A Burning Impulse

Chapter 7

“Welcome,” The front desk lady greeted us when we entered the restaurant Warren and Erebus frequent. “Let me guide you to your room.” She politely offered.

“No need; we can find our way there ourselves,” Warren said, guiding me to one of the private rooms in the restaurant.

“Please,” Erebus pulled out a seat for me. I thanked him and sat down facing them.

“What would you like to order?” Warren asked me. I awkwardly shuffled through the menu and chose seafood. Erebus and Warren ordered themselves steak. Unlike how I imagined it, our conversation wasn’t awkward or unpleasant. We shared a pleasant conversation over the meal, and everything went well until the dessert came out. I innocently licked the spoon, lost in my damn world, when Warren suddenly growled, and before I could react, he was in front of me, his face into my face.

I looked at him with wide eyes when he leaned into me further. When I thought he would kiss me, he brushed his lips past my cheeks and whispered into my ears, “If you are done with the dessert, shall we leave?”

I gulped as his scent filled my nose. I unconsciously clenched my thighs and gasped for air. He was so close to me that my mind flashed back to the day of Jane’s bachelorette party, and as their image filled my mind, it got hard to breathe.

“I have finished eating,” I managed to whisper distractedly.

“Good,” Warren whispered and leaned away, his lips once again grazing my cheeks; just this time, he deliberately slid his lips past the corner of my lips. I gasped audibly and looked into his eyes, only to almost melt under the intensity of his desire. His desire that he holds for me.

Hold back. Hold back. Hold back. Hold back. Hold back. I chanted like a mantra.

“Let’s go then. We should talk about our business over drink,” Erebus said. I knew damn well if I went to drink with them, I would end up in bed with them. They aren’t the people I could just f**k and get over it like nothing ever happened. Once I get into bed with them, I won’t be able to hold back or be satisfied with a one-night stand. I would want the repetition of it, I’m sure of it. Just my desire alone goes against all my beliefs and my Christian upbringing.

I barely regained my rationality and said, “I have somewhere to be. I think I will leave for today. I will contact you when I start with the project.”

“We won’t hold you back then, but let us drop you off,” Erebus said.

“Okay,” I agreed. My car was in their office building, and I would have to take a taxi, so their suggestion worked out in my favor.

“Your address?” Warren asked. I looked at him in confusion as to why he didn’t know where I lived, and then I realized that after I moved out of Mason’s apartment, we hadn’t been in contact with each other since. It was natural for them not to know my address.

“I live in MacGyver apartments,” I said.

“It’s close to where we live,” Erebus mused. His eyes looked like he was scheming, and I had a bad feeling about it.

Before my overthinking could consume me, my phone chimed. My dad messaged me, asking me to come home.

“I need to get off here,” I said to Warren.

“Here? Is everything okay?” He asked when he looked at me typing on my phone.

“Everything is okay. I have to drop by somewhere,” I said, not disclosing any details as to where I planned to go.

“Tell me the address, and I will drop you off,” Warren said.

“It’s okay. I can go alone,” I said in a firm voice, so Warren dropped the topic and pulled the car on the sidewalk. Erebus stopped me from opening the door and opened it for me.

“If you are not driving with us, then at least let me get you a taxi,” Erebus insisted. We waited silently for the taxi to pass by, and only after the taxi left did both brothers drive off.

“That was dangerous,” I sighed, patting my chest. With both brothers gone, my heart gradually calmed down, making me sigh in relief. Lost in my treacherous thoughts, the journey back to the home I grew up in felt extremely short.

“We are here,” The taxi driver informed me. I paid him for his service and entered my home. My stepmom, my dad, my little brother Casper, and his pregnant wife, Jelena, were waiting for me in the living room. The air around them was heavy, suggesting they had already discussed the topic.

“Dis something happened?” I asked as I sat beside Mom. She gave me a fake smile and a side hug. Her reaction confused me as she always greeted me excitedly. My confusion vanished when Dad talked.

“I looked at some good candidates for your marriage. Meet a few of them, and get married,” My Dad said to me, and I looked at them in bafflement.

“I don’t want to get married, Dad,” I said in a low voice. You guessed it right. I had no guts to go against my Dad, but I tried to stand up for myself.

“If you don’t marry, what will you do? Be unmarried your whole life? I won’t allow that. I let you marry Mason because he was a good guy, and I felt sorry for you, who grew up without a mother, but you couldn’t keep him. Now, you will marry the man I want, and I won’t hear any more on this topic,” Dad stood up to go to his room, leaving us all stunned. It seems even after Mom gave up herself for the sake of us, Dad still doesn’t consider her family. Seeing her broken expression broke my heart, so I did what I had never done. I stood up against him.

“I grew up without a Mom? You let me marry Mason? Areen’t you too full of yourself, Dad?” I sneered, standing up to face him. Casper looked shocked but nodded his head in agreement. Jelena was looking at us excitedly. I’m sure she was ecstatic that I was finally standing against Dad. Mom was the only one looking sad and terrified.

“Eclipse, we can discuss this matter later, sweetie,” Mom tried to back me off, but I didn’t budge. I can hear anything being said about me but not her. I have seen her losing everything for the sake of us, but that stops here. Dad took it too far this time, and I can feel this is something we will never be able to recover from.

“No, Mom, we must end this right here. Do you know that while you were so busy taking over Grandpa’s succession, this woman was with us at our toughest times? I bet you don’t even know your children almost died in an accident, but this woman took the fall for us. While you were out with your prestigious college board members, Mom put us to bed, read our stories, and cared for us more than a mother cares for her child. It wasn’t a Mother we didn’t grow up with; it was you, Dad,” I snapped. Mom started sobbing while trying to pull me back, while the Man that I call Dad didn’t even budge. I couldn’t see his expression with his back turned, but I’m sure he must be angry. Seeing him stay static pissed me off as much as his indifference hurt me.

“I guess you don’t care about that,” I sneered at my pathetic self, wishing for him to turn back once and care about my emotions. Looking at his broad back, I remembered my childhood when I begged him many times to stay with us, but he left each time, promising to be with us next time, which never came.

Disappointed once again, I left the mansion in tears. I couldn’t understand how Dad still affected me. I still love and care for him as I did in my childhood. I still can’t manage to get out of his clutches.

“Eclipse,” My name brought me out of a daze, and I realized I was already standing in front of my apartment. I looked at Warren and Erebus with teary eyes as they worriedly approached me. I was an emotional wreck, and without thinking, I hugged Erebus. I didn’t ask them why they were here or how they guessed I would return to a bad state. Their presence felt like a saving grace at the time, and I clung to them with desperation.

“Are you okay?” His simple question made me bow my eyes out, and I clutched him tightly as my tears stained his suit. Erebus held me tightly in his arms, patting my back until I released all my emotions.

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