This November

Chapter 31

School was done for the year.

She should be spending more time with Malik, except he had to leave St. Louis and go to Atlanta to take care of some business. She missed him so much.

Over the last few weeks, he showed her what being in a real relationship was supposed to be like. It was not about sex at all, they still had not done anything outside of kissing and touching. They went out on dates, all around town. They hung out at her place and ate junk food and watched Netflix. They fell asleep in bed holding each other in their arms.

She was totally over the moon for that man. Every time she thought of him she smiled. She could not wait till he was back in town. They had their ten-year class reunion coming up, and although she did not look forward to seeing those kids that tormented her, she was happy that she would have Malik by her side.

She was home alone, making dinner of spaghetti and chicken. The chicken was frying and she just put a pot of water on to boil when she was startled by someone at her door. Not knocking at her door, they were trying to get in.

She looked around her kitchen to grab something, and even though a long knife was right there, she grabbed the pot of almost boiling water to toss on her burglar.

The door opened and she yelled and tossed the water before she noticed who it was.

Carter. He used his key to get in. Good thing the water was not that hot.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He looked down at his soaked shirt.

"What are you doing here?"

"I didn't come for a shower, now I need one." He started to undo his shirt button, as his shirt was fully drenched and stuck to his chest.

"No! What are you doing? Why are you here?" She set the pot to the side, but the floor was all wet, and he was dripping all over it.

He threw a smirk at her. "You forget I pay for half this place, huh?"

He would throw that up in her face. He paid her deposit, plus prepaid half her rent for the year. She still wondered how she would afford the place after her year lease was up.

"Carter..." She looked over his sexy, well-defined chest through the opened shirt and momentarily forgot what to say. She shook lustful thoughts from her mind. "Carter! You can't be here! What if Malik was over here? He's over here a lot, you know."

Carter pulled off his shirt, wiped his face of the water, then tossed his shirt to the side like it was nothing. He looked over at her, lust filled his eyes. Before, those looks from him made her so weak. They made her crumble. They made her want to jump on him and wrap her legs around his waist and kiss all over his face.

Carter ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm done playing games, I'll do whatever it takes to have you back."

He moved close to her and she backed up so fast she stumbled into her table and nearly fell but Carter grabbed her and pulled her to him, and kissed her. He started slow, with simple pecks on her mouth, then she readily opened her mouth and accepted his tongue as it intertwined with her in a deep lip-locked kiss. He kissed her like they were never broken up and as if he wanted to suck the soul out of her. His hand dropped underneath her shirt and up to her bare breast and massaged it.

She shuddered under his touch.

"He doesn't make you feel like this," he whispered in her ear as he licked her ear lobe.

She should resist him, but she felt paralyzed, glued to this man she'd had an affair with for nearly two years. A married man. An older man. Her boss.

It's like all those old feelings came back when she was a teenager, crushing on the hot principal. It was so wrong.

"Tinkerbelle," he said, between kisses on her neck. He grabbed her in his arms and picked her up, walked her over to the couch, and sat with her on his lap. "I need you tonight."

If only she could... "No!" She jumped up from his lap. "You have to go, Carter, we're not doing this. I'm with Malik."

She rushed off into the kitchen, checking on the food she was still cooking. The chicken was burnt on one side. In frustration, she cut the stove off and moved the pan from the stove. She blamed her ruined food on Carter.

Instead of going away, he walked up behind her, his arms on either side of her, his hands placed on the counter, essentially locking her into place where she stood.

"Sorry, I messed up your dinner. Let me take you out, sweetheart." He kissed her neck. "To Hodak's, our very special place, you remember."

How could she forget?

"Carter, no!" She ducked under his arms and walked off. She sat on her couch but of course, he followed and was right beside her.

"I'm not leaving."

"Do you want me to pay you back your half of this place? Is that it? I will."

"No baby, this is your place, you love it. Maybe I should move in with you."

"Are you crazy?" She jumped up. Carter was not the man she thought he was anymore. He was not being sweet or romantic, he was being annoying. "Carter, you can't keep doing this. I said it was over with us, why can't you get that?"

He stood, trying to pull her in his arms, but she pushed him away.

"Nova, I love you. Please tell me you still love me."

"No! I love Malik." It was the first time she said it out loud but she had been feeling this way about him forever.

"No," Carter grabbed her, tried kissing her again, but she held him away with all her might. "Tink, don't choose him. Choose me!"

"Carter, I love Malik, always have and I think you know that. What we had...it was something but it wasn't real. It couldn't be, because of our circumstance."

"No, no, no," he said, touching her cheek. "I know what I feel is real for you."

"No, it's not. Carter...please leave."

Carter stood there a moment, still trying to hold her but she held him at bay. He finally released her and stood there a moment not saying anything.

She walked away, went to her room, went to her dresser drawer, and pulled out his shirt stuffed in the back. She walked back out and handed it to him.

"Put this on. I'll wash and dry your shirt and send it to you."

"Don't bother." He put the t-shirt on and headed for the door.

"Carter!"

He turned back to her, a gleam of hope in his blue eyes.

"Could you...leave the key, please."

Carter took his keys out of his pocket, took one off the ring, held it up for her to see, and then slammed it down on the counter. He did not say another word, he turned to walk out of the door and made his exit.

She let out a breath.

She could finally move on with Malik and give him her whole heart.