Problems in Paradise

Chapter 7

A few months later, we were having dinner at a fancy restaurant.

"So this is where Dad and Beth had their first official date," Leland was telling me.

"Really?" I smirked.

"Yeah! What, you don't believe me?" He asked.

"I dunno, Beth just doesn't seem like she'd like a fancy restaurant!"

"She's just like every other one of you girly girls out there."

"How's that?" I asked.

"She likes to be dressed to the nines every now and again. She's not always as slutty as Dad likes."

"Hey! That's your mom!" I teased him.

"Not biologically, but yes," he chuckled.

"Well. Beth is pretty sexy," I stated.

"So are you," he said matter-of-factly. That caught me off guard.

"Re-really?" I stammered out.

"Yeah, is that surprising?" he asked me.

"Well, I mean...I mean, no, but...I mean..."

Leland leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. It didn't last long, but it was enough to give me a feeling I hadn't had since that night in the shower.

"Umm..." I said when he pulled away.

"So is this our first official date? Second?"

"I don't know," I said to him.

"Well, we still haven't told everybody."

"I think they know," I laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure they do. But Dad and Beth won't say anything until we do."

"Interesting..." I said.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noting my hesitation.

"Today's the anniversary..." I trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Anni."

"I can't do this," I said, getting up from the table.

"Hey, c'mon, talk to me."

"Leland, I can't, okay?"

"Okay," he said, surprising me.

He paid, and we left. We didn't talk the entire forty minutes home. As we walked in the house, we interrupted each other.

"Leland, I-"

"I just-"

We both stopped.

"Lele." I said.

"Anni?" He raised an eyebrow.

I pressed up against him so he was pressing against the wall. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him gently.

"Anni, I-" he said when we pulled back. I kissed him again before he had the chance to finish his thought. He sighed. "Anni, we don't have to do this."

"I know," I whispered. I leaned forward and kissed his neck up to his ear.

"We really don't have to. If you're doing this just to make me happy, we-"

"Shhhhhhh," I whispered in his ear. I ran my tongue along it, stopping at his ear lobe to bite it softly.

"But at the restaurant, you said you-"