The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

“Are you ready?” Arrick, wearing jeans and a hoody, under a denim jacket strolls across the guest room I have been using for the past few weeks in Amber’s apartment, effortlessly casual and utterly bored while waiting for me.

I fling the last of my clothes haphazardly into my case and try to zip it shut unsuccessfully, bulging crazily, and I have no hope of closing it. Arrick frowns, moves me over and pulls some of the rolled-up dresses out with a less than impressed brow dip at my packing skills. He folds them flat and places them in so he can at least close the case without much effort. He slides it down beside the other bags on the floor and watches me move to wander around aimlessly while checking for everything that is mine. I don’t want to have to come back here for anything I may have left behind once I am out that door.

Amber and I are not close, and she won’t even miss me anyway. I want to shut the door on this part of my life and never walk back in again. I can feel his eyes on me and yet it’s strangely reassuring, knowing that he’s taking me away from here to start back in a different direction.

“I guess I am now,” I finally sigh, a little feebly, glancing around in a last-ditch attempt to delay things, nerves hitting hard now that it is time to go and losing my fearless bravado. The doubt and anxiety about how awful this is going to be hits me hard, knowing that I can’t outrun the reaction I’m going to get from my family when I go back with him. I’ve dodged all contact with everyone except Arrick for months, knowing that I would just react badly to anything my family could say about my life, any tiny criticisms. Knowing that I have been too much of a coward to face the backlash or the tears from my adoptive mum, sister Leila, or Emma.

“Are you going dressed like that?” He looks me over with a slight frown. I’m still in last night’s clothes which only have the addition of Arrick’s gray hoody; somehow it doesn’t quite match the electric blue heels I had to put back on for want of something more comfortable. I flicker up and down the outfit and don’t really love the look I’ve pulled together all that much.

know, say it before zipping it all up tight.” I raise a tired eyebrow his way and Arrick only shakes his head with a heavy sigh, seemingly annoyed that somehow, I did this. He has definitely lost his morning sparkle, tiredness setting in, and I partly blame the pancakes. I think he’s maybe some sort of delayed food poisoning from eating the

and opens it to fish for jeans and flats among the haphazard pile, pushing clothes aside in a very neat and not haphazard manner that bugs my happiness. I would just rummage through and yank them all out, but he is way too precise for that sort of recklessness. He finds both items he seeks and drags them out for me to take. I

out the pumps for me to slide on wordlessly. It’s not like he hasn’t seen me in less. I have worn bikinis and practically nothing to bed when he’s been around, and I don’t get

I start to scold him, but he cuts over me with that no-nonsense grumpy glare of

skirt when we get you home; those can live here with your roommate and go to a better cause. Find their way to a streetwalker in need.” He glares my way with that ‘don’t argue with me’ look he likes to throw around and is met with the

I don’t think so!

and just hit the catwalk at the last New York fashion week.” My lip wobbles a little and Arrick sighs, regarding me with that lowered brow intimidation frown. I just stare right back, not giving a shit, and never really caring for that Carrero death glare, either from him, Jake, or their father. I cross my arms across my chest in a bid to

…” I try for my second item, but his deepening eyebrow glare shuts me up. This time it’s less Carrero and more Arrick is getting pissed, and I know there is a world

to see this outfit or any like it making a comeback around me. I don’t like seeing you dressed like some cheap hooker. You’re classier than this and you’re beautiful without this shit.” He has that stubborn way about him that I know only