Chapter 31
TOO DELIBERATE
“When are you going to tell Natalie that you went there for her?”
“What are you talking about?” he asked his grandmother the next week.
He’d moved in yesterday. A day earlier than he was originally told he could.
It hadn’t taken him long to bring in two large pieces of luggage. Nor to unpack and put his clothes away.
An hour after, he’d gone to the store, stocked up on more food than he’d been buying and gotten his new temporary office in working order.
“Arik. I know my grandson. You throw darts at a wall to decide where you’re going next. This was just too deliberate.”
“I told you. I was watching a cooking competition and it came up.”
“It came up because you remembered Natalie.”
“Yes,” he said. No reason to lie about it. “I thought I told you that.”
“How long have you held a torch for this girl?”
He plopped his ass on the sectional in the living room. It was more comfortable than pleasing to the eye.
His feet were up on the lounge section, his back leaning on the fluffy cushion, his eyes shut.
It was time to fess up to someone.
The only person he could trust.
“It feels like forever, but that would be a lie. I went about my life for a decade and so did she.”
“Because you were focused and driven. When you get that way, the rest of the world ceases to exist. You work harder than most, you burn out, you make yourself sick, and I get a call that you’re coming home for a few weeks and not to let anyone know you’re here.”
“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”
“Not if I think you’re going to do it again,” his grandmother said sternly.
“We were nearing the end, and everything felt like it could fall apart. Even though it all worked out, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight. But I knew you’d be the one to pull me back.”
“That’s right. I used to be the only one who could. I’m thinking Natalie is joining that small list. So be honest with me.”
“I was. I’ve thought about Natalie more than I probably should have. What we shared in college felt like something just beginning, but we both had our own lives to live. Our timing wasn’t right. Now it is.”
“Because you made it that way. How do you think she’d feel if she knew?”
He wasn’t sure. Didn’t even want to think of it either.
“There’s nothing wrong with giving fate a nudge. That’s all I did. Something crossed my path that reminded me of her and I decided to see if what was then could be now.”
His grandmother sighed. “And is it?”
“You’re getting really personal.”
“Because I can,” his grandmother said. “I liked her a lot. I’m holding back getting to know her more because what is the use if you’re going to move again?”
She could. He’d never tell her no.
“Fine. It is. I’m in love with her, but she’s not ready to hear it.”
“She’s not ready to hear it or you’re not ready to say it?”
“Both. I have to convince her I’m here to stay. Moving into this house is the first step. Once she knew I would do this, she opened the door a crack more.”
“And you shoved it all the way to jump in, didn’t you?”
He laughed. “No. Not really.”
“Yes, really. So are you going to finally admit that when you brought her to the wedding you weren’t really in a relationship?”
There didn’t seem to be a reason to keep up the facade now.
“We’d been on a few dates. I told her I was dreading it. She laughed and said I needed a buddy to stick to my side.”
“And you decided to make up a relationship with her?” The confusion in his grandmother’s voice couldn’t be ignored.
“It wasn’t made up. We are in a relationship. It was the start of it. You can’t tell me what you saw of us was fake. Can you?”
Maybe it’d be nice to know if the one person closest to him in life saw something opposite of him.
“It looked real to me. But what do I know? She could be an excellent actress.”
The wince couldn’t be held back.
That was true of Natalie.
“We are in a good spot. I promise.”
“You don’t have to promise anything to me. You just need to focus on you.”
“No. That’s selfish and too much like my parents.”
He refused to be like them. He was old enough to acknowledge those traits and reel them back.
“Everyone is selfish in life, Arik. It’s how much you are. You do know your father and Brandi are no longer together, right?”
He laughed. “Nope. How long did that last? Five months?”
“Close to it. Guess your father backed out of a trip she wanted. He came to me looking for a loan and I told him to keep his dick in his pants and he wouldn’t need one.”
His eyes popped open with his mouth wide to the laughter rolling out.
His grandmother would have said that. The exact words too.
“So he couldn’t give her a trip and she ditched him?”
“Sounds it to me. As far as I know he’s on the prowl for someone else. Maybe since his wallet is a little tight he’ll hold off doing anything more than one-night stands.”
“Do you hear yourself?” He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
“Hard not to when I’m speaking. At least your mother holds onto her guys longer. What did you think of the latest?”
His mother held on because deep down she still had hope for something permanent but was more guarded.
“He’s fine. Could have been worse.”
Rylie was more like the guy he’d grab a drink with out one night. They got along well, but the thought the dude was sleeping with his mother drew the line at becoming buddies.
“Your mother won’t get any big settlement or fancy vacation from this one.”
“I don’t think that is what she’s looking for,” he said drily.
The conversation still echoed in his head far more than he wanted. His mother talking about her sex life was something no amount of mental scrubbing could erase.
“Off the relationship topic. Yours and your parents. What are you doing with your time?”
“I’m working on an app,” he said cheerfully. “It has to do with puzzles.”
“What kind of puzzles?”
He explained it more. “I’m making more progress than I thought. I’ll be testing it soon. Natalie’s mother said she’d try it out for me. Natalie will too. I’ve found a forum of others that will give feedback on what to improve.”
“You’re not overdoing it, are you? I know how you get when your teeth are sunk in deep.”
“No. I’m not. This won’t make me millions. It’s just something to do for now. I’m having fun with it.”
Even if it was keeping him up late at night. Or having him miss a few meals.
He wouldn’t fade away.
Without a gym at his disposal though, he’d have to find some way to get out of the house before he fell into his old ways.
“Everything my grandson touches makes money if he wants it to.”
He smiled at the pride he heard in her voice.
“I don’t need this to. If I put that goal on it, it wouldn’t be good for anyone.
It’s giving me a purpose right now. One I’m enjoying.
It’s killing time too. If it works, then maybe that’s something else I can tinker with again.
I’ve still got my investments I’m managing. ”
“And time to build a relationship,” his grandmother said.
“That too.”
Though not as much time as he would have liked.
The last thing he wanted was her to think he was needy. Or smothering.
He wanted more time with her. She didn’t seem to feel the same.
Pushing it wasn’t the thing to do. She had to set that pace, whether or not he was comfortable with the speed.
“Is she coming to see your place today?”
“She’ll be here after work,” he said. “And I’m going to cook her a nice dinner.”
“Have you cooked for her yet?”
He swung his feet to the floor and stood. “No. I haven’t wanted to in the hotel room and have the space smell like that the whole time.”
“Do you plan on burning something?” He could almost see his grandmother’s head tilted and one eye closed.
“No,” he said. “That would be you.”
“I don’t burn things anymore. Your grandfather made me take cooking lessons.”
“And you taught me how to cook early on when I visited.”
Because his mother could never be bothered to do anything domestic in the household.
His father wasn’t around. Too busy finding another woman to fuck behind his mother’s back.
“Someone had to show you those things.”
“Not to be mean,” he said. “But I’ve done much better on my own.”
“Don’t be a brat. They didn’t have all that easy access stuff online back then.”
“They didn’t. And speaking of that, I’ve got to get ready for Natalie. She’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll talk to you soon. Don’t overdo anything.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
Though he knew he was lying because his new goal was to win over his girlfriend.
Starting tonight.