Date Shark

by DelSheree Gladden

  Leila nestled her head against this chest. “I never expected that from him. It scared me, especially after … I was actually thinking about moving in with him.”

  “You were?” He hoped Leila couldn’t hear the surprise in his voice.

  She nodded, but the motion seemed guilty or ashamed. “He told me how he wanted me to be there when he got home from a trip, how knowing I would be waiting for him would make being away from me easier. I believed him, and it felt good to know someone wanted me in their life so much.”

  Eli wanted her! He wanted to shout it at her, confess everything, but she was already dealing with enough emotion and turmoil.

  “After we argued, I didn’t know what to believe. I just had to get out of there.”

  Pressing his lips against her temple, Eli said, “You can stay here with me as long as you want.” Forever. She could stay forever.

  “Thank you.”

  At some point in the early morning hours, Leila fell asleep in his arms. He was tempted to stay with her on the couch, but he knew that what few hours of sleep she would get needed to be as restful as possible with the fall show looming in the morning. So Eli carried her to his bed, removed her shoes, and gently laid her under the blankets. It took him considerably longer to conquer the urge to slip into bed next to her. He settled for kissing her cheek and whispering what he wished he could say out loud.

  “I love you.”

  He woke on the couch hours later with a monstrous kink in his neck. At first he thought it was the pain that woke him, but then the muffled sound of voices hit his ear. There was only a small amount of guilt when Eli crept over to his bedroom door to eavesdrop. Leila must have put her phone on speaker, because he heard Luke’s voice first.

  “Please, Leila. I need to talk to you.”

  “I have too much to do today to deal with this,” she snapped.

  “Leila, I’m sorry. I’ll say it as many times as I have to until I convince you I mean it.”

  Leila must have been trying to dress as she talked because her next few words were even more muffled. “I told you no to sex and you attacked me. Sorry won’t cut it, Luke.”

  A spark of triumph burned in Eli’s chest. Good for her.

  Luke sighed. “I wasn’t mad about not having sex. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait. You know I will. I’ve never tried to pressure you before. I thought you wanted me to keep going last night.”

  “I did,” Leila admitted, sending a dagger into Eli’s chest, “but not anymore.”

  “You’re not being fair.”

  “I’m not?” She laughed, but not happily. “You were the one who wasn’t fair last night.”

  “It wasn’t about the sex,” Luke said again.

  “Then what was it?” she asked. “I want an honest answer.”

  “I told you last night it was because of Eli, and I’m sorry I yelled at you, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Are you going to deny he’s part of the reason you pushed me away?”

  Eli could picture her chewing on her lip as she decided between answers. “No, I won’t deny it, but what I said last night isn’t any less true this morning.”

  “I know,” Luke said. “I was too angry last night to listen to what you were saying, but I’ve been up all night thinking about it. I know you’re right. I also know you’re mad at me. All I’m asking for is a chance to talk. About Eli, about everything else, too. You asked me to prove to you that I wanted you in my life for no other reason than because I want to be with you. Give me the chance to do that. Please, Leila.”

  The silence in the room was terrible. Eli wanted to pound on the door and demand Leila give him an answer. But only the answer he wanted her to give. He begged silently for the next words out of her mouth to be ones telling Luke she never wanted to see him again.

  “Okay, we can talk,” Leila said quietly, “but I don’t have a lot of time.”

  Whatever they said next was lost on Eli. He stumbled back to the couch and sank into it. She was giving him another chance. After the things he had said to her, and the way he treated her, she was giving him another chance to convince her that he wanted her. There was no question in his mind about whether or not he would be successful. Even Luke wasn’t stupid enough to not want Leila with all his heart. How could a man not want her?

  Everything Leila had said the night before ran through his mind. She was considering moving in with Luke, which meant she was considering giving up on Eli. He had waited too long. She admitted she wanted to have sex with him. Leila had said herself that she wouldn’t even consider sex unless she knew the relationship had a future. And Eli finally had to admit to himself that Luke’s complaints were valid. It was a miracle he had put up with Leila’s friendship with him as long as he did. Eli was sure he had only done it because Leila meant so much to him. There was no way Leila would make a commitment to Luke and still drop by for dinner or fall asleep on Eli’s couch.

  Luke would convince Leila that he really did love her, and Eli would fade from her mind. It was over. He had taken the careful route and put faith in his master plan. He had reached the end of the line with no Leila, and no chance of ever forgetting her.

  Somewhere in the distance, Eli heard a door open, but he couldn’t respond. Leila was sitting in front of him on the coffee table before he managed to take notice. “I’m sorry,” she said sweetly, “did I wake you?”

  Eli wasn’t sure whether he answered yes or no.

  “I was hoping we could have breakfast together this morning, but I have to run. I have to be to work in an hour or Ana is going to kill me.”

  An hour would have been plenty of time if she weren’t dashing off to meet Luke.

  “Eli,” Leila said softly, “thank you for being there for me last night. You have no idea how much that meant to me.”

  Maybe not, but Eli knew it hadn’t meant enough to make her stay.

  Leila’s slender fingers pressed against his cheek. He had to close his eyes to stop his misery from spilling over. A gentle tug forced his chin up. She waited until his eyes opened. Her smile was so beautiful. She laughed softly. “You look as bad as I feel. I’m sorry I kept you up so late. You really are the best. Go back to bed. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  Eli nodded, but he knew she wouldn’t.

  The buzz of Leila’s phone against the wood of the coffee table jarred Eli’s senses. It pulled her away from him, too, which made it even worse. He watched sullenly as she skimmed through a text message.

  “Ana is already freaking out,” she grumbled. She sent a message back, then looked to be about to close the app, but stopped. Her eyes darted across what Eli supposed was another message. She looked up at him, her eyebrows drawn together. “I guess I never saw your last text yesterday.”

  If Eli thought he had been depressed before, now he was ten times worse. He had agonized for hours the night before when he never got a response from Leila. Luke must have been the reason she never saw it, but now he wished it had stayed that way.

  “I asked you if you were coming to the show, and your response was, ‘That depends on you.’” She glanced at Eli. “What did you mean?”

  He looked away. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t worry about it.”

  “But, are you coming or not?”

  Eli hated lying to her, but he couldn’t deal with the questions telling the truth would elicit. “I’ll see you there later.”

  Shaking off her confusion, Leila smiled. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

  She hurried off, and Eli took her advice. He went to bed, lying in the sheets that had cradled the woman he loved, knowing it was the closest he would ever get to sharing his bed with her.

  Chapter 27

  Validated

  Today is really not the day for this, Leila thought as she hurried down the hall to the elevator. Ana was expecting her at work to help prep for the fashion show in one hour. That didn’t give her very much time to meet with
Luke. In a way, that was good. She was still angry at him, but she had to admit she shared a portion of the blame for the argument the night before, as well. After talking to him on the phone, she understood better why the fight had happened. She had been sure as she ran out of his apartment that she never wanted to see Luke again. Now she was hurrying off to eat breakfast with him.

  Flagging down a taxi, Leila looked at her phone for the tenth time as she slid into the seat. She only had fifty minutes to apologize to Luke in person and set things right. The idea of seeing him made her stomach tighten, but she also wanted to see him. The buildings flew by, thanks to the early hour and sparse traffic. Every block they passed was like a shock to her body, infusing her with excitement and a little bit of fear.

  After months of waiting and wondering, Leila had finally made her decision. She knew exactly what she wanted to say to Luke. Normally so cautious and careful, taking a risk felt exhilarating. She couldn’t wait to leap and start a new life. She was grinning by the time the driver pulled up to the diner.

  The sight of the big glass windows and fake leather booths tried to quash her excitement. Just barely, she was able to hold onto it, but her smile had mellowed into a nervous, thin line. She paid her fare and stepped out onto the sidewalk with a gulp. As she walked to the front door and pulled it open she was giving herself a mental pep talk.

  You know what you want. Don’t chicken out now. For once in your life, be brave, take a risk, and be happy.

  It helped, a little. She slid into the booth across from Luke and folded her hands in her lap. The words she was so sure of a few moments ago had evaporated. Luke looked even worse. His tortured eyes gazed at her, locked on her face.

  “Leila, I’m so sorry, about everything,” Luke began. “You’re probably sick of hearing me say that, but it’s true. I feel horrible about last night.”

  Leila smiled. “I’m sorry, too.”

  Her words seemed to catch Luke by surprise. “Sorry about what? I was the one who started yelling and making accusations.”

  Even though that was true, Leila knew it wasn’t the whole truth. “I wish your frustration about Eli hadn’t come up like it did, but I understand why you were mad. I’ve been unfair to you, and I’m sorry. I never should have expected you to be okay with me hanging out with Eli so much. You didn’t deserve that.”

  “Um, thanks,” Luke said. He shook his head, as if trying to catch up with her. “Still, I never should have yelled at you, and I shouldn’t have tried to manipulate you into giving up Eli.”

  The waitress set down glasses of orange juice, followed by short stacks of pancakes. Neither of them spoke until she walked away. The first voice to be heard was Leila’s, and it was small and sad. “Was that really the only reason you asked me to move in with you? To get rid of Eli?”

  Luke grimaced at her question. “No, of course not. That wasn’t what I meant on the phone.”

  “Then what did you mean?” Leila asked. She wanted and needed an honest answer.

  The feel of Luke’s hand closing over hers brought Leila’s eyes up from her plate of uneaten pancakes. “Leila, I want you to move in with me. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and that has nothing at all to do with Eli. I really do love having you near me, and I want to share more of my life with you. I meant every word of what I said last night.” He paused, sighing as his eyes dropped. “I knew you probably weren’t ready for me to ask you, but lately it has seemed like Eli has been taking up more of your time than I have. I was afraid he was stealing you away from me. I should have waited to bring up moving in together, but I pushed because I wanted to keep you away from Eli before it was too late.”

  It wasn’t the best reason for asking her to move in, but Leila’s heart warmed knowing that the desire was real. It hadn’t all been about getting her away from Eli. Luke did actually want her. Being wanted wasn’t a completely new feeling to Leila—her family had always been very loving and supportive—but being truly wanted by a man left her giddy. But was that enough?

  “Why I left last night wasn’t only about the reason for asking me to move in,” Leila said. “It’s nice to know you want me all to yourself, but how long will that last?”

  Luke frowned. “Leila, I can’t tell you the future. I hope it lasts, but I can’t promise you a certain amount of time. Either one of us could decide we want something different.”

  He was being honest. Leila appreciated that, but that hadn’t been exactly what she was after. “I’m not asking for a contract.”

  “Then what are you asking?”

  “I’m asking,” she said, “how long you’ll be interested in staying at home with me, not running off every night for a new adventure. Not that you would have to quit doing the things you enjoy, but when I come home tired from a long day and you have a choice between lying on the couch with me and going out to water ski with one of your friends, how long will it take before I’m not the most exciting option?”

  The fact that Luke didn’t immediately allay her fears made her sad, but she waited for him to respond in full. Luke ran his fingers through his hair then folded his arms across his chest. “Before the fight, last night was great. It was new territory for me, but I liked it. It’s not the same as getting a rush of adrenaline, but it made me happy to be with you like that. I want that more often, but I don’t think I could ever settle down to that life completely. It would always be a balance, but I promise I won’t leave you sitting home alone every night.”

  Leila wanted to smile at his reassurance, but she needed to ask another question. “It wouldn’t just be a balance between your adventures and relaxing at home with me. It would also be about you taking an interest in my life, my work, and my hobbies. I’ve done that for you. I don’t know if you can return the favor. Do you?”

  It was the first time she had ever seen true embarrassment on Luke’s face. “Leila, I’m sorry about the times I’ve crashed on you. It isn’t that I’m not interested in your life. I’m just not used to such … calm activities. I’ll try harder. I want to know more about you. I actually liked decorating those photos with you. It was fun to watch how concentrated you got.”

  “But not fun enough to keep you awake.”

  Luke reached across the table for her hand. “I’ll do better, Leila. I don’t want to lose you.”

  She sat back against the booth. Her hand was still in Luke’s. His grip was firm, and she believed him when he said he would try harder. His desire to be with her was honest. She didn’t doubt that Luke was a good man. Leila thought about all of these things, all the while knowing in the back of her mind that she had already made her decision. She just wanted that decision to be validated before she let the words slip free. In order to do that, she had only one more question.

  “Luke,” Leila asked when their eyes met, “do you love me?”

  The hesitation in his eyes pulled at her. Luke sighed. “I don’t know. I want to say yes, but I don’t want to lie to you either.”

  “Thank you for being honest,” Leila said calmly despite the hurt his words caused her. Her eyes had dropped. She wanted to draw her hand away, but he wasn’t letting go just yet.

  “Leila,” he said, nearly desperate, “that doesn’t mean I’m not falling in love with you. I think about you all the time. I love being with you. I want you in my life. All of that is true.”

  “But you don’t love me.”

  Luke’s free hand fidgeted the more anxious he grew. “Not yet, but I will. Not everyone can fall in love at first sight. I need time.” He tugged at her, pressuring her to look up at him. When she did, she was captured by his intense expression. “I’ve given you space and all the time you’ve needed. All I’m asking for is the same thing in return.”

  There was simple logic in his request. It was a fair deal. He deserved a second chance, and the time he needed to sort out his emotions. In her heart, Leila knew all of this. Her decision had been made before she ever agreed to mee
t Luke for breakfast.

  “Leila,” Luke said softly, “do you love me?”

  There was no hesitation on her part.

  “No.”

  The single word struck Luke deeply. He let go of her hand and sat back. “Are you in love with Eli?” he asked quietly.

  This answer wasn’t as easy to give. Not because she was unsure, but because she didn’t relish the idea of hurting Luke. She took a deep breath and said, “Yes. I’m sorry, Luke, but you made me realize that I have to make a choice … and I have.”

  “You’re choosing Eli?” he asked. “Do you even know how he feels about you?”

  This was the decision Leila had made while on the phone with Luke. No … she had made it the night before. She knew when Eli held her that no one else’s arms could ever cradle her so perfectly. No other man could mend her heart like he had. It was a terrifying risk to walk away from Luke and hope for a future with Eli, but Leila knew she could make no other choice. Eli was a part of her. He always would be. Even if he never returned her love, she would never feel the way she did about him for anyone else. He was the only man she wanted.

  “I don’t know,” Leila admitted to Luke, “but I have to find out.”

  “What if he doesn’t love you back?” he asked. The hope in his eyes was bittersweet.

  “If he doesn’t,” Leila said, “then at least I’ll know.”

  But in her mind, Leila told herself that even if Eli didn’t immediately feel the same, she would do everything she could to change his mind. Eli was her choice, and she refused to give him up easily.

  “Is there nothing I can say that will change your mind?” Luke asked.

  Leila shook her head. “I’m sorry, Luke. You’re a wonderful man, and I’ve loved having you in my life, but we don’t love each other. And if we’re both perfectly honest with each other, I don’t think we ever will.”

  “Maybe if we had more time …”

  Smiling sadly, Leila said, “Luke, do you really want to sit around waiting to fall in love with me, for me to fall in love with you? We have fun together, sure, but I want more than that. Don’t you?”