Page 56 of Fifty
Jade
Ican’t stop myself from repeatedly checking my rearview mirror, making sure he’s still following me. My heart flutters rapidly in my chest as I drive. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked up and saw Fifty’s towering frame standing in the small waiting area. His text had puzzled me for days. A single word. I had finally come to the conclusion that it had been his way of saying goodbye on a more positive note. I never expected an in person visit.
After a couple turns down side streets, taking a short cut I found recently, I pull into the parking lot at my new condo. I grab my bag off the passenger seat and climb from my car, as Fifty cuts his engine.
“What’s this?” his question hits me. He knew about me going to school, but obviously wasn’t informed that I moved.
“My new place,” I flash him a smile.
“Looks nicer,” he observes.
“It is. I’ve got a lot more space,” I share, starting to move around the car. But I stop, noticing that he hasn’t move from his bike.
“How much time do you need?” he asks, and I realize he doesn’t plan to come inside.
“Maybe twenty minutes, a half hour at the most. Do you want to come in?” I ask.
“Really? Are you sure?” he questions.
“Positive,” I smile back, trying to ease his mind.
???
“Believe it or not, I actually have some Corona in the fridge, if you want to grab a beer,” I offer as we step inside and he closes the door.
“Shit, you weren’t kidding. This place is like three times the size of that tiny studio you were living in before. Looks like you’re moving up in the world,” he chuckles softly.
“Just give me a few minutes to rinse off and change, I’ll be right out. Make yourself comfortable,” I say over my shoulder as I step towards my bedroom.
“Take your time,” he answers and I hear the fridge door being pulled open.
I toss my duffel bag on the bed and pull my sweatshirt from around my waist, throwing it into my pile of dirty laundry. Shit. There’s no way I can shower right now. We need to talk. This can’t wait any longer.
My feet pad quickly and silently back down the hall. His broad back faces me and I watch as he tips his head back, taking a long pull from the bottle of beer held in his grasp. I clear my throat softly, making my presence known, and he turns. His eyes widen as he swallows roughly.
“Forget something?” he asks.
“Actually, I think we should talk now,” I answer.
“Right now?” he asks for confirmation and I nod.
“Mmhmm. Come sit down,” I request as I take my own seat on the couch.
“Are you sure you don’t want one of these before we do this?” he tips his beer in my direction, flashing me a broad grin that warms my body from the inside out. I shake my head.
“I, uh…” I start, but my nerves kick in before I can get two solid words out. His large palm touches my knee.
“It’s okay, darlin’. You really don’t have to do this,” he offers me an out, but I know if I’m not honest with him now, then it will always be hanging between us.
“Yes, I do,” I answer, finally feeling the confidence building back up. I push a deep breath past my lips.
“My dad is a career politician. Growing up, I felt this pressure, like I had to act and behave a certain way because everyone was watching and it would reflect badly on him if I stepped out of line,” the words start to come out fast. I stop, letting myself take a breath and Fifty stays silent beside me, watching and listening.
“That’s a big part of why I left. I didn’t want to live my life under a microscope, and I didn’t want to be someone I wasn’t. I was a teenager, and I had this idea in my brain that my parents would want me to follow in their footsteps. I couldn’t handle that pressure, and honestly, the money was never really important to me. Obviously, as a kid, it definitely had perks, but I wanted more in my life than to be groomed to become the wife on some stuffy suit wearing man’s arm. The feeling had been growing for years, but when I turned seventeen and started my senior year, I met a guy,” I say, and just at the mention, Fifty’s hands clench into fists.
For some reason, seeing his reaction brings a smile to my face. I can’t explain why, but knowing that he’s jealous, even though it’s someone from my past, excites me.
“Anyway, this guy introduced me to a new crowd and convinced me that the only way for me to really be my own person was to leave it all behind, and so that’s what I did. After graduation, I packed a bag and told my parents I was going to travel,” I continue and he seems to relax slightly.