The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

Paris is as wet and grey as New York had been, although somehow it feels worse because the eternal grey cloud that always shadows me here, hits as soon as we emerge from our plane. Arry holds my hand and doesn’t let go; always there, always holding me up and back in our apartment we waste no time in doing a walk through to argue over what we are sending back home.

In the morning he’s coming with me to school; he called them as soon as we got home and arranged a meeting with the head of department … Mr. Carrero. in full business mode, ready to take my tutor head on in legal ways, even though his first instinct is to hunt him down and beat the shit out of him. I am not convinced he still won’t once he is face to face with him. He has that air of fighter on and I know it won’t let up until he gets this matter in hand.

I’m uptight, anxious, and crazily nauseous again. I got over it after that scare with Amanda but since he proposed I seem to keep getting waves of nausea and I assume it’s stress relating to the unfinished business we have here. I want to get back to normal and be done with this. I’m tired of feeling tired and sick.

“You look beautiful” Arry pulls me out of my own head as I stand brushing out my hair in the mirror, it’s almost down my back now and I resemble more of the girl I used to be before we started dating. He comes behind me and kisses me on the back of the head, making me smile back at him from the reflection.

“You always know what to say.”

“If I didn’t by now then I would be a pretty shitty fiancée. You do though… Stunning as always. I can’t believe sometimes that I get to call you mine.” That cute boy smile, dimples on show and I’m utterly melted.

Funny, how that’s exactly what I think about him sometimes.

“Oh, here by the way.” Arrick holds a silver wrapped package up behind me so I can see it in the reflection, and I recognize it as the box Christian delivered. Seems he must have found it where I abandoned it and I smile at him a little guiltily. He looks hopeful that maybe this time I will be more into opening it.

“You cannot win me over from bad behavior with sparkly gifts!” I tut playfully but he holds it over my shoulder and urges me to take it. The look on his face tugging at my heartstrings and I cave.

“I think once you open it then maybe you won’t mean that.” He looks a little too self-assured for a second, but I take it from him with a narrowed gaze and turn to walk to the bed to lay it down. Giving it a childish shake and trying to work out by its little bit of weight what it could be. Arry watches me silently, an unreadable expression as I take my time to drag it out to torture him.

It doesn’t take long to break into the professionally wrapped box, despite being anally careful to wind him up and when I pull off the lid, I am met with a box full of shredded tissue paper. I glance up at him, fully expectant of another stuffed unicorn, but they never come with padding. He has diverted from his default gift setting this time and I wonder if the risky move was out of desperation for an extra huge fuck up.

“Stop stalling and start digging, Princess.” Arrick is over the other side of the bed now, sliding onto it so he’s behind the box and lies flat out to prop his hands behind his head to watch me. His manner seems a little too confident in this and I watch him warily for a moment, before sticking my hand in to feel underneath the paper layer and touch something cold and solid, and a bit rough.

I pull back a little surprised as his normal go to gifts are usually fluffy and soft. Intrigued now, I Lift the paper out for a different approach and uncover what looks like the top of a pair of shoes, peeking out of the overzealous amount of pink tissue strands.

Moving more pink shreds, my heart literally leaps and does a little somersault as I realize it’s the shoes I told him I wanted for my birthday. I know he had these bookmarked on his laptop because I sent him about forty links, so he wouldn’t get them wrong.

I pull out the pastel glittered stilettos with a squeal and curse myself for not opening these before going back to New York. They are beautiful designer shoes in a classic style but with a unicorn themed twist, I flip one over and see the emblazoned designer name and the little unicorn image underneath and hug it close to my chest.

“Arry, I think I love you.” I blurt out happily, bubbling with giddiness and haul the other shoe out to start trying them on; flipping off my pumps and plonking down on the edge of the bed to slide my feet into them.

“I should hope so… Otherwise I might be concerned.” He laughs, watching me in my element as I prance up and start doing the walk of pride in circles around the room, lifting my heels to admire my sparkly new shoes and posing in front of our full-length mirror.

a smile at him, and that grin turns to a frown almost instantly. The look of pride

pastel unicorn wedding? I really don’t think I would ever live it down among all

tell if he thinks I am serious or not. I really don’t want a wedding that’s sparkly and pastel unicorns, but it might be fun to torture him for a

won’t upset me, and I can’t hold onto my evil act any longer. He looks so tortured. I burst out

have to keep those photos for an eternity.” I slide onto the bed, pushing the box out of the way so I can curl up against his awaiting arms and lift one foot in the air to admire my sexy shoes. I am so in love with them and easy pleased. Glitter, pastels, unicorns. Perfect combination. He just made my month. He also seems to no longer be freaking out

end up on top of him, chest to chest with a yelp. I’m rewarded with a kiss and a smile

you for my shoes. I love them.” I kiss him on the nose sweetly and get a

angling for forgiveness in ways and I eyeroll at him. He doesn’t get off the

you, it’s only reason I still put up with you.” I retort cheekily and Arrick slaps my butt, making me jump

it all.” The way he says it hints at the stress he is having with his father right now and I sink down

watch those hazy brown eyes cloud to greener, that sexy jawline tenses a little and I know he has been shielding me from the extent of the fight with his father. Arry and Giovanni have always been really

turns so he can face me instead, laying on the bed together, a hair breath apart. He’s closing off emotionally and Mr. Cool. persona is taking over. Arry is upset, stressed and over-thinking. I know better than to be phased over this act anymore; he is his most cool

my hand and pulls it to his face, rubbing my fingertips gently over his smooth jaw. Still a

in the middle and he agrees with my dad that this

decision.” I point out then frown apologetically when he

dumb, Sophie. How many times have I chosen to listen to logic over my heart? How many times have I screwed up where you’re concerned and hurt you in the process? I’m not doing it anymore.” He tenses his jaw, little muscles flexing along the length of it and under his cheek bones, his

different. This isn’t like

me … To see how easily I could destroy you. How something I do can hurt the one person I love more than life in the worst kind of way. I was neglecting you and hurting my baby. It’s left me a lot to think about, it’s made me rethink this whole situation.” Arry is serious, emanating anxiety and stress and I run my fingers across his mouth to soothe him; my heart tugging at how affected he is by this. I hadn’t given what happened in New York another thought after he proposed to me in Central Park. If he was trying to make

you would never. I was tired and emotional and feeling low. Stop doing this to yourself. Stop over-thinking

letting you down. I’ve thought about it, like you asked me to and yet I don’t feel any different. Carrero Corp is taking over everything and if I keep letting it, then I won’t have you to come home to at the end of the

his face in both my hands and pull his nose to mine. Stern toned and stubborn kicking in. Sometimes

what I am saying to you and gone with a decision anyway? You’re doing it now! I’m telling you that this is not what I want you to do… it’s not what I need.”

to

You are notoriously bad for coming to some stubborn decision in here.” I tap his temple to emphasize my point and then go back to cradling that perfect face. “You don’t listen to me; you go with what you think is best for me and forget that maybe I get to have a say in what’s best for me too. I love that you’re putting us first and doing this for us, but I’m telling you it’s the wrong choice to make. They are your family; they are

the same page as him and t

doing.” Tight lipped and stubborn toned. I’m losing the

your relationship with your dad to save one

and even

around. He won’t freeze me out forever over something like this. Jake won’t either. It’s going to settle down and we are going to be fine.”

to come off is when his own brain