The Trouble With Love: An Age Gap Romance (The Forbidden Love Series Book 1)

by Kat T. Masen

  The rest of the conversation revolves around college. My input is required here and there. Dad steers the conversation to work, which raises the topic of hiring a new assistant. For fuck’s sake, why does everyone feel the need to entertain themselves with my goddamn business? This is beyond a joke now.

  “I’m sure Amelia can handle the adult conversation,” Dad says, placing his fork down. “Son, sometimes you have to think with your head and not your dick. These women, not worth the quick fuck. What you need now is someone to make your head spin. The kind of woman you can’t stop thinking about.”

  “I hate to agree with your father.” Mom grins, which is unusual for her. “When you find that woman, Will, nothing else in the world will matter.”

  “Okay, so thanks for the pep talk,” I mumble, rolling my eyes of boredom. “This is exactly why I keep my personal life private and avoid your invitations to dinner.”

  “You don’t want to knock up some hussy,” Dad tells me.

  “Jesus, Dad. Give me some fucking credit.”

  Beside me, Amelia has lowered her head, though from the corner of my eye, I can see a smile playing on her lips.

  “Let me guess… you have something to add to this?” I question her.

  “It’s late,” Amelia replies, checking her phone. “I should catch the train back.”

  “You’ll do nothing of the sort. Rocky, drive her back.”

  “Of course.” Dad wipes his mouth, pushing his chair back to find his keys.

  “I’ll take her,” I offer, all eyes falling on me, including Amelia’s, who isn’t shy in hiding her annoyed expression.

  “Even better.” Dad winks, sitting back down and sliding the tray of chicken toward him.

  Amelia says goodbye to my parents, agreeing to come back and visit soon. On the elevator ride down to the parking garage, other residents occupy the space making a conversation less than appealing.

  My black Mercedes is parked in the corner, away from everyone else. As we enter the car, I expect her to say thank you or some sentiment worthy of a conversation starter, but nothing of the sort while I speed out of the city and fly down the I-95. The drive is quiet and unsure of what to say, I want to pry more into this whole boyfriend thing—the subject alone piquing my curiosity.

  “So, does your dad know about your boyfriend?”

  She clears her throat, avoiding my gaze. “Not exactly. He knows of him and that we dated in high school. Why do you ask?”

  “Just surprised you lie to him.”

  Her face turns to meet mine. “I don’t lie to him. I merely save that information for myself. It’s not like he asked me about it, so, therefore, no lying.”

  “John Hopkins is far. What kind of a relationship is that, anyway?”

  “One that’s none of your business.”

  Her frustrated tone is obvious like she seems bothered to be in my presence.

  “You better be careful,” I warn her, without a smile. “If your dad finds out, all hell will break loose.”

  “I’m nineteen next week. I live across the country. He can say all he wants. He can’t expect me to stay celibate forever,” she responds with more bite than before. “And anyway, why do you care about what my dad thinks? If I have to fight my dad to be with someone I care deeply about, then so be it, I will.”

  I almost laugh at the notion. No one goes up against Lex.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “It’s like you haven’t met Lex Edwards.”

  “As long as I’m with someone who respects me, I believe my father will be fine. Not some playboy like you who would break a girl’s heart with so much joy.”

  “Ouch, so you think I’m a playboy?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve heard Mom and Aunt Nikki talk, plus that dinner conversation sums it up to a tee. You’re no saint, which probably explains the revolving door of assistants. Mr. Bigshot, a CEO, can’t commit. It’s all too familiar, according to them.”

  “I see.” I nod with a smirk. “I’m the son your father never had.”

  “Yes, so I’ve heard.”

  “You hear a lot of things, but hearsay isn’t always the truth.”

  I glance over, noting her arms crossed in defiance. “My dorm is just over there. And you know what, I don’t care. Fuck whoever you want. It’s your life.”

  “Well, you seem to care since you keep bringing it up? You seem to be bothered that I like to fuck beautiful women.”

  “Trust me. I don’t care. I find it entertaining, but since we’re here, thanks for the ride, Will. I have no idea why you had to torture yourself by taking me home, unless, of course, you’re hoping to prowl the campus looking for a damsel in distress needing to be rescued?”

  “You know what?” I growl, frustrated at her assumptions. “You’re just as annoying as you were when we were kids.”

  “Yeah, and you’re just as arrogant.”

  I let out a huff. “Well, are you going to get out? According to you, I have someone’s bed to be in.”

  She shakes her head with a knowing grin before exiting the car. “Goodbye, Will, a pleasure as always. Remember to be safe… no glove, no love.”

  The door slams, the same time I fall back onto the seat, annoyed with the entire night.

  I just have to pretend this never happened. If Lex asks me to check on her, I’ll tell him I’m busy with work. Surely, he should understand that.

  Yes, work, a distraction I need at this moment to ignore my bothered thoughts and rid myself of Amelia Edwards.

  Once again, the bane of my existence.

  Ten

  Amelia

  “Amelia, wake up. It’s midnight.”

  I let out a groan with my eyes still shut. My bed moves again as a finger nudges my shoulder. One eye opens to the sight of Liesel sitting beside me with a wide grin.

  “What time is it?”

  “Midnight, silly. Happy birthday!”

  The screech in her voice almost deafens me. I rub my face and give her my best gracious smile considering the time, not to mention my level of exhaustion.

  “Thanks.”

  “Nineteen, we have to do something amazing tonight,” Liesel suggests.

  “Tonight? As in now?”

  “No, not now. Some need the beauty sleep,” she points out sarcastically. “Tomorrow night. Josh’s older brother owns a club in the city. He can get us in.”

  “A club? But I have a dinner with Andy.”

  “So, go to the dinner, then we’ll meet afterward. Where’s the dinner, anyway?”

  I grab my phone off the nightstand, fumbling through my messages, with only one eye open before finding Andy’s text and reading the name out loud.

  “That’s on the same block. How perfect is that!”

  I screw my mouth, resting on my elbows. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to sneak into a club. We’re still underage.”

  “C’mon, girl. We have to live a little. Besides, what can go wrong?” she questions, crossing her arms.

  “I could give you a list, but I’m tired and don’t want to waste my precious birthday hours arguing with you.”

  “Then, it’s settled. You’ve got the morning free, right?” Liesel hops off the bed while I nod. “Great. Let’s shop for new outfits. We can’t look young in the club.”

  “Fine,” I drag, annoyed that I’m now wide awake. “Go to sleep, you need energy for tomorrow.”

  “I was thinking of sneaking into Josh’s dorm room…” she trails off with a wicked smile. “You know, a midnight quickie.”

  I laugh. “I guess the date went well yesterday?”

  “As good as first dates can go. He’s cute, fit, plus his parents are loaded.”

  “Three’s a charm,” I note in dark amusement. “Enjoy your midnight quickie.”

  Liesel bounces out of the room with way too much energy. I check my phone again, reading all the early birthday messages. Both my parents already texted me plus told me they will call me in the morning
. Ava’s relentless with her birthday memes, all of which involve old ladies and teeth falling out. There’s a text from Austin which comes through just now.

  Austin: Happy Birthday, beautiful. Are you awake?

  I hit dial, unsure of where he is. Since our argument a week ago, we have barely spoken. A few text messages, all of which avoided the topic of us.

  “Happy birthday,” he greets, the sound of his voice warming me instantly.

  “Thank you. Am I interrupting you?”

  “No, just studying. And you?”

  “Liesel woke me up.”

  Austin’s soft laugh echoes through the phone. “She’s a quirky one. Can’t wait to meet her one day.”

  “When is that?” I ask, hopefully. Suddenly missing everything about him. “My birthday is the perfect time.”

  There’s silence following my voice. I wait, and with every second that passes, the beat of my heart begins to slow down, a persistent ache following.

  “I assumed you would be busy for your birthday.”

  “Liesel is taking me shopping in the morning, then I have two classes. I have a dinner in the city with Andy, then Liesel’s boyfriend, Josh, is taking us to some club.”

  “Club?” he repeats, his tone shifting.

  “Yes, his brother owns it. I know what you’re thinking, we’re underage. But it’s not like I’m going to drink. What can go wrong?”

  Liesel’s influence is clearly rubbing off on me as I try to convince Austin it’s all in harmless fun. My hair falls over my shoulder, the blanket covering me while I give him a moment before questioning his silence.

  “I should go. It’s your birthday,” he responds glumly.

  “Okay,” I say, unsure. “I guess this is it.”

  “Enjoy the day, Amelia. I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

  The phone call ends. Austin rarely calls me by my full name, and that alone should’ve prompted me for his distaste of my upcoming plans. A wave of anger momentarily overcomes the hurt. What does he expect me to do? He doesn’t want to visit me, and he didn’t invite me to visit him. Maybe, in hindsight, I should’ve offered. It feels like I am the only one trying to hold onto us, and he no longer cares.

  I toss and turn, falling in and out of restless sleep for the rest of the night.

  “Can you send me a pic of what you’re wearing?” Ava demands over the phone. “I’m so jealous you get to go to an actual club.”

  “Don’t say anything to Dad,” I warn her. “Besides, Liesel’s boyfriend’s older brother owns the club, which is how we’re getting in. It’s my birthday, and I want to celebrate.”

  “It’s your first birthday without us,” she whines into the receiver.

  “Even more reason to have fun.”

  I soon learn that being underage in college often leads to falsifying your age to have fun. Turning twenty-one feels like a lifetime, and after my phone call with Austin, more than ever do I just want to forget and have fun.

  “Um…” There’s a shuffle, where I’m certain Ava shoved the phone under the pillow.

  “Ava?”

  “Ava?” I repeat louder. “I have to go—”

  “Millie!” she snarls, catching my attention. “Dad just walked into my room. I hope he didn’t hear you.”

  “Don’t say anything,” I remind her again. “Listen, I have to go.”

  “Send me pics, okay? I want a full update tomorrow.”

  I hang up the phone, quickly getting dressed into a black body-con dress and pairing it with dark-green strappy heels. With a quick blow dry, I style my hair to the side and clasp on my gold hoop earrings. I was never one to wear too much makeup, opting for a touch of mascara and a light shade of lipstick. Aside from my first semester in junior high, my skin rarely gets blemishes. Mom has good genes, and I’ll be a very lucky woman if I can look as good as her when I’m over forty.

  Josh and Liesel insist we Uber into the city. They’re paying, so we don’t stress about parking. I keep my opinion to myself but assume Josh wants to drink, hence, his eager suggestion when he arrives at our dorm room.

  The three of us met Andy at the restaurant. Thankfully, Andy is easy to get along with as we all have one thing in common—college.

  Both Andy and I love Indian food. The spicier, the better. We order dish after dish until Liesel warns us of a potential stomach cramp should she try the Vindaloo. Josh loves it, digging in and ordering more. We laugh, eat to our hearts’ content, and just when Andy is about to call it a night since he has to catch a red-eye to Boston to attend some important function with his Dad, the waiters come out with a chocolate mud cake with vanilla frosting. The candles burn bright while they sing their hearts out, embarrassing me as patrons of the restaurant look on.

  The cake is placed on the table before Liesel cheers, “Make a wish!”

  I close my eyes, unsure what to wish for—happiness, love, the well-being of my family. But deep inside, I wish to feel alive, to be consumed by passion, and to be completely in love where the air hurts to breathe if you’re not buried into his chest.

  I blame the fiction books I have been reading of late—romance novels Liesel insisted I binge read because the sex was supposedly off the charts. It’s as close as I can get to the real thing, and perhaps, the wish I made would make me feel all the things I read about.

  “I better go, Millie.” Andy stands up, and I follow, his big arms wrapping around me in a tight embrace. “Call me if things get out of control tonight.”

  “Hey, my reputation has been clean for a while now. Just so you know, I can be responsible.”

  Andy places a kiss on my forehead. “Sometimes, I actually miss my crazy cousin. She makes life interesting.”

  I let out a hearty chuckle. “Go now, you pest. And say hi to your dad for me.”

  Liesel and Josh both say goodbye to Andy before he disappears outside. Josh claps his hands, barely able to contain his excitement.

  “Let’s get this party started, ladies.”

  Getting into the club was easy. As promised, Josh’s brother takes us through the back entrance and straight into the dimly-lit club, the music blaring around us with people crammed on the dance floor.

  The club itself is underground. There isn’t much to it—scattered bar stools, a long neon-lit bar with a back wall shelving bottle after bottle of liquor. People are dancing, some look much older, and others our age.

  “Let’s grab a drink,” Liesel shouts into my ear. “Cosmopolitan?”

  I kindly refuse the drink, not wanting to push the limits, given I’m not twenty-one.

  “C’mon, Amelia. Just one?”

  “How about later? Promise.”

  Liesel pouts her lips but doesn’t push any further.

  At the bar, I pull out my phone to text Ava, then quickly hop onto Insta to see the first story from Austin’s account. It’s a picture of him with some friends, and more notably, a beautiful brunette beside him with her arm on his. My stomach is tied in knots, the slump of my shoulder following soon after from the image with the caption Just another Friday night.

  Today is Saturday, so this photo was taken last night. He mentioned nothing of the sort, and in fact, I recall him mentioning he was studying. My hands clutch my stomach, the realization that he can be lying to me the only thing on my mind. Around me, the noise drowns out, and the only thing I hear is the loud beat of my heart, the thumps almost bursting out of my chest.

  I stare at the photo again, examining every inch of it—the way Austin’s eyes light up to the cheeky grin next to this girl who appears equally as happy. The longer my eyes focus, the deeper the hurt runs.

  In the corner of my account, I see a notification for a direct message. Opening it up, I glance at the username and read the message:

  Will R: Going to a club when you’re only 19 is stupid. Do you know the danger you’re putting yourself in?

  I shake my head in disbelief. What the hell? How does he know? And how on earth did Will find my Insta account? M
y momentary pain subsides as I type profusely, wondering why Will needs to act like my goddamn father.

  Me: The same could be said about the number of women you sleep with.

  I see the bubble appear before his message pops up.

  Will R: I’m coming to get you.

  I let out an annoyed huff, then remember he doesn’t know where I actually am. Without even thinking, I block his username. The week has been bad enough since the night he drove me home. I hate that he has crawled under my skin, and mostly, I hate the way I entertain what it might be like to kiss him when he did that thing at dinner with his lips. It came out of nowhere, watching his tongue slither on the spoon and my legs tensing at the sight. Between Will and my dying relationship with Austin, I need that drink.

  “You know what? I’ll take that Cosmo now.”

  Liesel claps her hands, ordering me one immediately. An hour later and several drinks down, I’ve lost count and find myself on the dance floor. Will doesn’t show up, of course, all talk and no action. The guy is probably bored and wants to annoy me to serve some sort of sadistic pleasure of his.

  I dance with Liesel and Josh, then with a group of women I made friends with. Our bodies sway to the beat, my eyes closing as my hair swooshes around. It becomes hot and sweaty, my skin slithering under the barely lit dance floor.

  A couple of guys try to dance, and I’m happily entertained until one of them tries to wrap his hands around my waist. He smells nice and is quite masculine with toned arms. When he rubs his crotch into my ass, the nagging voice in my head tells me I need to intervene quickly, yet my motor skills are sluggish. As I am about to politely tell him to back off, I’m yanked in a different direction, almost tripping in my heels.

  My chest is up against Will’s, the burn in his eyes piercing me like an animal ready to attack its enemy. Deep blue eyes hold me captive until I’m finally able to break away. He’s still in his work attire—dress pants with a matching dark gray jacket and a white business shirt beneath it. The top two buttons are undone and there’s no formal tie as his chest is slightly exposed. Why are you even looking, Amelia?