"Baby, where are you?" She asks me, eyeing me through the screen of my phone. The black interior of my car is what gives me away.

I watch her facial expressions shamelessly, absolutely adoring the way she was made. Her eyebrows softly furrow after her question, causing slight wrinkles on her forehead. Her lips pout, in that bratty way. Her lashes fall long over her eyes.

There is nothing in the world that could ever tire me off having a view as the one I have now. I love seeing her face before I close my eyes at night, and I love waking up to her face and cold feet swarming my warm ones in the morning. She makes me feel good just by simply existing. She doesn't have to do a single thing. She doesn't have to talk, or move, she just simply needs to be there and everything will be alright with me and my fucked up mind. She's the calming waters to my inferno.

"Out." I give her the vaguest answer I can conjure, not wanting her to know a single thing about what I'm doing as she may try and convince me otherwise. I can already hear her voice as it will raise a few octaves.

I stare at her through the screen. When my words register into her mind, her puzzled face grows deeper. Her soft eyebrows harden even more, and her eyes get a certain glare. Confusion and desperation laces her mind and soul. It looks damn good on her, despite me knowing what may come out of her mouth next may not be too nice. She tilts her head to the side a bit.

"Out?... where?" She asks, keeping her eyes placed on the screen.

I softly exhale as I bring my right hand to my neck. I thought wearing a regular shirt and not a dress shirt and dress pants would make it impossible for me to feel as though my collar was a bit tight, but I see that despite the clothing, she makes me feel it. I tug at my collar, thinking in the back of my mind I'll regret how loose it'll look when I take it off.

I scratch my neck, too, probably turning the skin red. "I'm out. Outside. My car is parked outside." I tell her. It's not a lie, if we're being honest. My car is parked outside. I am outside.

I can see it before it happens. Her chest increases in size and makes her body rise further from the bed as she is lying on her stomach. Her nostrils softly flare, repeating something it does when she's slightly irritated. Her brown eyes roll, similar to the way they do when I'm fucking her, and she tightens her jaw.

"Baby," she whines a desperate for information whine. "I want to know where you are." She tells me, but I've already known that since I answered her call. I don't want to tell her where I am. It will create too much space for convincing me otherwise.

I nod, voicelessly telling her that I am aware of what she wants and that I may adhere to it, but I won't. I furrow my eyebrows to mirror her facial expression.

"I just told you. I'm out." I answer her at the same as I reach over and press the button to my car. The engine dies down in a quiet way. I click the seatbelt holder and let it unravel into its place before I adjust myself in the seat, spreading my legs and slouching down a bit.

She rolls over in bed, now holding her phone above her body. Her breasts look amazing. She's only wearing a thin camisole. She knows what that does to me. She does this stuff to fuck with me, I'm sure of it. Again, I eye her shamelessly, looking below her eyes at how her hardened nipples poke through the shirt. She's either turned on or cold. I swallow, feeling myself harden in my pants. Fuck, she does this shit to me.

"Well... how long will you be out?" She asks. I pull my eyes back to hers to see that beautiful brown glare in her brown irises. She looks almost innocent, almost. There's no telling what's roaming her filthy mind right now. My filthy girl.

I shrug, actually not knowing how long this will take. I glance around at the scene, seeing the cute, white with black polka dots, mailbox. It seems so peaceful around here. Surely this is how life should be. Beautiful house with almost everything you love inside. Neighborhood where the neighbors actually mind their own fucking business. A tire swing in the front yard for whatever reason. Nice furniture on the porch. Just a small lake needed to add to its entirety.

"I'm not sure, Angel. Why, do you miss me already?" I ask, softly raising an eyebrow at her. I know she does. She nearly clawed at my back this morning as she didn't want me to get up and brush my teeth. Said she "Didn't care because she only wants to kiss me once." As if that really mattered. I wouldn't mind the scratches if she were scratching me for a different reason, while the both of us are turned on, but that shit was starting to hurt.

She lifts her chin and pulls it down. "Yes, I do. You left me for work at five am and got back at three, only to leave again and not even give me anything to miss." Her gentle complaints are always so attractive. It lets me know that she wants me though it wouldn't take a person with 20/20 vision to see our insane chemistry.

My lips curl into a small smile. "If I hadn't gone to work at five I would have had less time to spend with you, and I needed to leave again." I watch her now innocent eyes.

"Why." She asks. "You... you always leave."

I coat my lips with wetness. "I have to provide."

Her lips part. She looks down and it seems as if she's twiddling with her fingers. "I can take care of you."

I tilt my head to the side, looking at her as if she were crazy. A woman providing for me? I turn my head to have a quick look out of the window, being sure that pigs were flying. There is no way in hell I'd ever allow a woman to allow me to depend on her. I am the provider. I will always be.

I look back at the screen. "I make more money than you." I say, not wanting to say too much.

She looks back at the screen as I say the words. "You do but... I can make it worth it. Make you soup when you're cold. Make lemonade when it's hot." She tries to convince me. I smile.

"I'm sure you could make me some soup and lemonade. Want to know what else you can do for me?"

Her eyes widen a bit and I grow confused until another face comes into the camera.

"Absolutely fucking not, Xyle."

I grimace. "Why the hell is she there?" I ask Celeste, now looking at her face and not the hideous one next to her.

My Angel smiles a soft and awkward one. "She's my best friend and we love her." She still tries hard at convincing me but her friend can not be liked.

Her face is still in the camera, though she's looking elsewhere. "Can you move, Nellie, my eyes are starting to burn. I don't want my last view to be something so... ugly."

She scoffs. "My name is Nelia, you asswipe." She pulls away.

Celeste trails her eyes to her as if they were speaking with them, and soon looks back at me. "When will you be back?"

She makes me grow with suspicion. Suddenly, I want to go back to her house. For once, my mind tells me that I'm overthinking so I ignore the feeling.

"I'm not sure, Angel. I really don't know. Is there something you need?" I ask, raking a hand through my hair.

She shakes her head, pulling herself up to sit up. "No, nothing at all. Take your time. I'll see you when you come home." She murmurs.

Home.

My heart trickles with feelings of sureness. I nod. "I'll see you then, baby."

I'm not even able to finish my sentence before the call hangs up. I shake my head, smiling a bit as I stuff it into my pants pocket. I open the car door and step outside. I don't bother locking it, knowing no one ever steps foot on this property.

I hadn't thought much about how I'd feel during this, and now those feelings were starting to catch up on me. I mean, no one ever makes me sweat, but I am fucking sweating so suddenly.

I shake my head, wanting to shake off the feeling in my bones, but I can't. The feeling isn't in my bones. It's in my soul. My mind yells to just be a man and go inside, but shit, if I didn't have too much pride in being the opposite of a coward, I'd be getting back into my car and driving to Celeste's place.

My jaw tenses. My damn hands would wet paper if I were to touch any. Im a good man, right? Hell yes, I am. This shit is making me second guess my damn self. I don't fuck around. I've never had a sexual transmitted disease. My relationships before Celeste were exclusive... except one...but that's beside the point. I am CEO, entrepreneur of my own company that is so well I make more than anyone could imagine. I am able to provide and keep my family safe. I don't yell at her, or treat her rudely in any way. I make love to her. I comfort her. I love her with everyone ounce of blood in my body, drain me if I don't.

I'm a great boyfriend... right?

I believe I am, but what if no one else thinks I am?

Fuck. The front door creaks open. I lift my eyes to the top of the porch. He steps out, his beige shoes being the first I see, and then his blue Jean shorts. I give him a look over as he brings his hand to his eyes to see me a bit better.

"Xyle?" He says, clearly not expecting my presence. "Come on up, son."

I nod. This may be the last time I ever hear him call me that in a sincere manner. Walking seems so foreign to me now. I lift my left leg and plant my foot onto the ground, and do the same with my other leg to get me closer to his house. Im so thirsty. I stuff my hands into my pockets, unsure of what to do. My eyes grow hooded. Shit. Is my face turning red? That will give it away.

I reach the bottom of the stairs and stay there.

His eyebrows furrow. He looks confused. "You okay? If you're sick I can ask Amina—"

"No, no. Im not sick." I admit. Do I look sick? Maybe I am sick. I should turn around and go home. Hopefully he can forget about this encounter.

I swallow, feeling a lump in my throat. "I want to talk to you." I keep my chin up, not wanting to look away like a coward. I am no coward, especially when it comes to the woman I love.

His chest falls as he looks down at me from the porch. "Well come inside. Amina is making supper but I'm sure you will be able to steal a piece of meat from the oven while she's upstairs and inside of the shower."

He turns away before I can think to protest. He pulls the door
open and disappears behind the screen door, leaving me to finish my journey up the stairs.

I do so with my heart racing a thousand miles per hour.

The smell of turkey hits me the moment I enter inside. It sends my stomach to growl and rumble with the thought of food now roaming my mind.

It's always so clean inside of their house. Surely this is where Celeste gets her cleanliness from.

I follow Maverick into the kitchen. He's pulled two beers from the refrigerator and is holding one up to offer it to me. I don't much like beer, but I don't refuse, feeling as if it will be rude.

I pop the top right after he pops his.

He pulls the oven open and peaks inside. "She just wants the meat to brown until five, but it's done." He pulls himself to the side and opens a cabinet to pull a plate down.

I nod to him, needing something to eat now. I make way over to the small table inside of the kitchen and pull a coaster down before taking a seat. I need to sit this beer down before my hand boils it. I still pull it to my lips for a disgusting sip. I don't know what else to do.

He puts a few pieces of turkey onto a plate for me and gives me a fork as he pulls a chair out beside me.

"Thank you." I murmur, taking the fork and pressing it into the food.

He nods. "Any time." He says and I know he actually means it. "What did you want to talk about?"

I swallow well before I even have the food in my mouth.

"When did you know you wanted to marry Amina?" I ask. This is a good way to start this conversation, right?

He smiles and raises his eyebrows as if to say lucky me. "You considering it?" He asks me and I nod. I push the turkey into my mouth. It taste so flavorful. "I knew I wanted to marry her when the thought of losing her brought me to tears, my heart clenching at the thought of her crying over anything, and the thought of her not having the love she deserves made me not want to have any happiness for myself."

I nod, completely understanding.

"And what about how you approached it. Did you talk much about marriage before you asked her to marry you?"

He shrugs, chuckling. "Only once. It was long before we even started dating. I asked her how she saw her life in twenty years and made that her reality. I knew she wanted to be married, and I really wanted her to say yes so I didn't talk much before I asked."

I eat another piece of turkey. "How did she react?"

He looks off into the distance as he remembers the time. "Oh she was excited... so beautiful. She said yes before I could even finish my speech, something I had prepared, and hugged me so tight I actually couldn't breathe for a moment. She takes pride in wearing the ring, and has ever since I put it on her."

The thought of Celeste wearing my ring makes me happy.

"That makes it easier for me to ask." I smile.

He looks at me. "Who's the woman?"

I swallow my turkey and bring my eyes to his. "When I was seventeen years old, you told me I could use a thing called 'Off The Record' with you and that it meant I could tell you anything and you wouldn't tell anyone, get angry, or judge me." I remind him.

He nods. "I told you you could use that once."

"But I never did."

He nods again.

I want to scratch my chin but I opt against it. I am not a coward.

"The woman I want to marry is your daughter, Celeste."

His expression falls and his smile is no longer withstanding. I watch as his eyebrows crease, confusion taking over him. Shit.

"I want to be her husband." I say.

He looks away from me. "My daughter." He says under his breath. "That's bizarre. You can't just marry a random woman because she's pretty."

I shake my head, capturing his eyes again. "She isn't a random woman. She's the woman I'm in love with. I've been in love with her for what seems forever. I greatly adore her."

His jaw tenses. "Why are you in love with her?" He asks. "She doesn't talk to you." I stare at him. "She talks to you?"

"Yes, everyday and every night. Our minds are so powerful together."

"You're my responsibility, you know? You've been my responsibility since you stopped letting Caliver care for you. And she's my daughter. My beautiful, sensitive daughter. She doesn't need anyone playing around with her."

I nod. "I don't play around with her. Our relationship is severely exclusive. I can't even think of another woman. I love her too much. She's my Angel." I admit.

His eyes soften. "How long have you been with her?"

"Since February eleventh."

"You two were dating since vacation?" He questions.

I shake my head, denying. "No, but I've been devoted to her ever since then."

He sighs. "And you want to marry her already?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I fucking love her. I am the only person that understands who she truly is, and as I see who she truly is, I fall in love with her more and more everyday."

"I love her, too. That doesn't mean I should marry her. I love a handful of women, that doesn't mean I should marry them."

"I said I am in love with her."

He looks away from me, shaking his head. He pulls his can of beer to his lips and takes a swallow.

"You have no right to be angry." I say.

He scoffs. "Why not? The two people I hold to high standards have been lying to my face for months." He raises his voice a bit.

My eyebrows squint. Is he serious?

"I fell in love with her fair and square. There is no one to tell me when to love someone, no one to dictate what she does as an adult, no one to chastise us. I deserve to finally be happy after everything I've been through, and so does she. We are happy together, and we will be with or without your blessing."

He looks at me, his jaw still clenched. I don't budge. He has pinched a nerve. No one will tell us when to be happy. I won't allow it.

After a small while, his jaws relax and he picks up his beer again. "You got a ring?"

I stare at him for a few seconds more.

I stick my hand into my pocket and pull the small box out. I pop the top open and expose the Oval Diamond ring.

He turns to me and gently grabs it. "Expensive?"

I nod.

He nods after me, eyeing it. "It's beautiful. I'm sure she will love it."

He gives it back to me and I close the box before stuffing it back into my pocket.

"I'd like to have your blessing to marry your daughter."

He turns to me. "Do you truly believe you make her happy? No bullshit."

I nod. "I truly believe I make her happy."

He smiles a bit. "Then you have my blessing"

I sigh relief. I thought this would be a bit harder. I close my eyes for a slight moment before I open them again and smile, too.

"I plan to ask for her hand soon, and marry her in a year as it is supposed to go. I really want to be her husband. I want her for the rest of my life and I can't stress it enough, I am in love with her."

"Don't make me cry, man."

I lightly chuckle, surprised. "Man of steel has emotions?"

He playfully brushes my shoulder. "I'm a sweetheart to my woman under all this armor. I sure hope you are the same with my daughter."

I begin eating my turkey again. "I treat her the way my mother should have been treated. That should speak for itself."

"It does."

I push the fork into my mouth just as Amina comes into the kitchen. She smiles when she sees me, but as her eyes drop to my plate, she stops smiling.

"Is that my supper? You're supposed to wait until it's done!" She grabs a magazine from the bar and rolls it before coming closer to me and hitting me with it.

I stand, pulling my plate with me and finishing. "Mama I had no clue you didn't want me to get any of this. Maverick—"

"I don't know why he got that plate, baby. I told him to wait until supper is served." Maverick cuts me off and walks towards Amina where he presses his hands to her waist and kisses her.

I stand there, appalled. He throws me a look before turning away. "I'm going out back to see... the deers." He lies.

I scoff, walking to the sink and placing my plate into it. I grab the wash cloth and begin washing it off.

"I'm sorry, I'm hungry, mama."

She sucks her teeth. "Well I guess if you're that hungry I can make you a full plate to take home." She comes closer to me and leans in to kiss my shoulder.

I smile. "Thank you. Your food is the best."

She stands over by the stove as she fixes me a full plate. "So what brings you over today?"

I'll let Celeste tell her. "Maverick told me you were cooking, but I need to get to work, so I won't be able to stay." I lie.

She frowns. "Would have been nice to have you for dinner, but I understand a hardworking man. I hope things are going well for you at the office."

"They are, thank you for your kind words." She wraps my plate inside of aluminum foil.

I kiss her once before leaving and getting into my car. I sigh again, not being able to believe how that went with her father. I thought I'd have to argue with him a lot more. I secure my plate in the passengers seat before making my way to Celeste's house. I'm happy to see Nellie's car gone. Crazy fucker.

I exit the car and lock the doors, holding my plate in one hand. I push her front door