Chapter 13 #2
“But what if it does?” he insisted. “I can’t afford negativity or any more surprises.”
I leaned back and studied his face. “You don’t trust me, do you? Is that why you want me with you all the time?”
“Of course not.” Canaan brushed off my accusation too quickly, and he didn’t really answer me.
“Then why?”
“I’m up every day at the crack of dawn and return here when the sun is setting, fighting with a man who doesn’t believe I deserve to be on his team.
I like you here waiting for me. Brings me peace,” he said before lifting me off his lap to tower over me.
“Monday is important to me. I have a mock race with Gabriel. I want you to be there on the track.”
Touching his wrist, I asked, “Why am I just hearing about this race? You’ve never asked me to go with you to practice. I assumed it was off-limits or something.”
“Because we just scheduled it today, and I didn’t think you were going anywhere.”
I looked up at him. “I told you I may have to fly back and forth. I can be at the next one.”
He walked to the glass balcony and gripped the railing. “This race is in front of the executives from Ferrari. Cameras and media will be present.” Canaan slanted his gaze at me. “More content for your pages, isn’t that what you wanted?”
The disdain in his voice grated on my nerves, and I closed my eyes briefly to calm my rising anger.
“I’m more than a content creator, Canaan.
I might lose my spot on my professor’s research team if I don’t meet with him in Houston on Monday.
He knows I’m here with you and doesn’t want me to lose sight of my goals.
” I stood up to even the playing field, or at least bring me closer to his height.
Canaan’s head whipped around. “He? Your professor wants to meet in person when he knows you’re here with me? I thought you were done with classes?”
“I am, but I still have my research with him and dissertation to complete.”
“Why do you need to meet in person to talk about research when the whole damn world uses technology?” he growled.
Leaning my back against the railing, I faced him. “Why are you giving me a hard time about my work? If I were meeting with my family or if my professor were a woman, you wouldn’t be so angry.”
“Damn right because you love dick,” he quipped. “You’ve made that quite clear in your book and with me.”
I jabbed my finger at him. “And that’s the arrogant bastard you’ve been hiding. I wasn’t going to leave until Monday morning and come back on Tuesday. Maybe I need to take a break from Canaan’s world and worry about myself for a while.”
His eyes widened. “What does that mean? We’ve been here three weeks.”
“A break from orbiting around your sun like I don’t have a life.”
“Are you kidding me right now? Our whole life is on display for the world to see because of you. I haven’t made any demands on you until today.
” He gestured at my phone on the table next to my laptop.
“You’re getting something out of being here with me, time to write and to build your following, and all I ask is for you to be there for me for one day. I guess that’s too much.”
The evident hurt in his voice doused some of my fire. “It’s not too much. Just bad timing. My advisor may drop me, and I don’t know how that will affect my graduation.”
“Drop you for what? Missing a meeting? Does that even sound right to you?” His eyes narrowed. “Bet he’s into you, especially after that video of us came out.” He crossed his arms. “You might be into him too.”
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.” I pushed my braids behind my ear, gearing up for a battle of words.
Canaan shrugged. “My woman doesn’t travel to meet another man. You’re not going.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I seethed. “He’s my professor who’s been nothing but a mentor to me. Dr. Radi has never checked for me. Stop tripping on your ego because I’m not your woman.”
He glanced behind him at the entrance to the house, where Malcolm, Ms. Murielle, and other staff roamed.
“Do you want others to hear you right now?” Canaan’s scowl grew when he turned back to me.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten how much attention you get now since we’ve gone Insta official.
People scrutinize everything you or I do.
When I’m not on that track or in the simulation booth, I’m with you.
Period. I don’t need people making up shit because you’re out and about in Houston without me. ”
At an impasse, we glared at each other.
After a few tense seconds, I said, “I’m going home, Canaan. I have a right to the life I’ve been building for years. I’ll leave Monday morning and return Tuesday.”
Canaan uttered, “If you’re not back by Monday, don’t come back.”
“What? I’ll be gone for the day.” My chest constricted. “The whole thing is off if I’m not back on Monday? How did we get here?”
He practically shouted, “Because I need you here.”
The longing that peeked out from behind his anger confused me.
He said it as if he really needed me to be there with him.
How can that be? “You made it this far without me. I didn’t exist until a couple of months ago, and I haven’t been to any of your practices.
What difference does it make if I’m there? ”
Canaan opened his mouth and snapped it shut. “You’re right. Makes no difference.” He stalked away.
With each step away from me, my heart wilted. “You’re so used to getting your way, you can’t see how you’re wrong,” I yelled.
Canaan didn’t turn around.