Flawed (Imperfectly Perfect Book 1)

by Lym Cruz

  Erica and I exchanged a worried look. Either Andrew or Dave opened their mouth and told Robert that Christina had feelings for him and wisely he created space between them. We’d discouraged Christina and told her Robert wasn’t right for her but Christina wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

  “Have you told him how you feel?” I asked.

  “Fuck no! He’s avoiding me and you expect me to tell him that I have feelings for him? Sometimes I wonder if it’s because I’m fat.”

  “You’re not fat, Christina,” I said. “Yes, you’ve got some curves on you but not fat. I’m not exactly spaghetti-thin either.”

  She raised her head and peeked at me. “I’m still bigger than you, Mel and let’s not argue about that.”

  “You know what? You should, like, expand your horizons. Forget Robert, it’s his loss. You’re an amazing person and someday you’ll find a guy who deserves you.”

  “I wish it were that easy forgetting someone. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t call or text him anymore. He doesn’t need to know how desperate I am. I will still stalk him on social media for a while though.”

  I chuckled. “You’ll only torture yourself.”

  I empathized with her. Forgetting someone was not easy. I should know better than anyone.

  “Can we not make this day any more depressing?” Christina said, “It’s sad enough that you’re leaving, we don’t need to mourn over my pathetic life.”

  “Your life is not pathetic,” I said, “You’re a hot, sizzling Latina.”

  Christina snorted. “Yeah right!”

  The rest of the day we spent cuddled in bed, eating pizza and watching a marathon of The Bachelorette. It would be a long time before we could do this again. For those few hours, we pushed out everything else and lived the moment.

  A little over midnight, I kicked them out. They had to go. I wasn’t sure I would be strong enough to leave if I had them with me in the morning. We hugged for the longest time before they left.

  I missed them already.

  The apartment was silent and I realized Andrew hadn’t come that day. He didn’t knock on my door as per habitual. He didn’t come to tell me about his day or what he did. I never opened and pretended not to listen, but the truth was that it was the peak of my day. I longed to hear him, even when I told myself I didn’t. But today he didn’t show. It bothered me more than it should.

  The hollowness in my chest was filled with an anguish that tightened and traveled all the way up to my throat. All I could hear was my mind wrestling with my heart. My decision was made. There was no turning back.

  I laid in bed well aware that I wouldn’t sleep, instead, I relived my memories of Andrew. He said that he loved me, for the first time, in this very same apartment—whether he meant it or not.

  Then I prayed that the sun wouldn’t rise and morning wouldn’t come, but it did. My alarm told me it was almost time to leave. I got up, ready to go back home, for good this time and once again start fresh, a new life without Andrew.

  “I am not going to cry,” I told myself. “This is for the best.”

  Wheeling my luggage behind me, I reached for the door handle, pulled it open and froze.

  Andrew rested on the wall opposite my apartment, hands folded over his chest. He noticed me and his caramel iris found mine. I hadn’t seen that face in a while.

  Andrew maintained a steady gaze on me and I trembled. I wasn’t expecting his presence to still affect me that much. There wasn’t the slightest glow in his eyes and his face twisted into a disgusted expression as his eyes lowered to my luggage.

  “I had to see this for myself,” he said so low I could barely make out the words. “You really were going to leave.”

  “I am leaving, Andrew.”

  “Like hell you are,” he growled and stood up straight to his full height. I nearly unnerved under his condescending glare.

  “You can’t stop me. I’ve made up my mind. This is my life and I will do with it as I please.”

  Andrew took three steps forward, maintaining a reasonable distance between us. His chest heaved. He clenched his teeth so hard that I could see them underneath his tense jaw and his eyes threw daggers at me. Only then, I realized that he was not upset. He was furious.

  I held his gaze and pushed back my shoulders, never backing down, but the longer I stared at him, the more my heart screamed that I was making a mistake.

  “Yes, I’ve come to accept that, Melissa. It is your life and I won’t stop you from doing what you want. Ever. But while you’re carrying my child, I get a say on what you do.”

  I felt the tense muscles of my face relax as if they were melting. My mean-girl mask fell and my bottom lip shuddered searching for words. How did he know?

  I cleared my throat trying to seem unaffected. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know. And if you try to leave today, I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.”

  “What?”

  “You’re running away with my child; how could you do that?” He raised his voice. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

  I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how long I was going to keep it from him. I was incapable of formulating a response and he continued, “I know you’re hurt. I understand and accept that we’re done and trust me, I will never come after you again. I get it, but I won’t let you take my child away from me.”

  His words hit me hard. The blow nearly knocked me back. He was done? How could he be done? He said he loved me.

  “It might not even be yours,” I said out of spite.

  “Until you’ve proven otherwise, you’re not leaving.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Then I hope you enjoy sleeping at a precinct. It’s not a five-star hotel but it’ll do the trick.”

  Without another word, Andrew turned on his heels marching towards the stairs.

  “You wouldn’t do that,” I yelled to his back.

  “Try me, Melissa. Fucking try me.”

  This couldn’t be happening. How the hell did he know? One name popped into my head.

  I took my phone from my purse and dialed Erica’s number and as soon as I heard her voice on the other side I screamed, “How could you, Erica? You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  “What are you talking about?” she said with a sleepy voice.

  “Andrew was here. He knew I was leaving. He knows about the baby.”

  “Oh!” She was fully awake now. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t even tell David that you’re pregnant or leaving.”

  “What?”

  “What I just said: It. Wasn’t. Me.”

  I yelled my frustration at the phone and then I hung up. This was only getting worse. Erica had a big mouth, but Christina, no way. I doubted even as I called her number.

  “Why did you tell Andrew about the baby and that I was leaving?” I accused her when she answered.

  She sighed but didn’t deny. “Because you’re being stupid. He’s the father and he needed to know.”

  “It wasn’t your place to tell, Christina.”

  “And it wasn’t your place to run off with his baby. I know what’s it like growing up without a father, although I had a great stepdad, I always wondered how it would be if he were alive. And you’re so stubborn to the point that it clouds your judgment. I don’t doubt for a second that you’d raise that child fatherless because of your stupidity.”

  My heart drummed in my chest and my eyes stung. “You were completely out of line.” I gritted my teeth. “I’m so mad at you right now.”

  “I don’t know what the hell the two of you are fighting about but running isn’t the solution.”

  “He said he’ll arrest me if I try to leave… and … and.” My voice faltered. It was strenuous pronouncing the words. “He said he’s done with me.”

  “Good for him.” She laughed dryly. “Andrew does nothing but chase your ass like a horndog and you trample on him because of that. Bet it hurts to
know that he took you seriously, right? He got tired of running after you and you got your wish. He doesn’t want you anymore.”

  Chapter 21

  Andrew

  Above all the things that happened, I would have never expected that from Melissa. I understood that she was upset—unreasonably—but upset nonetheless. However, to leave the country without telling me of her pregnancy, that was low. She could hate me for the rest of her life, not talk to me ever again, but she had no right to keep my child away from me.

  Melissa’s pregnant.

  Even after Christina told me, I couldn’t believe it. She was pregnant and running away with my child.

  My phone vibrated on the desk. I picked it up and unlocked it to read the texts.

  Melissa: Can we talk?

  Melissa: If you’re up for it …

  Melissa: About the baby.

  I held the phone in my hand and read the texts over and over. Nearly a week had passed since our last encounter and she finally got the courage to contact me. There had been no attempt on my part. I loved Melissa and probably always would but if she wanted me gone from her life, I would leave. If that’s what it took to have her stay with my child. As much as it hurt to even think about letting her go, I was respecting her wishes.

  Andrew: I’m at Rob’s you can come over or do you want me to come to you?

  Melissa: I’m already outside.

  That made me chuckle. I pulled back the chair to stand when there was a knock on the bedroom door. Robert opened it and I could see Melissa’s frame behind him. I sat back down.

  “Visitor,” Rob said, his eyes danced. He walked out and left me staring at Melissa.

  I was mad at her. Furiously mad. But that sweet, puppy look on her face almost had me leaping towards her. I held on to the chair’s arms to contain myself.

  She held herself high—as usual. Her hair was different though, it was flat, and her curls were gone. It didn’t make her any less striking but I preferred the puffy curls. She wore a white t-shirt and I couldn’t help but stare at her stomach —like her hair, it was flat.

  “Can I come in?” Melissa said.

  I nodded.

  Melissa walked in slowly, her long brown skirt swayed as she moved into the room. She looked around, moved to the nearest wall and sunk to the floor. She removed her sandals and sat with her legs crisscrossed.

  “So, as you know I’m pregnant,” she said with her head down. “The baby is yours.” She laughed dryly. “And I wanted to say that … I’m sorry for how I acted. You’re right, our issues shouldn’t affect the baby and I should have told you about it before thinking about leaving. I came here to tell you that I’m still leaving, but I won’t stop you from getting to know your child and I promise to keep you updated.”

  I couldn’t believe that this was the way we were going to handle things. She was serious. She wanted to leave because of one fight or misunderstanding or whatever the hell happened between us.

  “What about after the baby is born?”

  “I don’t know.” Melissa shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

  I sat back on the chair and rocked it without any clue on how to fix this. Melissa couldn’t look straight at me, and I remained silent. Then she looked up from her lashes with soft eyes and said, “Were you really going to have me arrested if I tried to leave?”

  Of course not. “Yes.”

  “I spoke to a lawyer, Andrew.” She smiled. “Things aren’t like that.” The smile dissolved and her countenance became sad. “And did you mean it when you said we … were done?”

  “Yes.” She winced at my answer. It hurt her too. It made me glad to see that reaction, maybe not everything was lost. If only she weren’t as hotheaded. “It is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

  She shook her head with a loud, sigh. “I don’t know what I want, Andrew.” Melissa lifted her face. Her eyes were glistering. “I’m confused. I’m hurt.” I could see her struggling to keep the tears from falling but they fell. “I don’t know.”

  I fought my urge to go to her. “Why don’t you talk to me?”

  She snorted a dry laugh and cleaned her tears. “I heard it all, Andrew. What your mother thinks, what your father thinks, and I also heard your silence. You said nothing.”

  “Because there was nothing left to say. I was tired of repeating myself to them and nothing they said affected the way I feel about you.”

  “I don’t know if I can believe you. I don’t know if you’re just like them and like your father said, ‘I’m good for business.’ Maybe that’s why you pursued me, maybe it was all about the money.”

  Hearing her say that hurt. A lot. “Do you really believe that, Mel? Do you believe I planned all of this because of money? Is that the kind of person you think I am?”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

  “Because I was ashamed of them and I didn’t want to hurt you. I wanted to keep you away from all of it—I wanted to protect you from my family but I guess that was a mistake.”

  “I never needed protection, all I wanted from you was honesty. I can take care of myself and now… I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

  She lowered her head and began crying.

  It was impossible to watch her sob without attempting to comfort her. I struggled to my feet and walked over to her, dropped to my knees and took her hands and urged her to look at me.

  “Believe in us. You know I love you Mel, and you know that it was never about the money. I was already deeply in love with you when I found out about your father. I’m not my parents. Their opinions are not the same as mine. I love you for who you are. And I’m not ashamed of you, or even of your past. I’m sorry you had to hear that but you must understand that I don’t think like that. Don’t ruin us because of something you know in your heart is not true.”

  “I’m confused. I can’t…” She clenched her eyes shut, struggling to finish. “I can’t bear it. Not being with you is too hard. I’m mad at you but I love you. I want to believe you, but I don’t want to get hurt. I’ve been hurt and lied to before, I can’t let that happen again, Andrew, I can’t.”

  “And it won’t. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She used my hands as an anchor, pulling against them to haul herself into me. I caught her and pressed her warm body against my chest. I inhaled, taking in her scent that I’d craved; feeling her heart beat against my chest and her arms around me. There was no way I could go on with my life without her. Her presence made everything better.

  Melissa pulled back and held on to my forearm. “I’m giving you one last chance, Malcolm, don’t screw it up ‘cause if you do there will not be a third,” she said with conviction, meaning every word.

  “I got it.” I grinned. A month’s worth of tension began to dissolve. “Can we kiss and make up now?” Chuckling she nodded and I wiped the tears away. “Are you still leaving?”

  “Depends on how good or bad the kiss and what comes after the kiss will be.”

  “What’s supposed to come after the kiss?”

  “You’re a genius, figure it out.”

  I laughed, a real one for the first time in a while. I lifted my hand and ran it through her smooth hair. “What happened to this?” I said, holding a strand of straight hair.

  “You don’t like it?”

  “It’s different.”

  “Different good or bad?”

  “Just different. Now, enough talking, I have to kiss you and make you want to stay.”

  Immediately, sexual tension crackled in the air between us like crepitating electricity.

  Melissa felt it too because she jumped on me. I fell on my back and Melissa was on top of me. Her chest heaved with long, panting breaths. My dick twitched; it began to stretch along her belly. She sat back on her heels and pulled the shirt she was wearing off over her head. It wasn’t a shirt; it was actually a dress. Everything came out and she was before me bare-chested and with a tiny thong covering t
he spot that drove me to levels of pleasure, I’d only experienced with her.

  Gently, she caressed me. Her fingertips sliding over my biceps. Then she climbed over me and sealed her mouth over mine.

  I held on to her, kissing her back with everything in me. I missed her. Melissa rocked herself against me. The rough sound of lust coming deep from within her made me want to hear more of her delirious cries of pleasure. All on their own my hands found her hair. I held her still and rolled over to put her beneath me.

  “You’re beautiful, Mel,” I murmured before wrapping my lips around her erect nipples and sucking gently. She cried out my name and arched her back. I palmed the other tit and she moaned even louder.

  Right there and then, with her, I was resuscitated. My world brightened again. Melissa was the one person who could truly hurt me and cause me pain, but paradoxically she was the reason for my happiness. Life without Melissa wasn’t life at all.

  I held on to the elastic band of her panties and rolled them down her legs. She lifted them to facilitate the task. I sat back between her legs and gazed at the glorious, naked woman beneath me. I placed my palm flat over her belly. A piece of me was growing inside of her.

  “You won’t hurt the baby, it’s safe.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure.” She seemed sure but I was nervous. I didn’t want to hurt either of them. “Hey, it’s safe, and remember that if you don’t do this I’ll leave.”

  I held on to her knees and slow as possible slid into her. She was tight, wet and warm.

  This wasn’t going to last.

  ∞∞∞

  We laid on the uncomfortable floor, but we didn’t want to move or disconnect our bodies. Melissa was tucked by my side with her back pressed against my front. I kissed her neck until she giggled. The sound was fantastic. I missed it.