Chapter 74
Bang! Bang! Bang! The knocking from outside the door escalated, ignoring her query and becoming more relentless.
Estrella’s brows furrowed in annoyance. What’s the big idea, disturbing people at this ungodly hour?
She had done her homework on this motel before checking in. It had a clean record, no sketchy business in or around the area.
Gripping the stun gun she’d prepared just in case, she called out, “Hello?”
On the other side, a man’s voice, rough around the edges, drifted in, “Estrella, open up.”
That voice-it tugged at a memory, familiar, as though she’d heard it somewhere before. With one hand on the stun gun and the other on the doorknob, she hesitated, leaving the safety chain fastened.
As the fierce knocking sounded again, Estrella’s resolve wavered, and she unlatched the door. The next moment, the tall silhouette in the doorway gave her pause.
Staring at the man for a long beat, Estrella finally spoke through the crack in the door, “How on earth did you get here?”
He had called her earlier that evening, only to abruptly hang up, and now here he was, materializing out of nowhere. The surprise was written all over Estrella’s face.
Outside, Jason stuffed his right hand into his pocket, his tone icy as he commanded, “Open the door.”
Without haste, Estrella undid the deadbolt.
Swinging the door wide open, Jason entered, casually adjusting his shirt collar, his face an unreadable mask. Once inside, his gaze instinctively swept the room.
Estrella didn’t follow him in. Leaning against the door, still armed with her stun gun, she watched as Jason seemed to search for something. “You here for a surprise infidelity check?” she asked, her voice dripping with lazy sarcasm.
Estrella couldn’t help but feel a mix of sympathy and introspection. What had she done to erode Jason’s trust to this extent?
After all, their marriage had been scandal-free for over two years, with her dignity intact, while his name was a constant fixture in the tabloids, his social media buzzing like a beehive.
Well, his antics had, ironically, saved Nelson International a fortune in advertising fees.
Jason turned around silently, not dignifying her comment with a response, nor did he mention Korey’s intrusion to her. He knew all too well that Estrella could make a
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mountain out of a molehill just to unsettle him.
Watching his cool detachment, Estrella offered her assistance with a hint of mischief, “Need my help? I’m quite the expert in these matters.”
Jason’s brows lifted slightly, as if to say he got the innuendo. He stared at her for a long moment before shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the bed. “You sure can rough it out in places like this.” He then eyed the stun gun in her hand, “And that’s for?”
His voice was husky, a little strained. Estrella straightened up and approached, “To keep jerks like you at bay.”
With that, she set the stun gun aside, bending down to hang his jacket on the coat rack. “What’s up with your voice?”
“Just inflamed,” Jason replied, rolling up his sleeves. The drive over, with one cigarette following another, had taken its toll, he realized when he first spoke.
“You drove here?” Estrella asked.
“Yeah,” Jason answered, his tone nonchalant.
Estrella couldn’t hide her exasperation, “Jason, are you masochistic or what? When I was at Ravenwood, you wouldn’t come home. Now I’m out of town, and you chase me down. What’s your deal?”
She had been touched by the whole Richie thing just days before, but then he’d vanished again.
Resigned, she decided to stop overthinking and just live her life, only for him to show up out of the blue.
Jason suddenly looked up, and she immediately said, “Alright, alright, I’ll drop it.”
Jason changed the subject, “I didn’t bring any luggage. Hand me your towel.”
Estrella, a stickler for cleanliness, was always well-prepared, which he knew all too well. Rolling her eyes but obliging nonetheless, she handed over her toiletries.
ey were
Though they hadn’t officially cemented their relationship as husband and wife, they well past formalities. Jason had a habit of borrowing her stuff even before they tied the knot.
Shortly after Jason emerged from the shower, Estrella returned from outside. Spotting him in just a towel, drying his hair with her towel, she set a bag on the table, “I got cold medicine and anti-inflammatory pills-pick your poison.”
Jason’s gaz
gaze darkened at the sight of the medications sprawled on the bed, “Who said you could go out at this hour? Have you forgotten what happened a few days ago?”
His sudden outburst took the wind out of Estrella’s sails, “Just trying to help.”
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Estrella had thought their bond deepened after he’d defended her fiercely that night, but his abrupt departure had left her second-guessing. Maybe it had all been for Holly, who had faced similar dangers before. Perhaps that night, in his rage, he had only seen Holly
in her.
Estrella’s casual explanation failed to ignite Jason’s temper, but an inexplicable sense of distance crept in. To the world, Estrella seemed open-hearted and easy to get along with, but reaching her inner world was no small feat
With a softened gaze, Jason continued to dry his hair as Estrella took a deep breath and retreated to the bathroom.
Then his phone rang-a work call. He tossed the towel aside and moved to the window to
answer.
After a lengthy conversation, Jason turned back to replace Estrella still in the bathroom, the door ajar. He approached and peered inside to replace her hand-washing his clothes at the sink. For a moment, Jason stood frozen, struck by the simple, intimate act.
After staring at Estrella for a long, silent moment, Jason moved behind her and, with a sudden whoosh, wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
Caught off guard, Estrella looked up at their reflection in the mirror ahead. As Jason held her close, Estrella quickly dropped the clothing she had been holding and turned on the tap, rinsing her hands. “Phone call’s done, so you can handle bath time on your own.”
But before she could slip away, Jason drew her hands back into his chest and, freeing his right hand, gently tilted her chin upwards. Then he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that spoke of more than just a fleeting touch..
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