His Forever 2-His girlfriend

10

Alisa

I watched through my side of the window as the city enlarged bit by bit. It still maintained that early morning vibe with vendors arriving at their various businesses. In an hour the streets would be swarmed by people going here and here, the usual rush of New York.

Not for me though. I felt anything but a rush moving through me. Actually, after finding out my father would be losing this fight in only a matter of months I felt no better than a lifeless piece of log, unable to do anything. The only thing that kept me breathing at this point was Drey's words.

It rang over and over and over in my head. I might be losing my father, but I was not alone, because I had a man who adored me right here with me. Maybe there was hope for survival for me.

It took a moment to realize the car had come to a slow stop in front of my apartment building. I found myself lost in thought now and then.

I swiveled my head to meet Drey's eyes boring into me. Clearly, I was not the only one lost in thought. "We're here," he said softly, placing one rough hand on my knee.

"We are," I said, biting my tongue to hold back from saying anything. Because if I continued speaking, I just would express my unwillingness to leave him just yet. After all that had happened this weekend, I had become very sappy. Needy for his presence because that was the one thing I could turn to for comfort.

Drey slid out of the car, coming around to my side to hold the door open for me. Taking his hand, I climbed out of the car, thankful for his support seeing how low the sports car was. The chilly morning air made me shiver slightly and I was reminded that we were back to rainy old New York. I could hardly wait for the weather to stabilize again. 

We stood there for the next few seconds, with Drey leaning on the car, arms folded—like that was the only way he could stop himself from touching me—and me holding my purse, trying to figure what to say to him. Although unplanned, this was the hardest part of this weekend, coming back into reality. The reality was that I was so not ready to say goodbye to Drey yet.

Clearing my throat, I blurted the only thing I could think of. "Do you want to have some coffee before you leave?" bad idea, bad f*****g idea. But since when did I listen to my brain when this man was next to me.

His eyes widened an inch and he stared at me as if he could not believe his ear.

"Ron got this pretty cool coffee maker and I've been dying to try it out and since I know exactly how you like your coffee, maybe I can make you some. I know how cranky you get without your 'early morning coffee,'" I made a quote, reminding him of the first time we met when we were still strangers and were not in a complicated tangle of emotions.

Actually, if I was being very honest, I had always been in a tangled mess of hormones and feelings with Drey, from the moment his driver had almost run me over. Even when he was an arrogant jerk. Only now, I knew what beautiful man lived inside that beautiful body, and that beautiful man had given me his heart. You would think that would make the situation somehow less complicated.

It didn't. not in the slightest. Also, why did nobody ever tell me loving someone would be this painful?

His silence weighed in the air for a moment and I realized he probably had other things to do than have coffee with me. "I get it if you're too busy too," I said honestly, "it's Monday morning after all."

"I'm not too busy for you Alisa," he said immediately, erasing and thought crawling up my brain. "I was just a little surprised, but yes, I would love to have coffee, especially if it's made by you."

It was the third time I had opened my door to Drey. His large frame was slowly fitting into my small apartment, but I knew it would never be anything compared to his massive building. From the looks of it, Drey was not complaining.

Memories flooded my brain as he took a seat across the counter, while I tried to figure out how to work the coffee maker. With my routine of work, exercise and, crying myself to sleep in the last two months, I realized I could count on one finger how many times I had actually made coffee for myself. Zero. It was always Ron, and now he was not here which meant I had to figure it out on my own.

"How is your studio coming along?" Drey asked, breaking the silence.

I was not surprised to hear that he knew about that and I did not bother to ask how and be reminded that he had had someone following me in the last two months. "Good," I said, trying not to sound too excited. It was still the first day and too much excitement just might jinx it all up. "we're open and ready for business today."

"I know," he said with a rare smile, one I hardly saw on his face. "I'm so proud of you Alisa and I know in only a matter of time you'll be reaching even newer heights."

"It's just a studio," I whispered, feeling that twinge of uncertainty nipping at me again. "If I'm being honest, I don't even know if I'm just wasting my time venturing into this or not. What if it fails, I mean I'm not even that good yet." the words were spilling free on their own. I had quickly forgotten that Drey had that effect on me too.

When I looked at him, his face had anything but criticism or judgment. And when he spoke, for the first time in a while, I felt like I really had the power to pull this off. "If I'm still speaking to the strong, smart, beautiful woman standing in front of me right now, who could actually tell me to go suck my d**k, then in a few years when you do become the best in your game, I will be reminding you how I told you so."

Despite myself, I giggled at that remark, "You really think I can do this."

With a slow smile, he said, "you underestimate yourself too damn much beautiful."

We fell back into another silence, mostly because I was too busy fighting with the coffee maker. I turned to find an amused smile on Drey's face as he watched me attempt to maneuver it. "Don't look at me like that, I said he got a new coffee maker, I did not say I know how to use it yet."

And there was also the fact that I still was no genius at making his coffee the way he liked it yet. "Why would they even make something so simple so complicated?" I groaned and turned around just in time, coming face to face with his broad chest. "Oh!"

"I didn't mean to startle you," he gave a weak smile, but did not make any attempt to step back. "let me show you."

He drew closer until my ass was practically brushing against his groin. My body tingled, sparks exploding from my head to my toes and a rapid pool brewing between my legs. With heat flushing through my cheeks, I knew a tomato had nothing on me. I fought the urge to lean into him because that would be the very end of me if I moved even a quarter of an inch close to Drey now.

My breath caught in my chest as he leaned closer, his face next to mine and his body shadowing mine. He was saying something about this being quite a recent model but I was long gone, lost to the desires I had been fighting hard to push down.

What were we doing again?

Aha, making coffee. That seemed mundane though as the scenario of kissing him played in my mind. I might have forgotten how good of a kisser this man was, but my body had Drey etched on it. As I watched him speak about buttons and caffeine, my teeth instinctively bit my bottom lip, pressing hard enough to draw blood.

"Stop doing that," he growled, his eyes trained on the machine.

His voice was stern with no edge of anything suggestive or erotic, yet it managed to push every rational thought from my brain, leaving me to the starved woman who would do anything to have him look at me, kiss me right now.

"I'm not doing anything," my whisper was a reflection of my resolve, shattered with no will to back it up.

Letting go of the last shred of thought holding me back, I turned around in his arms, pushing into him this time. While the girl I was up until twenty-four hours ago could not recognize this me, the s*x pot Drey had created in me, the one I had forced deep down two months ago, screamed 'f**k yeah,' urging me on.

I was drunk from just the tense feeling of being this close to Drey after months, so high that I moaned as he trailed two fingers from my neck down to my collar bone. My body tightened in anticipation, well aware of what he could do to me, with me.

With a light but possessive hold, his fingers curled around my neck and he pulled me closer. This time, there was no mistaking the obvious bulge of his c**k against my belly. My body responded urgently, nerves shot through me, making my n*****s harden to beads and my s*x swell with readiness for him.

"I miss you so much," I whispered, placing a hand on his sturdy abdomen.

"You never said that before, beautiful,"

"I was scared," I confessed, swallowing back the name of the person who terrified me most. I had no intentions of ruining this moment. "I still am."

"As long as you are with me Alisa, you don't have any reason to be afraid," with his face barely a hair away from mine, his slow breath felt warm against my lips. "I know I did a s**t job before, but I will always protect you, Alisa."

We stood in silence for the next few seconds and I digested his words over and over again, constantly reminding myself that I was safe in Drey's arms.

"I want to kiss you so bad right now Alisa, but one kiss will not be enough for me."

He was right, if he did kiss me right now, it would not do nearly enough to quench the fire of desire raging through me. "me neither."

I felt the warmth of his lips brushing over mine and just as I parted my lips in acceptance, I heard the stern and clearly pissed voice of my best friend in a tone I only heard once in a while. "What the f**k is he doing here?!"

"Ron!" I turned a startled gaze to him, fury etched into his features. I could not blame him. If I saw him about to kiss the man I had watched him cry over for two months, I would be just as pissed.

"Jesus Alisa," he threw his hands in the air, "him? really? I don't know you to be stupid or selfish."

His words stung, even though I knew he was only speaking in anger and because he cared. "Watch yourself, Ron," Drey growled, taking a furious step closer to him, "you might be the best friend here, but I will not hesitate to remind you how to speak to her."

Ron was not backing down either, he glared at Drey, "I dare you Jerk. Why would you not just stay away, she only makes bad decisions when she's around you."

"f**k you!" Drey spat, "you don't even know the half of it."

"And I don't care to know," Ron exploded. At this point, I was the only thing standing between them and a testosterone explosion. "All I know is you're hurting her and she does not even realize it."

"Please both of you stop this now," I begged, placing a hand on each man's chest to hold them back. "Ron you need to calm down."

"And you need to see that he's no good for you. Or are three nights with him alone capable of making you forget that your dad's life is at that b***h's mercy thanks to him?"

I exploded at that reminder. Whatever emotions that had been pushed back from the effect of being in Drey's arms bubbled up. And I was reminded that I now had at least 5 months, 28 days, and a few hours left with dad.

"Right, Dad," I sobbed, wiping tears away from my eyes with no use, "well since you care so much, I have terrific news. He's dying anyway."

"W-what?" he stuttered, looking between me and Drey who was still seething behind me.

"He's in a terminal stage now. With barely 6 months left,"

Ron staggered back a step like I had slapped him with my words. "Alisa, what are you talking about?"

"You have the hospital's number, call doctor Leah. Or even better visit him. Do whatever you want." My legs felt numb again as I removed myself from their middle. With the bomb I had dropped in the room, I knew they would not be going at each other again—for now.

Without looking back to see the look on either of their faces, I ran in the direction of my bedroom, banging the door shut hard enough to make the room vibrate. A picture of my dad sitting on the nightstand lost its balance and fell helplessly to the ground. My heart clenched as the glass frame shattered into a million pieces wrenching a gasp from me. I really was losing him, was I going to lose every memory of my dad too?

Picking up the picture, I climbed into my bed and held it close to my chest pouring my heart out into the pillow. Just as my thoughts drifted to Drey and what had just happened, I heard what sounded like a fist being plowed into someone's face. Then a harsh groan, definitely not Drey's. Then silence, and next thing front door was banging shut.

If I was not in so much pain right now, I would be on my feet, rushing to see if Ron was hurt, but that was the least of my worries.

I loved my best friend, but he probably deserved that punch. 

With the thoughts swirling in my head and different emotions struggling to take center stage in my mind, I resorted to the one place I might find some peace. Sleep.

But as the demons slowly crept up in a gripping nightmare, I knew how much of a lie that was.

There really was no safe place for me.