Grayson
We pull into the back of the field behind the house, the sky purple with night falling in. I open the passenger door for Rowan, guiding her out by her hand.
Laying a blanket on the grass, I pull out a bottle of port wine.
“Not a date huh?” Rowan rolls her eyes.
“It’s not. I come here to think. Seems like you need a place to think too.” I say, opening the bottle and handing it to her. She grips the neck of the bottle and takes a swig.
“I just never would have thought. I mean I literally did everything I could when I turned eighteen to get away from him and his fucked up lifestyle. We haven’t spoken in years. Now I’m caught up in this mess with you because of him.” She says, looking at the evening sky. She’s so precious and genuine. I don’t understand how anyone could hurt her. Especially her own father. All she wanted was a normal life with parents who loved her.
“He’ll never get to you as long as my brother and I are around. You won’t even have to see his face.” I assure her.
“It’s not even that. I’m not scared, at least not with you.” She looks down at her lap.
“It’s the fact that I got away and still ended up getting fucked over by him. I knew we didn’t have much of a father-daughter relationship, but I didn’t think he would be so indifferent to my existence that he’d just sell me off to some crazy mafia man– no offense,”
Oh, he’d do much worse than that.
“And the whole thing with my mom– I don’t know. I just wish I had a dad like the kind you see in the movies. Or a mom like my friends had growing up.” Hearing the crack in her voice makes my chest hurt. I don’t know what to make of the feelings she’s brought out in me since I started watching her. I just wanted to protect her, always. Even before this mess with Frank. Now that I’m getting to know her, I’m not disappointed like I thought I’d be. It makes me want to be around her even more .
“Hey, I’m here now. I may not be as good as having a dad but I’ll still take you to play catch and teach you to drive.” I playfully hit her shoulder and she laughs with me. Finally, The same gorgeous laugh I heard the other night.
“Funny you say that because I do not have my license.” She giggles.
“Of course you don’t, you’re a Chicago girl living in Detroit.” I smile. “You’re different, Rowan.” I say, taking a drink of the port and handing it back to her.
“Oh yeah? How do you gather?” She says with a shy smile.
“Well for starters I stalked you for a year.” I say casually.
“A year? You watched me for a whole year?” She says, her eyes wide.
“Yeah. You were living in southside Detroit, someone had to keep an eye on you.” I say, averting my gaze. I could feel my cheeks heating with embarrassment. What is this woman doing to me? “But you just do things differently. You’re tough. But you’re soft too, you’ve just never been given the safe space to be soft. Most women in Chicago try to act tough, but they do everything for the attention. You get attention without seeking it. I don’t even know if I’m making sense, Row. Stop making me talk.” I laugh it off but I know I sound like an idiot. She stares at me for a moment and I can tell her guard has come down a bit. She needs a man like me. In control so she doesn’t have to be. A part of me hopes she wants to stay once I let her go– If I let her go. It’s a stupid thought.
She cups my face, her thumb stroking my jawline and I feel my shoulders relax for a moment. “I’m not soft,” she says, leaning in and crashing her lips into mine.
I never knew just the feeling of a woman's lips against mine could get me to feel– things. I don’t know what it is, I just know I want more, and more.
We kissed until our lips were swollen last night. At some point we fell asleep. We both got so drunk off of the port, we laughed our asses off until our stomachs hurt. It was a good night, but now that the morning sun is coming up, Luciano and Pops are going to have my ass if I don't get to work today. Dad is going to meet with Conejo’s associates to discuss some orders of business and Luciano and I are meeting with Conejo. We don’t know how things are going to go down today– if it’s going to be civil, or if we’re going to get caught up in some trouble. We have to prepare for the latter .
I wake Rowan, watching as she squints her eyes at the morning light.
“I’m dropping you off at my moms today. You’re going to cook Sunday dinner with her and my sister Laila–get to know them and all.” I inform her,
“You have a sister?” She yawns.
“Yep. The one and only. And she’s a real judgy bitch so don’t let her scare you. She’s cool once you get to know her.”
“Please,” She scoffs, “I tricked you into thinking I wasn’t scared of you. Besides, I love to cook so it sounds like a plan to me.” I knew that about her. I would always see her through her apartment window cooking elaborate meals just for herself. The girl needed to shut her fucking curtains but never did.
“Hey I-” I stutter, “I had a lot of fun with you.”
“Wow I’m so flattered. Chicago’s biggest fuck boy actually had fun with me?” She laughs. Is this how women felt when they’d try to make conversation with me after sex? I can’t help but laugh with her, though. She’s the first woman that has ever made me laugh aside from Laila. She’s also the first woman I’ve ever actually sat and talked to all night too. I wasn’t much for conversation with women. It’s a big reason why I’d never approached Rowan like a normal person. I was fascinated by her, but I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep. I knew it was highly unlikely for me to go from having multiple women to being tied down to one. At least that’s what I thought before she was here with me.