Chapter 12: Twelve

I crossed back to his car, getting in and folding my arms while he ended his phone call with Isaac. He kept his eyes on me. Whatever Isaac was saying must've really been getting to him, cause I could see his fist tightening, the muscles of his arm contracting with the tension. He nodded, even though Isaac couldn't see him, then hung up, tucking his phone back into his pocket. Those two must be really close if Isaac called him immediately. Then again, he could've recognized his voice in the background.

Joel situated himself in the driver's seat once again, placing both hands on the wheel, but not making any move to start the car.

"What time is your class?" I swallowed the dryness away, speaking timidly.

"Three." He flicked to the time on the center screen where it read 1:17. I sunk slightly when I realized that I had just admitted to lying about my class being soon.

"Can I see your phone?" He held out his hand again, but this time his eyes were soft, almost apologetic. I handed it over without question, my former attitude greatly defeated as my adrenaline high wore off. He took one look at it, grimacing. "Fuck." He muttered, turning it in his hands. "I can take you to get a new one. What class is it?"

"Senior Economics Capstone."

"Shit. Wait, is Davis teaching it?" I cocked my head. How did he know that? As if reading my mind, he added, "I was an Economics student. He's been teaching for awhile."

Woah.

I did not see that coming.

"But you're an art professor." He nodded, pulling his bottom lip in and releasing it with a pop.

"Econ wasn't for me. I switched two years in."

"Oh. Um, yea, it's Davis."

"Okay. It's up to you, but he typically just hands out the syllabus on the first day, then dismisses. I imagine even more so for a class like that, where its self-propelled." He was right. Every Davis class I had taken had been that way. But was he honestly suggesting that I skip my first day of class? I couldn't help the snort from escaping, catching him off guard.

"Sorry, it's just... you have to be the worst teacher ever to suggest that." His dimples came out and he bit back laughter of his own.

"I'm not suggesting it as your professor. I'm doing it as Joel. Joel is a much worse influence." He offered with a shrug and a wink. Damn, this man would be the death of me. I bit my lip, contemplating my decision, even though I already knew my answer. I used to be horrified by the thought of accidentally missing a class, and now I was doing it willingly. What was he doing to me?

"Okay. I'll let you drive me there." He gave me a questioning look, but pushed the ignition button.

"I'm not just driving you. I'm replacing your phone." I thought my eyes would pop from my head. I knew that I was blaming him for it breaking, but phones weren't cheap. That would be a shit ton of money to spend on me.

"No. No way, Joel. I can afford a cheap phone by myself, you don't need to-"

"I know that I don't. But I'm doing it, and I don't want you to argue. Do you prefer Apple or Android?" What the hell? I just sat there with my mouth agape, staring at the delicious man beside me. "Do you want me to choose for you?" He added, just to be an ass.

"I've never had an Apple product. So, um, Android." I didn't feel like learning a whole new operating system. I just wanted a functioning phone.

Thirty minutes later I was starting up the latest model of Galaxy the Verizon store had, which set him back a cool two grand. The phone could fold! When the hell did that technology come out?!

I had made one little awed comment on it, and he bought it for me in an instant. I tried arguing that the $200 phone was much better, but he didn't listen to a word of it. By the time I caught up with him, he was swiping his card at the checkout. Shit. Two thousand dollars for a phone.

"How do you have so much money? No offense, its just…" He laughed, pulling onto my road.

"I'm only an art professor." He finished for me. He waited until he was parked before answering me. "Two reasons. One, I don't spend it on much besides my painting supplies." Why did him being frugal turn me on so much? Damn, I was officially insane. "Two, I paint. And I sell those paintings." Ah, supplemental income. I guess it made sense. Out of sheer curiosity, I continued my questions.

"How much do you normally sell your paintings for?"

"Five to ten thousand." He answered casually.

"Holy shit! A year?" He snorted, squinting those sexy blue eyes.

"No, Jennifer. Per painting. I guess per year would depend on if I had a show. A show could leave me with one to two hundred thousand. But they're alot of work to throw together, so I don't have them annually." Per. Painting. Per fucking painting. His supplemental income wasn't his painting, it was his teaching. "You look surprised."

"Um, yea. I didn't expect art to be so lucrative."

"It isn't when you're just starting off. It's an investment with a low probability of return." He smirked, opening the car door and stepping out.

God, I wanted to jump that man.

I rushed to unbuckle my seatbelt, chasing after him towards my apartment. He never broke his stride, reaching my door in no time. Unlike the night we met, however, I had my key ready and opened it quickly. I didn't need to invite him in. As was common with him, he waltzed in like he owned the place.

I headed to the kitchen to place my bag on the counter, trying to calm my excited heart when I felt his arms snake around me, his lips hot on my exposed neck.

"Joel." I breathed, locking my knees so they wouldn't give out. "We need to talk about what happened." It seemed odd to say, considering I wasn't interested in discussing it before. But now that I had time to calm down and think through our conversation, I was curious. Why didn't he want them to think I was his date if he wasn't ashamed of me?

"Mm." He hummed in agreement, turning me around and lifting me to sit on the counter so I could be at eye level with him. He regarded me softly, rubbing gentle circles on my bare thighs as he waited for me to speak first. Actually, sex was starting to sound like the better option. But I knew that we couldn't solve our problems that way. We needed to communicate.

So I channeled all of my inner adult, clearing my throat for clarity.

"Why didn't you want them to think I was your date?" His eyes fell to my lap. I could tell he didn't really expect me to ask so blatantly.

"Because Yumi is close friends with Callie." What? Who the hell is Callie? And why does that matter?

"Okay?" I pressed when he didn't continue. "Who is Callie?"

"My ex-wife."

Wait.

Oh God.

The wedding band. It was his.

"Ex? You're divorced?" My voice was feeble and shaky, but there wasn't a damn thing I could do about that. Could today possibly get any worse? There were too many surprises. My heart couldn't take it. After all of my discoveries from earlier in the day, my head was already reeling. Then I find out he was fucking married! This was precisely why one night stands were a shitty idea. They could get you hooked on a man you had no business with.

He nodded.

"Yes. For almost six months now." Damn. That didn't seem like very long.

"How long were you married?" I hated that I was asking, but I needed to know. I didn't feel like being blindsided by anymore of his baggage.

"Six years."

"Do you have children?" He flinched.

"No." At least he was being transparent about it. Because I was just getting started.

"Who left who?" He clenched his teeth, and I knew before he said it.

"She left me." Of course she did. If he left her, why would he be carrying his wedding band?

"Why?" He scoffed.

"Do you want the truth or what she told the lawyer?" That's when I noticed that his hands were gripping my legs and trembling. This really was hard for him, but I was shaking too. What did he mean by that? Was he implying that she lied to the lawyer?

"Both." I softened my request by placing my hands over his. I was a mess, but I still had the urge to comfort him. I hated seeing him so upset.

"She claimed infidelity." He spat out angrily. Cheating?

"Oh God, did you?"

"Fuck, no." He barked back, mumbling out an apology when he felt me jump.

"Okay. So then what was the real reason?" It must be bad if she was willing to make such an awful claim. He shifted foot to foot, before finally leaning forward to rest his head on my shoulder. I opened my legs to allow him closer, and he accepted. He smelled heavenly, and his body heat was warming me inside and out. Eventually, he took a deep breath, speaking what I could only imagine must've been excruciating to admit.

"I couldn't give her kids."

He was sterile? With every bit of pity I felt for him, a heap of hatred was formed for Callie. Who the fuck leaves their husband of six years because he can't reproduce? Then claims that he cheated?! That bitch! Oh no. No wonder he reacted that way when I asked if he had children. Shit, why am I such an asshole? I had more questions, but I didn't think it was the right time to ask. He was already shaken by all he had admitted, so any more would just be cruel.

With a gentle hand, I lifted his face. His eyes sparkled with threatening tears, and I hated it. It physically hurt me to see him like that, for reasons I couldn't explain. I just wanted him to smile again.

My fingers weaved into his hair and I inched closer to him, inviting him to kiss me. He responded by closing the gap, his arms wrapping around the small of my back as he found my lips. It was a soft kiss. Not frantic and lust driven like all the ones we'd shared so far.

The purpose of it was clear; to bring comfort.

The tension left his body at the same time as mine, and his breath evened out. This vulnerable, broken man in my arms was the same one that had spanked me earlier. The same one that I tried running from. Why was he so complex?

Up until now, my life was simple. I studied, watched TV, and stayed clear of men and the troubles that came with them. I had never known true heartbreak, true suffering, or even true anger. I was content.

But suddenly, here I was. Consoling a man who was seven years my senior, and had enough life experience for the both of us.

And the thing was, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Deep down, I knew that this was where I belonged.

With him.

With Joel.