I loved waking up on weekends and seeing her dance around the house. Even when she spotted me watching her, she’d make me join in, and I loved that. I loved seeing the sparkle in her eyes.
When we were not dancing, shopping, studying, or working, I loved watching movies with her. She tried to pretend that she didn’t care about romance, but her eyes brightened each time we watched one. I didn’t mind. I’d do anything to make her feel happy, even if it meant sitting through every single romance in my collection.
Those moments spent with her, my arms around her, were the best of my life. I shouldn’t feel this way about this woman—or should I say, this girl. I didn’t see her as a girl though.
She’s my woman, through and through.
I didn’t want to lose her, but I knew time was running out. Her graduation was fast approaching. The sex between us was pure fucking fire, and I couldn’t let go. I didn’t want to. Somehow Mona had gotten beneath my skin, and I didn’t want to let her go.
Chapter Eight
Mona
All the way up to graduation, my life was like something out of a movie. I didn’t know when it happened, but Elijah—I fell for him and hard. It wasn’t just because he’d come into my world as a man who oozed sex and lust. It was more than that.
He was just a force to be reckoned with. I’d watched him during the gym lessons. He didn’t take any shit from them, and he was such a good teacher.
Walking the halls when he was close, it was hard not to talk to him.
To kiss him.
To let him know that even though I didn’t expect anything back from him, I’d fallen deeply in love with him.
On the day of graduation, I packed my bag. I’d not allowed him to go shopping recently, and against all odds, we’d been able to keep it all secret. Now, as I sat in my chair, looking up at the podium, I felt a sense of loss, of pain.
This had been our secret.
Our relationship hadn’t been questioned by anyone. We were always so careful for no one to find out. It helped that Lucy stopped hanging around with me. I didn’t mind her picking Taylor. She’d been wanting him for a long time, and he told her in no uncertain terms she couldn’t be with me.
I doubted their relationship would last.
Today, I’d sneaked out of the house before Elijah could wake up. Saying goodbye was something I didn’t want to do. So, as I waited for my name to be called, I tried not to cry for the most amazing man I had ever met. Losing him, it cut me deep.
I didn’t want to go, but the thought of him losing his job, I couldn’t allow that to happen.
He was a good man, an amazing man.
Someone I loved with all my heart, and I knew to show that love, I had to be the one to walk away.
“Mona Evans.”
With my name called, I headed up to the podium, shook the principal’s hand, and left the stage. Grabbing my bag from the chair where I’d been sitting, I headed out of the grounds. No one was watching me. Everyone was staring up at the stage for all the names to be called.
There was no reason for me to linger.
I pulled off my graduation gown, which Elijah had made me buy even though I didn’t want to. I rolled it up and kept it under my arm as I made my way around toward the parking lot, only to stop.
Leaning against his car, much like he had been that first night I met him all those months ago, Elijah was waiting.
My heart sped up as I caught sight of him.
He looked angry. “So, sneaking out, is that a new thing now?”
“I’m not trying to sneak out.”
“But you did.”
“To avoid this,” I said. I looked past his shoulder at the car. I frowned when I saw a couple of boxes in it. “What’s going on?”
“Well, you see, Miss Evans, I only took a year contract in case I decided it wasn’t what I was looking for.”
“You love to teach.”
“And I can teach anywhere I want. I’ve had several offers, and today I was going to ask you a question before you headed out here. One simple question that depending on your answer to the first, will decide if I ask you the second one.”
“Okay,” I said. “What is the question?”
“No bullshitting. No lies. The truth.”
“Okay.”
“Do you love me?”
It took me by such surprise that I had to look all around to make sure no one was hearing. We were all alone.
I could hear the noise of the graduation ceremony still going on.
“You don’t have to hide, Mona. Just tell me the truth.”