Forced

Chocolate

"Or should I say Boss ?"I teased.

He still didn't seem to get my poor sense of humor and I watched him stare at me with his fire gaze.

I rolled my eyes and giggled and saw his hands ball up. I folded my arms watching his exaggerated reaction. "I'll see you around, Boss." I ended while walking away and waved at Benjie one more time before completely exiting. I felt Noah's mean eyes aiming at the back of my head while walking away.

I just wish Noah wasn't so harsh on his workers since I know most of them don't appreciate half of the things Noah puts them through.

Especially Benjie. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to see him. His timid and sheepish attitude was always fun to be around. It even helped when things in my life weren't going so perfect.

I neatly folded my clothes on my bed and caught up on more American Horror Story until I realized my blazer was no where around my tiny apartment.

Dang it! Shoot!

I exhaled heavily and bit my lip in frustration. I must have left it at Noah's Auto shop.

I sighed and called Benjie quickly. I wish it wasn't so late and I hope I'm not asking too much.

I dialed and after two rings I heard him answer with a, "Hey! I was just about to call you about your blazer"

I exhaled in relief into the phone and smiled, "Thank goodness, I thought it was completely gone. Uh. . . Would it be too much to ask if you'd bring it by?"

After all, I would like Benjie to finally be alone with me, again. It's been a while , surely.

He paused and I heard a little bit of noise in the background. Tiny bits of banter. In the distance I heard him reply and he came back answering , "Oh, not at all. I'll have Boss bring it by for you "

I paused. Noah?

My breath quivered as I exhaled and I whimpered in reflex of nervousness. "Uh. . . G-Great! I'll keep my ears open for the door. Ha." I weakly joked.

Benjie noticeably saw a shift in my tone. "You okay, Chocolate?"

His voice seemed to almost whisper into the phone. I knew Noah was listening.

I swallowed hard and just before I was able to reply I heard Noah's intruding, mean, deep voice ."Get off the phone" He said.

"But I-" I was trying to say before Benjie also interrupted and dismissed the phone call with , "Oh, I gotta go. Talk to you later !"

And the phone call was ended.

I stood in turmoil and confusion. I quickly got wires stuck in my stomach .

I never liked being alone with Noah. He always had a way to make me feel less of myself or judged me for my name. Just being myself seemed to inflict some type of irritation in him. It was like highschool all over again.

I took deeper breaths and started cleaning reflexively , still nervous.

As fast as I could, I cleaned up my stack of books and put my college textbooks on my shelves. Wiping down my counters and my tiny coffee table. My tiny apartment had unfinished college work and unfinished hobbies.

Just as I was about to put another stack of Marvel comics along with incomplete printed papers away, my doorbell rang along with a hard knock.

Shoot!

I shouted , "Coming!!!".

"Open the door, it's getting cold!"

His voice was raspy. I could feel the pit sink deeper in my stomach.

I just sat the stack on my mini table beside my door and opened it slowly. His charcoal hair covered his right eye as he looked down at me. His brawn body hovering over me as his only grey eye I can see , cut through me.

My poor sweater was balled in his fist and the sleeve dangled helplessly.

"H-Hi, Noah", I forced myself to say.

He looked over me into my house , scanning it intensely and he started walking forward. He moved me back as he began to continue to enter unwelcomed.

I moved aside, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to stop him anyway.

I continued to twirl my fingers and the swirls in my stomach began to get more violent.

He kept checking out my apartment and quietly looked at my stack of books and my college textbooks. I was still at the door and he slowly walked over in my direction. His patient stroll got steady when his long arm reached over me. I flinched and squinted as I could also smell the Liquor and cigarettes that he tried to hinder with his cologne. He closed the door behind me and walked over to my couch that he sat on.

"Uhm. . . Would you like anything to drink?" I asked politely.

He gazed at me momentarily before his lips opened. His deep voice throwing me back a little. "You got any beer?"

I shook my head no.

"Just juice and pop" I whimpered.

He chuckled and scoffed. "Should have known" he said placing my blazer on my coffee table .

I looked at it as he looked at me . He grabbed it again and stood up, balling it in his fist that was turning white at how tight he was strangling it.

My breath got staggered while he got in front of me , hovering me again. I moved back and he kept walking forward. My back hit the wall and he stood there burning me alive with his silver eyes.

"You need to go. Thank you for my blazer." I softly say to evade his aggression.

His lips go closer and closer to my ear. I shuddered as they brushed along my earlobe.

He whispered softly, "You're welcome."

Noah took a deep inhale and sigh through his nose while he moved himself away. Purposefully not hearing me telling him to leave. I guess this is the chance to be more transparent.

"I-I really like him, Noah. You can't bully Benjie into stop seeing me. It's obvious and I don't appreciate that." I say, folding my arms , looking on the floor.

He used his long finger to cuff under my chin to hick my head up so our eyes would lock.

"Bully? This isn't high school. Your little Benjie is a grown ass man and if he had the balls he wouldn't have let you lead him on for a year straight. So, I'm hear to tell it to you straight. Leave him alone, Chocolate." Noah says calmly.

I nodded my head and grabbed his hand to move it away from my face. "Or what?" I challenge.

A cheeky smile curls on his face.

Noah dropped my sweater on the floor and stomped it. The dirt under his boot left an imprint on my coral pink blazer.

I saw his eyes fill with blood, his veins popping out his temples as he gritted his teeth together.

"Since meeting you, his performance at work has been ... worse than it usually is. Coming in late and having to leave early. I'd hate to have to let him go. It's affecting business and I know you'd hate to see your boy become a scrub."

His angry eyes trailed off as he continued, " You're sweet and he's a idiot. I'm just doing what's right since he won't."

My back was completely hugged against the wall and I looked at him disgusted.  In disbelief.

"So, you're gonna fire him if we don't stop seeing each other?" I recall back to him. "You're being petty, Noah!", I yell.

Tears filled my eyes and my heart was aching. He didn't even flinch. Almost seemed to enjoy this. He threw my blazer down, stepping on it with his dirty leather boots.

"You're a smart girl. Do what's smart. Stay the fuck away from my shop", He growled and went over to my door and left, slamming the door behind him. The vibration of the slam filled my chest and I grabbed my blazer off the floor.

My mother made me that blazer before she died. Now it has a large dirt stain on it. That blazer was basically like I did have my mother with me .

But in the end, we all still end up in or under the dirt.