Resisting Destiny: Sullivan Brother's Book 3 - Cayson's Story (Resisting Love - Sullivan Brothers)
Page 13
Phaedra gave her a sympathetic pat on the arm. “Why don’t you take off early? I’ll give you a ride home. That way, you rest up and get a head start on packing this weekend.”
“I don’t have much to pack. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”
“Ooh, aren’t you the lucky one?”
“Yeah,” Destiny brooded. “Ain’t I lucky?”
********
The next day was Saturday. Destiny had all of her stuff packed. It was strange how much she’d accumulated in the span of a few months. Her clothes and shoes took up four large boxes. That would have been the extent of her packing if it hadn’t been for Irene. The woman was sweet enough to deliver five shopping bags of brand new sheets, towels, and dishtowels. Destiny reminded Irene that she’d be the only one living there, but Irene said people could never have enough linens. Her husband offered to donate some spare furniture and to help her move in. Destiny was bowled over by their generosity. Everyone was so sweet. She’d hoped Cayson would have offered to help her move as well. But he hadn’t said one word to her. In fact, she hadn’t seen him in three days. When she woke up every day, he’d already left the house. He didn’t come home until well after she’d fallen asleep. She guessed this was his way of breaking things off with her.
Each time she got emotional about it, she forced those feelings back down. She’d survived by using her instincts. She didn’t have time for tears. Besides, they wouldn’t resolve a damn thing.
La’Treece called shortly after she’d finished her packing. It felt good to see her friend’s number on the caller ID. The last time they talked, they hadn’t parted on good terms. Destiny invited her to have lunch. She planned on surprising her with news about the apartment.
They met at Marcelle’s, a trendy restaurant not far from the offices of JADE. Destiny had eaten lunch there once with some of her co-workers. She liked the décor–cute little tables set up like a café in Paris. She would love to go to France one day. After talking with Kendra and Mark and learning they’d been there, she wanted to go even more. Kendra said she could get her a discount on airfare and a hotel. That was all Destiny needed to hear. Until then, this café would have to do.
Destiny saw La’Treece the moment she walked through the café’s French doors. Her friend stuck out like a sore thumb, in a tight, red leather skirt and fishnet stockings. The canary yellow six inch-tall high heels she wore could have stopped traffic. She’d topped her outfit with a denim jacket rolled up at the sleeves. Destiny felt like a conservative old lady in her white pantsuit and open-toed pumps.
“Look at you,” La’Treece cocked her head to the side. “Extreme makeover. New haircut and everything.”
Destiny’s hand flew to her hair. She’d forgotten La’Treece hadn’t seen her short style. It had been over eight weeks since they’d met face-to-face. “Phaedra took me to her stylist,” Destiny said.
“Oh yeah? So, now you goin’ to some rich bitch’s hairdresser?”
Destiny sipped her glass of ice water. “Phaedra is not rich. She works hard for her money. Plus, she has no children, so what else is she going to spend her cheddar on?”
La’Treece smacked her lips. “Listen to you. She has no children,” she mocked. “All proper and shit. Sounding like Oprah or somethin’.”
Destiny laughed through the discomfort. “Girl, stop teasing me. I’m starving. Are you?” She picked up her menu and studied the lunch entrees.
La’Treece gasped. “What happened to your nails?”
“It’s too hard to type with my tips, so I cut them. Every second counts when I’m trying to meet a deadline.”
There was a strained silence until Destiny looked up to find La’Treece staring at her. Her lips twisted into a knot.
“What?” Destiny asked.
“You talk different. You look different. What’s really going on?”
“Nothing. I’m the same person.”
“No, you ain’t. You getting a little sadity.”
“C’mon, La’Treece. You’re trippin’ now.” Destiny sipped her water again, hoping it could calm the spark of irritation that La’Treece had lit. Destiny didn’t like anyone insinuating that she was putting on airs.
Destiny was about to add to her statement when a familiar blonde from the office approached the table where she and La’Treece sat. It was Linda, a chubby temp who did a lot of the filing. “Hi Destiny,” she chirped.
“Hi Linda.” Linda always had a bubbly personality and a smile for everyone.
“How was your trip?” Linda asked.
“Not long enough,” Destiny joked.
Linda giggled. “They never are.”
“True.” Destiny would have loved another passion-filled week making love on the beach with Cayson. The Maldives seemed like a distant dream now.
“Let’s do lunch next week if you have the time,” Linda suggested.
“I’d like that,” Destiny answered.
Linda was barely out of earshot before La’Treece demanded to know, “What trip you went on?”
Fuck. Destiny hadn’t told her about the trip. “I had to go on business for my job,” she lied.
“Uh huh.”
After all the accusations La’Treece was making, Destiny wasn’t going to tell her she’d been to the Maldive Islands with Cayson’s family. La’Treece probably didn’t even know where The Maldives were anyway.
Now, that was rude and insensitive.
But it was true. Destiny didn’t know where the islands were either, until a few weeks ago. Thankfully, the waiter came to take their order. Destiny was grateful for the interruption. In fact, she wished lunch could be over. She was starting to think this whole thing was a big mistake.
“You still living with Cayson?” La’Treece probed.
“Yes, but we hardly see each other. He’s working and so am I.”
She didn’t know why she felt the need to put distance between then. She didn’t want La’Treece asking her a whole lotta questions about their relationship.
La’Treece pulled a compact mirror from her purse and flicked it open. She bared her teeth, checking for pieces of food. It was an annoying habit of hers. La’Treece was obsessed with oral hygiene. “When is your apartment gonna to be ready? ‘Cuz I’m ready to move.”
“Where have you been staying?”
“With some friends Porter hooked me up with.”
Before lunch, Destiny had been eager to share her good news with La’Treece. Now, she knew she couldn’t do that just yet. It seemed her entire conversation today had been filled with lies. One more wouldn’t hurt. “I’ve been pushed further down on the waiting list. I don’t qualify now because they said I make too much money.”
“What the fuck? Are you serious?” She snapped her compact shut and tossed it back into her purse.
“Yeah.”
“How much money you makin’?”
“Not a lot. But it looks like I’m going to have to save up and get my own place. It’ll be a few more months at least.” Destiny hate to be dishonest, but she needed some time to think. This would buy her a few more months while she sorted out her feelings toward La’Treece.
La’Treece nodded like she understood. Then, she leaned forward in her chair and eyeballed Destiny with an ice-cold stare. “You’re lying,” she said. “You don’t want me to move in with you.”
Destiny’s heart jumped inside her chest. La’Treece had been her friend for seven years. But they were on different tracks in life. La’Treece was bitter. She felt the world owed her something. Given her sordid background, Destiny didn’t blame her. She just wasn’t ready to come along for the ride anymore..
“I don’t think we should move in together,” Destiny admitted, “but I do want to remain friends.” She was saying the last part only to be polite. They both knew the friendship was over.
La’Treece’s dark eyes flashed. “You let that motherfucker come between us.”
“Cayson has nothing to do with this.”
“Listen La’Treece–”
“No, you listen,” she hissed. “If it wasn’t for me, you never woulda met him. I saved your ass from jail. Now, you’re leaving me in the cold? You bitch!”
Destiny was too stunned to avoid the glass of ice water La’Treece threw in her face. She sat in shock as the freezing liquid streamed down her face, seeping into her silk blouse. Her first impulse was to throw her glass of water right back at La’Treece. But she was a professional woman now.
Professional women did not have catfights.
Professional women did not throw water in restaurants and make scenes.
She wiped her face with her cloth napkin and stood. She calmly collected her purse, mindful of the murderous rage in La’Treece’s eyes. Then, with as much force as she could muster, she shoved the table over. The contents spilled all over La’Treece as she toppled backwards and landed flat on her ass on the black and white tiled floor. Destiny huffed as she stormed from the café. That was definitely not something a professional woman would not do. She’d be the first to admit, she still had a long way to go.
********
Cayson strained to see through the rain pelting his windshield. In a few more minutes he’d reach the safety of his neighborhood. He’d left work before the thunderstorms unleashed their fury. But due to the weather and the traffic, he didn’t pull into his neighborhood until damn near ten o’clock. It was late. He parked in his driveway just as a streak of lightening lit up the night sky. He fiddled with the garage door opener, but it didn’t budge.
Shit! The electricity must be out again. These older homes were notorious for losing power in inclement weather. He raced from his driveway to his front door, dodging thick pellets of rain. By the time he got his key in the lock, he was soaked. He dripped pools of water all over the tile in the front entryway.
I’d better clean this mess up before Destiny slips and fa–
His heart wrenched. Destiny was leaving him, if she hadn’t gone already. And he’d given her no reason to stay. He’d been a first-class asshole. Ignoring her for the better part of a week. God, he missed her so much. The realization was like a kick in the gut. Destiny had him second-guessing himself. If he was ever going to settle down, she was the woman to do it with. She was beautiful, spirited, caring, and honest. And more important: she kept him in check.
I really fucked up this time.
He flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. He groped in a nearby drawer for a flashlight. The house was dark and quiet. Too quiet. His steps carried him upstairs to Destiny’s room. Without bothering to knock, he pushed the door open.
She jerked upright in bed. Still fully clothed. Red eyes puffy and swollen.
“What happened?” He was at her side in seconds. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “That son-of-a-bitch, Porter. If he’s hurt you.”
She shook her head. “No…I…”
Fresh tears flowed as she babbled incoherently. Something about ice water and an argument with La’Treece. Finally, she stopped in mid-sentence and looked at him with pleading eyes. “Cayson, just hold me, please.”
He crushed her in his embrace. She was hurting, but this was the one thing he knew he wouldn’t screw up. He knew how to hold her and make her feel better. He stroked her back until her sobs faded to sniffles. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He handed her a box of Kleenex from the nightstand. When she blew her nose, it was the most endearing act he’d ever seen of her. He didn’t care that she’d saturated his shirt with her hot tears. He never wanted to let her go.
“Everything about my life has changed,” she said. “I feel like I don’t know myself anymore. La’Treece hates me. I’m walking a thin line between two worlds. I can’t live in both. I have to choose.”
Cayson kissed the tip of her nose. “I know this is hard, but I hope you choose me.”
Long lashes glistening with teardrops met his gaze. “What?”
He clasped her hands in his. Now that he had her full attention, he wasn’t backing down. It was now or never. “You were right about what you said in The Maldives. I’ve had sex with plenty of women, but I’ve never made love until I met you. What I experienced with you was life-changing. It opened my eyes. You changed me, Destiny.”
“What…are you…saying?”
“I’m saying you’re everything I want in a woman. I love you, Destiny. I’m in love with you.”
“No. You can’t be.” The anguish written across her face was mixed with disbelief.
“But I am. Ever since I met you. Some force keeps pulling me toward you. I can’t get you off my mind. And I don’t want to. I just want to lose myself in you, woman. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“I’ve been nothing but trouble to you. Not to mention I’ve irritated you beyond words.”
“I’m irritated with myself for not realizing sooner what a precious gem I have in you. I tried to deny it, but I just can’t resist you, Destiny Jackson.”
Hope danced in her eyes. “You mean it?”
“Hell yes. I know I don’t have the right to ask anything of you. But I don’t want you to leave. I want you right here with me.”
She pursed her lips. “You want me to shack up with you?”
He chuckled. “See, you’re the only woman who can keep me in line. No, I don’t want to shack up. I want to make an honest woman out of you.”
“I’m already honest. Remember? You defended my honor in court.”
“I’m asking you to marry me, woman.”
“I know.”
“So, what’s your answer?” He waited, his breath suspended in his chest. He’d always been confident when it came to women. He used his charm to manipulate events his way. But Destiny was like no other woman he’d ever met. He was never more unsure than when he was with her. But he was sure that he loved her, and that was all that mattered.
She sniffed. “Cayson, you’re the most irritating, stubborn, handsome, intelligent, passionate man I’ve ever met.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Objection. That remark calls for speculation.”
“Sustained.” He grinned, feeling like a schoolboy with his first crush. Once the laughter started, it was hard to shut it off.
The corners of Destiny’s lips lifted into a smile. “What’s so funny?”
“I was just thinking how ironic it is that ole Barracuda threw us together out of spite. But the joke is on her. Maybe we should invite her to the wedding.”
Destiny glanced at her bare hand. “We can’t have a wedding without a ring. I can’t believe you showed up to a proposal empty-handed.”
“Baby, I’ll buy you the biggest, fattest diamond you want.”
“All I want is you, Cayson Sullivan.”
Their gazes locked. His chest swelled with love for her. And that wasn’t the only thing swelling. He captured her mouth in a kiss he hoped would convey all the passion he felt for her. He was glad he’d come to his senses. Glad she’d given him another chance. From this moment on, he’d be everything she wanted in a man. He’d do right by her. No more playing the field. No more resisting Destiny.
THE END
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Wait a minute. Were you thinking this was over much too soon? Well after all, it is a short story. But don’t fret. You can still get your Sullivan Brothers fix. Look for the other books in the “Resisting” series. Resisting Cupid is the story of Mark and Kendra. Resisting Temptation features Dane Sullivan and Charly Monroe.
For more of my books, visit my website at www.ChantaRand.com
Other Books by Chanta Jefferson Rand
THE HIGHEST BIDDER DELAY OF GAME
SIGNS OF LOVE DIRTY LAU
NDRY
PHARAOH’S DESIRE GODDESS
YOU’VE GOT MALE!
Short stories
RESISTING CUPID (Mark’s Story)
RESISTING TEMPTATION (Dane’s Story)
RESISTING LOVE (Bundle of three Sullivan Brothers Stories)
BRO-MANCE 101
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
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