The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

Lucky for me, Hazel wasn't a burden to tell him the directions to my place. Surprisingly, he knew where the place was.

Obvious you dumb a** it's because Linda also lives here.

"I'm just going to check the house, if it's locked." I said as I opened the door while he stared quietly at me. Neither smiling nor frowning. He almost looked soulless.

"Mh." He simply nodded and turned his eyes from me, looking ahead to the road, hardly seeming himself.

"Why don't I just cook for you here. We can eat inside. If that's okay." I said, knowing he would be doing most of the cooking at his place and his soulless gaze just now wasn't appealing for work.

"Really?" He asked as he turned back to me, the life in his eyes came back. "You want to cook for me?"

"If you don't mind. I'm not bad." I smiled with a shrug of my shoulders as he smiled and unbuckled his seat belt.

"I'm not bad either, so I want to help." He chuckled as he stepped out, finally himself again.

I guess the family's words took a toll on him.

"So how long have you known Linda for?" I asked as we stepped into my house.

Figures, it wasn't locked.

"Since childhood." He smiled at me as he closed the door behind him. "She was always a loner like me, so I decided to talk to her."

"You were a loner? It's hard to believe. You seem so nice." I said as we ventured into the kitchen.

"I was not always nice back then, my family wasn't as heavenly as you saw, so I would put the pressure off on the rest of the kinds. I'd act fine at home but like a demon at school. So no one liked me and I was okay with that. Linda, however was trying to be nice to everyone but never got any friends. I was confused and asked her why she even bothers, but she told me it's better to be alone knowing you are nice than to be evil. I didn't get it bit decided I'd talk to her. Even when I made her life a living hell in preschool and half of highschool, she still considered me a friend." He said as he leaned against the cupboard. "Finally having a friend after thinking you were always going to be lone brought me to tears. I felt wanted. Then she met you at a bus stop and couldn't stop talking about you after you became friends. I think hearing about you... Kind of made me want to know you a lot. It had me thinking.... I'd be someone you'd want to be around with. Tell me I'm right...." He said with begging eyes that I stared into, almost shocked.

He really wanted to feel loved and wanted.

He wanted someone to actually acknowledge him and make him feel special when his family couldn't.

He didn't want me as a friend, that much I can tell from his eyes. He would have probably dated Linda if he wanted someone who could open up to him. But because Linda had established a friendship between them, he heard of Linda being able to get another friend, me, and thought he'd establish something more than just being friends with someone he'd just met.

That much I know.

He doesn't want us to be friends, but to fall in love. He made it clear the first day I met him, what his intentions were.

He wanted to know what being in love feels like.

Whether he really loves me or not, I don't really know.

But I've been lonely my whole life as well, so I don't know what it feels like to actually be in love.

He might be picking the wrong girl for the job.

"You're right." I smiled slightly as I liked down to my fingers. "I mean... I abandoned my job to check up on you.... That shows I was concerned." I shrugged my shoulders and he smiled as he leaned from the cupboard and walked over to me.

I stared up at him as my breath clogged my throat whilst I locked eyes with him, feeling my heart silence.

"Let's just order pizza." He said suddenly as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward. "It's faster that way and we get to just sit and wait for it." He said as he pulled me living room where he sat down and brought me down onto his laps, forcing my heart to burst. "In the meantime, we can just get to know each other." He said as he pulled out his phone. "Hello? One pepperoni pizza, some... Fries with chilli?" He asked as he glanced up at me. I nodded slowly and he nodded and glanced ahead as he continued the order. I whispered to him the address and he nodded as he told the receiver. "Alright, thanks." He sighed as he cut the call and tossed the phone to the other end of the couch. "Now that that's out of the way-" he said as he suddenly separated his knees, causing me to sink in until I was sitting on the couch with my legs over his thigh. "-how old are you?" He asked as I felt his fingers linger my back until they dug into my hair, getting a shiver down my spine.

"Twenty six." I cleared my throat and and he smiled as he pushed my head towards him.

"Just a year younger." He chuckled as he leaned in grazing his warm lips on mine. I shut my eyes as I felt my heart flutter.

Gosh...

I leaned in, connecting our lips together. He kissed me back, slightly gripping my head tighter. I suddenly felt his fingers linger where the slit of the dress began, caressing his fingers against my exposed thigh, causing my stomach to tighten.

Reaching my hand up to his shirt, I gripped onto it tightly, feeling excited all of a sudden.