Chapter 25 CHAPTER 025
Fuck, where did that come from? I literally saw him today. But that is it. Since I stood my ground against his charm a week ago, we haven't really seen eye to eye. Ashley being here with me is enough to distract me from thoughts of him, but I can't help myself. I miss what it felt like to be in his arms. I miss his kisses. It always shook me to the core.
"I know right! I didn't know you had it in you." Finally Ashley grabs the package containing our food and starts unpacking it. I breathe a sigh of relief. It actually feels good to offload all these on her.
She is a great listener, though she could do away with the dramatic flair and effects. And I was crazy to think I could actually keep it away from her.
"Please. You don't have the monopoly on messiness." I scoff at her.
She rolls her eyes and we settle into momentary silence to eat. We got Chinese take outs from my favourite place. Courtesy of Linc's money. I have been living comfortably since being here. I don't even remember when I cooked last. Linc deposits money into my account weekly.
He always had. Since I left for college. He increases the amount every year after my birthday. It is one of those simple thoughtful gestures that makes it hard for me to really be able to cut him out of my life.
Putting aside the messiness of our attraction for eachother, Linc is really just a nice man. I don't know any other man who would do as much as he is doing for me, especially after what happened between him and my mom.
"So how was the sex? Is it true what they say about middle-aged men?"
Again, my food passes down the wrong way, and I start coughing. My face is going red.
"You have got to quit that act." Ashley is patting down my back again, offering me water and smiling like a Cheshire cat at me.
"Fuck off." I mutter, my voice has gone raw from the coughing.
"Tell me tell me tell meee." She whines in a singsong tone. I roll my eyes at her and she just continues in a high pitched tone. I want to throttle her.
"Okay, okay. Stop that. God." I put a finger into each of my ears.
"Okay sorry. Just tell me already. Linc is hot as fuck and he looks like one of those who knows exactly how to make a woman come wildly and fall in love with them in the process. You get what I mean? He gives off reserved vibes but I can tell he is a freak. He seems like the type. You know what I mean?" She winks at me, my face just goes redder.
Of course I know exactly what she means. I know it all too well. But the mention of the possibility of falling for Linc hits too close to home for me. That can't happen but it already has. Who the fuck am I kidding? I have loved him since I saw him. With my mom beaming on his arm.
And I have denied it ever since. Beat myself up over it. Run away from it. But I can't hide from it any longer. Maybe it is for the best that he thinks we should stay away from each other.
"Well, it was great. I guess." I shrug but I know I am not convincing even before Ashley scoffs.
"Amelia, your face is redder than a tomato. I need details." She says in a mock stern tone.
"Okay, okay. It was mind-blowing. He made me cum three times all within a few minutes." I close my eyes as Ashley shrieks excitedly, bouncing on the couch.
"Oh my God. Oh my fucking God! Wow. No wonder you didn't return my texts or even remember you had a friend rotting away in school. You were busy getting your brains blown by your stepfather." Ashley is giggling, tickling me and I am also shrieking along with her.
God, it feels so good to just laugh and tease around about all these.
"Well, it was just one night." I say, and I feel the high and excitement drain out of me as I remember the coldness in his eyes when he asked me to move out.
"Wait, what? Why?" Ashley sounds how I feel about the break. If I could even call it that. It was so abrupt. Cut short as I was getting hooked on it. I want him so badly.
"Well, it is a complicated reason but basically he said he didn't want me to suffer the guilt that inevitably comes up after we fuck. That he couldn't have me corrupting my conscience or whatever.
I ran away from his bed before he woke up the next day, so yeah." Is that moisture in my eyes? Fuck. I allowed my anger to shroud my hurt for the longest time and now it is pouring out untamed.
"Oh that is bullshit. He is projecting." Ashley snaps.
Wait. Why did I never think of it that way? He spoke like he knew me better than I knew myself.
"You think? But why?"
"Don't you get it? He feels for you as strongly as you feel for him, if not even more, and it scared him. He didn't look away from you throughout the meeting today. I know what I saw. He pushed you away before it got deep."
"Oh, Ashley don't do that. Please. I can't handle it." I can't entertain that thought.
"You know what? You should seduce him! Let's see how well he can keep up that whole guilt bullshit. Ooh, I have got ideas."
She has gone insane. And maybe I have too because I am listening to her and a part of me agrees with her madness.
That firm is about to see a scandal like it can't imagine.