With her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Those thin lips painted a soft shade of pink, her work attire fitting snugly around her waist and hips, showcasing those dainty, lovely legs. Her face, with its perfect features, and those eyes that just slay me. If she looked at me the way she used to and asked me to jump off a cliff… I’d probably do it.
“Go to hell,” she says, flipping me the bird and continues on her way.
I let out a sigh, resisting the urge to pull her into a hug from behind, shove her in my car, and hide her in my basement…
Well, I can’t actually do that. I don’t have a basement.
The apartment I have in Seattle is huge; I could hide her in a room until she develops some Stockholm syndrome thing and returns to me. But she’d probably hate me even more than she does now.
I’ll keep that as plan B for now.
I’m debating with myself whether to do what I originally came here for or to find my car and leave. The idea of leaving vanishes instantly, and I walk back towards Anna’s house. Just as I’m about to knock on the door, I sense someone behind me. Only turning my head, I spot a tall, provocative brunette checking out my rear as though she’d like to take a bite.
Twisting my body to get her to look elsewhere, she doesn’t. Now she’s evaluating the package up front.
“Could you stop looking at me like you want to ravish me?” I snap. I’m really not in the mood for flings today.
“Relax, I’m not thinking of violating you,” she approaches quickly, yet seductively, “I doubt you’d be with me against your will.”
As she’s just a step away, I lean in, watching her blush. It never gets old, catching them off guard. “Sorry, darling. I’ll never be with you against my will, because I’d never be with you at all.”
I pull back quickly, knocking on the entrance door, hoping she’d take the hint that I’m not interested and leave.
“I love a challenge. I’m Demetria. And you are…?” She touches my shoulder, caressing it. I shrug her off, keeping my gaze on the door.
“It’s none of your business,” I respond tersely.
“None of Your Business? What a strange name,” she murmurs, already annoyed. Clearly, she’s not used to rejection.
“Look, I’m not interested,” I say through gritted teeth. She’s really starting to irritate me.
“Well, lucky for you, I don’t care if you’re not interested. I always get what I want,” I glance at her, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised, lips quirked in a self-satisfied smirk.
“In fact, you’re in for a disappointment, because you’ll never have me,” I winked at her and leaned in, hoping to make her flinch. Instead, she leaned in even closer.
“We’ll see about that… Are you here for Dave or Anna?” She replied, her breathing slightly uneven, her gaze fixed on my lips.
For some reason, the closeness felt… off-putting. I backed away, crossing my arms, “Do you know them?”
“They’re both my friends.”
I couldn’t picture Anna being friends with someone like her. From a distance, I could tell she was fake, manipulative, and spoiled. Alison called me when she left for England again, mentioning that Anna could barely stand the thought of breathing the same air as Demetria.
That angered me. Anna’s issue was with me, not Alison. Although Alison only wanted to help, she probably made things more stressful for Anna.
The door opened to reveal a weary-looking Dave, with dark circles under his eyes and glasses that aged him by a decade. “Demetria, what are you doing here?” He looked between her and me.
“I was on my way to see Anna at work and ran into him. Who is he?” She asked, pointing at me.
“I’m a friend of Dave’s. Perhaps you should go ahead and visit Anna,” I interjected before Dave could answer. If Anna had talked about me and Demetria knew my name, she might spill the beans in front of Dave and ruin my only chance of seeing Jeremy.
“I will, handsome. I’ll see you soon.” Swiftly, she pecked my cheek and bit her lip in what seemed like an attempt at being seductive. Yet, it did nothing for me.
“I came to see Jeremy,” I stated as soon as Demetria was out of sight. Dave seemed a bit perturbed, but he composed himself quickly.
“I’m glad you did,” he said with a hint of a smile, inviting me in. I proceeded straight to Jeremy’s room door. “Why?”
“He’s been restless since he missed dinner with us. I don’t know what you did, but he’s been wanting to see you non-stop.” His voice held a hint of annoyance, almost like he was… jealous?
“I want to see him too,” I remarked, hoping to get a rise out of him. He offered me a clearly forced smile in return.
“Do you like kids?”
I never particularly cared for them. But the idea of having a child, especially with Anna, was appealing.
“Just Jeremy, for now.”
“You have no plans for kids with your girlfriend?”
Well, I had plans, but with your girlfriend.
“I don’t have one.”
Hoping to avoid any further conversation or questioning, I knocked gently on Jeremy’s door. The boy opened it immediately, his face shadowed, but it lit up the moment he saw me.
“Henry! Come in, I have lots of games!” He exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me into his room.
He glanced back at the door, and his face darkened once again. The expression nearly frightened me; it echoed the way his mother looked at me.
“You can go now,” he said, addressing Dave.
“Alright, I’ll leave you two,” Dave replied with a grimace, shutting the door behind him. Jeremy settled next to his toy chest, pulling out various items.
“Don’t you like Dave?” I asked, sitting down beside him. He remained silent. “He doesn’t harm you, does he?”
If I ever found out he’d laid a hand on the boy, I’d make him regret it. I meant it.
Jeremy shook his head, looking puzzled. “Then what’s the matter with him?”
“I don’t want him to marry my mom,” he mumbled, his lower lip jutting out in a pout.
“Why?” I pressed. He just shrugged, and I realized he didn’t want to delve further into the subject. For now, I’d let it be…
“Do you have a basketball?” I asked, changing the topic. He pulled one out from the chest, smiling at me. “Want to play?”
“Last time, the ball bounced off my face and cut my lip. I’m not good at it.”
“I’ll teach you. You won’t get hurt again, I promise. You have a hoop outside, right?” I ruffled his hair, and he nodded, laughing heartily.
Twenty minutes later, the kid had made more than five baskets. To be honest, he played pretty well, especially considering his height.
“You’re good at this, kiddo.”
“I’m the best,” he declared confidently, scoring for the sixth time.
“Sure, right after me,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
“No, I’m better than you too,” he stuck out his tongue and threw the ball at me.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
There were wars of glances, and he lifted the corner of his mouth in a mischievous smile. “Actually, you’re pretty terrible at this,” he taunted, clearly trying to get a rise out of me.
“Excuse me? Take that back.”
He shook his head defiantly, making mocking gestures at me. As I started to chase after him, he sprinted away, but I caught up quickly, lifting him onto my shoulder and spinning him around.
“Take it back!”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he managed between fits of laughter, sending a shiver down my spine.
This kid evoked such peculiar feelings in me. Not like Anna did, but different. They were warm and vibrant, full of life.
Setting him down, he darted back to the ball. He attempted to toss it at my head playfully, and as I dodged it, I heard a familiar shriek from behind me.
Anna was sprawled on the ground, clutching her stomach. While Jeremy didn’t have the strength to hurl the ball with much force, he had been too close to me, which meant he threw it too close to Anna’s stomach.
“Damn it.”