Having You Is Never Enough

by E. L. Todd

  “I don’t want anything,” I said firmly. I refused to eat anything that Mike could possibly pay for. “But thank you.”

  He sighed. “Alright. But the office is closing soon. I don’t think he’s going to see you.”

  “He’s going to leave sometime.”

  He gave me a sad smile then walked away.

  At five, people were leaving for home. Vincent packed up and patiently waited for his boss to leave first.

  I stayed in my seat, patiently waiting.

  Mike finally walked out with his briefcase in hand. He buttoned the front of his jacket before he locked his door. When he turned around, he spotted me, sitting exactly where I’d been that morning. The surprise in his eyes told me he assumed I already left.

  “Yep, still here.”

  He headed to the elevator. “Vincent, make sure you throw this garbage out on the street on your way out.”

  Vincent gave me a sad look before he turned back to his boss. “Of course, sir.”

  I stayed in my spot and watched him get in the elevator. He stared me down while he waited for the doors to close. Situations like these were normally awkward, but that wasn’t the case now. It was tense, violent, and threatening. Both of us were fighting with our eyes, despising one another equally. The door finally closed and I stood up.

  “I’ve been working for Mr. Preston for a long time. Forgiveness doesn’t come easily, and once he’s made his mind, he never changes it.”

  “Well, he’ll make an exception this time.”

  He gave me a sad look. “Good luck with that…”

  I left the office and drove home, knowing I’d be back there again in a few days to waste my time all over again.

  ***

  A month passed, and I continued to show up at Mike’s office. He never saw me, met me, or even looked at me. Like I was a fly on the wall, he ignored me but knew I was there. As long as I didn’t come too close, he wouldn’t smack me.

  I stayed in the exact same spot, sitting in my customary chair. Sean always checked on me and tried to bring me food but I always refused. Vincent warmed up to me, seeming to admire me resilience and determination.

  “What did you do to piss him off?” he asked while he organized papers on his desk.

  “I’m seeing his daughter.”

  He flinched for a moment before he kept working. “I see…”

  “And he’s not too thrilled about the way we got together.”

  “Mr. Preston is a generous and compassionate man. It takes a lot to set him off, and he usually lets the worst atrocities go. But when it comes to his family…he’s a different person.”

  “I know.”

  “You have a long road ahead of you. Pace yourself.”

  “You don’t need to remind me,” I said bitterly.

  Hours passed and I stayed in my spot. I was thirsty but I didn’t move. Boredom was drowning me and I wanted to play on my phone or text Trinity but I didn’t move.

  Vincent discreetly passed me a bottle of water. “I brought it from home—it’s not Mike’s.”

  I nodded my gratitude and downed it.

  The workday came and went, and just like the past month, Mike walked out, giving me the bird with his eyes, and then walked off.

  I knew this would be hard, but I was starting to think I would never fix our relationship. Maybe he would always despise me. Maybe he would always disapprove me for his daughter. Maybe Trinity and I would never have a chance…

  Vincent turned off his computer and grabbed his bag. “He has lunch every Tuesday at Cornell’s. And he’s usually alone.”

  I raised an eyebrow while I looked at him.

  “But I didn’t tell you that…” He winked and walked off.

  ***

  Trinity and I made out on the couch every night. I would move on top of her and keep my lower body from touching her legs. Making her comfortable was my priority, and I didn’t touch her leg in any circumstance. She started physical therapy and she was struggling with the exertion but I always encouraged her. But I tried to distract her mind from the thoughts that haunted her.

  I missed sex like crazy. The last time I went this long without sex was so long ago I couldn’t recall it. Whenever I wanted it, I just took it. But now that Trinity’s leg was in a cast it was literally impossible. Ironically, I was okay. I couldn’t wait to be with her again, but I didn’t look for it elsewhere. When I walked across campus, I didn’t blink an eye at the pretty girls that once made me turn my head. Everywhere I went, I thought about Trinity, oblivious to other women.

  Now I felt like Cayson.

  I was pussy-whipped—hard.

  Geez, I was lame.

  Trinity worried I would take off and get some elsewhere, and that knowledge hurt. Didn’t she know how I felt about her? I’d never been in love before but I assumed this devotion would happen.

  When we kissed, her mouth drove me crazy. I wanted more than she could give but it was enough at the same time. I was just grateful to hold her and touch her, thinking how catastrophic her accident could have been. I might have lost her forever.

  Trinity pulled my shirt off then ran her hands up and down my chest. Her need for me was more apparent now that she admitted her love for me. My attraction to her had always been the same, fiery and unstoppable. Then she undid my jeans and pulled them off. We couldn’t do anything but she liked seeing me naked anyway.

  My hand moved up her shirt but I didn’t take it off, not wanting to torture myself at the sight of her perfect chest.

  She grabbed my hand and moved it down past her stomach.

  I stopped my embrace and looked at her. “Trinity, be patient…”

  “I’m going crazy, Slade. Give me something…”

  I understood her meaning. I pressed my mouth to hers and kissed her again, and my hand trailed underneath the sweats she wore. As my tongue danced around hers I touched her the way she liked. I couldn’t count the number of times I fingered girls in parking lots, underneath blankets in the presence of others, or inside of bars, and as a result I knew what I was doing. Quiet moans escaped her lips immediately and her nails dug into my shoulder.

  I was harder than a rock but tried to stay in control. I hadn’t been inside her so long and it was killing me. My cock twitched when I thought about he warm mouth and the way her tongue would move across my tip.

  She reached into my boxers and grabbed me, and then started to rub me like a pro. I hadn’t jerked off in months and I was eager for a release. I should push her away but I couldn’t. Together, we pleased one another like teenagers. She found her high first then I followed shortly afterwards.

  As soon as I pulled my hand back, I sucked my fingers then wiped myself off in the bathroom. After she cleaned up, we went to bed. I checked all the locks and the lights before I lay beside her.

  The only time I went to my apartment was when her father was here. Every time he came over, he ignored me. I was polite and acknowledged him but the only thing I got in return was a scowl. Trinity was upset by her father’s attitude but she didn’t push him on it. And she never brought me up when they were alone together.

  I cuddled into her side and kept her warm with my body heat.

  She sighed happily. “I thought my head was going to explode.”

  I chuckled into her ear. “I’ll make sure you’re satisfied from now on.”

  “What took you so long?”

  “I just assumed you didn’t want anything else but me—the real me.”

  “Well, at this point I’m just desperate.”

  I kissed the shell of her ear. “After the ladies have me, they need more.”

  “The ladies?” she asked with disdain.

  “I mean, my baby.”

  “That’s right.” She rested her hand on my forearm and stroked the skin with her fingertips. “Get it right.”

  I chuckled, finding her jealousy adorable. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s controlling…”

  She smirked s
lightly. “Well, you’re mine. And I’m the only girl that matters. Right?”

  My heart melted at her declaration, her admission that she was special to me, perfect, and the only one who ever meant anything to me. “Damn right.”

  “Good.” She snuggled into my side and fell asleep, drifting into her dreams.

  Chapter Twelve

  Slade

  I didn’t care if I had to hunt him down and stalk him, Mike was going to forgive me and give me his approval. It was wrong to sneak up on him at his favorite restaurant but I didn’t give a damn. He wasn’t going to get rid of me by ignoring me. If he really wanted me to disappear, he’d have to kill me.

  Trinity. Was. Mine.

  Every night I spent with her somehow made me fall more in love with her. Never in my life had I been entertained by someone’s silence. Never had I been obsessed with watching a girl sleep. Never in my life had I been this type of guy.

  It wasn’t so bad.

  I went to Cornell’s at noon. It was a casual diner that had American food. Booths that were at least twenty years old lined the walls. The tile was scratched and unpolished. It looked like a dump.

  But they had awesome food.

  When I walked inside, I spotted Mike sitting in the corner booth, looking at his phone while he munched on a bag of chips. Catching him unaware, I walked to his booth then slid into the seat across from me.

  He tensed then his eyes darted to mine, immediately assessing the situation for danger. Mike seemed to be on alert most of the time, like someone was following him or intended to hurt him. Sean was the same way but I never knew why. My dad emitted the same vibe from time to time. I couldn’t help but wonder if something happened in their past that was unspeakable.

  He abandoned his chips and flashed me a look of irritation. “You’re really pissing me off.”

  “Ditto.” I kept my hands in my lap and stared him down.

  “You’re wasting your time. Now get away from me.”

  “Nope. Only death will get rid of me.”

  “Sounds tempting…” He ate his chips again and looked at his phone.

  “I’m not going to give up. You may as well work this out with me.”

  He gripped his phone then flashed his gaze on me. “I’m a man that sticks to his guns. I’ll never change my mind about you. You don’t deserve my daughter. If she wants to be with you, I won’t stand in her way. But that doesn’t mean I have to like you.”

  I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. This man was my uncle. I remembered all our good times together, all the ball games and trips to the beach. He used to look at me like I was a son to him. It was like it never happened? How could he just stop caring about me like that? I thought he loved me, even despite the situation, but now I wasn’t so sure. It really hurt. “Then you’re going to cause yourself more grief. Trinity is close to you, looks at you as a friends as well as a parent. I love the relationship she has with you and I never want it to change. I’m doing everything I can to fix this so she can keep it and be happy. But if we continue to butt heads like this, the only one who’s going to suffer is her. With all do respect, sir, you’re being a fucking asshole.”

  His entire body froze while he stared me down. Fire burned in his eyes, unquenched and violent. The look suggested he wanted to grip me by the throat and strangle me to death. Somehow he found the strength not to. “You’re never going to get me to forgive you if you continue to speak to me like that.”

  “Well, I’m not going to let you act like your behavior is okay. You’re being selfish, making Trinity’s happiness with me about you. Just let her do what she wants. Every time you treat me like shit in front of her, you’re just hurting her. It doesn’t make a damn difference to me.

  “You’re still my uncle and I love you no matter what. I respect you just as much as I respect my own father. But right now, you’re pissing me off. I’m not going to lie down and play dead just to get what I want from you. I’m a man that can’t be bullied or beaten into submission.”

  “A man?” He scoffed. “You’re a piece of shit, Slade. That’s all you are and that’s all you’ll ever be.”

  I forced myself to keep my hands in my lap. I wanted to land a punch right on his jaw. “So, I’ve never been good enough for you? Or I was just fine, but the second I loved your daughter, I became trash?”

  “You summed that up quite nicely.”

  “So you never loved me.” The words escaped my lips without thinking. I said it more to myself than to him. It hurt, stung. My heart bled from the realization. I always felt like I wasn’t good enough, but to hear it from someone I thought cared about me was brutal.

  His eyes changed while he stared at me. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted before he could get anything out.

  “Open the save or I’ll blow your brains out!” A man dressed in all black and a hoodie pointed a pistol at the woman behind the counter.

  She raised her hands and immediately started to panic. “I-I-I can’t open it…”

  He pointed the gun closer, right into her cheek.

  Fuck.

  Another man came in and pointed it at a couple a few tables over, demanding their wallets and purses.

  Mike stood up.

  What the fuck is he doing?

  The guy pointed the gun at him. “Don’t move.”

  Mike didn’t listen to him, and instead, held his hands up then sat beside me, scooting all the way against the wall so I was completely blocked by his size.

  The guy watched him for a second but didn’t shoot.

  Mike kept his hands up. “Stay down,” he whispered.

  My heart was beating so fast I couldn’t breath.

  The man with the guy moved down the rows and confiscated everything. “Call the police and everyone dies.”

  Trinity’s face came into my mind. What if I never saw her again?

  The man with the gun reached us and pointed the gun at Mike’s head, pressing the barrel into his skin.

  Mike stared back, unafraid.

  “You think you’re brave?” he snapped.

  “Just don’t hurt my son. Take what you want.”

  What?

  “Put everything on the table. Now.” He pressed the gun in further.

  Mike reached into his pockets and tossed everything on the surface. He took off his Rolex and dropped it on the counter.

  Then the man looked at me. “Now you.”

  Mike moved in front of me further, blocking me entirely. “Hurry up and just do it.”

  I emptied my pockets and left everything on the surface.

  The guy scooped it up, the gun still pointed at Mike.

  As weak as it made me sound, I was scared.

  The doors burst open and the police came. “Hands in the air!”

  The man with the gun immediately turned, ready to open fire.

  Fuck, I’m going to die.

  Mike dragged me under table then turned it on its side, using it as a shield. Then he moved on top of me and covered my body with his, using his hands to protect my head.

  The shots were so loud they hurt my ears. Debris flew into the sky as the exchange took place. People screamed as they feared for their lives. I kept my face down, hoping Mike and I would get out of here without a bullet in our brains.

  Finally, it ended.

  The police moved to the assaulters and confiscated the weapons.

  Were they dead?

  Mike didn’t get off me. He looked around but stayed still.

  An officer came to him. “Mr. Preston, are you alright?”

  How the hell did they know who he was?

  “I’m fine. Is anyone hurt?” Mike moved off me.

  “No, just the men who tried to rob the place,” the officer answered.

  Mike grabbed my arm and turned me over. Concern radiated in his eyes and he immediately patted me down, making sure I hadn’t been hit and I was okay. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine…” My head w
as still spinning. “Are you?”

  He didn’t answer me. He checked me again, afraid he had missed something.

  “I’m okay, Mike,” I said.

  “The EMT’s are here.” The officer walked away then handed Mike’s watch back to him. “If it weren’t for you, they would have gotten away with it.”

  Mike immediately put the watch back on.

  There must be some sort of trigger on the watch. I didn’t know that until now.

  Mike helped me stand up then put his arm around my shoulder. “You’ll be okay, kid.”

  He hadn’t called me that in months.

  He gave me a hard look. “Don’t mention this to anyone.”

  I knew he didn’t want to scare his family—especially Trinity. “Okay.”

  He dropped his hand. “This doesn’t change anything between us.”

  But it did. Mike just risked his neck to save mine—twice. He did love me even if he acted like he didn’t.

  And that gave me hope.

  ***

  The second I got home, I went to Trinity and held her tightly. The afternoon kept playing in my mind, the sound of the guns and the sounds of cries still echoing. Smelling her scent, feeling her skin, made me feel alive. And somehow, safe.

  “Is everything okay, Slade?” Her fingers moved through my hair.

  “I just missed you, baby.” I pulled my face away from her neck and looked her in the eye. “I love you.” I didn’t say those words very often, choosing to save them for the right moment.

  Her eyes softened. “I love you too.”

  “You’re the best damn thing that ever happened to me.” I gripped her again, feeling her slender neck and her warmth.

  She rested her head against mine. “Me too…”

  I couldn’t tell her what I was thinking or what I was going through. I told her father I would keep his secret, and so I would. But I wish I could tell her the truth. She was the only person I could confess every secret to. Never would I admit I was scared of anything, but with her I wouldn’t hesitant to reveal it. Only her.

  “I feel like something is bother you…”

  The telepathic connection we had was annoying sometimes. “I’m just stressed about my dad…” I couldn’t think of anything else.