Guarded Love

Chapter 21

Essence

I made it back to my apartment feeling exhausted. That was a complete waste of time. I could've stayed home for all of that. He was married this whole time. Figures. He was too good to be true. Sweet, successful, witty, laid back for the most part. Of course he was married. Something had to have been wrong. It was either married/in a relationship or his dick was little. Something had to have been wrong. There's no such thing as the perfect guy.

I had just settled myself into the couch when there was a knock on my door. I groaned but didn't get up. Maybe they'll think no one's home if I stay quiet. They knocked for a few minutes before ceasing. "I know you're in there princess."

I rolled my eyes before getting up. I unlocked the door and opened it a crack. "What?" Considering he got here so quick means he must've left shortly after I did.

"You left abruptly. Didn't say goodbye or anything."

"I'm not in the mood to entertain you." I went to close the door but he easily pushed it open before walking in. Having no energy to play with him I just closed the door and returned to the couch. He sat in the spot I was sitting in with the remote in his hand. I went to the other side and lied down.

"No cable?"

"I don't use it," I said. "I have Netflix and Hulu if you're looking for something to watch." He flipped to Hulu and began searching through the options. The silence was deafening. "You must've left abruptly. Sure your girlfriend didn't mind?"

"Not at all," he said easily. "I was finishing up anyways."

I felt a pang of pain in my heart when he confirmed his relationship with that woman. After everything, everything he said and did, he was no different. My heart hammered in my chest painfully and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I tried swallowing it all back but nothing worked. If anything the feeling just intensified. "I'm going to bed," I got up and made a beeline for my bedroom. I closed the door quickly before rushing to the bathroom. I closed and locked that door before going to the closet door. I stepped inside and sat on the carpeted floor.

It was just one or two tears falling. I wiped them away but soon a waterfall of them came pouring out. The walls in my apartment aren't very thick so I tried crying quietly. "So damn stubborn." I jumped at the sound of a voice behind me. I looked and saw Demetrius sitting behind me.

"H-How-"

"I'm a troublemaker that used to sneak out all the time. I know how to pick a lock." He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. His hold was strong and gentle at the same time. His body heat engulfed me. He smelled amazing as well. I know I should pull away but I couldn't. "You don't have to go into the bowels of hell to cry. You can cry all you want and I won't leave."

My eyes watered again as a sob rose to my throat. I curled up into his chest as I started crying harder. He sat there the entire time just holding me. We stayed like that for a while. It felt like forever before the tears stopped and my breathing was calm again. But I didn't make a move to get out of his hold. I listened to the steady beating of his heart.

"I was kidding," he said. "About the girlfriend thing. She's my accountant. We were discussing other business ventures I could pursue."

"You were laughing a lot to be talking business," I muttered.

"Because jealous ass, she was also telling me about what her husband did. Besides, she's also like an aunt to me."

I snapped my gaze up to him and narrowed my eyes. "Really?"

He grinned. "Yes. She's Jessica's sister so she's basically my aunt. I can't trust just anybody to manage my finances. So you really were jealous huh?"