Knight & Day

Made For Me

-Tyson-

*1 hour earlier*

As I sat in front of my disappointed parents and an irritated Sonya, I knew one thing to be the absolute truth; Phoenix was changing me. I'd never been more concerned about the emotions of another human being than I'd found myself about those of Phoenix Knight. The mere thought of her being upset with me was driving me crazy. I didn't like how quickly the comfortable, trusting energy we'd developed with one another had shifted into nonexistence within the blink of an eye. All I wanted was to fix whatever I'd broken to bring it back. Instead, I was being forced to sit and be questioned about a relationship that didn't technically exist but might as well have. At this point, Phoenix was the only woman who had my attention and the only one I cared to give it to. No matter how rapidly things between us had progressed, it felt right. There was simply no question for me anymore. She would be my woman and I would be her man. And I would make sure she knew that as soon as she came back from the bathroom.

"Well? We're waiting."

"On what, exactly?" I dismissively answered, looking over at Sonya and still not understanding why she was here. I'd spent the last several minutes being clear about the fact that I had no interest in her. What did she think she would accomplish by sticking around?

"Tyson, we both know you're not actually interested in someone like her. What game are you playing?" she pressed, equal amounts of disbelief and offense in her tone.

It was like she took Phoenix's presence as a personal insult and I finally understood why it was so disrespectful to consider yourself superior to another person. She didn't even know the bare minimum about Phoenix and had already concluded that she was better than her. What was even more infuriating was that she fully believed she was better than her for me. She couldn't have been any more wrong and her inflated ego was in desperate need of being popped like an unsightly pimple. Call me a dermatologist.

"I should be asking you that question. I thought I made myself pretty clear the last time that we spoke. I have no use for you, neither romantically or recreationally. So why are you here?" I questioned. I didn't bother sparing her feelings as I spoke. I was too annoyed with her to do so.

"She's here because she's who we chose to be here. Sonya has all the qualities of someone worthy of carrying the Day name. She has the right to be sitting at this table... unlike the woman you had the nerve to walk in here with. I must say... all my failed attempts at setting you up are finally starting to make sense. If I had known that you liked... well-fed women... I'd have introduced you to Margaret Taylor's daughter, Catherine. She's over three hundred pounds but at least she comes from a good family," my mother disparagingly interjected before sipping her wine. My jaw flexed at her words as I was growing tired of the various comments about Phoenix's weight. It was then that I decided the next time either or them dished out another low blow like that, they'd live to regret it. Before I could make them aware of my decision, Sonya spoke again.

"Oh, please. His appreciation for a woman who takes care of herself is something I've experienced first-hand," she spoke, smoothing her hands over her curves before she continued, "and he wouldn't be caught dead with either one of them without there being an ulterior motive. So what is it, Tyson? Are you really that afraid of commitment that you'd pretend to be in love with a Lizzo lookalike?" she smugly assessed. Her self-assured smirk made my skin crawl.

"I'm actually not afraid of commitment at all. What I am afraid of is being committed to a desperate, vapid, black hole of a woman such as yourself. Nothing about you is alluring or intriguing and your time with me was always temporary. Admittedly, the sex was good... but forgettable. It certainly didn't inspire some need to tie myself to you for the rest of my life and I think you know that," I answered, wearing a smirk of my own as hers slipped from her face in milliseconds. Her anger was palpable as she stared back at me but she remained silent. Suddenly, her fiery gaze shifted to my father and as if she had telepathy or some other form of mind control, he jumped to her defense.