No Expectations

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No Expectations Page 13

by Diaz, Madison


  She stared for a few seconds before she nodded. Her head tucked back into my neck, and I held her close. We were quiet for a few minutes while I rubbed her back, thinking over everything. Our past. Our present. Our future. Could this work between us? Could we be more than two lonely people who found comfort in one another during a rough time?

  After a few minutes of silence, I asked if she was thirsty, and she didn't answer me. Pulling back a little to check if she was alright, I discovered her sound asleep. I kissed her forehead and turned out the lamp. My arms stayed wrapped tight around her until I fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

  ❣❣❣

  My bed was empty as my alarm went off that next morning. Calling out Emilia's name, hoping she was still in the apartment, brought back nothing. She was gone. My phone blinked. I unlocked it to reveal a text from her. Had to take dogs out. Have a good day at work.

  My heart felt heavy. After the way we left things last night, I couldn't help how insecure I felt about the status of our relationship. My hands shook as I texted, Still on for tonight?

  Sure. was all I got in return. That was fine. That had to be fine. It was the best I could hope for. She wasn't sure about me. Why didn't I know the right thing to say? I couldn't believe she actually thought she wasn't good enough for me.

  So many opportunities and a lifetime of experiences lay before her. Her youth wasn't a crutch but a goddamn blessing. I'd be the one to hold her back. She deserved so much more than what I could give her. She deserved to enjoy her twenties and make mistakes. She deserved someone her own age who could join her on that path of self-discovery.

  It was close to over. Karen had been right. I missed Emilia already. I didn't know what changed, but I did something that pushed her away. Now my beautiful little neighbor was gone. Tonight would be my last chance to prove how serious I was. I'd put myself out there and if she didn't feel the same then that'd be the end. I sent another text. Wear something nice.

  She didn't reply until after breakfast with an Okay :) And there it was. My sliver of a chance.

  ❣❣❣

  My palms were sweaty as I waited for Emilia by my car. It was windy but humid since it rained all day. I wore one of my nicer suits since I'd planned on taking her up to North Beach. I had to throw in all the big stops tonight. I had to show her how much she meant to me, so she could never forget it. Even when she moved on to someone younger. Even when she would find her true love and settle down. I wanted her to always have a good memory of us.

  She appeared in front of me, walking past a crookedly parked SUV. Her nice red dress showed off her olive skin. Her hair straightened, pinned back to show off her pretty face. She noticed me and smiled so goddamn bright. It was almost as if the weirdness of last night never happened. My shoulders relaxed.

  She ran to me and in my arms. I kissed the top of her head and held her close. "I missed you," she whispered the same way she had on our last date, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning. She pulled back a little to look up at me, and her eyes were sparkling.

  I held her face in my hands and kissed her hard enough to prove what she meant to me. She kissed me back as she gripped the front of my jacket in her hands. Was this kiss a goodbye? It felt like more. It felt like she was giving this a chance. Me a chance. Us a chance. I cherished every moment of it, licking, sucking, and biting her lips.

  Once we pulled away, we looked at each other. "I missed you too." Then I opened the door for her, and she slid in. I ran around the car and got in on the driver's side.

  Her gaze kept out the window with her hands folded in her lap. She glanced at me then smiled once she realized I was watching her. That smile was so sweet it made my heart flutter. Turning the key in the ignition, we were off.

  I never went out on weekday nights. Business was demanding with constant meetings and paperwork. My partners traveled a lot, leaving me alone to run our multiple locations, so it kept me busy. We had a big sale going through at the moment. I should have been typing up the final notices tonight, but I was putting it off until tomorrow to woo this girl. It would be worth it. I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted another woman in my life.

  "So how was your day?" Emilia asked, bringing me back to the present. I hadn't realized how quiet I was the whole drive. We were already halfway to the coast.

  "Boring. A bunch of work stuff." I quickly glanced at her. She seemed deep in thought. "How was yours?"

  Her shoulders shrugged. "Same old stuff. The dogs wouldn't walk in the rain. Dane's been a jerk lately. Hopefully, he'll start to act better when I'm at home again."

  When I'm home again. Not with you. Back to my normal life. I nodded, keeping my insecurities to myself. "You're having issues with Dane? I didn't know. You could bring him over if you want. From now on… or whatever." She chuckled. "What's funny?"

  She shook her head. "You don't even like dogs. I wouldn't force him on you like that."

  I felt the corners of my mouth turning up. "I don't dislike dogs. I just said that so you'd be turned off by me. Also, he's your dog. I wouldn't want you to go without him. I know you love him."

  Her eyebrows rose. "Why did you want me to be turned off by you?"

  I shrugged. "I didn't want to corrupt you."

  She laughed. "Well, you screwed that up. I'm super corrupted now." Her pretty eyes held humor as they looked into mine, making my heart stutter.

  We arrived at the restaurant, and I rushed out of the car to her side as she stepped out. I offered her my arm, and she grinned as she took it. Leaning against me as we walked, she pointed out how beautiful the sunset looked across the water. I nodded as I led her so she could concentrate on the view.

  I'd made reservations so we got seated right away on the balcony by the water. She was more relaxed than on our last date. Leaning back in her chair, she watched the water. She smiled a lot and talked more freely. She caught me staring at her, and she actually blushed. It was like our relationship was moving in a completely different direction.

  After dinner, we held hands as we walked down by the coast. She held her shoes in her hand as she dipped her feet into the water. I stood on the pier and watched her. It was dark now and a little windy. Her hair whipped around her head a bit, but she didn't seem to care.

  She stood back up and leaned against the railing. I joined her and put my hand on her hand. She glanced up at me and batted her pretty eyelashes. We kissed on the pier like we were meant for each other. My fingers were in her hair as her arms wrapped around me inside my jacket. I didn't want to be without her.

  We had sex in the car. I didn't plan for it to turn out that way, but we couldn't keep our hands off each other. She'd peeled off her panties in the passenger seat then climbed onto my lap. She stayed in control on top of me as she pulled at my hair and bit my lips. It was one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen. She asked me to come inside of her again, and I couldn't help but feel closer than ever to her. I kissed all over her neck once we finished, and I didn't want to let her go, but I did.

  She wanted to walk in separately again, and take her time to get cleaned up, and take out the dogs before coming over. She walked in first. After waiting about ten minutes, I walked in after her. I cleaned up and changed into sweats as I poured myself a glass of whiskey. It had been a while, and I wanted something to stop my hands from shaking.

  There was a knock at the door. I rushed to it and threw it open. To my surprise, it wasn't Emilia. It was her dad.

  He was a few inches shorter than I was with his work casual clothes still on. He wore glasses and had the same messy curly dark hair that Emilia had. He poked at my chest as he stepped inside my apartment. I stepped back then stood there, unsure of what he knew or what was going on. "How long?" he asked me.

  "How long what?"

  His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "How long have you been fucking my daughter?"

  My eyes widened. I glanced around the room, wishing Emilia was here, so
I wouldn't say the wrong thing. "Uh, talk to Emilia about all that."

  "Don't you say her name," he growled, taking another step closer. "You know she's only eighteen, right? Graduated high school six months ago, you fucking pervert."

  I cleared my throat. My hands were clammy and my throat felt tight. "Kevin, right?" He didn't give a response. "This is inappropriate. She's an adult, and I don't agree with you coming down here with an accusatory tone and questions behind her back. I'd prefer to have this conversation with her present."

  "Oh, she's not coming down here."

  "Why?"

  "We saw you two tonight." He took another step forward, practically on top of me at this point. His eyes mixed with fire and pure disgust. "Mia’s my baby, and you're a dirty man."

  My brow furrowed. "I don't see what your disapproval has to do with her not coming down here. She's an adult."

  "She lives under my roof, Mr. Jacobs." Oh, god. "I told her if she wants to continue seeing a pervert like you that she'd be out on the streets. No man is going to take advantage of my little girl."

  "I feel like that's her decision."

  "It's really not. Stay away from my daughter or I'll kick your ass." He brushed past me and out the door.

  I immediately picked up my phone and texted Emilia. Your dad was just here. What's going on? but she didn't respond. I went to bed alone that night, wondering what the hell I should do.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emilia

  I didn't think it was possible to feel more like a kid than when my dad was waiting for me in the lobby last night. His face red as he grabbed my arm and called me mean names. I expected as much from Mom since she usually didn't understand me, but Dad's reaction was a surprise. He shit all over Stephen and painted him as this disgusting monster that preyed upon me.

  Sure, I tried standing up for myself. I tried explaining to him that I was an adult, and I could do what I wanted, but that didn't go over well. I wasn't done with Stephen, but Dad was going to make it pretty damn hard to see him.

  He slept in Mrs. Petterman's apartment last night to make sure I stayed at home and away. He broke my phone and banished me to my room like I was still in high school. I hated it, but what choice did I have? My dad had never been so furious and disappointed in me before.

  Mom couldn't even look at me. She called me a slut and brought up Amy's feelings as if that somehow meant my aunt owned him. It was impossible to stop myself from crying at her harsh words. I had the first panic attack in a long time. Dane was by my side through it all, and I fell asleep with him in my arms. He wasn't resentful of me ignoring him over the last two weeks. It was almost as if my dog actually felt sorry for me.

  I waited for Stephen in the hallway Thursday afternoon. Thirty minutes early just in case. He came out of his apartment ten minutes later. He stopped dead in his tracks once he noticed me leaning against the wall. I didn't have Dane with me. It was just us.

  His hair was an absolute mess with bags under his beautiful eyes. His suit was still clean and professional. He was so handsome. I wanted to jump into his strong arms again and kiss him like nothing had happened, but he avoided my eyes.

  "Hey," I started, taking a step toward him, but he stepped back. A frown formed on my face. "Sorry I didn't come down Tuesday night and that we haven't talked." No reaction. "My dad found out about us. Smashed my phone and punished me like I'm still a kid." Still, nothing. "I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but he threatened to kick me out of the house, so I wasn't sure what to do. It'll blow over, but we may have to put the brakes on us for now. Just for now. Is that okay?"

  Stephen finally looked back up at me. The look in his eyes made mine begin to swell. That wasn't the look of someone who wanted to try. That wasn't the way you looked at someone when you told them you're going to wait for them. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again, biting his lip. I stood in front of him, waiting. "Stop looking at me like that," he finally said.

  "Like what?" I asked, sounding way more hurt than I wanted.

  "Like I'm gonna break your heart."

  A tear escaped before I could hide it with the sleeve of my jacket. "You're looking at me like you're gonna break my heart."

  He sighed, looking away from me again, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, Emilia, I have to go. We can't do this now. I have a meeting. That's why I left early-"

  "Oh, that was the only reason?"

  His eyes met mine again. "Your parents are right. I'm too old for you. You should be dating someone your own age."

  My own age. "Don't say that." His eyes closed for a second as he sighed again. "Don't you dare patronize me with that `someone your own age' crap! I don't want someone my own age. I want you."

  He looked at the floor. "Look, I really do have to go. We can talk about this another time. As neighbors."

  "Fuck you," I spat before stepping forward and poking his chest. He backed up against the wall, still refusing to look at me. "We're not neighbors. We're not friends. You're just some guy who fucked me and took advantage of me."

  I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it. Hurting him like this wasn't constructive. It was immature. I was still such a stupid child proving everyone right. Tears spilled out of my eyes. "What am I supposed to do now?"

  His eyes found mine again. "You're supposed to be happy. You're supposed to grow up. I'll only hold you back. You'll meet a better guy. Someone who will give you everything you need and more. Someone more appropriate for you."

  He placed his hands on my shoulders, keeping my gaze. His eyes were determined. I wouldn't be able to convince him. It was over. He forced a tight smile as he said, "I really hope we can stay friends. You're an amazing young woman. I won't forget you or what it was like to believe in fairy tales. Goodbye, Mia." He let me go and brushed past me. My heart broke into a million pieces as I watched him walk away.

  ❣❣❣

  A soft knock at the door reminded me I wasn't sleeping. It was Saturday, so I excused myself to a day of self-pity and regrets. Dane stayed by my side, falling in and out of sleep, as I watched the rain wash the window. The beach was right beyond the building where I lived in paradise, but I didn't feel it anymore. It felt empty, cold, and sad.

  The door opened. I hadn't granted permission to whoever decided to walk in. They didn't say anything, and I didn't turn around. Dad had stopped trying to talk to me, and Mom usually left the room once I entered. I'd never felt more disgusting.

  Stephen never treated me that way, but maybe he's just as disgusting as I am. Maybe what we were doing really was wrong. It didn't feel that way when we were together. Everything about the way he looked at me and the way he touched me felt right. I must have been stupid to believe any of it was real.

  Closing my eyes, tears spilled out again. It hadn't been constant crying, but the idea of speaking to anyone right now was too hard. A familiar hand brushed against my back before affectionately rubbing my arm. My eyes opened again, and I rolled over. Amy looked down at me with a sad smile. "Hey, kid. How's it going?"

  I couldn’t tell if she was trustworthy or not, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. "Not good."

  She roughly wiped the tears from my cheeks like I was a toddler again. "You're too pretty to cry, silly girl."

  My eyebrow furrowed. "That's a stupid thing to say."

  She laughed like what I said had been a joke. Her fingers wrapped around my hand and held it. "What's going on?"

  I blinked. "Didn't Mom tell you?" She had to. Mom told literally everyone. I’d even gotten a text message from Tony asking if I was interested in meeting now that I was single again.

  "Of course."

  "Then why are you asking me?"

  A pause. "Because I want to hear your side. You're too smart to jump into bed with an older man for attention. You must have liked him. I could tell."

  I shook my head. It was nice to have someone on my side, but it wasn't gonna h
elp my case. I was still banished away, far away, in a castle I couldn't climb down from. "Why do you understand me, and they don't?"

  She squeezed my hand reassuringly. "You're still a little girl to them. They're not angry. They're just freaked out. You've grown so much, and they didn’t notice. Your dad was livid when he realized you were capable of that type of relationship. He thought the guy must be a sick child molester or something. I had to remind him that you're not a child. You can date who you want."

  I gave her a weak smile. "Thanks for sticking up for me. I'm not even upset about them. They can treat me like a kid all they want. It's Stephen. He told me to move on and find someone my own age."

  "Ouch," she responded, "Is that what you want?"

  "No."

  She let out a sigh, crawling into the bed with me. I scooted over to make room. Dane growled as he jumped off and stalked off to the corner where his blanket was. "Well, I'm sorry," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as we both chuckled.

  She looked back at me, still holding my hand. "There will be other guys. Stephen was good-looking and nice. I'm sure he was sweet to you. That was one of the main reasons I was trying with him." Her brow furrowed as she tilted her head. "I kind of wished you'd told me you were dating him, though. It could have saved me a few embarrassing conversations."

  I blocked my smile, feeling very guilty by my omission. "I didn't know how you'd react. I mean, Stephen's sister flipped. My parents won't look me in the eye, and I'm pretty sure my dad threatened him. I thought you'd at least judge me a little."

 

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