When I met you

You

Adam Melchior

— You can’t be serious.

I mutter, but Leo doesn’t even dare look at me. He’s far too focused on shoving clothes into a duffel bag to pay attention to my disbelief.

It was Saturday morning.

Far too early for either of us to be awake.

But the conversation with Livia hadn’t let him sleep, and the night I’d spent with Akermisia hadn’t allowed me to sleep either.

Under his hands, each piece of clothing is packed away with determination.

— Leonardo. — I try again.

He slings the bag over his shoulder and grabs his phone from the bed.

— Damn it!

— I don’t know! — his voice explodes, loud and terrified. — Livia is pregnant with my child, and I don’t know how I feel about it. I don’t know. But she’s going to her parents’ house now, and she’s terrified. Maybe I’m not man enough to do the right thing and stay with both of them, because when she told me everything last night, I couldn’t say a word. But I can be man enough to go with her and take responsibility for this. — For a split second, I think I see his hand tremble. — She didn’t do this alone, so I can’t let her get torn apart by her parents alone either. I’m going with her to spend the weekend in the countryside.

— You don’t have to do that, Leo. I think you should think about it first and—

Coleman shakes his head as though he doesn’t want to hear a single opinion I might have.

— Just please don’t tell anyone. Livia needs time, and I think it’s the least I can do to make up for probably ruining her life.

I clench my jaw and nod.

— Leo…

He turns around, one hand still resting on the doorknob.

I watch his fist tighten and loosen before he lets out a deep sigh.

— Please, Adam.

I nod.

I don’t really have a choice.

I’d never seen him like this.

Out of control.

Lost.

Not even when Taylor left him.

And yet he was still going with Livia to face her parents.

Coleman always did that.

He always put other people first, no matter what avalanche of emotions he was burying inside himself.

The door slams loudly behind him when he leaves.

I throw myself onto the bed and try to go back to sleep, but I can’t because, damn it…

Leonardo Coleman, my best friend, is going to be a father.

✶

When she opens the door later that same day, a small smile spreads across her face when she sees me.

Her hands come to rest on the doorframe.

The smile on her lips and the fact that she’s wearing a short spaghetti-strap dress are the sexiest combination I’ve ever seen.

Or maybe I only think that because everything about Akermisia is sexy.

At all times.

— Ready? — I ask with my hands in my pockets.

Her eyes narrow.

— Do you really think this is a good idea? Spending the weekend together? We’ll probably kill each other before dinner.

Isia laughs.

I love her laugh.

I lean forward and press my forehead against her temple.

Making sure my lips hover just above her ear, I whisper close enough for her to catch the deliberately indecent tone of my next words.

— Actually, I’ll have you completely exhausted and breathless long before lunch.

Akermisia’s lips press into a thin line, and she glances at the floor, slightly embarrassed.

Then she looks back up at me with an expression that says she’s annoyed because I managed to make her blush.

I grin.

It’s far too entertaining watching her get flustered.

— Let’s go before I change my mind. — she says before closing the door.

I take her small bag and guide her toward the car.

I know she’s worried about her friend.

And I’m also aware that everything that’s happened recently has shaken her.

In that regard, I can’t even imagine how Livia must be feeling.

So I suggested a small trip to my family’s house in the countryside.

The place was closed most of the time, and my parents never used it.

We’d have the entire house to ourselves.

And I was looking forward to that.

I even went grocery shopping after Leonardo left and I failed to fall asleep again.

I didn’t really know what we needed for meals since grocery shopping had always been Coleman’s responsibility, and at home the refrigerator was magically always full.

So I ended up buying a little bit of everything.

I hoped things would work out during this little trip.

After all, the last two times we’d slept together had somehow resulted in us spending long periods apart afterward.

And I was tired of being apart from her.

During the drive, we argued about the music.

But eventually I managed to calm her down by surrendering and letting her control the playlist.

There was one undeniable truth:

Akermisia was stubborn most of the time.

Forty minutes later, we arrived at my family’s property.

The mountain house was rustic yet elegant, a blend of wood and glass.

Outside, there was a jacuzzi and a fire pit area surrounded by couches.

— This is what you people consider a simple country house? — Akermisia smiles after stepping out of the car.

Her eyes remain fixed on the elevated residence as we leave the garage behind.

I watch her move away from the vehicle before offering my hand to help her climb the stairs.

The steep pathway of polished stone steps leads directly to the raised house.

The entire way up, I keep her hand wrapped in mine, trying to appear more charming than I usually am.

— Yes.

— Adam, this is a mansion. How many millions of dollars do you people leave sitting in the middle of nowhere without even using it?

I try not to smile, but it’s impossible.

The truth was that all this extravagance had become so normal to me that sometimes I forgot my lifestyle was absurd to most people.

— A lot… — I answer. — But you’re wrong about one thing. I fully intend to make use of those millions of dollars. As a matter of fact, I plan to do it with a certain Akermisia. Know her?

She tilts her head.

— That hot girl? God, how did you get so lucky?

— Oh, she was already in love with me from the very first moment, so it was easy.

An elbow immediately lands in my side.

I double over dramatically, exaggerating her assault, but she simply rolls her eyes at my performance and gives me absolutely no credibility.

— You’re impossible.

— And you’re mean. — I shoot back, amused.

She lifts one corner of her mouth as if proving she could make a very convincing villain. And just seeing her like that is enough to leave me completely captivated.

I let Isia make herself comfortable around the house while I carry our small weekend bags to the bedroom.

There wasn’t a second floor. The house was just one large single-story structure, so it doesn’t take me long to return to where I left her.

I watch her take in the place with a sparkle in her eyes.

I love the way Akermisia gives her full attention to the smallest details.

It’s as if she simply refuses to miss anything.

And I follow her around, annoying her and earning a pinch on the leg or a jab to the ribs every time I succeed in my goal of getting on her nerves.

I take her hand, and she leads me away from the dining room.

The glass doors are wide open, and the view truly is breathtaking.

I liked this house, even though I had very few good family memories here.

When my grandfather was alive, he used to bring Kalon and me here.

But after he passed away, the trips ended.

And so did my father’s efforts to pretend we were the perfect family for the patriarch’s sake.

I missed him.

More than I usually allowed myself to admit, if I were being honest.

Even so, having Akermisia there with me was comforting.

Standing between the memories of my past and the fragile line of the present.

I try not to let it show that I’m watching her from the side as she takes in the rolling hills, the trees, and the clear sky.

Her nose is perfect.

Her lips are full.

Her amber eyes glow beneath the afternoon light.

Her skin is soft and carries the faint scent of vanilla.

Her dark hair falls around her shoulders, the ends curling gently.

And she’s wearing a pink dress that makes her look absolutely beautiful.