as the night passed and we moved to the couch in the living room, I noticed that Rhys was a little quieter than usual. It was hard to notice considering he never spoke too much, to begin with, but I couldn't look past the fact that something was bothering him, perhaps lingering in the back of his mind. 

"Rhys," I mumbled, my gaze following his fingers as they traced and traveled up my legs. 

He hummed in response, resting his head on the back of the couch as he met my gaze. 

Sitting upright, I scooted forward, closer to him, and asked, "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing," he shook his head, "everything's perfect." 

I stared at him for a few minutes. "And is that what's wrong? The fact that everything's perfect?" 

His eyes narrowed playfully. "How is it that you read me like an open book?" 

"I've learned you like the back of my hand," I teased, running a finger up his arm. "Come on. You know you can tell me anything. You don't have to be worried about ruining things between us. Nothing you or anybody says will change anything, you know that, right?" 

He held my gaze. "I hope so. I really fucking hope so, Stella." 

I could feel my heart sinking a little more the longer we sat in this painful silence. 

"Rhys," I pleaded once again. 

"Would you leave me, Stella? If you found out something awful about me or if somebody said I'd lied to you about everything, about who I am... would you walk away?" he asked suddenly. His question caught me off-guard, to say the least. I had to think before I could answer. 

"I would ask you," I finally replied, "and I would take your word over anybody and everybody else's. Maybe... not right away. Maybe I would need some space but I would like to think nothing in this world is big enough to push us apart. Why? Are you... not who I think you are?" I questioned hesitantly, not quite sure if I wanted to hear the response. 

"I don't think I know who I am anymore," he mumbled, "I should have been working towards something else entirely, that was the plan." He looked at me. "I wasn't planning on falling in love with you." 

Neither was I but it would never be something I regretted. I wasn't quite sure if Rhys felt the same way anymore. And that only made my heart sink further. "Do you regret it? Did I get in the way?" I whispered, not trusting my voice to not break. 

"Of course not, Stella," he sighed, pulling me closer. 

My heart stopped sinking the moment those words came out of his mouth. 

"I could never regret you. I love you. I've always meant it when I say that." 

A tiny sigh of relief escaped me before I could stop it and a small smile graced his lips. "Don't scare me like that," I exhaled with a soft chuckle. 

"I'm sorry," he replied, placing me in his lap until I straddled him. "I love you," he repeated. 

"I love you too," I said, kissing him.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 49

I'm gonna try my best to update tomorrow as well!

brace yourselves... everything's about to go downhill...

next ch: lies