I sipped my coffee as he continued to explain to me about his family dynamics. "So, I want you to dodge my sister's suspicions and impress my grandma enough to believe that we are madly in love. Resulting in her gifting the estate to me, sorry, us!" He said with a bright smile. I looked at him narrowing my eyes, and our eyes locked for a second making me feel certain things for a brief second.
"Alright, so now explain to me, why should I do this?" I asked, breaking eye contact and finishing my last sip of the coffee. He took my hand and sandwiched it in both his hands; I looked down at this sudden weird affection. He lifts my face to meet his eyes and said, "How about I buy this apartment for you? Or ask me whatever you wish for? Right now!"
I was completely lost for words as this was beyond my imagination, and it made me instantly sad that one thing that I wanted was something he said he didn't have, and nothing in this world could make it up for it. "This feels so wrong. I shouldn't do this, Dylan!" I got up, snatching my hand back from his grip, and moved one of the boxes to get it unboxed.
"Well, know that I am not going to force you into anything. Just tell me, no, and I will never ask you again." He said; I looked up at him midst of my unboxing. He sprints to me and picks up the box to keep it on the dining table. Those had crockeries goes in the cabinet above, so I took one of the dining chairs and climb up to reach the cabinet. "Hand me those after other!" I said to him. He readily started cleaning one after the other and handing them.
"Isn't there any other way to get your grandma to just give you what you deserve? Tell her that you have changed. She must already know how close were you to your grandfather, and you'll never destroy something that reminds you of him." I asked. He continued to clean the glassware and handed me one after the other. He was silent for a few minutes. I thought I ruined his mood or something, he was extremely secretive at times, one of those people who are hard to read.
"You are right! I am being stupid. Just leave it!" He said as he continued. The crockeries in the box were all up on the shelf now, he made my job much easier, and I was relieved we did one box out of six. I held on to his shoulder to jump back down; as soon as my feet touch the ground, I feel an extreme shot of pain spring up in my left leg. I crash to the ground, he tries to hold my hand, preventing the fall, but it was too late.
I sit there with my twisted ankle for a minute before I hear his laughter erupt through the room. I looked up at him suppressing my anger which, makes him stop laughing immediately, he holds it in for another minute before erupting into louder waves of laughter which, makes me laugh too, forgetting the pain that was still stinging my leg. I try to get up, but the pain reminds me that it is a bad idea.
"Let me! You have a pain management doctor at home. You're safe!" He said and, picks me up as if I was just a baby. He puts me on the couch and makes me sit with my left leg extended up on the seat. He sits on the other end and puts my leg in his lap. He begins examining for a minute, "Umm... it's just a minute sprain! No swelling or anything so, you'll be fine with enough rest for a couple of days." He looks up and smiles at my worried expression.
"Hey! I got you, don't be scared. I will ask Carol to come; you can't be left alone." he said. Is this some kind of sign? I looked at his extended hand, I knew he was asking me for my phone so; he can call Carol. I certainly didn't want that; for some reason, I wished if he stayed. "You have something better to do?" I asked. I knew I was giving him the worst mixed feelings scenario ever.
"You want me to stay? Of course, I am just a vagabond and has no other job!" He said as he put my leg back on the couch; he gets the next box and starts unboxing it. "Oh! You don't have to do it. I will call Carol. You can go; I will manage it!" I said, sensing he might not be interested anymore to help me since I refused to help him. But my stakes were high, and he should've understood; that I thought for a second.
"I think we should talk properly," I said and patted my couch, signaling to him; to come back to where he was sitting. He walks back like a toddler who was just asked about why he was throwing tantrums. It lowkey made me want to kiss his cheek and call him baby! But definitely, inappropriate. But as soon as he sits down, he picks my leg back up and places it back on his lap; my heart was almost ready to explode.
"Like said, I am not going to ask you for anything that you don't want to do." He said without meeting my eyes. I looked at him piercingly, so he looked up and smiled. "I know the story behind all this is complicated, and I know the feeling when someone asks you to try something which you have already tried like a million times. And honestly, you're an amazing person, and you deserve to have what you want, no matter what your grandma or anyone thinks."
"Like said, I lost myself for a few years, and I have done everything a normal human being shouldn't do so; I don't blame my grandma to be this rigid with me. But, I am not the same person, and I will never become that person again." He said. "So, is that why you're so scared to fall in love with anyone? You're scared; that if you lose your love again, you will go back to being that person?" I asked; I knew he was still not ready to tell me his story entirely. I didn't want to bring up anything either.
"Well, it all happened when I was practically a teenager. I don't feel it anymore for anyone, that's I am sure, I will not go back to being that person." He said as he gently touched my feet to slowly, massage it. I slowly retraced my leg back, but the pain eases as his hands move on the sprained area in rhythmic movements. But more than my leg, it was my heart that ached, and he had no idea. The most silent of pains is indeed unreturned feelings or hopelessness of having it ever.
"You have a beautiful family, you know!" I said. He looks up at me, a bit confused. "And I have a feeling that you're not a person who would lie to them to hurt them. Did you decide to ask me this at the party?"
"Well, at first I thought, this will just be another fling as the connect was pretty easy, and like said, I love it when the beauty is with brains. And you looked smoking hot that night; I get a boner just thinking of you in that dress." I wasn't expecting it as he didn't say anything like that on that night; I didn't even think for once that he would have noticed it. I blushed with a smile hiding my embarrassment.
He continued, "But when we were outside, I noticed how everyone was looking at us. Even Michael thought I was tripping for the first time in years seeing us together. That's when it clicked." I nod as some parts of the jigsaw come together to make a slight sense now.
"What if I fall in love with you if I do this with you?" I said; this once, I was asking him the exact thing that was bothering me. He curls his lips thoughtfully; I wondered what must have been going in that beautiful head of his. "Umm.. yeah, that indeed will be a problem. I don't think you can be that stupid. I have told you that I am not the one who can fulfill that for you."
"So, what would we do when you have your estate?" I asked. "Very simple, we break up because of something serious which we will come up at that point, at least they will know that I was capable of love again, but I just was not with the right one. Win-win!" He said and shrugged. He made it all look so easy but, I was not sure if this was as easy as he said.
"I think your way is good to not love anyone, and feel nothing. Maybe it's toxic a bit, but who cares! Promise me I am doing this for someone that I believe deserves to have what he wants. And I will not be accepting any rewards from you for this." I said, quite deciding in my mind. He looks at with his eyes wide, unblinkingly for a minute.
"Did you just say 'yes'? Holy!! I can't believe this!" He says and pounce to me and breaks into a tight hug. He kisses my head and continues to hug me, making me feel a lot of emotions at once. Probably I am stupid, or maybe not, I knew whatever pain was going to come would all be because of myself.
He heard a ping on his phone as he breaks away; I see it was a message from someone. "Wow! It's Micheal, and we just got invited to a charity event happening this Saturday. This is the best opportunity, babe!" He was so excited and happier than I have ever seen him since I have met him.
"We?" I asked. "I am going to take you with me, and we start being a couple! Wait, why wait till then, hold on!" he says and clicks a selfie of us, which was unexpected, and types wildly into his phone. What evil plan did he just hatch? I was trying to catch a glimpse of his phone screen. He holds it to me as soon as he finishes, and to my surprise, he just posted a story of us saying our date canceled because of my sprain.
"Buckle up, baby girl! Things are gearing up!!!" He said, grinning at me. I sat there, wondering what is going to happen now.