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“He won’t hurt me.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s just…a feeling. I know he loves me.”
“Love isn’t always enough. Honey, you’re so young.”
“Oh, here we go.” I groan.
“Yes, your age definitely gives me pause. It’s so easy for a young girl to get swept up in a good-looking, older, rich man and all of the promises of the world that he offers.”
“He’s not even that old!”
“He’s thirty-five and you’re twenty-three. Yes, there are bigger age gaps, but you’re in very different phases of life. You just graduated college and are just starting your career; you still have student loans and live at home and he’s what? A billionaire?” She scratches her head before shaking it. “Well, maybe not anymore, since his wife took half.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Who’s joking?” she asks as she walks past me again to go back into the living room. “Give it some time. If you two are really serious about each other then it shouldn’t matter if you wait a few months.”
“What’s a few months going to do?”
“Give you some space to think about what it is you want?”
“I want him. And I waited over two years for him.”
“The time he was married hardly counts.”She shakes her head. “Honey, when I was twenty-three, I was dating this guy who I swore I was going to marry. I was ready to let him lock me down and I wanted to give him all the babies.”
My parents met when my mother was twenty-five so I can only assume there were guys before him. My mother is beautiful now, but in her twenties, she was an absolute knockout and always had guys coming to the house asking for my grandparents’ permission to take her out. I know this because my grandfather still talks about how he’d sit on the front porch with his shotgun. It wasn’t loaded but it got the message across.
“I thought I loved him,” she continues, “I thought he loved me too and maybe he did.” She shrugs. “But he also loved three different other girls in neighboring towns.”
“Chris isn’t like that.”
“Maybe not? But…do you really think it’s unfathomable given how you two met?”She gives me a look that’s full of uncertainty.
“He wouldn’t do that to me,” I whisper, but even I hear the conviction leaving my voice.
“And all I’m asking is if, you’re sure?”
Six Months Later
Chris: Can I see you tonight?
I look around the table of my co-workers, making sure no one happens to be looking over my shoulder. Not that they would even realize who I was texting; they’re all pretty drunk. There’s a handful of us here in Miami for a couple of days for a new project and a few of us decided to get a private table at a club. Chris isn’t out with us, but I have a sneaking suspicion he might be showing up soon. I wouldn’t say that we broke up, but we haven’t been seeing each other as much as we were before. Chris has been traveling a lot these past few months and I have been trying to focus on work. Plus, I’m trying to listen to my mother’s advice about giving myself some space to see what I want and he was willing to give me that space. We haven’t slept together or done any of the things we usually do while we’re forced to be apart.
Chris: I’m over this distance between us. I want to talk.
Chris: I want my girl back.
I turn to Raegan, who’s seated next to me. “I’ll be right back.” She looks at me for a second like she’s nervous and I give her leg a gentle squeeze. “Two minutes. I just have to make a call.” I rub her back gently, and I want to tell Liam to leave her alone while I’m gone. He really can’t take a fucking hint that she’s not interested.
I’m like ninety-nine percent sure Beckham is in love with her and I’m pretty sure she feels something for him too, but she hasn’t admitted it. Maybe I’m hoping there’s something there so I can finally have someone to talk to about Chris. The fact that we’ve been able to keep this a secret for so long has been insane, especially after all of the times we’ve hooked up in his office.
I press the button to call him and he answers like always on the first ring.“I know where you guys are, so just say the word and I’m coming there.” I don’t immediately agree even though I know I’m going to. “I want to tell Wes about us.” I’m still silent. “I miss you and nothing has changed. I’ll talk to your parents, your brother, whoever. I want to be done with this space. It’s been three years of knowing that I’m in love with you and I want to be with you.” He pauses and I run a hand through my hair that I curled for tonight. “Am I talking to your answering machine?” He chuckles and a smile pulls at my lips. “Marissa, baby, talk to me.”
“Okay, come,” I whisper into the phone, “but…don’t be obvious.”
It doesn’t take long for Chris and Mr. Beckham to show up. Chris slides in next to me while I note that Beckham sits in the closest seat to Raegan. I’m somewhat trying to keep an eye on that when I feel Chris’ hand stroke my knee gently. “You look beautiful,” he says as he leans forward to pour himself a drink. He’s not looking directly at me but when he leans back, his blue eyes are trained on me, and it transports me back to our friend’s wedding and the way he was looking at me at the bar. He’s been looking at you the same way for three years.
