Chapter 27
Matteo
The next few minutes were filled with my lips upon hers, taking in the wonderful smell of her hair. We stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, making out like teenagers. People continued to stop and stare, but it didn’t bother us. Right now, we were focused on being in each other’s arms.
At one point, an older man stopped and told us to get a room, so we took his advice. I dialed my cell to get a car back to my apartment. Honestly, I couldn’t care less if we slept together, but I wanted to continue to enjoy her company. I had very much missed her these last couple of weeks. Those seven days did wonders on me. Who knew all it took was seven days to change someone’s life? I wondered in the back of my head how the trip would have gone if Lacey wasn’t the one that was chosen. I grimaced because the thought of never having met her worried me. I would still be that down and miserable man. I knew that most were fed up with my attitude. I think that’s why my family pushed me so hard to date. They just wanted me to be happy. I understood that now.
I threw my hand on her shoulder as we got into the car. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, like if I looked away, she would magically disappear. She held my hand tightly in her lap while she stared out the window.
“What’s going through your mind beautiful?” I asked her as I picked up our entwined hands and kissed hers.
She looked scared. “I just don’t know what this means,” she said, looking down at our hands.
Right now, I was scared shitless too. The last relationship I was in went south, but I had higher hopes for ours. Over the course of the trip, I got to know Lacey well. I truly didn’t believe she would be anything like Kelsey. I didn’t have to worry about her true intentions. In fact, I already knew them. The only thing she cared about was getting through college. Honestly, that was one of the biggest things I admired about her. Her ambition to succeed.
“Listen, we can take things slow. As long as I have you, I’ll be fine. No need to start freaking out yet.” I laughed as her smile appeared again. “There’s that gorgeous smile.”
I loved how she appeared to be so innocent, but she was far from it in my mind. I couldn’t lie and say what happened between us that night in the hotel wasn’t on my mind. I thought about it all the time. Sex with her was different. Normally, it was all about pleasuring myself with random girls, but with her, I wanted to please her. Honestly, I could have just pleased her and been fine that night, but she didn't have it. Not that I complained at all. I laughed out loud.
“What’s so funny?” she asked as we pulled up to my apartment.
“Nothing at all. Let’s get upstairs. It looks like it might rain.” I pulled out an umbrella and walked her to the door. Yes, I can be a gentleman when warranted. She looked too beautiful to get all wet by rain.
We stepped into the elevator and looked at each other as the doors closed. I pulled her to my chest and brought her lips up to mine and planted a subtle kiss. Her hands began fumbling in my hair as she pulled back in. Then the elevator dinged, and the doors opened with my hand on her ass. The couple on the other side of the door laughed.
“Don’t worry. You two aren’t the only ones. Have a good night.” The man laughed as they stepped into the elevator.
Lacey clenched my hand as we glided down the hall to my apartment. I loved the privacy it ensured. I only shared the floor with one other, the couple we passed on the elevator. We shared the entire floor, so I got more privacy than I would in a normal apartment. I made it to my door, put the key in, and twisted.
My eyes went wide as I discovered my apartment to be ransacked. Furniture toppled over, my work papers everywhere, even my kitchen raided. How the hell could someone get into my apartment? I held my breath for a minute, thinking about what to do. I put my finger over my mouth, instructing Lacey to be quiet and stay there. The intruder could still be here. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
I made my way to my bedroom, opening the door to find everything had been gone through. It looked like whoever was here was looking for something. What was it? I tried to think to myself if I had anything that valuable in the house. Not really. My mattress was flipped over on the floor, everything from my drawers strewn out on the floor.
As I made my way through the rest of the house, I tried to think what was missing. I didn’t notice anything. Although, to be honest, I had so much stuff in my house, I couldn’t be quite sure. I signaled Lacey to call the cops as I continued searching the house. They had to have taken something. Why the hell would anyone break into my house but not have taken anything?
After searching the entire house, the intruder was gone, but they sure did leave a mess behind. I still wondered how anyone got into my home. It didn’t appear to be forced entry, or at least I didn’t notice any signs. The only people that had a key was my family.
I scratched my head trying to think of anyone else who might possibly have a key. Kimberly? She wasn’t capable of doing something like this. I’d known her for years. She was the only one that had a key outside of my family. The only one that had access to my apartment while I was gone.
I felt betrayed. I walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water because suddenly my throat felt like sandpaper.All I could think about were the times she came to my house. Honestly, when we were sick of the office, we would come to my home, eat dinner, and finish the workload. Why would she betray me like this?
“Are you okay?” she asked as she put her hand on my shoulder, looking worried.
“I’m fine. Nothing that can’t be cleaned up. No big deal.”
But really, it was a big deal. It was eating at me what she could have taken, but then I remembered. I got up so fast from my seat that it scooted across the kitchen floor as I darted back into my bedroom. Going through the contents of what was left in my dresser drawers, I found it missing. The ring. The ring I bought Kelsey when I was going to propose. I had held on to it, although I didn’t know why. I should have gotten rid of it a long time ago. It only brought back horrid memories. Was this all because of money? The ring was probably worth about fifteen to twenty grand in its condition. I shook my head, realizing one of the closest people outside my family just entered my home and stole from me. She was the only one that had access. Was she the one who tipped off the paparazzi about Lacey too? What a backstabbing bitch!
Suddenly, there was a rap at the door. I heard Lacey open it and the male officer speaking.
“Good evening, ma’am. We got a report of a break-in,” he said, looking around at the mess.
“Yes, let me get Matteo.”
She walked into the room and found me on the floor. How was I going to explain keeping the ring? I don’t want her to think I still had feelings for Kelsey. Surely, that’s what she would think.
I walked into the living room and greeted the officer who began taking my statement. I told him about finding the house just as it was now. I searched the house to be sure the intruder was not still inside, then I started looking for things that were missing.
“And was anything missing?” he asked.