18. I Knew This Was Coming #2
I nodded when spoken to, letting Marlon take the lead. If he noticed, he didn’t call it out. We moved through the space together. He explained logistics and I filled in where needed, pointing out design choices with the experience we wanted guests to have.
It should’ve felt like a win but my mind kept circling back.
If I love him… I’m sure he loves me.
That sounded stupid now with his cum dripping down my legs. Lavender was right about Marlon’s lifestyle. I don’t think this is love. I knew I said that earlier, but it didn’t even feel real coming out my mouth.
It felt like I just needed a word and grabbed the first one that sounded serious enough. But this ain’t soft like love should be.
It ain’t safe.
It’s just confusing as hell. I feel… caught up. Like I woke up in something that got a hold on me and now I don’t know how to back out.
Or if I even wanted too.
What really worried me was how much I thought about him. Not even in a cute way.
In a way that had been throwing me off my game. I couldn’t even focus on my own event long enough to participate.
I caught myself watching him, waiting to see how he was gonna act next. That wasn’t me before I met him. But with him, I didn’t know which part of me was real anymore and I didn’t like that.
On the other hand though… he did things that don’t line up with that at all.
Like the way he checked on me without making a big deal out of it.
He took care of me as needed, way more than my father expected.
He didn’t have to do that. Nobody ever does that without wanting something back, especially when it’s casual and ending in a few weeks.
But Marlon never expected anything in return for his actions.
And that’s what’s messing with me.
So now I’m stuck.
Because how was I supposed to read that? How was I supposed to sit here and tell myself this was just some situationship or some messy back and forth when he moved like that? When he looked at me like that sometimes? But then he turns around and reminds me that I’m not somebody he can have.
And now I don’t know what to believe.
I didn’t know if he was holding back because he didn’t feel it, or because he felt too much and didn’t trust it. I didn’t know if I was just something temporary to him, or if he’s trying real hard not to make me something more.
And that’s the part that’s got me confused. Because if this wasn’t love… then why does it feel like it’s building into something that could be?
“Do you have a name for the space yet?” one of the marketers asked, stepping closer with a pen ready, completely pulling me from my head.
Marlon didn’t hesitate.
“Aurora is the mind behind it,” he said, glancing at me. “So I’m sure she’ll come up with something great before the opening.”
All eyes shifted to me and I just smiled.
“Still in development,” I added lightly.
That seemed to satisfy them.
They moved on, the tour continued and I stayed quiet.
By the time I was done having an internal breakdown, the showcase had wrapped, people were filtering out and thanking us. I stood near the edge of the room, arms loosely crossed, watching it all like I was one of them when Marlon approached me.
“Come here,” Marlon said quietly, nodding away from the crowd. He didn’t wait to see if I followed but I did. He pulled me to the side, away from everyone else, near the back where it was quieter then he turned to me.
“You okay, Bunny?” he asked. “Still sore or something?”
I blinked. “…what?”
“You been quiet all day,” he said. “That ain’t you. So I gotta know, did I hurt you before?”
This means he cares right?
I shrugged, looking away for a second. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit ass answer.”
I exhaled slowly, pressing my lips together.
“I said I’m fine, Marlon.”
“Look,” he came closer. “I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t like it. Go back to the office and get some rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
“I’m fine, I just—”
“Wasn’t a suggestion,” he replied. “I need you to rest.”
Yeah. He cared.
I smiled faintly. “Yes, sir.”
“And I expect an actual answer later.”
The smile dropped. “Yes, sir.”
I knocked once on Marlon’s office and didn’t wait for an answer.
“Hey, you busy?”
“Yes, Rory, I’m busy,” he said without looking up from his laptop. “Can you come back later?”
Tuh!
I did not spend an hour on the phone with Orim hyping me up for this conversation just for him to dismiss me. I pushed the door open anyway, stepping inside and closing it behind me with a soft click.
“Anyway,” I said, walking further in. “Lavender just suggested something crazy to me so I had to ask.”
His fingers paused over the keyboard for half a second before continuing.
“Are you drunk?”
Well I needed a little liquid courage.
I shrugged and hiccuped. “I had a celebratory drink. What’s the big issue?”
“The issue is it’s three in the afternoon and I had to send you back to the office because you couldn’t handle conversations longer than five minutes at your own event! You were supposed to be resting. Not drinking on the fucking job.”
I had to bite my lips to keep from laughing. Normally, I would be scared of his outburst, but now it just rolled off me.
“Go the fuck home, Aurora.” He looked down at his keyboard, done with me. “I’ll call a car for you. Don’t fucking come back until your sober.”
“But I have to tell you what Lav asked.”
“I’m not interested in you or Lavender’s foolishness,” he said flatly. “I’m five seconds away from firing both y’all’s asses.”
I laughed this time, dropping into the chair across from his desk.
“You’re so funny,” I said, leaning back. “Like I was saying… she asked if I was in love with you.”
That made his hands stop moving completely. He didn’t look at me but I saw the caution. Every nerve in his body was on fire. I kept going anyway.
“I told her I don’t know, ’cause I've never been in love,” I said, watching him now. “But you’ve been in love before, right?”
“Aurora—”
“So you can tell.” I leaned forward slightly, eyes locked on him. “You think I’m in love?”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know, Aurora!”
“Well, do you love me?” He finally looked up at me.
There was something tight in his expression, something controlled that didn’t quite hide fast enough.
“It makes no sense for you to fall in love with me or me to fall for you,” he said, voice even, measured, “when you are not someone who I can have. So please… close my door and go home.”
Not gonna lie, even as tipsy as I was, that still got to me. Still, I played it cool. I tilted my head slightly, then leaned back in the chair.
“No fair,” I said, a small smile pulling at my lips. “You said you loved me in New York.”
His jaw tightened. “Get out, Aurora.”
I stood slowly, smoothing my skirt down, still watching him.
He’d already looked back at his screen, typing again. I walked to the door, hand resting on the handle. Then I turned back, smiling.
“Love you too!”
And I ran out the door laughing before he could say anything else.