The Deal

Chapter 44

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The night had neared its end. It was a surprising night. With my mother showing me the picture of Christian and that woman to Christian getting me a car! Which I still cannot accept! I can't just take a car from him! That's crazy!

We pulled up in the driveway. My mom's car was here which meant she was home, sadly. It sucked having to act so differently around Christian when she was around as if I wasn't utterly in love with him.

"Thank you... for everything." I give Christian a smile.

He smiles back, reaching over and grabbing my hand in his. He kisses the back of my hand before letting it go.

"Thank you for accompanying me for dinner." He says. I nod, looking down at my lap.

"Christian- I really can't accept this car. I mean you're just too nice and I can't." I shake my head.

"Zaina, I'm not taking it back." He laughs out.

"But I can't keep it... I'm sorry, I can't. What if none of this works out? What if we don't work out? I just can't." I cringe at my own words but I couldn't help but say it.

It was true. There's a good chance it won't work out, especially with the circumstances we're under.

"Don't say that." He looks ahead towards the house. I followed his gaze. The house was big and beautiful, yet it still made no sense that a man would need so much space. I understand he's a billionaire basically, but this house was too big even for the three of us.

The three of us... how weird. It sounded like a family yet it wasn't. It was way different than that! Who would've thought that this was how my year would end up like? Living in a house with my mothers pretend fiancé while not to mention, being in love with him?

"It's true, Christian. You can't say it isn't." I whisper, fiddling with my fingers.

"I don't understand why you doubt all of this- why do you think it wouldn't work? Your mother is the only thing standing in the way right now and once I figure out how to keep this deal with her, we'll be fine." He gives a slight shrug as if it were that easy.

I hesitated to respond with what was nagging at the back of my mind, something I've yet to say.

"I applied for 3 schools..." I start.

"I only got into one." I look at him, waiting for him to ask the question that I knew he would.

"That's good. What school?" He asks. I take in a deep breath.

"It's a school in Oregon... it wasn't the first choice but it's a school for writing- which I've wanted to do for a while and it'll help me get to where I want to be in my career." I gulp down the lump in the back of my throat. I felt like I couldn't really breathe with the sudden tension that filled the car.

"Oregon? Why so far? That's all the way across the country?" He seemed confused and I didn't blame him. There really wasn't a huge reason for me to be going so far but I needed to start my life away from my mother and away from New York... away from this place I've felt trapped in since the beginning.

"Because why not? I can't be around my mother anymore- I can't be following her shadow I need to get my own life, Christian." I glance at him, trying my hardest to figure out what he was thinking. I couldn't read his face.

"So just like that? You're so willing to leave? Leave everything behind?" He asks.

It took everything in me to hold my tears back. I felt as if I were hurting him, which has never been my intention.