Breaking Old Habits

CHAPTER FOUR

"Why don't you ever go see your parents?" I mustered up the courage and finally asked him.

He kept his eyes ahead, focusing on the road in the darkness as we reached Mosman. We had passed the welcome sign and would soon be at my parent's house. Griffin answered me, "They're pissed at me."

"For walking out?" I could not help myself. That was what I had come to believe. His side of the story was that he up and left when the twins were ten. "Sorry."

He peered towards me for a split second and then looked back at the road. "Don't be sorry. It's true. I left my family, and they're pretty pissed about it still."

"Would they prefer you to be in an unhappy relationship?" I asked. Surely, his parents would not want their son to live a miserable life with a woman he did not love. I know that was the last thing my parents would ever wish for me.

He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Ayla, there's plenty reasons why I haven't introduced you to my parents. They're not like yours." Yes, because they still had no clue about me. "Your parents didn't really care that I'm older or have teenage boys. My parents... they'd make it a point to drive you away."

"No one can drive me away from you," I said confidently.

"You sure about that?"

Karen could try, but I was not giving in and letting her win. I was sticking around. Reaching over, I ran my hand over his thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Positive."

"Good. I'm just glad I never married her. Divorce would be a fucking nightmare," he murmured.

I agreed to that.

"I'm glad you didn't marry her too." I smiled. Hell, I was over the moon that he did not go through with that. "You did propose, so maybe you wanted to marry her in some way, though?"

"My parents pushed me to propose when she was pregnant. I didn't even ask. Just got her a cheap ass ring and left it on the dresser," he admitted for the first time to me.

Wow. "Uh, well if you're going to ask me, then I expect to be romanced big time, baby!"

He let out a loud laugh, shaking his head but still grinning. "Yeah? Would you like me to get down on one bended knee and ask you? Should I wear a suit? You better tell me your favourite flowers. I'll need to organise them."

I smiled. He had no idea, but I loved him all the more for being so clueless with this. "I'm not really a flowers kind of girl, so any will do. But not yet, it's too early." It was way too early to be thinking about marriage. "Just make sure it's a white gold ring or even platinum with a lot of sparkles."

"I'll keep that in mind."

We pulled into the driveway of my parent's home. It was a two-story waterfront place, and I was looking forward to seeing them after so long. Griffin pulled the keys from the ignition and grabbed his phone and wallet. I shot him a questioning look, and he shrugged, not seeing that it was not the boys who were going to call, but her.

With my bag half slung over my shoulder, I felt a hard stinging slap to my ass as Griffin passed by me towards the front door and opened it like it was his own home. That was how comfortable my parents made him feel.

My mother was first to rush and embrace him with a hug. "We were starting to worry. The storm's getting bad, and it's late."

"We stopped for food. Ayla was hungry."

Liar, I internally commented, faking an eye roll. "Yeah, and that burger that you ordered ate itself." I gave him a slight shove as I passed him into the house. I could hear him chuckling as I waltzed straight to my father and pecked him on the cheek. "Missed you, Daddy."