Chapter 8 Painfully Trapped

• CRISTIAN
• The music had gotten louder. The place was crammed to the brim with my friends, colleagues, and whatnots. It was every bit like the party I'd imagined it to be. And I should be festive. I should be cocooned in the jamboree. But I wasn't.
• I was pacing back and forth near one of the barbecue spots. My eyes darted to the main house every second, hoping she would step out of the house soon.
• It's been a crazy day for me. Seeing her again in my house was something I never imagined. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I'd see her here.
• Watching her step out of that pool was a traumatizing sight. But then she was just in her underwear and the water dripping off her body gave me a damn boner. Had me feeling shamelessly aroused.
• To think she's just 22! I still can't wrap my head around that. She can't be 22. She danced around a pool like she had ten years of experience. She sucked my dick like she's sucked dicks her whole life. She's got the body of a goddess. All that and she's just 22? It doesn't make any sense.
• It doesn't help that I feel so guilty. I shouldn't feel this way. She's an adult. But she's Aaliyah's age mate and I see my baby girl as a literal baby. That eliminates my efforts to try to see this girl as an adult.
• This girl? Her name's Lacy. Not even Nina.
• Lacy suits her better though. And her icy blue eyes are more striking than those brown eye contacts she was wearing that night.
• And she's a brunette. Not a blonde. And there's every possibility she faked her moans that night. Or maybe she didn't.
• For my sanity's sake, I'd love to think she didn't fake those. Everything else was a lie. Makes it fucking clear what kinda girl she is. A red flag. The whole red carpet. And it'd be best for me to stay away from her.
• I know that, but I can't stomach the thought of it. The fact that she's pretending not to recognize me is driving me nuts. Now I can't confront her. I can't do anything at all. I feel agitated. Paralyzed. Angry. And hurt. Very hurt.
• Not the kinda hurt I felt when my wife died. No, this one's different. It's a little more intense. Deep-rooted. Like my heart got bruised. Like it got smashed. In the cruelest ways.
• It sounds silly because she's just a girl I met one night! It shouldn't get to me this much. But it does. Hell, I don't know why. But it does.
• I'd give anything to make her drop the pretense and talk to me. Like adults. A twenty-two-year-old adult. My God!
• Nah, I feel sick. I feel disgusted. I feel torn apart.
• “What a party!” Joe's ecstatic voice yanked me out of my depressing thoughts.
• I chugged down my whiskey to wash off the agony that most definitely was lingering in my voice.
• “You're the man. Every year, you throw a bigger party. You're the MAN, Cristian!” Joe cheered, giving me a boyish punch.
• I shrugged with a strained chuckle. “Right. R.I.P to my bank account.”
• “C'mon man, don't be such a grump. You're a billionaire for crying out loud. You could throw these parties every day for the whole year and your bank account isn't gonna feel it.”
• “Mmhmm. Right.” I muffled a chuckle, taking a sip of my drink. I couldn't wholly join in his quibble. I wasn't in the mood.
• He noticed, and his gaze became concerned. “You alright man?”
• “Of course. Why wouldn't I be?” I forced a smile.
• “I don't know. Your eyes look weary.”
• “I'm just tired. It's been a long day.” I breathed out, looking around. “Have you seen my daughter?”
• “Aaliyah? Nah, not yet. I don't think she's out of her room yet.” Joe replied, looking around like I was. “Oh, there she is.”
• He didn't even need to say it. Because I already spotted her walking out of the house and joining the party.
• But then I wasn't staring at her. I was staring at the girl behind her. I, and every other man in this party. I'd love to gaslight myself into thinking some of them were staring at my daughter. But that wasn't the case.
• We were all looking at Lacy. Because God, she was dressed in a bikini, and a transparent slitted skirt. Her whole body was on view. And it had every male in here ogling at her.
• Me too. Because I haven't even blinked. I was just gulping like some horny bastard. And help me God, but she was literally the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. No offense to Emily.
• “I don't care if you think I'm being a disgusting pedo or a perv, but Aaliyah's friend got my dick hard,” Joe said in his cheeky tone.
• My jaw clenched unconsciously. For some weird reason, I badly wanted to clapback at him.
• But then again, why? Why should I? She's nothing to me. And if she's dressed like that, it gotta mean she's seeking male attention. So why should I get offended that she's getting what she wants?
• But God, I'm offended. I'm bothered. I'm in pain. Why is she pretending not to recognize me?!
• “Daddy, Uncle Joe.” Aaliyah greeted us as they got to where we stood. “It’s such a beautiful party, Daddy. Thank you.”
• I smiled. I had to. Even though my insides were twitching.
• “Are you having a good time?” I asked. My eyes were on Lacy even though I was asking Aaliyah.
• “Of course, Daddy.”
• Lacy was skillfully avoiding my gaze. She was doing it so perfectly, you'd hardly notice.
• “You look beautiful.” Joe complimented her. She blushed and mumbled a ‘thank you’ to him.
• “Can I get you a drink? Show you around?”
• “Sure.” She accepted in a breath. Joe led the way as they left us. I watched them so hard that they could literally feel my gaze burning their backs.
• Resentment formed a lump in my throat. Why would she pretend not to know me, but she could easily accept a drink offer from Joe?
• What kinda game was that?
• “Uncle Joe looks smitten,” Aaliyah laughed. “My friend has a way of enchanting men with her body. Turns out even Great Uncle Joe isn't immune to her charms.”
• Right. Guess I fell for those charms that night. She's such a seductress. The worst kinda girl.
• “You're the only one who's immune to her charms, my perfect gentleman.” Aaliyah teased, hugging me.
• I stiffened in her hug. I couldn't wholly return it. On the contrary, I'm deeply trapped by her charms. So trapped that I was considering punching my best friend for the first time ever. All because of her.
• I'm foolishly trapped. Painfully trapped. And it seems there's no being free of it.