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“With me, obviously. Say you got a job on campus and you have to go back.”
“Okay and where will I get the mystery money when Mom and Dad cut back on my allowance because now, I have ‘a job.’” I put in air quotes.
He shoots me a look. “Baby, I’ll take care of whatever you need, you know that.”
“Wait what?”
“Okay, so we’re doing the whole, ‘you’re an independent woman who doesn’t want her man taking care of her’ thing? Okay, got it.”
“No, I…I didn’t say that, I just didn’t know…” I raise an eyebrow at him and give him a smirk. “My man?”
“What else would you like to call me?”
“I wasn’t aware that we’d established labels.” Like a boyfriend?
“Okay, we can go with ‘man that makes you come violently,’ if you prefer?”He rolls his eyes. “Fine, if you’re not willing to commit to that level of a lie, just say you’re hanging out with friends. Gabrielle, when I go back to New York, you need to go with me. So, figure out how to make that happen if you don’t like my ideas.” He gives me a hard stare and I shiver under his gaze.
“But…I’m not a good liar,” I tell him weakly. I know he’s wearing me down and I’ll have to come up with something, because the idea of not touching or even seeing James for over a month is not an option. “I’ll think of something.” I sigh as he pulls out onto the road.
“I’ll try and get us out of the house from time to time,” he tells me as he clasps my hand with his and brings it to his lips. “I love you baby; everything is going to be fine.”
I pull our hands to mine and place a kiss on his hand as well. “I love you too.”
Monica is flying down the stairs before I’m even halfway into the foyer and wrapping her arms around me. “Oh my God, finally!” Monica and James could damn near be twins but Monica ditched her dark hair years ago and dyes it a honey blonde that she keeps chopped into a long bob. Her eyes are bright blue just like James and they have similar noses and mouths. Round coke bottle glasses sit in front of her eyes and she has a diamond stud piercing in her nose. Monica is gorgeous in the most natural way and there were many times growing up I was jealous of how effortlessly beautiful she was.
My mother, Virginia Calloway, is right behind her and has me wrapped in her arms before I even set my suitcase down. “My sweet girl!” She kisses both of my cheeks and gives me a smile that has been known to make even my shittiest days better. She hugs James, running her hands through his hair and fussing over her darling boy before turning back to me and engulfing me in another hug.
“I missed you, Mom,” I tell her as I breathe in her signature Prada perfume. “You too Mon.” I grab my sister’s hand and squeeze it. “I can’t believe I’ve been gone for practically four months.”
“Yes, you’ll need to do better next semester, young lady,” my father says as he walks into the room. “I do remember you promising to visit at least once a month.” Calvin Calloway is tall, almost as tall as James with the same luscious dark hair that made my mother fall in love allegedly. It’s speckled with strands of gray now, but I think he’s just happy he hasn’t started to lose it. He’s lean from the constant marathons he runs and probably the fact that he hasn’t consumed red meat since I was twelve years old.
“Sorry, I just…the first semester was crazy. Getting acclimated and all that.” I hug my dad before Mom guides me towards the kitchen with Monica’s arm linked through mine and I can smell the cinnamon before we even make it there.
“Pumpkin pie?” I ask. “Already?” My mother’s infamous pumpkin pie doesn’t usually make its appearance until Christmas Eve so I’m surprised she made it four days early.
“It’s your favorite and I was so excited about you coming home and all my babies being here together, I made it early.”
“Might I add, I wasn’t allowed to have any yet,” my father adds and I giggle at the thought that he could probably consume an entire pie in under an hour which is why he wasn’t allowed to touch it.
Monica sits at the kitchen table and props her feet up on the chair next to her. “Oh, hot take. Brandon from next door grew up over this past year, and he’s already been over twice under the guise of seeing if we wanted him to shovel the driveway, but my guess is he’s looking for you.” She points at me with a grin. Brandon Woods is two years older than me and has been away at University of Oxford in England since he graduated high school. Monica was always convinced he had a crush on me, but I highly doubted it and was also highly uninterested. The whole being obsessed with my older brother thing kind of prevented me from paying attention to other guys.
A feeling of discomfort takes over as I can feel the irritation radiating off of the man I gave my virginity to just last night. Keep it the fuck together, James.
“Brandon is a pretentious Mama’s boy with zero fucking swag. What is Gab going to do with that?” James interjects and I already feel my anxiety rising at his response.
“Language,” Mom admonishes with a look that says ‘you may be thirty but I will still take you over my knee.’ “And I think he’s adorable.”
“Oh my gosh!” Monica squeals and claps her hands. “Let’s have him over for dinner.”
“No!” I say quickly and I chastise myself at my knee jerk reaction. “I just mean…don’t invite him over for me. I’m not interested.”
“Oh, come on, he’s super cute, Gab. If I was a couple years younger…” Monica tucks her hair behind both ears and shoots me an exaggerated wink.
“I’m just not interested. Monica, I’ve been home for five seconds. I haven’t seen you guys in months, I’m not trying to sit through an uncomfortable dinner tonight with someone I haven’t seen since I was sixteen. Can I even get in the door before you’re trying to fix me up with someone?” I try my best to laugh it off but I know I sound annoyed. I stand up, the pie completely forgotten. “I’m going to take my stuff upstairs; I’ll be right back.” I grab my things and begin dragging it upstairs when I feel James’ hands over my own, taking my luggage from me. I follow him up the long spiral staircase to the second floor where my room is located.
I toss my purse on my reading chair, a white suede chaise that is easily the softest thing that I’ve ever sat on, besides James’ mouth. I drop to the bed and look up at James and am surprised to see the look of want in his eyes that seems to ignite the need inside of me.
No, I mouth at him.
