Forbidden Attraction (Book 1)✔

♤Chapter 19♤

Did I mention everything screamed money? Because it did.

He lived in a modern brick house. Two or three stories but it looked huge. And I was in too much awe to even say anything as I walked into the house after him.

I noticed he was taking his shoes off and did the same, but kept my eyes on everything else. Unlike the outside, the walls were a smooth cream color, but you hardly saw them under the countless amount of art and decor. The wooden floors were a shiny honey gold, a beautiful contrast to the light decor.

"My mom's an interior designer," I heard and my eyes snapped over to Chris.

He was watching me as I let out a breathless laugh, looking around, "She's good at it."

"Thank you," a feminine voice replied.

I did a double take for a second because I dead thought that was Chris. I even looked over at him before my attention drew to movement coming from my left.

She walked through the open space that I think probably leads to a living room of some sorts.

I swallowed hardly at her, my hands getting clammy and my heart started pounding. My hand tightened around the bouquet of flowers I forgot I was holding.

"You're home," Chris said, walking over to her. He'd told me that she was away on some project, so none of us were expecting her to be here.

I wasn't ready.

I wanna go home.

A loving smile lifted onto her face and they embraced each other. They pulled back and she held his face in her hands, "Finished early."

"How was it?" He asked.

Then she started talking designer and all I could do was look at her. She looked harmless but I knew better than to judge someone by how they looked. What intimidated me was her dark pantsuit and heals. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and her cheeks were rosy pink.

She was the same height as her son with her shoes on and despite a wrinkle here and there, she didn't look like she was aging.

"Well," she breathed suddenly and moved her attention to me. I stopped breathing and she eyed me thoroughly. She tilted her head a tiny bit, "You're not planning on staying the night are you?"

"Mom." Chris said firmly. He looked over at me and shook his head, saying sorry with his expression.

I smiled a little at him before averting my eyes back to her and shaking my head, "Uh- no, we're just-" I gestured to Chris and he bit down on his lip, smiling, "He's helping me," I gave him a look that told him to help me.

"Yeah, mom," he finally cut in, an amused smile on his face, "I'm helping her with her assignments. She hasn't been to school in a while."

She hummed, still eyeing me, "Do I get a name?"

I nodded, "Yeah, uh- Ariana," I waved shortly, "Hi." She hummed again and I looked away awkwardly when she just kept looking at me.

Okay then...

Chris cleared his throat loudly and I saw him nudge his mom gently in the arm.

She looked at him out of the side of her eye before clasping her hands together then letting them go, "Well get to it then," she said, turning toward her son, "Be ready for dinner." She started walking away.

"I will." Chris replies as she disappeared through another open hall.

We stood there for a moment after she left, standing in the awkward silence. He smiled sheepishly, his lips thinning and his eyebrows raised.