At his apartment I walked up the steps and faced him at the door. "Password?" He mocked.
"Stop being a kid?" I teased and he laughed, pulling me in.
"Only around you, Diana."
I flushed again.
"I'm getting started." I told him.
"Yeah, I have to grade papers." He grumbled behind me, facing the bookshelf and tilting the Romeo & Juliet book, having the shelf move forward and slide to the side.
I let out a sigh in admiration and walked in, sitting in the center of the pile of books I left the previous night.
Organizing them one-by-one, reading titles and summeries and piling them up in genres the time flew on quickly and my brother was calling me. "Yeah," I answered distractedly.
"Where are you?" Chris' voice asked.
"A friend's house."
"When will you be back?"
"Why?"
"Answer me, Diana."
I let out a sigh and dropped the book, laying on my back and staring up at the high ceiling. "I'm not sure."
"Well, can you be back soon? We've gotta talk."
I felt my eyes roll and I sat up again, staring at a book. "Is this another daddy's not coming back talk, or have you come to your senses?" I asked casually.
Chris on the other line seemed angry, "Just be here soon and don't question me." He ordered, and hung up on me.
Soon after I got back into the book organizing, Charlie set down his things and went to sit by me. "Where's your dad?" He suddenly asked curiously.
"They've never told you?"
"I'm sure they have before."
"He's in the military." I answered, sliding a book against a group of non-fiction. "He's been gone for about seven years."
I felt his stare and didn't want to see what it was. Sympathy? I didn't get that often since I didn't often talk about it, but I knew for a fact it made me uncomfortable. "Do you write him?"
"Yeah, but he hasn't sent anything back in... about a year." As I spoke I realized how long it had been. It seemed longer, and it probably was. I missed him again.
"Why not?"
I shrugged. "The guys think he's not coming back." I spoke passively, though feeling deep inside how it was more than that. "They think he's dead."
"Well they would tell you if he was, right?"
I nodded. "I don't think he's dead."
"What about your mom?"
"I can't remember her."
He was quiet for a while, but I knew he was trying to ask the right question. "Do you miss her?" He asked curiously, seeming not to know whether or not it was a stupid question.
"I don't know." I said honestly, wishing I did. Wishing I had someone to miss. The closest to motherly love I got to was Erin's mom, and she was probably back to being rich and oblivious.
I felt him stare at me and I was thankful he stopped talking about it. It wasn't that it upset me, or made me sad... It just made me uncomfortable. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel, or what I was supposed to say.
Finally looking back at him, I was about to ask him what it was that made him so angry at his family, but he stood up quickly and pulled me up along with him. "It's been hours, I think you're done for today." He told me as we left the library, him pushing the case back in place.
"I have to go back home then." I sighed, taking my things and and walking to his door.
"What do they want anyway?" He asked, opening the door for me.
"I don't know." I answered, not wanting to leave but knowing there was always tomorrow. And if I stayed we might do things, which would lead me to not leaving.
"See you tomorrow." He said.
"Mmhm." I said passively and walked down the steps, feeling his eyes on me. When I hit the concrete I turned around and watched as he shut the door. I don't know why it always... hurt to leave. Or for him to let me leave.
I'm so damn dramatic.
I got home, and Austin was there in my kitchen, rushing around and pulling out things of cupcakes from the oven. Chris was there just drinking water with a sigh.
I just stood there, completely confused.
"Diana, you're here!" Bailey ran out of the bathroom and looked at me im relief.
"What is the purpose of this?" I asked, throwing down my purse onto the counter.
"Business organization, we're being payed to make five dozen cupcakes and three dozen cookies."
I stood where I was and said nothing.
"The deadline being tonight." Austin snapped at me.
I shook my head, knowing if I helped- although I wasn't the best at baking- they would be saved.
"You better get paid good." I said, moving Austin aside and filling a pan with batter.
"Why are we doing this in the first place?" Chris groaned.
"Because it was the ladies' job," The ladies, being their wives. "And they got sick."
"Both of them?" I asked.
"Yes." Austin answered rudely.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" I asked in shock. "Go tend to your women." I said.
"But we're not even halfway-"
I held up my hand to shut him up. "I've got it. Go home, both of you." I demanded.
It took me a while to convince them I'd be fine with just Chris, but he and I knew it wasn't going to be so easy.
I called Andy.
"I could just order some, you know." He said.
It was true, I desperately wanted it to be that simple, but I knew I had to work or else I'd feel guilty. Not that I had a reason to.
"You don't have to help, but can Toby at least come over?" I asked rushingly, taking the cupcake from Chris' hands and spreading on the frosting for him. "Just stir." I told him quietly, and he did.
Andy on the other end gave me a sigh. "I want to help, I really do-"
"I'm not asking you, but can Toby." I said, trying to keep in my frustration.
"Yeah, I'll send him over." He said bluntly. "What organization is it for, anyway?"
"I don't know, it's for a business convention going on in Dallas, I'm doing it for my brothers." I told him.
"The electronics facility appreciation." He said in realization.
"You're going?"
"I'm hosting it."
I froze and glared at my phone, then looked to Chris. "Hey Chris,"
"What?" He answered, filling in the cupcake liners.
"Do you know who it is hosting the convention?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "No, my boss said to go over and look good. Same for Austin and Bails."
"It's Andy's meeting, Chris." I told him bluntly.
Chris stopped moving and looked at me. "You're joking."
I ignored him and talked to Andy. "I'll let you go. You must be really busy." I said in apology.
"Don't worry about it, really." He said. "I'll talk to you later.- Wait, are you going?"
"No."
"You should go."
"I'd probably be bored." I laughed.
"Well I hope I'll see you there." Andy said, and we both ended the call.
Twenty minutes later, two men arrived on my door step. One in a tshirt and khakis. And another in a business suit.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Andy in shock.
He walked in casually and shrugged off his jacket. "You seem to really need help, so I just decided they would survive a few hours without me. Wow- it's hot in here..."
I stared at him in awe and smiled. "You really didn't have to."
"Just another excuse to see you." He told me, giving me a small kiss on my lips.
"Actually, he jumped at the oppurtunity." Toby said with a chuckle.
"Thanks for coming, Toby." I told him and he gave me a slap on the shoulder.
Without them, all three of them, I knew for a fact that we would have finished much sooner. They were honestly just obsticles, getting in the way of everything.
It was awkward at first, introducing Andy to Chris. My brother didn't know what to do, and forgetting Andy's title, he gave him an intimidating glare. Andy didn't mind, instead respected the silent warning, being the older and mature one. Though, Chris was mature when he needed to be.
"You should probably go back, you don't want them waiting for too long." I told Andy, finishing the very last batch at around eight o'clock.
"You're trying to get rid of me." He said with a chuckle.
"I'm sorry I dragged you down here to-"
"You didn't." He said, touching my face affectionately. "I'm glad I came. Like I said, it's an excuse to see you again."
I smiled at him and Toby fake-gagged behind us. "You should seriously go, though." I told him, then looked to Chris. "You too. Go get ready."
Chris ruffled my hair and darted out of there, not before shouting at the door, "You may be a millionare and all, but keep your hands to yourself and I won't hate you."
When the door slammed shut, Andy laughed against me. "I'm only going back if you go." He said.
I looked at him funny. "Andy, no." I said as if he was an idiot. Because he was acting like one.
"Then I'm staying here."
"No you're not." I groaned and looked at Toby, who raised his hands in surrender.
"He means it, too." Toby said.
I said nothing for a while and sighed in frustration. "Fine, I'll go."
"Promise me." Andy said, leaning himself down to brush against my lips.
"I'm... gonna wait in the car..." Toby said uncomfortably and rushed out of the house.
"I promise." I said, closing the space between us and he kissed me with the old passion he had the first time we met. It made me want to relive that night all over again, but the beeping of the oven reminded me that I also had something going on with Charlie, and I wasn't being fair.
"Go." I told Andy after we stopped.
"I'll see you there." He said, and left with one last kiss, as if we were together.
I gathered each cookie and cupcake and set them in containers, calling Austin to come get them.
I got ready too, and after I showered, stared at the necklace Andy got me. What was the meaning of it again? Oh right. He liked me, and wanted to get me something.
I wore it and put on a casual dress with heels.
"You're going?" Austin asked, standing beside Chris and Bailey. Chris had just finished telling them about meeting Andy under such circumstances.
"Yeah." I said. "I'll drive myself."
I did drive myself. And got there thirty minutes after everyone else showed up, 9:30. I was already exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. It was a school night for godsake.
Andy spoke there. He was such a man, and it was fun watching how everyone looked up to him. It amused me to watch people shoot pictures, and hear young women whisper to eachother about how he glanced at them while he spoke. His eyes often lingered at me and I'd try my best to hide from him. He made me want to be with him, and it was pretty difficult to do that with photographers bombarding him every chance they got.
"I can't believe he's yours." Bailey said, standing by me.
"He's not." I answered back, suddenly feeling as if it were untrue. He left his important meeting just to be with me. We locked eyes again and shared a secretive smile.
"Coulda' fooled me." James appeared out of nowhere, making me jump. He smirked at me. "You know it's true too."
I ignored him and watched in amusement how my brothers turned into men, speaking business in such professionality they were completely different people.
Toby went to stand by me. "You look nice." He said.
"So do you."
"Where are those cupcakes?" He asked. "Andy wants one but doesn't want everyone to attack him."
I showed him to the booth where they were handing out the food I made and I listened as the people commented on how good they were. It was a confidence boost. "Here." I gave him one and he stopped.
"Come with me."
"No."
"Why?"
"It's... I don't know, I don't want to get in the way of his... business things."
Toby rolled his eyes. "He's done talking to people and asked me to get you, come on."
I gave in, and Toby was right. Andy wanted me near him. "These aren't too bad either." Andy complimented. "I did good."
I laughed, sitting comfortably beside him at a dining table. "Yes you did great with eating the frosting and standing in the way when I needed to get something."
He smiled at me and brushed away the hair that fell in front of my face. As he did there were constant flashes of light that surrounded me suddenly and I flinched. "What the-"
"Shit, I'm sorry Diana." He told me, pulling back and gaining his business-man composure.
It was suddenly hectic and we somehow caught everyone's attention. It wasn't good and I began to silently panic. The only thing that went on in my mind was... Charlie.
What if he sees?
We weren't together, no. But the last time I left his place and went to see Andy he called me whore and admitted to jealousy.
I felt like I cheated on someone. Andy and Charlie, I felt like I cheated on them both. I didn't deserve to feel like that, right? Then why did I have such guilt eating me from inside out?
Andy and I stood up and he put a protective arm around me while he snapped at a few men to get the people away from us. It was then I remembered how famous he was. "Why can't I just not be..."
"Important?" I chuckled. "I was thinking the same thing."
We escaped out the back and he held my hand as we walked down the alleyway. "This is sketchy." I said.
"What, you think I'm gonna do something to you?" He asked jokingly.
I laughed back at him. "Well are you?"
He pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing the back of my neck in a way that made me feel good about myself. "Did you drive here?" He asked me.
"Yeah," I pulled out my keys and swung them around.
"Do you remember where you parked?"
"Kind of."
"Okay." He stopped walking and turned me toward him. "We're gonna sprint there and you're gonna drive me back."
"Won't you miss-"
"Everything else should be taken care of. Take me home, Diana."
I smiled at him and held his hand, before taking off telling him, "I feel rebellious."
He laughed at me while we ran to my jeep. First, it was the wrong one, but soon enough we found it, ignoring all the shocked people who watched The Andy Carl, Business Man running around with a girl and looking like a child.
I unlocked the door and he got in the drivers seat. I opened the door and stared at him. "You know how to drive a stickshift?" I asked sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes and jumped out, slipping his arms around my waist and suddenly not caring about the people who saw. "I think it's hot that you do." He said, turning me around and speaking into my neck.
I blushed when he pulled back and gave me a kiss on the nose, then running around to the passengers side.
As we drove off, just as we did, the photographers ran out looking for him and he sighed out in relief. "You're an angel, you know."
We shared our special smile and I forgot about the others for a second. It felt good.
We went to my house and we ate cereal for dinner, and we went to sleep together in my room. We ended up talking about his life. "Is it nice to have people know who you are?" I asked when we were cuddled into eachother.
"You should know, everyone knows who you are."
I laughed sleepily. "That's highschool."
He sighed into my hair and I knew we both felt the same contentment at that moment. "It was in the beginning. But it gets really troublesome."
"Hm." I answered back, falling asleep to the sound of his breathing.
...
"I have to go." I told Andy who was still in my bed.
"Alright. I'll just get Toby to pick me up or something."
"Have a good day." I told him casually as I stuffed a few binders in my bag.
"Have fun at school. Learn things, don't do drugs, don't let anyone touch you,-"
"Okay Andy, I get it." I said and he reached out to me. I leaned over him and kissed him goodbye, as if it was a regular thing.
I drove to school and saw Charlie in the hallways. The guilt came back and I only wanted to avoid him.
But when lunch rolled around he made it hard to do that.
Eat lunch with me
He texted to me, and of course I went. I wondered to myself a billion times on my way there if he knew and if he called me over there break things off.
Well that'd be easier. It's for the best.
No way. I liked him too much to just let things end, but I knew if he did bring us to our demise... I knew I wouldn't fight him. If he wants it then... I'd let it happen. Unfortunately.
"Hi." I said, shutting the door behind me.
"Hello." He said, setting down his pen and looking at me. "Do you have anything to eat?"
I shook my head and he turned around to look in his mini fridge, taking out a peanut butter and jelly in a sandwich bag and throwing it at me. "Thanks." I told him, hearing my stomach shouting at me for skipping breakfast.
I felt his eyes on me while I ate and I looked at him curiously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
He took his pen again and twisted it around his fingers. "You're beautiful, that's all."
I stared at him in shock for a second and began to laugh lightly, even with my blushing that I ignored. "That's nice, thanks Charlie. Especially since I woke up and didn't even bother to brush my hair."
His small smile made my heart flutter even more. "Something about you that's really attractive. You don't even have to try. You don't wear makeup, do you?"
I shrugged. I occasionally wore mascara, but other than that I didn't really do anything. "My eyes are sensitive." I told him and he nodded me over to sit by him.
When I pulled up a chair and sat my him he allowed me to rest my legs in his lap while he read and replied to emails. "What are you doing today?" He asked, never looking from his screen as he typed.
I bit into my sandwich. "Pestering you?"
His eyes flickered to me and rolled. "You don't pester me."
"I follow you home a lot."
"I like it when you're over." He said with that same casualty, but I still knew he meant it and smiled.
"What did you want to do?" I asked him.
He didn't yet say anything and continued typing on his keyboard. When he finished and clicked one last thing he turned to face me and pulled my chair closer to him by grabbing my legs and sliding his large hand to my thigh. "Do you want to see that garden I own?"
More butterflies. "Yes."
"That's what you're doing today then."
I smiled to myself at how much I loved how he did that. He was so straightforward it made me happy. He liked when I was at his house, and he liked me. I was a lucky person to watch this grump smile that rare smile that'd been showing up more.
"So what did your brothers want last night?"
"Oh they just needed me to make dozens of cookies and cupcakes. That's all." I said passively, in the end fearing a leading question.
"Are you serious? Why?"
"Some business convention in Dallas."
And we left it at that, thank god.
"I meant to ask you...-"
Before I could get out what I've been wanting to know about his aggression toward his family, the school bell rang, and I had to leave for class.
"We'll talk later." He promised, seeming to also want to know what I was asking, and pulled me in for heated kiss. It was the first all day, and I missed it. I missed his roughness and the scruff of his face.
I slipped my legs off him and pulled back, seeing his silent disappointed face and I walked toward the door. "We will." I said back, and escaped to my next class.
...
"This isn't necessary." I told Charlie when I was in the passenger's seat beside him, a blind fold covering my eyes.
"I want it to be surprising." He said bluntly.
"You sound so excited." I told him, matching his monotone.
He didn't say anything at the driver's side, but I felt as he reached over and laced his hand through mine, making my heartbeat quicken rapidly. It would've been a normal thing if it weren't for the damn blindfold.
I groaned at it. "This thing is bothering me." I said trying to sound serious, but humor leaked from my every word.
"Oh quit complaining." He joked back.
It was a content feeling in the car with him, driving hours away together away from the world. He continued to hold my hand.
"I'm falling asleep." I told him when I heard the car bounce in gravel, and the noise beneath us crackled in a gentle way.
"We're almost there, sweetheart."
Sweetheart.
My lord it was like I was his girlfriend.
Why do I like that idea?
I shook that thought off immediately, and rose his hand that was in mine to play with his fingers blindly. He was a strangely gentle man, and he had no idea.
"Diana?" He finally said, and I heard as he parked the car.
"Yes?" I sighed out.
"We're here."
I reached to remove the blindfold when he grabbed my hands quickly. "Not yet." He demanded and I groaned quietly in frustration. "Patience, just a few more minutes." He said.
"As if you have any patience " I said, hearing him come around and help me out of the car.
"Hey, shut up." He said.
I obeyed with a smirk as he led me through the gravel. I heard a squeaking and the jingle of keys. A door creeked open and he stood in front of me, and suddenly his lips caught mine romantically. I pointlessly closed my eyes and felt his hands crawl up to my hair, unraveling the blindfold and I opened my eyes to see him moving to the side as if to say tah dah!
It was absolutely gorgeous.
Colors spilled among the grass, vibrant and vivid reds and blues. Pinks and yellows and greens, roses and daisies...
"You like it?" He asked, staring at me.
But I was speechless. I wanted nothing more than to breathe in the beauty that stood before my eyes. It was as amazing as his library, only my breath was absolutely taken away.
A water fountain, rustic white chairs with roses carved into them.
There were even butterflies flying around, just as colorful as the flowers. Oh it was beautiful.
"Diana?"
I looked at him and saw him surrounded by such beauty, making me wonder how he was once such a bitter man. I really liked him then, and I was almost positive I liked him more than he liked me.
"I don't know what to say." Was all I could say.
He looked around and shrugged as if he'd seen it a billion times. "You really like it?" He asked in what seemed like surprise.
I grabbed his hand and tugged him towards me, having him wrap his arms around immediately. I wasn't expecting him to respond so soon... It was the most wanted feeling ever.
"I love it." I said with a small chuckle. I was so happy then, and smelling him and the fresh flowers just made me want to fall asleep in the grass forever.
My eyes scanned over and over again the clusters of flowers everywhere. Bluebonnets rimming the outside in a protective way.
I shivered in the cold and that was when I realized, "How do you get them to grow in this weather?"
Charlie, with his arms still wrapped around me, lifted his head and looked all around, expertly pulling me to his chest. "Daily, we have a professional florest who comes by and tend to it." He said passively. "I have no idea how she keeps them alive, though." He admitted with his head by my ear.
"They're beautiful." I said, warming myself up with his arms and tucking into him more.
"Come on," He said and let go of me, holding my hand while leading me forward.
He showed me one by one each flower and then the spots where there used to be grown fruit. "I guess the weather is screwing around with that. I can't wait until you see it during the spring. Everything grows then." He told me when we got to the fields labeled produce.
He stood by me eventually, the both of us watching how the cold wind caused the flowers to leaned delicately in the air, dancing with such confidence. I envied them for that, just for a second, because standing by Charlie, I looked at him and saw that he was staring at me. Not the garden, but the way he looked at me made me feel as if I was one of those flowers.
Maybe even more than that.
"Let's get something to eat." He said, this time leading me to his car.
In the passengers seat I felt giddy to touch him, and I didn't exactly know why. When he buckled up he caught me watching him. "What?" He said, the manliness in him coming out and tempting me more than ever.
I leaned over and pulled his face to mine and kissed him the best I could, hoping to not let go and attack him like I wanted to.
We pulled back breathlessly and his voice turned husky. "Are you trying to turn me on, Diana?" He growled against my mouth.
I blushed, because it wasn't that I was trying to make him, but let go of how I was.
"Because it's working." He admitted when we pulled away. "But let's get back first." Charlie said, brushing back a piece of my hair. I was offended for a split second, and embarrassed, but when I turned to see what he was seeing I realized it was the florest who had just arrived.
"Okay." I told him and sat back, having him rest his hand on my thigh as we drove back home. It was like he was trying to kill me.
Eventually when we got back and had dinner at his house, on his couch, watching a movie but not paying much attention to it. It was late at the time, and I should've gone back to the house... But he made it hard to leave.
"Diana, why are you so bold?" He suddenly asked when we were cuddled into eachother to fight away the cold that surrounded us, even with multiple blankets. He crossed my leg over his body and slipped his arm around me to give me a head rest.
"Bold?" I laughed.
"Yes, bold."
"I wouldn't really say I am, but I'm not sure. Why were you so mean in the beginning of the year?" I asked him seriously and he seemed to shy back at the question from embarrassment. He turned away and looked to the ceiling, but soon faced me again.
"Well I wasn't happy."
"Why not?"
He removed his hand from my leg and touched my face gently. "I don't know."
"Why did you hate me?"
He almost shrugged a little. "I don't know, you're beautiful and smart, and friendly, and you always have guys lined up for you, it just felt necessary." He said shyly. "I don't know why, but I could always pick you out from all the other students. It made me feel creepy- then adding to the fact that I never know what to do in situations like that. And you just seemed so damn perfect you pissed me off."
I could only stare at him in fascination as well as amusement. "You hated me because... you liked me?" I attempted rephrasing his words. It seemed a little off, but it was close enough.
"I thought being an asshole would make things go away, but I only ended up seeing you more and it made me mad."
I chuckled casually, as if what he just said didn't affect me like it truly did. "You're still an asshole." I joked.
"Language." He scolded playfully.
I laughed at him when he pressed his forehead to mine and kissed me.
At the moment it didn't matter if he was my teacher. It didn't matter what we were to eachother, and it didn't matter that he was nine years older than me. It didn't matter that just twenty-four hours ago I was in someone else's arms. It didn't matter that then I was kissing another man. What mattered was how comfortable we were beside eachother.
That's why it was so hard when I knew I had to leave.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He promised.
"I didn't even get to work on the books." I sighed, walking to the door.
"You can give up now." He suggested.
"After what I saw today, I definetly don't want to." I told him.
He smiled his beautiful rare smile, the one I had been seeing more of.
"Then again, you don't have to leave." He said.
"Yes I do." I told him, turning around to open the door.
Out of no where he grabbed my waist and spun me around, kissing me passionately, playing with my hair as he did.
I returned it the best I could, but when he stopped I knew I had to go. "I'm sorry." He suddenly said, about to pull back, but I held him closer the best I could.
"Stop being so prude." I joked.
He chuckled in my ear and kissed my head adoringly. "I'm trying to make you stay." He said.
"Yeah, it's working." I found it in myself to finally pull back and head for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
And I did.