Erotica: Beyond: Dark Action Romance Paranormal Thriller (Adventure Demon Humor International Interracial Mystery Short Stories)

by Iaz Grant

  "You should be careful. There might be someone here who knows you."

  "Who do you think it will be? My mother was in Atlanta with her husband. My sisters were all in Spain with their families. There's no one here who can tell it’s me."

  "Oh? Really? What if your mother's friends are here and they saw you? What would you do?"

  Manuel then pulled her hand closer to his chest as they walked casually, "Tell them that you are a good friend, I guess? That you needed me to support you because you are a little weak."

  "Isn't that too meaning? I am healthy and I can walk. You are the only one who kept on holding my hand. What's up with that?"

  "What? You don't like it when I am holding your hands? As far as I can remember, when we were in high school, you always wanted to walk holding hands. You even said that you like my hands the most because it’s warm and big. And now you're saying that I was the only one who wanted to hold your hand? Wow!"

  Gwen chuckled before she leaned on his arm and bit his exposed skin that made him shout in pain. Gwen pulled her hands from him and ran.

  "You really want to be punished, huh? Great."

  Manny then quickly ran after the woman carefully not to bumped to anybody or anything. The very moment he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, "You really think you run just like that from me? You better think again, Gwendolyn. You're too slow for running."

  She laughed before turning around to face him, "You are still so mean to your girlfriend, aren't you? It’s not because we're still in high school that you can belittle me like that." Gwen playfully pouted.

  Manuel then kissed her pouty lips lightly, "I think we can have a little detour from our objective."

  "What? Harry and Chris will surely scold us if we didn't get back immediately."

  "It’s their fault, let them. Let’s have a little more time to ourselves, alright?"

  She smiled, "Okay, as you wish, sir."

  "Excellent."

  Manuel and Gwendolyn enjoyed themselves as they wished. They eat and flirt with each other. It was almost dinner when they came back and they had earned a lot of scolding from Chris, Harry, and Chelsea. Once the night has owned the world, the group started their long awaited fun. They played like kids and shouts and screams as they wished. Gladly, they rented the whole villa and no other guests had been affected by their noise.

  "I want to know," Harry started as he and Manny stood in the corner of the room while the group's activities are at rest, "What it is between you and Gwen?"

  Manuel just looked at Harry lost for words. He gulped once on his champagne before he looked at the center of the ball, "We are friends."

  "Don't lie to me. I know it’s not because you're friends. We are all aware how much the two of you had been evading each other ever since. What are you planning?"

  He turned to face Harry. He had exhaled before he answered the doubts clouding his friend's mind, "We started to fetch things up. It’s just that, for the last twelve years, I haven't thought about it until I met her again. Harry, I gave her an awful kind of treatment. I shouldn't have ended everything between us in a terrible way."

  "And?"

  "I decided that we are going to reverse that night. We are going to end everything the right way."

  The Break Up

  When everyone decided to go to the beach, Gwen was pulled by Manny in a different way. He sneaked them out of their friends' way.

  "Where are we going?" she asked while looking at her back thinking about someone who might see them.

  "Shh," Manuel hushed her while dragging her to a cab, "I'll just get to show you something."

  "They might be lo-"

  Manny kissed her to shut her up, "Let them search for us. It’s just fine. I am sure they'll think we are in our rooms to have a rest. Our flight is early tomorrow. It is better if I show you something like this tonight."

  "Are you sure?"

  He then kissed Gwen's hand, "This is our last night together, Gwendolyn. I want to make it memorable. So, please, enjoy my company as your boyfriend just like before."

  Gwen pursed her lips together before nodding in agreement. She then let out a deep breath before putting her head on his shoulder, "Tonight, you will be my Manuel, right?"

  He kissed her head, "I will be your Manuel, Gwendolyn, just like before."

  "Then we will end up everything in a different way, right?"

  "Yes. We will."

  Manuel brought her into a cliff wherein they can see the big moon. Gwen was so happy to see that it was like just a hand reach. Manuel was just looking at her with contentment and happiness. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulders from behind. He kissed her cheek and her neck side.

  "Did you like it?" he asked.

  She nodded and kissed his hand, "I love it. How did you find this place?"

  "I just remember once we came here for vacation. My sisters dragged me in here to watch over the moon."

  "Thank you, Manuel."

  He then unwrap her and turned Gwen's face to him and lightly kissed its forehead, "I just realized that I haven't surprised you that much during our time together. Now, since this will be our last, I want to leave you something that can erase all the bad memories I gave you." Manny gently touched her face, "I will miss you once this night ended, Gwen. Thinking about it now, I have been missing you since then."

  "It’s probably because we just ended up with a bomb. No closure, just broken."

  "Probably, but now I want to make things right. Not that I want you to be mine again, but to let you go for the better. Gwendolyn Meyer, may I have this last night as your man?"

  "I'll be the happiest if you will have it, Manuel."

  They put their forehead on each other while he was holding to her face. Gwen was grabbing his shirt around the waist while he carefully lifted her head and kissed her lips. She never hesitated to return the passion he's giving her. She wrapped her arms around his neck once he pulled her up for more intensified challenge. Without any other words to say, their kisses had turned into a heat of desire.

  "We should get back now." Gwen proposed once they got back to reality.

  "Won't you say it?" Manuel asked as he followed her standing up.

  "Say what?"

  "The end."

  Gwen looked down the ground and put her hands in her jeans pocket, "Manuel, I am sorry for everything that I have done wrong, but this is the last time we will see each other."

  Manny smiled, "Yes, I know. I accept. This is goodbye, Gwendolyn."

  "Goodbye, Manuel."

  The next morning, Harry saw the instant changes between Gwen and Manny. They returned to being awkward people again. Even when they have arrived in LAX, Manny and Gwen just waved goodbye to each other as a goodbye.

  "So, you really ended everything up last night, huh?" Harry started once Gwen's cab picked her up and go.

  "I told you, we will," Manny answered confidently.

  "Are you sure about what you did? The two of you relieved the pain, wasn't it?"

  "We are adults now. I have my family and she has her own life. I don't think we will be bugged by it anymore. What's important is that we ended up in a better way."

  "If you say so."

  Manny came home earlier than expected. Their house was empty since his wife was still on her work while his daughter was in school. The small one was probably brought to its grandmother. As he walked to his home, Manny smiled to himself. He sat on the couch and spread his arms wide on it as he leaned his back. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. After taking off his shoes, he put his feet on the coffee table and relaxed his legs. He sighed again and closed his eyes.

  Meanwhile, Gwendolyn went straight to her office and checked out her schedule during the whole week. She then opened her cell phone and to her surprised, the screen wallpaper was her photograph with Manuel. It made her smile. Her eyes went dreamy, but then she shook it off. The doctor deleted the photo and changed the wallpaper. S
he resumed on her files on the table.

  "Did you enjoy your reunion trip to Mexico?" David, Gwen's friend from the FBI, asked as he sat down the very moment he reached her table.

  "You never tell you're coming." Gwen playfully scolded him.

  "Should I tell you petite things like that?"

  "David, this is still my clinic. You could've found me with clients and they will surely felt betrayed."

  He chuckled, "Fine, I apologize. It’s just that, I missed you."

  She laughed, "I told you, I don't have any plan to get into trouble with your fiancé, Dave."

  Manny, on the other hand, welcomed his wife and daughter with big hugs. The moment Pricilla kissed her husband, they both felt different in an instant. Her look at him was asking a question while his eyes are thinking about something else.

  Jealousy

  After he had come back from the trip, Pricilla had seen the changes to her husband's actions. He still does everything he usually does, but it’s a little different. She feels that he was just doing it now because he used to, not because he wanted too.

  "Are you alright?" Pricilla asked Manny while she's fixing its collar.

  "Yes, why do you ask?" Manny answered casually.

  "Nothing, you seemed to be out of sort these days. Actually, from the day you arrived from your reunion trip, you were a little different. Did something happen in Mexico?"

  "Eh? What do you mean by that? We just had fun in there. We had no problem at all. Only they made me pay for the reunion souvenirs."

  She smiled, "Do they think you're something rich?"

  "Oh, I think so, although Chris was probably the richest of us all," he then looked at his wrist watch, "I need to go now. I don't want to be late for my lecture."

  "Okay. I'll bring Emman to my sister's house."

  "Why? Is there something wrong with your mother?"

  "No. She just asked for a little rest. She said she'll be with her friends today, so, I asked Emily to look at our baby."

  "Oh, I'm glad that your family was just living near to us. I apologize I couldn't help you taking care of them-"

  "Shh, it’s just fine. I understand. You better go now. You don't want to be late, right?"

  "Oh, yes. Bye then." Manny kissed his wife and went off.

  Little that he knows that the very moment he drove off the garage, Pricilla's face turned into worries. Manny just lets the days passed by. Now, he's getting by his profession. As he was giving his lecture to his students, he found a familiar woman walking outside the university ground while he looked out the window. He set his book down and quickly left the classroom to meet her. She is Gwendolyn Meyer with some man wearing a black jacket. His face turned into annoyance as he saw how the man was mingling with Gwen.

  "Dr. Meyer, what a lovely surprise of seeing you here?" Manny greeted the equally surprised Gwen and David.

  "Manuel," she started, "So, you're here. It’s nice to see you too." Gwen looked at David before turning back to the Professor, "We're here to find a student named Stewart Bradley. Do you him?"

  "Bradley? You may be talking about the one in literature class. I can help you find him."

  That whole time, Gwen was seemingly balancing her objective and Manny's presence beside her. It’s been a week, but with how they act, Manny and Gwen haven't really settled with their goodbyes.

  "So, you're back working with the FBI, huh?" Manuel asked as they walked in the hallway while David was left in the office with the dean.

  "Yes. David brought a new case on my table. A teenager was the sole clue we have for the case. He asked me to talk to the kid so I am here."

  "You seemed pretty close to him, huh?"

  "Who? You mean David? I knew him since I was in college. He always came whenever I needed some help."

  "And I am not." Manny murmured to himself, "Can I see your clinic later?"

  "Huh? What for?"

  "Let me see if the place is excellent for someone seeking help."

  "Manuel, look. I thought we-"

  "Gwen, let’s go." David had stopped her from saying anything she wanted to tell the professor.

  Gwen and David left the university, but Manny was getting so agitated. He can't seem to settle down. In the other end, Gwen was also unsettled inside the car. David noticed it.

  "Who was that?" the agent asked Gwen as a friend.

  "Manuel? He was my high school friend."

  "High school friend? Are you sure?"

  "Are you implying that there's something more?"

  "I am not saying that. You did."

  "David!"

  At the end of the day, and night falls on the world, Gwen decided to go back to her clinic. Just the moment she entered the building floor, Gwen found someone waiting in front of her office door.

  "Manuel," she quickly walked to him, "What are you doing here?"

  Manny didn't answer immediately, but instead he searched behind her, "He's not with you?"

  "Who-" Gwen sighed, "Are you looking for David?"

  He gulped in somewhat like fear, "I didn't say anything."

  "I can see, clearly, Manuel."

  "I thought you're not reading minds."

  Gwen growled at him before she opened the door and entered the room. Manuel followed her like a dog, "What do you think you're doing here, Prof?"

  "What do you say, Doc?"

  "I thought we already agreed about saying goodbye? Honestly, what are you doing, Manuel?"

  "I don't know. I can't seem to forget the night we were together."

  "You promised me!"

  "As if I didn't even try."

  "Manuel..."

  "When I saw you with that man, something suddenly boiled inside me."

  "We were already separated."

  "I know, but the very moment I kissed my wife when I arrived home, my mind instantly compared it to your kisses." Manuel dropped on the chair brushing his face, "Gwen, tell me, aren't you feeling the same?"

  She fell in a moment of silence, "I don't know. I have no one to compare it with. I have been single since five years ago. And I don't think that it’s possible for a married man like you to-"

  "To what? To like someone else? Gwendolyn, we knew each other like the back of our hands, but we were like strangers when we met each other again."

  "It is because we should be strangers."

  Manuel stood up and held Gwen closely on his chest, "I think I don't want to feel like that again."

  Starting Over Again

  Gwen and Manuel sat down on the couch and calmed themselves. He kept his hands together as he leaned on his knees while she was leaning her back on her place looking at the other way. Obviously, they don't know what to say. It’s like they both had the most shocking revelation of their lives.