Page 21 of Friends to Lovers


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“Just thinking,” I replied quickly, sitting down, and forcing myself back into the present.

Dad came home just as Mom and the girls were getting dinner on the table. He shook my hand when he saw me before depositing his briefcase into the office. We all sat down to eat, and he focused his attention to my pregnant sister. He seemed to grudgingly accept the pregnancy but was clearly pleased with the father. Dad had nothing good to say about him. All I gathered from the entire conversation is that was a great worker for the family business. I hoped he was a good man since he was with my sister, but I couldn’t tell from what my father said. He nodded with pride when Dan told us about his busy day, making me feel like I was in for it when it was my turn.

His dark eyes took me in silently for a moment as he chewed a carrot.

“Are you prepared for school to end?” His question was direct, and I blinked as I felt my mom looking at me.

“Yes, sir. I am looking into law school now and deciding where I want to live.” I told him as his face darkened. We’d had this talk before, but it felt like my whole family hoped that I’d forget all about it.

“I was hoping that you’d move back home and help out with the family business. There’s actually a woman I’d like you to meet in the office. She’s the sister to Callie’s Jacob.” His eyes warmed slightly as I dropped my fork, holding my hands up.

“No. Not me, Dad. I am not ready to settle in life that way. I have other things that I want to do. I’m not Callie.” My voice was angry as my sister gaped at me. I longed to tell him that I was friends with Rosie that I was sleeping with her.

“What does that mean?” She barked as I pushed away from the table, reaching into my pocket for the keys to my car. I walked outside and started it, taking a long drive around before stopping at a friend’s place to calm down. I might have fucked up this entire visit now, but I couldn’t just roll over when he tried to plan my life for me. I was a goddamn adult.

19

Rosalind

I wanted to crawl under the table as we settled in for dinner. Rich was across from me as I stared at my plate, waiting for the food to be passed around. Luckily, the kids were chattering and keeping everyone’s attention as I stabbed random food and tried to eat.

I met Rich in high school because his father was a colleague of my father. They worked together in a few deals and got the idea that their kids belonged together. Rich was attractive, and I dated him for four months before I couldn’t take it any longer. Dad was so pushy with him and Rich was clingy with me. He wanted to spend every moment that we could together. My heart broke when I saw him walking into the house, knowing that my father was trying to be a matchmaker again.

I felt his eyes on me as I chewed a piece of noodle with gooey cheese and sauce. It was normally one of my favorites, but it merely sat in my stomach tonight. I glanced up to see Rich staring at me and reached for my wine. I played it off like I wasn’t affected by it or else they’d cut me off. Wine was for savoring with dinner and company, not escaping any situation that I might be in. That might make me look like an out of control alcoholic. We all knew that my grandfather had been a functioning one, but it was never spoken about. I’d seen my own brothers drunk a few times in their younger lives to the point of being sloppy. Now, they sat with their wives and kids and looked the part of the successful adult. Both women were starting to show in their pregnancies and already close, so it seemed perfect.

Not that I wanted that. I took birth control religiously even though I was only sleeping with one man. I should probably be more careful in that situation given that it was Sterling. He just felt so good coming inside of me. If there was a pregnancy, my family might disown me. Nobody was ready for that.

The subject of school rolled around, and all eyes were on me. I expressed my excitement to graduate and begin the next chapter of my life though I was vague about what was next. I didn’t want to move back home to this oppressive house and live this life. It felt too good to escape when I did.

My major allowed me to live anywhere, assuming that I was successful. It had nothing to do with business or numbers like my father wanted but it was my life. Dad asked me if I had any ideas for work in a dubious voice and I forced a smile to my face.

“I’ve done some work for the campus and a few teachers. I’ve also been recommended to some great freelance sites. That alone could make me a good living.” I watched as he sighed heavily.

“That’s not stable, Rosalind. You’ll never know what you’re going to make that month.” At his office, I’d have stability and a decent salary. It would just be like being in prison to me being around him that much, not to mention Rich and any other man he thought would make a good partner for me.

“I’m a good writer and versatile, Dad. I can do a variety of jobs. People are making six figures freelance writing now. There is a union offering everything that a regular job does as well. It’s a big industry.” I argued lightly as one of my brothers openly laughed at me. I glared at him as he reached over to pat his wife’s stomach.

“It sound

s like the token starving artist lifestyle to me.” Brian said as he reached for his beer, taking a long draw from the bottle.

“Self-publishing is one of the fastest growing industries right now. There are many authors thriving and successful,” I told him as I saw my mother tilt her head at me. It was her way of telling me to give it a rest without causing a scene. She’d been doing it for years. The sad thing is that she used to write. I’d found a few books of her poetry and stories and they were amazing.

“It might make a good second job, but I can’t see you depending on that. In that case, you’d be working long hours and have no time to get out there and live your life.” I knew that Dad meant that I’d have no time to settle down with the man he’d like to see me with. How would I ever have time to marry and start popping out kids like my mom had? My brothers were in the process of doing the same thing.

I was relieved when the kids wanted to go for a walk after dinner. It was still light out and beautiful. I slipped on a sweatshirt and took them out front. I held hands with the littles and warned the others to stay nearby as we headed down the sidewalk. I stared forward as I watched the older kids bouncing over the cement, telling them to be careful as I saw the roof of Sterling’s home. I wondered what he was doing, longing to curl up with him and cry this out. My family always got me on edge and I breathed in and out a few times.

I reminded myself that I was an adult. I could make my own decisions and live my dreams. I didn’t need anyone’s help, if that was the veiled threat that my dad was giving me. I told the kids that we were going to turn around at the end of the street, looking at the pretty house with all the windows as we moved past it. I could see up the driveway and noted that a car was driving towards the street. I caught sight of Sterling’s angry face as he made a sharp turn to the right, speeding away without noticing me. I held onto Geneva in my arms and held Bryce’s hand as the other kids stared with wide eyes at his disappearing car. They told their parents about it as soon as we were back at the house, running inside with their loud voices. I was ready to follow them when Rich stepped forward, pushing his way out to the front porch.

“A moment, Rosalind?” He asked as I pressed my lips together, still imagining Sterling’s face as I wondered what happened. I moved to the table with chairs scattered about and sat down as he took the one beside me. There wasn’t enough wine in the world for this. “I’d like to take you to dinner while you’re here, as well as for the Christmas break. I would like to rekindle what we had now that you’re not tied to college in a few months. We could give more time to one another.” I stared at him in shock as he took in my face leisurely.

“What did we have to rekindle? It lasted maybe four months, Rich. It wasn’t the romance of the century,” I told him as he leaned back, resting his hands in his lap. He looked so stiff in the white shirt and tie that he was wearing now, so much like any other businessman on the street.

“I could support you while you look into that writing dream. I make good money and have a house a few blocks from here, Rosalind. I could give you the world.” His eyes were locked onto my face as I shook my head slowly. He was using that to make me want to come back to him?

“I… I am not even done with school, Rich. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I am.” I protested as I felt my heart begin to race in my chest.

“It’s just dinner for now. We can talk about the future,” he told me as I rested my head in my hands.

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