Chapter 10
Trace
I was pretty livid when I woke up the next morning and saw that, once again, Lila had left. I’m not sure if it was in the night or the morning, but that didn’t matter. I honestly couldn’t believe that she’d done it to me again.
And like a fool, immediately I reached for my phone, texting and calling the girl. Unsurprisingly, Lila didn’t respond or answer me in any way.
“What is going on with you, girl?” I muttered to myself. “Talk to me here.”
About then, I decided that the fairer sex was simply unreadable sometimes on purpose. I had no idea why the brunette kept leaving. Maybe my assertiveness had scared her away. Maybe it was the talk we’d had. Who knew. And this time, I actually felt kind of pissed, like I’d been the one used.
Because the saying was true: people want what they can’t have. And now, I understood it then more than ever. For whatever reason, Lila’s departures always left me wanting her more. Because something about how hard she was making me work drove me crazy. She submitted, but she still managed to have things her way. And as much as her sassy attitude annoyed me, it somehow managed to make me want her even more.
Shit. It was dumb to catch feelings for her, especially considering I was due to return to Los Angeles any day now. In fact, I’d already postponed my flight a couple times to figure things out with Lila. And yet, I couldn’t even get a call back, which was ludicrous.
* * *
Being a man of action, I took the initiative and show up at Lila’s apartment unannounced. A bouquet of roses filled my arms, pink not red. It was too early for red. I wasn’t sure if the gift would come off as cheesy or romantic, but I was hoping she would go for it.
When I knocked on her door, she answered it nonchalantly.
“Hey,” the beautiful brunette greeted with a smile.
“Do you mind if I come in for a little bit?” was my low growl. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but would you mind?”
“Not at all,” she said graciously, allowing me in.
I wanted to hand her the flowers, but suddenly awkwardness paralyzed my form. I stood there, looking around her place, clutching the bouquet to my stomach like some star-struck teenage boy.
But the show must go on, so I took a deep breath.
“So, I saw you decided not to stay again,” were my words, attempting to be nonchalant like her.
“Indeed,” she replied.
“Why? And why were you not answering my calls?”
“You’re talking like you’re my boyfriend or something,” she laughed.
That hurt, and my heart shriveled a bit then. But Lila continued.
“I told you that’s how I like it to be,” she continued. “It’s nothing personal. It’s just who I am. Is that okay?”
“Well, yeah—”
“Then, there’s no reason you should be offended,” she said. “Why, what’s wrong Trace?”
The answer was easy.
“You,” I retorted. “You’re driving me crazy.”
“You’re not doing such a bad job at that yourself, mister,” she said wryly.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you’re getting on my nerves!” the girl admitted finally. “You said that stupid shit to me before, and I was mad at you, okay? I needed a break, but you just kept calling and calling. Please, give me some space, okay?”
I didn’t know how to respond to that.
“You never noticed me when we were kids,” she said. “Then you finally notice me, and it’s because I’m a model now.”
“That’s not true.”
“How is it not true?” she challenged. “You never even said hi to me in high school. I might as well have been a bump on the log. And now, you’re acting so weird. I don’t get you.”
That made two of us.
“I don’t get me, either,” was my hoarse laugh. “Even if everything you just said was true, you could’ve come up and talked to me in high school. It takes two to have a conversation. If it mattered so much, why didn’t you say anything?”
“I have no idea,” she replied. “Clearly, this is some weird and crazy coincidence. I can’t believe you’re the photographer that they sent. It’s maddening.”
I took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of my neves.
“Listen, this could be the opportunity for a second chance,” I suggested. “I can’t change the way I did things before when we were kids. No one can, and there’s no sense in being angry about that forever.”
“I’m only angry at you right now,” she said pointedly. “I’ll get over it.”
I went in for another try.
“Listen Lila. I’m sorry that I ignored you years ago,” I said. “And I’m sorry that I spoke to you the way I did before. Can you forgive me?”
She thought for a moment.
“Well, yes, but you’ll be on a plane by the time that happens.”
“You don’t know that. I was supposed to be on a plane today.”
She seemed legitimately taken aback.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, I rescheduled my return flight because I wanted to stay here longer in Miami,” I told her. “I wanted to be with you more.”
The girl still seemed annoyed, but also flattered. A beautiful pink blush covered those cheeks, spreading down over her chest.
“What do I need to do to redeem myself?” was my growl.
“I’m sure I can think of something,” she quipped sassily.
Suddenly, the girl undid her pants and slid them down her gorgeous legs. Lila was now standing there in just a tight shirt and a sexy pair of panties that left little to the imagination.
“You’re going to listen to me for a change,” Lila said.
And shit, but my heart started pounding.