We get settled inside the seaside mansion and then take a nap. When I finally wake up, the salty summer breeze is wafting through the window and Landon has his arm protectively draped over my body. I breathe deeply and tell myself that I feel a bit better.
Leaving my family behind has left a hole in my heart. There’s no denying that. I’ve lived in that house my entire life, and now suddenly I’m not welcome there. Suddenly my father doesn’t want to know me anymore. I know he’s probably running our whole fight through his head as much as I am, but he’s the one that cut me out, not the other way around. All I wanted was for him to accept the way things are now. I just wanted his blessing. Instead, he gave me the complete opposite. Now I don’t have a home.
That isn’t true, though. I do have a home. Landon is home to me now. Even his arms around me feel as safe as going to sleep in my own bed at home. It’s like he’s made himself my house, my home, my comfort, and my future. I can’t pretend I don’t love this new arrangement. I just wish that my dad could fit into it somehow.
“You okay?” Landon says softly in my ear. I didn’t realize he was awake. I sigh and he pulls me closer without a word.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I understand that you’re hurting.”
“I just never expected all this. My whole life has changed so quickly.”
“I know. And I’m sorry that it’s because of me.” He pauses. “You know...if you wanted to go back I’d let you go. I wouldn’t question it. I’d leave your life forever if you wanted me to…”
“What? No! That’s not what I want!”
“I’m just saying. As much as I want you, need you, if having your father back would make you happy...I’d let you go. I’d rather suffer without you than see you suffer over a broken family.”
I turn to Landon and cup his face. “Stop it. This isn’t your fault. He’s the one who is closed-minded and cruel. You don’t have anything to be sorry for, and you don’t need to take the blame. If he was more accepting we would have worked things out. Don’t blame yourself, this is all on him.”
His eyes are soft. I don’t often see this gentle side to him. I’m used to the lusty animal inside him, but I like this look on him too. It makes me feel safe. “I just want you to know that the option is there. The decision is always in your hands, okay? I’d never force you to stay with me. Not even for my own happiness. I’d rather put myself through hell than let you anywhere near it.”
“I know, but I made my choice. I love you, Landon. And I never want us to be apart.”
He leans in to kiss me and for a moment, I forget all of our troubles. It’s just us and the beautiful scenery and the promise of a better life ahead. With him, things can only get better. As we pull apart, he strokes my cheek.
“Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?”
I smile. “That sounds nice, let me just freshen up and then we can go.”
It’s mid afternoon now as we step out of the house and head for the beach. Having all of this on our doorstep makes me feel like we’re in paradise. We walk for a while, talking about things that don’t matter, and stopping to kiss occasionally. There are a few others on the beach, but they don’t even bat an eye at us. It feels good to be away from judgmental people. It feels good to just be able to express how much I love him in a public. Jenny was right. This was the perfect place for us to come.
Landon stops close to the water and we stand hand in hand, letting it lap over our feet. He closes his eyes with a long sigh.
“I have thought about having this kind of relationship with someone for such a long time. I just never thought it would actually happen. And now that you’re here. I’m in heaven.”
I squeeze his hand. “You could’ve had anyone, and yet you chose me. Why?”
He turns to me with confusion on his face. “Why would you ask me that? You’re perfect. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re clever and witty and sweet, what’s not to love? I’ve never met a woman before who ticks every box, it’s like you were made for me. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and more.”
It makes my heart race to hear him say that. I’ve never been described as perfect by anyone before. I’ve always thought of myself as just another girl. Someone average, someone easily overlooked and I was okay with that. I thought I’d settle down with a cute guy and live an ordinary, boring life. But here I am, standing with this sex god with my feet dipping in the ocean and my heart full of a chaotic mess of emotions. My life isn’t perfect, but it’s full of excitement, lust and love like I never expected. In a few short days, what I want from life has been redefined, all because of Landon. Now, I see a different vision of my future.
A future I’m actually excited for.
Landon steps a little closer to me. “There’s something I have to say.”
I hold my breath. His face is unreadable. Is this going to shatter the illusion and break my heart all over again? Or is he about to say something that will make my life even better? He squeezes my hands.
“I love you so much. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ll never feel this way again. And yes, we’ve had very little time together, but meeting you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I never want to let this feeling go and that means having you in my life forever.” He lets go of my hand and reaches into his pocket. I gasp aloud as he takes out a box and reveals a diamond ring that seems like it came out of my wildest dreams. It’s so beautiful, so perfectly suited to me that I feel tears spring to my eyes. It’s proof again that even after a few days, he knows me better than anyone else on this planet.
“Elena, please say yes. Say you’ll be my wife, marry me, Elena. I want you to be mine forever.”
“I want that too,” I whisper, a smile spreading over my face. “I’ll marry you, Landon.”
He’s smiling as he slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly. I reach out with my hand, my ring pressing against his chest as I search for his heartbeat. I can feel his pulse racing beneath my palm.
“See? You’ve driven me wild,” he growls. Then he scoops me up for a kiss and I wrap myself around him. Through his shorts, I can feel his manhood. I smile as we kiss. He wants me so bad, but I think I want him more. If he thinks I drive him wild then he has no clue what he’s doing to me. I want him with every fiber of my being. I break away from the kiss.
“Take me to bed,” I whisper to him. “Let’s celebrate.”
“You read my mind,” he growls. He begins to carry me across the beach and I gaze up at him, reveling in how in love I feel right now. All my problems have gone away. It’s just me and him against the world.
And that’s all I need.
CHAPTER TEN
Landon
It’s been a few days since we got back from the Hamptons. Elena insisted that before we put the house up for sale and found somewhere else to live that we try and talk to her dad. I understand why she wants to try, of course. He’s her father and she loves him unconditionally, even after the way he treated her. But in the back of my mind, all I can think is that he’s never going to be okay with our relationship.
For the past three days, Elena has knocked on the door of her family home and waited for a response. She never gets one, even though she knows her parents are in. I guess her mother must be on her father’s side, or at least still deciding how to feel about our relationship. I wish it didn’t have to be this hard. I knew that the second I told my parents, they’d be happy for me. Jenny was ecstatic to find out that we were engaged as well. So why can’t Elena’s family muster up the same energy for us?
I head downstairs and catch Elena looking out the window again. She’s taken to doing that, hoping to catch her dad on his way out or into the house. I sit beside her and she offers me a sad smile.
“He’s got to leave the house at some point, right? I don’t want to miss him.”
I sigh, pulling her onto my lap. “Elena, if he wants to speak to you, he’ll do it on his
own terms, and only when he’s ready.”
Her face falls. “I just want to talk it over like adults. Why is he so determined to reject the idea of us? If he doesn’t talk to me soon...well, he’s going to lose his daughter forever. He’ll never get to walk me down the aisle. He’ll never get to meet his grandchildren.”
A few days ago, when we got back, we took a test to confirm our suspicions and we found out that indeed Elena is pregnant. It was a dream come true for us both, but it’s bittersweet for Elena, knowing her family might never be a part of our baby’s life. I kiss her cheek.
“We don’t need anyone, but each other,” I growl. “I’ll take care of you. You don’t worry about a thing.”
She nestles into me. “I know you’ll look after me, but I want my family back to. It’s not that I need him anymore. I outgrew his need to control my life, for sure, but I just miss him. We were so close up until you moved here. And I know he hasn’t given this impression to you, but he’s a good man.”
She’s right. None of his behavior has ever suggested to me that he’s a good man. I still haven’t forgotten that he tried to punch me, rudely left our house mid-meal, and called me a creep. I’ve never held a grudge before, but this man is beyond frustrating. He’s just a reminder that everything would be perfect if he was a little more accepting.
“Look, Elena, you know him better than anyone. If you think he’s a good person, then I believe you. But maybe this whole thing was just one step too far out of his comfort zone. We can’t force him to be okay with this. If he hasn’t come over by now then maybe he never will.”
I see her face fall. Tears spring to her eyes. “I know, you’re right. I just so desperately want things to go back to the way they were.”
I hold her close and we don’t say anything for a while. It kills me seeing her so upset over this. I want to make everything right, but I know there’s nothing I can do. If I go over there and try to knock some sense into him before he’s ready to talk, it’ll only make things worse. It’s a waiting game, and I can’t get involved, as much as I’d like to.
“Try and relax, baby. I’ll take you out for dinner tonight, okay? We’ll get you something nice to take your mind off things.”
Elena offers me a sad smile. “Thanks, but I don’t want to miss Dad. I don’t really feel like going out anyway.”
I’m at a loss. I don’t know how to help her. All I can do is hold her tight and let her know I’m here. I feel anger rising inside me at her father’s behavior. If only he could see sense and just push his pride aside…
The doorbell rings.
Elena
My heart skips several beats. I would never admit this out loud, but I gave up on the idea of my father coming to see me days ago. I thought he’d be too stubborn to ever forgive me. But now there’s someone at the door it seems unlikely that it could be anyone else. After all, Landon is new to the neighborhood and doesn’t know anyone properly yet. It seems like there’s only one person it could be.
“Should I answer it?” I ask Landon. He nods.
“Yes. You need closure, one way or another. Let’s get this sorted out now.”
“Will you come with me?”
He slips his hand into mine. “Of course. If that’s what you want, I’m right here.”
I squeeze his hand back, feeling a rush of warmth for him. How can my father not see that this man is perfect for me? If he’s here to tell me he still disapproves then I’m done with pining for him. Landon has been nothing, but perfect, and I’m not going to allow my father to try and ruin that.
My hands are shaking as we walk to the door hand in hand. When I open it and see my father standing in front of me, a dish in his hands, and a guilty smile on his face, I’m suddenly angry.
“What are you doing here?” I ask bluntly before I can stop myself. My father looks taken aback.
“I...I’m sorry to come over unannounced, that was rude of me. I just...I had to see you.”
“I’ve been trying to contact you for days, ever since I got back. What’s taken you so long?”
My father squirms. “Look, Elena...I just needed...I needed a little time to think, okay? I know it might seem harsh that I ignored you, but the time I spent away from you has forced me to learn a lot. I think if you give me a chance to explain myself...well, you might be able to forgive me for the way I’ve behaved.”
I should shut the door in his face. After the way he treated me, he deserves it. But the truth is, I want him back in my life, even after everything. Things are going to be different for sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be okay again.
“I...I brought dinner for us,” he says, showing me the dish. “I made your favorite, chicken casserole. I thought we could sit down and talk over a meal, like adults.”
This is what I wanted all along, but now that he’s standing in front of me I feel reluctant. But Landon lets go of my hand and reaches out to take the dish from my father.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Landon says gruffly. “Come inside.”
The air is thick with tension as we all go inside. I clear my throat.
“Where’s Mom?”
“Working a night shift. She’s been really busy the past few weeks. You should know, Elena, that she wanted to come over and see you. She’s not had as much trouble coming to terms with this as I have, but I told her to stay away until I’d spoken to you. She doesn’t have to be involved with all of this mess.”
“A mess you caused,” I say, stopping and turning to him in the middle of the kitchen. “Look, Dad. I know I hurt your feelings by lying to you, but you have no right to be angry about any of the rest of it. These choices about my future are my own. I made the choice to get engaged and have Landon’s child, maybe you wouldn’t have made such a rash choice, but I did because it was right for me. If you’re here to tell me you don’t support me because of it, then you might as well leave now.”
“I’m not going to say that,” he says, and sighs. “Look, it’s difficult for me to understand. I fell for my college sweetheart and never looked back, but I’ve never looked at someone older than me and felt something for them. But I guess what I’m trying to say is we’re different people. As much as we’re similar, we’re not the same. But we don’t have to have the same experiences for them to be valid. So...if you’re in love with Landon...then I accept that.”
I blink several times in surprise. It feels like it shouldn’t be this easy. It feels like there should be a catch to his acceptance. But he just smiles at me and it feels like he means every word of what he said. I sigh.
“I guess we should sit down and talk.”
We’re quiet for a few minutes while Landon dishes out the casserole, but even with the food in front of us, no one tries to eat. My father takes a deep breath.
“Elena, I had a lot of time to think about the way I handled this, and I was so wrong. You’re my only daughter and the thought of you growing up and falling in love has always been scary to me. I was worried you’d take a wrong turn and end up in a relationship that wasn’t good for you. That’s why Landon coming into our lives scared me so much. I could see how much you cared for each other, and my parental instincts kept telling me I had to stop you. But then I thought about how happy you two seemed in each other’s company...your face lights up whenever you’re together, Elena. I was blind to it because I was determined to ignore all the signs. But now, I know better. I know that you’re happy and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. I know you don’t need my blessing...but you’ve got it. And I'm sorry I tried so hard to control your life, darling. You’re a woman now. You can make your own decisions.”
I feel tears stinging my eyes. I can see how sorry he is. I know things aren’t perfect yet, there is a lot of making up to do, but this is a step in the right direction. I reach out for his hand across the table.
“Dad your blessing means a lot to me, especially when I want you to walk me down the aisle.”
He offers me a sad
smile. “You still want me to?”
I nod. “You’ll always be my Daddy.”
I see his lip quiver, but he regains his composure with a smile. Then he turns to Landon and offers his hand to shake.
“I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for the way I treated you, the way I doubted you, you’re perfect for my daughter. Welcome to the family.”
Landon still seems a little unsure, but he takes the hand offered to him.
“Thank you. And I promise I’ll take good care of Elena.”
This is all I ever wanted. This peace and harmony between the two most important men in my life. A life where I can guarantee that my dad will be around for my marriage and my pregnancy. Yesterday that life seemed out of reach, but not today. Now everything is good again.
This is everything I could have wished for.
EPILOGUE
FIVE MONTHS LATER...
Landon
Today is my first chance at showing Elena how much she means to me at a family event. It’s her birthday today and I’ve gone all out for the party. I’ve invited all of her friends in the neighborhood to come and join us. The weather sucks since it’s mid-January and the house is going to be cramped with all of the guests, but I hope she’ll like it.
She’s still asleep right now, lying on her back. She’s five months pregnant and beginning to have trouble sleeping, but she looks serene right now, a smile playing on her lips as she sleeps soundly. She’s so damn beautiful that I still can’t believe she’s mine, even after all this time.
“Happy Birthday,” I whisper, kissing her forehead while she sleeps. Then I get up out of bed and head downstairs to make her a birthday breakfast.
Hot Neighbor: An Instalove Possessive Age Gap Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 199) Page 6
