Entangled ✔️

Chapter 26

Demon's From the Past

"Ahana, you're coming shopping on Sunday, right?" Meisha asked, once Jason was done droning on about his work at the firm. Meisha looked between her mother and Ahana with a smug expression. It was apparent to Adam she was lighting the tinder for some drama.

"Um, I can't," Ahana replied and bit her lip. Adam knew that look. She was lying. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to go with them. Meisha had picked out that awful nightgown. He couldn't imagine how inferior they would make her feel during a shopping trip.

"You're coming, and don't use work as an excuse this time. You always try to find a way to get out of it. I think that outfit doesn't quite suit you, and you'll need Meisha's expertise," Ellen said haughtily.

Ahana looked beautiful to Adam in her blue shirtdress and black boots. In fact, he toyed with the idea of taking her into the bathroom to have his way with her. The reason Ellen didn't like the outfit was because Lanie looked more stylish than Meisha. In some sick, twisted way, that bothered her.

Adam cleared his throat. "I'm taking Ahana to a football game on Sunday."

Everyone's expressions spoke volumes at the simple statement. Ahana was confused, and she should have been since she didn't knew about the 'Game' Adam was talking about. Jason looked ready to correct Adam but stopped when Adam shot him a venomous glance. Meisha and Ellen weren't fans, so they didn't feign expressions of suspicion, but they seemed disappointed.

Adam suspected it had nothing to do with not spending time with Ahana. It was something else...something menacing. In fact, Ellen had been rather cold to Adam, clearly an extension of how she treated her Ahana.

"Football?" Ellen said as if Adam had told her they were going skinny-dipping in a lake.

"Yes, Auntie, football. You know I watch it," Ahana said, picking up on Adam's cover. Adam moved his hand to her knee to still her shaking.

"That would be right. Meisha had told me that enjoyed those stupid sports game...just like your father and brother."

The change in Ahana was so sharp that even Jason asked her if she was all right. She went ramrod straight, jerked her knee away from Adam, and took a long, nervous sip of her water.

Being compared to her father and brother was no compliment. Adam wanted to put his arms around her and soothe her, but her posture was so guarded he thought it best to keep his hands to himself and his mouth shut.

He didn't want to upset her any more than she was. When the painful dinner was finally over, Ahana walked Adam to his car. She kissed him on the cheek, but he pulled her close to him and embraced her. She was so rigid he thought she might snap in two. "Come over tonight," he whispered in her ear.

"Not tonight," Ahana said, burying her face in his chest.

"I want to see you, sweetheart."

He had so many questions that he had a difficult time containing them. He wanted to help her, to hold her, to tell her how wonderful she was. That she was better than these people.

"Adam, I don't think I'd be very good company. I need to decompress after seeing Meisha's mother," she replied sullenly, pulling away from him.

"We can decompress together." He didn't mean it to sound sexual, but he knew that's what Ahana was thinking by her sarcastic smile. He decided to pull out the big guns. "I have ice cream," he said in a singsong voice.

"You do?" she asked, giving him a genuine smile.

"Your favorite kind and hot fudge too. Maybe if you're a good girl, I'll let you lick it off me." Okay, that was definitely sexual, but at least it got Ahana to laugh.