AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oliver,” I cautioned, feeling a rush of emotions at his unexpected proposal. We had just discussed living together, and now he was talking about marriage.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t lie to you. I want you to be my wife in the future,” he confessed, his eyes sincere.
“That’s a while away. We’re several months from that. How is it that you lived thirty-six years without being caught?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood with a touch of humor.
“Because I didn’t find the right girl until now. You’re the right girl,” he replied, his gaze unwavering.
“What am I going to do with you?” I sighed, feeling both overwhelmed and deeply touched by his words.
“Kiss me,” he requested, his voice soft but filled with longing.
I stayed over Oliver’s without going home to get clothing. He made slow, sensual love to me. It was filled with passion and need. I loved him with all my heart and even more so because he showed me that he could be vulnerable. I was tired in the morning when he woke me. I had to leave to get ready for work at my apartment. Vlad took me home. I wasn’t sure if he ever slept.
I called Matthew that afternoon to ask if he wanted to meet up for dinner or lunch on the weekend. We made a date for Saturday afternoon. I hoped that Oliver could tear himself away from work to join me. I really wanted my brother to meet him.
“We’re having lunch with Matthew on Saturday. Can you make it?” I asked eagerly.
Vlad was driving to my apartment. I was picking up some clothing for the next day so I could spend the night at his place.
“What time?” he asked.
“I have several calls on Saturday.”
"1 p.m.,” I said.
“I think I can swing it, but I’ll have to meet you there," Oliver responded, his voice laced with determination despite his busy schedule.
"I really want you to meet my brother," I emphasized, hoping to convey the significance of the occasion.
"What about Finley?" Oliver inquired, displaying genuine interest in meeting every member of my family.
"He has a deadline and can’t spare the time. You’ll meet him soon enough," I assured him, already picturing the moment when my siblings and Oliver would finally cross paths.
"I hope so. I want to meet your entire family," Oliver confessed, his sincerity warming my heart.
As I debated whether to invite him upstairs or let him stay in the car, Oliver interjected, "I have a phone call to make. Do you mind if I stay here?"
"No. I should be down in a few minutes," I replied, grateful for his understanding as I prepared to head upstairs to pack. Stepping out of the car, he escorted me to the lobby of my building, a gesture of his unwavering consideration.
Once upstairs, I began gathering my things when Sadie, perspiring from the oppressive July heat, breezed into the room. "You're home?" she remarked, her voice tinged with surprise.
"Yeah, but I'm leaving," I responded, though my attention was immediately drawn to the tear-streaked anguish etched across her face.
Concern flooding my senses, I dropped the panties I had been holding and rushed to her side. "What's the matter?" I inquired, the worry evident in my tone.
Through choked sobs, Sadie revealed, "Dan wants to be friends. He said we don’t have chemistry."
My heart sank as I processed her words. She had invested herself in their relationship, only to be met with rejection and heartache. Despite my own reservations about Dan, I couldn't help but empathize with Sadie's pain.
"I'm sorry. I knew you really liked him," I offered, extending a comforting embrace.
"Now I have to work across from him every day when I don’t want to see him at all," Sadie lamented, her voice heavy with frustration and disappointment.
I listened empathetically, knowing the sting of heartbreak all too well. "Ignore him. You didn’t do anything wrong," I reassured her, hoping to provide some comfort in her distress.
"To top it off, he’s been flirty with Megan, who sits a few cubicles down from me. You think he was just using me?" Sadie's voice cracked with a mix of anger and hurt.
"He sounds like a jerk. I think you dodged a bullet. Suppose he did that when you were dating for six months? It would’ve been worse," I reasoned, trying to offer a perspective that might ease her pain.
