Enchantress

Chapter 4

I showered and readied myself for my upcoming date. I was getting ready to see Matti. He was hot, rich, powerful, intensive to my mind and body, respectful, and most of all he wanted me. So why was my mind still on Dom? Why was Dom continually toying with me? It wasn’t fair. I just needed to let him go and move forward with Matti. I threw on a red strapless dress with a short hem and my black and red Jimmy Choo heels. I was ready with ten minutes to spare. My cell phone was ringing. I expected it to be Matti telling me he was here but when I looked at my phone it was Dom. I sent him to voicemail. I wasn’t interested in anything he had to say. I needed to be done with him and whatever game he was playing. My phone chirped. The display showed one new voicemail. I wasn’t interested in listening to it. I needed to be strong. I turned off my phone and headed for the street. Matti would be here any minute. The street was almost deserted. The sun was setting. It was ten after seven and still no Matti. Maybe he was the fashionably late type. At seven thirty I had given up. I turned my phone back on as I walked inside. No new texts and only the voicemail from Dom which I still wasn’t going to listen to. I had been stood up. I should have seen this coming. I went back to my room and changed into my pajamas. I took off my makeup and curled up in bed. I turned my phone back off. My first class wasn’t until two in the afternoon so I wouldn’t need my alarm and I really didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I hadn’t seen Viv since earlier in the day and was hoping she would come home but she probably wouldn’t be in until late.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to pounding on my door. Viv wasn’t in her bed. I turned on the light and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost five in the morning. Who would be pounding on my door? Maybe Viv forgot her key. I got up and answered the door. Not Viv. I was kind of in shock. It was Dom’s girlfriend. This should be good. She squinted her beady eyes at me.

“What exactly is going on between you and Dom?”

“He’s my brother’s friend and he’s been nice enough to watch out for me. Why?”

“Because he has been in love with me for the last three years, never strayed, never been distant, until you showed up. Now I can’t find him half the time and he never have time for me. He avoids me. Stay away from him. He’s with me. We have two years of college left and then were getting married. He proposed tonight. No one, not even Malachi’s baby sister, will change that. I won’t allow it. Find your own man homewrecker.”

With that she turned on her heel and walked away leaving me standing in my doorway speechless and looking like an i***t.

I’ve only been here a weekend. One weekend. I haven’t even started classes yet. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I wanted to go home. He sleeps with me and then proposes to her. He just wanted to get in my pants before he decided to settle down and commit. Why wouldn’t he? I’m Malachi’s little sister. I was a conquest to all his friends, and I made it easy for two of them to get into my pants. Now I’m alone and they both got what they wanted. I am such an i***t. I shut the door and crawled back into bed. I turned the light off and laid there in the dark. What started out as the best day of my life quickly ended as the worst day of my life. Before I could even fall back asleep there was knocking on the door again. I’m not getting up to answer that again. The knocking kept going. Fine. I got up and opened the door to find Matti on the other side.

“I tried to call but your phone was off. I had an emergency and just got back. I’m sorry about dinner. Can I buy you breakfast?”

“Really? It’s almost 6 in the morning.”

“Yes, really.”

“Sure, why not. Come in and I’ll get dressed.”

He followed me in and shut the door. I slipped out of my pajama bottoms and grabbed a pair of jeans out of my drawer. Before I could even put them on, he had his arms around my waist and began kissing my neck.

“Could we not do this right now? I'm exhausted.”

He took a step back and grabbed my hand pulling me over to the bed. He threw himself down on my bed pulling me with him. I was about to object again when he flipped me over and pulled my blanket over us. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.

“Let’s skip breakfast. We’re both exhausted. I could use some sleep. I’d rather be here asleep with you than anywhere else in the world.”

Without another word he grew quiet. I laid there listening to his heartbeat in tune with mine. I felt safe and happy at that moment. I felt like I was falling in love for the first time. I drifted off into a blissful sleep with Matti’s arms wrapped around me.

I woke up the next morning and Matti still had his arms wrapped around me. I was afraid that if I moved, he would wake up. Honestly, I wanted to stay like this forever. I reached for my phone and powered it on. I had a dozen texts and four voicemails. It was only eight. It felt so much later than that. I still didn’t want to listen to Dom’s message, so I checked my texts. Viv said she’d be back tonight. Malachi texted to check in on me. I had seven texts from Matti explaining why he missed our date and apologizing. I had three texts from Dom, and I wasn’t opening those. I wasn’t ready. Instead I set my alarm and put my phone back on the stand. I rolled over and put my head against Matti’s chest. His arms around me grew tighter and he tilted his head down and kissed my forehead. I drifted back off to sleep content in his arms.

I woke up to someone scuffling around the room. I rolled over to see Viv coming out of the bathroom.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered.

“What time is it?”

“Eleven thirty.”

“Ok. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Goodnight. See you after class.”

I rolled back over and pressed my face back into Matti’s chest. Before I knew it, my alarm was going off and Matti was waking me up.

“I have to go love and so do you. When does your last class end?

“My last class is English Lit. It’s over at seven. “

“Can I pick you up afterwards?”

“Yeah. I’ll wait for you outside.”

He kissed me and headed for the door. Then, suddenly, he turned around and came back to kiss me again. This time tangling his fingers into my long dark hair. His kiss was hard and needy. Just like that he released me and was out the door.

I checked my phone. Nothing new but the unread messages from Dom and the unheard voicemail from everyone because I didn’t want to listen to Dom's voicemail. Time to get up and get ready for my first day of classes. I got up and got dressed and was out the door headed to my first class across campus.

The day passed quickly going from class to class. Philosophy, Physiology, Composition, and English Literature. We mainly went over the syllabus, the expectations, grading rubric, grading scales and criteria. Then we had question and answer sessions. It was an easy first day overall. My class schedule this semester wasn’t as chaotic as I thought it would be. I only have classes on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. I stood outside the Looman building which housed my English Lit class. It was ten after seven and sure enough Matti pulled up to pick me up.

“You must be hungry after two hours of listening to Mcnamara ramble on.”

“I’m starving. I thought he was never going to dismiss the class.”

“Let’s go to the café and grab something to eat. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

We pulled up outside the café and he quickly jumped out of the car to open my door for me. We walked into the café and grabbed a booth in the back. Matti went to place our order and I decided it was time to read Dom’s messages. The first one was apologizing and the second was telling me he had feelings for me and apologizing again. The third was a bit more straightforward telling me that we can’t be together and that he was in love with his girlfriend and that I just needed to stay away from him. It hurt so bad reading it. I wanted to cry but I didn’t want Matti to know anything was wrong. When Matti came back, I excused myself and headed for the bathroom. I listened to my voicemail while I was in there. Dom trying to explain how he felt about me but how he was obligated to someone else and how very sorry he was for everything. My mom and Malachi also left voicemail’s. I just needed to move on. I refused to even shed a tear. I was absolutely done with Dom.

I returned to my seat. Our food wasn’t done yet. Matti said he wanted to talk to me about something but before I could say anything Matti started talking.

“Taryn I really like you. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. I really want to take us to the next level and make things official. I want to see where this goes. How do you feel about it?”

“Matti when I came here, I didn’t plan on having a relationship or losing my virginity. I was extremely lost, and I just now feel like I’m finding myself. I’m not opposed to a relationship as long as we take it slow.”

“You never fail in putting a smile on my face Taryn.”

He reached across the table to kiss me.

“You have classes tomorrow?”

“Nope. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“Good then you’re coming home with me tonight.”

“How do you know that I don’t already have plans?”

“What plans could be better than plans with your boyfriend?”

Just then Malachi leans on the back of my booth.

“Did Matti just mention himself and the word boyfriend in the same sentence?”

Matti looked up at him with a smirk on his face.

“That I did.”

“I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Well your lovely sister has me completely captivated. She has seduced me with her beauty and charm.”

“You'd better be good to her Matti.”

With a nod from Matti, Malachi turned his attention to me.

“I have to meet up with Dom,” I flinched at the sound of his name, “Will you please call and text me back. I’d like to have dinner with you this weekend. Are you free Sunday night?”

“Yeah, I’m free Sunday night. Could you leave your goon squad at home though?”

“Sure sis. I’ll call you Sunday afternoon to talk about the details. Love you.”

“Love you too,” I said waving him away with my hand.

He walked back over to a table on the opposite side of the room while Matti and I finished our meal.

We decided to do a movie night. I texted Viv to let her know I wouldn’t be back tonight, and Matti and I headed for the door. Just as we reached it Dom and Lila walked through it. I kept a joyous look on my face so the feelings of hurt and anguish didn’t show. Matti snaked his arm around my waist and greeted Dom. I could see a flash of hurt in his eyes. Lila gave me a glare.

“Lila, I don’t believe you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my girlfriend Taryn,” Matti said in greeting.

I extended my hand,” No I haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Taryn.”

A weak smile crossed her lips and relief flashed in facial expressions. She begrudgingly shook my hand. “No, I haven’t. I’m Lila.”

“We’ve got to go. We have a big night planned. See you later,” Matti said with a wave.

I turned to say goodbye to Malachi and as I did, I caught the expression on Dom’s face. He was surprised and hurt, and you could see the anger in his eyes. I said goodbye to Malachi and let Matti sweep me out the door and into his car. At that moment everything felt right. Matti was the guy I wanted to be with because I was the woman he chose to be with. I wasn’t his second choice and he wasn’t mine.