We are finally pulling into his driveway minutes later. I have to admit, I'm a bit blown away. It's beautiful here. He lives on the edge of a lake. My eyes slowly scan the surrounding area, and for a moment, I'm stunned. Just enjoying looking into the water. Birds flying around his square shaped dock.
“This is it.” He says as he turns his truck off. “We can go fishing anytime you want. I have extra poles in the shed.” He added with a shrug.
“I don't know how” I whispered, a little embarrassed to admit that. My father wasn't really an outdoors man, instead, we would play board games and work on puzzles together.
“Never?” He asked, shock clear in his tone.
I didn't need to look over towards him to know whether he was looking at me or not. I could feel him. His eyes digging into me.
“Nope.” I mumbled while quickly opening the door and stepping out. “Nice place.” I added when my feet hit the grass.
“Thanks. I love it here. No neighbors. Just peace and the occasional fishers passing by.” He chuckled.
I say nothing back, instead I continue to look around me. He has flowers against his front porch, and I can mostly bet everything that his mom planted those for him.
She has great taste in flowers. I had noticed that when I was over at her house. She loved flowers, and I'm sure she craved to dress her son's home up a little. Still knowing it was most likely his mom, I still can't stop the question that comes out of me.
“You did those?” I asked and pointed towards the flowers, my stomach twisting in knots.
“My momma did” He sighed softly. “Wanted my home to be a proper home. I don't see how flowers make a place proper, but I would not argue.”
“Smart man” I commented.
“You saw that gate we passed? Nobody can get inside without knowing that code. Only a handful of people know the code. My family, my best friends and now you. 782290.”
“I'm bad at remembering numbers.” I told him the complete truth. Math was never one of my strong subjects in school. All those numbers would just get messed up inside my head and wouldn't make any sense.
“I'll text you the code. You will learn it eventually. Hopefully, you learn better than my sister, though. She couldn't remember the code for about three months. Annoying as hell, having to hear her honking like crazy. Mad that she was unable to get in.”
“I believe that.” I laughed as the picture of my new bestie honking her horn, probably tapping the steering wheel with her nails, comes to mind.
“She does got a temper. I can't even tell you how many times she shoved her way into my bedroom and would start screeching about one of her toys being gone and blaming me. I barely touched her dolls. I'll admit I did throw a few away when she would mess up one of my WWE action figures, but-”
“I want to go home.” I quickly interrupted his little rant about childhood toys.
I have no doubt that Anna would happily mess with her big brother just because she would find it entertaining, but that's not what I would like to talk about right now.
“We talked about this.” He sighed.
“No. Actually, we haven't.” I argued. We really haven't. He didn't even let me talk this out. He kept shutting me down. “You shot down every option I gave you.”
“We don't have the man power or the money to pay someone extra to just sit on you-”
“Sit on me?” I asked, confused on what he meant by someone sitting on me.
“Watching you.” He grunted, looking very annoyed with me already before turning around heading towards his front door.
“I'm still talking.” I shouted, and stomped my foot. Yes, I just stomped my foot like a child throwing a tantrum.
Do I care?
No.
This man is so damn infuriating. Sure he is good-looking and has that alpha vibe that girls like so much going on, but do I find that sexy? Not right now. I actually want to shove him into the lake right now and run far away. I definitely don't want to sleep in his home. My body already does funny things around Cedric.
“Talk inside” He shouted back, leaving me no choice but to follow him inside after he unlocked the door.
“ I really would appreciate it, Cedric if you just brought me home or to a hotel.” I said strongly.
I'm putting my foot down, enough is enough. He can't force me to stay here.
“It's not going to happen. Hotels are not safe. My home is safer for you-”
“Not in all ways.” I mumbled softly, not meaning to say those words out loud.
“What did you say?” He asked.
“Nothing.” I replied smoothly and crosseded my arms, steeling myself up for the fight that is about to take place. “Take me home. I don't want to be here.”
“Oh really?” He asked, turned towards me and grinned. “You don't want to be here? Are you sure? Do you want to know what I think? I think if I shoved my hand inside your panties right now, you would be wet-”
“Your a pig! That's precisely why I don't want to stay here. Your asshole. Thank you for reminding me.” I snapped and jerked my phone from my back pocket. “Fine. You won't bring me back. Anna will come get me-”
“Do not involve my sister.” He said all playfulness gone from his tone.
“She is my bestie. I can call her whenever I want.” I snarled and started to dial her number.
“Your right. You could call her. She would definitely come. Probably get in my face about it. Tell mom. But would you actually put her in danger?” He asked, looking down at me with disappointment in his eyes.
“What?” I asked, shocked by two things. His look of disappointment and his question.
How is having her come get me putting her in danger? I wasn't going to ask to sleep at her house. I just wanted a ride.
“I just wanted a ride.” I whispered.
“You call her, she is going to have questions. You will end up telling her the truth and I know my sister. She will stay with you or drag you back to her house. Which would be putting her in danger.” He said calmly.
“I don't want her in danger. I just wanted a ride back home or to a hotel.” I said softly before adding, “How dare you even think such a thing."? I snarled and shoved my phone back inside my jean pocket.
Looks like I'm not going anywhere.
“I'm sorry. She always says I'm overprotective, and I guess I can see why she would say that. She is my twin. We are the same age, but she is still my little sister. If anything happened to her, I would feel it. It would break me and my parents. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. I shouldn't have said it like that-”
“One thing you going to have to get through your head is I'm not like the rest of your sister's fake friends. I'm not her friend to get to you. In fact I kind of want to be anywhere but here with you at this moment. I don't care how handsome-”
“You think I'm handsome?” He asked, a big smile forming on his lips.
I continue like he didn't say anything.
“you are. Even if you did like me and if I liked you. I'm not saying we do. I'm just saying. Your sisters' opinion would matter. If she didn't want this shit going down, then guess what. It's no shit going down. I'm a chick's before dicks type of women and if you don't believe anything, fucking believe that.” I huffed out, annoyed at myself now from going on that little rant.
I can't believe I said that. If I like him and if he liked me. He may get ideas now. He is already cocky enough. He probably thinks I like him now. I mean I guess a part of me does, but he doesn't need to know that.
“I believe you-”
“Then stop looking at me with disappointment when it comes to her. I don't want her in danger, either. So, what the hell are we going to tell her?” I asked, waving him off and to stop whatever he was about to say. I would rather skip the entire conversation about what all I just said.
“We tell her that we are seeing each other.” He smirked.
“What?” I asked. Shocked that he would even suggest that. “That's a lie. We would be lying to her. She would end up telling your parents-oh god. Your mom-”
“She will think we are together too.” He said and shrugged like it is not a big deal, when in fact it's a big deal. It's a huge freaking deal!
“This is just crazy” I laughed out. “They won't accept that. Anna won't believe that.”
“Why not?” He asked, looking a little offended.
“Cedric come on. We can barely stand each other. We are always arguing-”
“Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't stand you. I very much can stand you.” He said and winked, which would have melted me if I weren't in this shitty mood.
“Let's just tell them the truth. I don't want to lie to either of them. Your mom would probably smell it on me.” I grumbled, not liking this idea at all.
“Where do you think Anna got her big heart from? Our mom. Both of them will be camped over at your home to make sure you're safe. I can't have that” He sighed.
“Okay” I breathed.
I was giving up.
It looks like I'll be staying here with Cedric and if anyone asked it was because him, and I were seeing each other.