“I’m well aware of her age, and… no, it’s not a good idea. But it doesn’t matter.”
“Pray tell, why doesn’t it matter?” He raises his eyebrow.
I break the line of sight between me and the woman who has me completely enamoured to stare down at my best friend. “Because she’s leaving Monday.”
“She said that?”
“We agreed.”
“I see.” Sam gazes at Robyn, the corner of his mouth tipping up as she slams her hand down on the table.
“Domino, motherfucker!” Raising her arms in the air with excitement, Robyn curls her tongue over her top set of teeth and grins broadly, bringing a smile to my face once more.
“Wrong fucking game!” Danny shouts. “You’re cheating! I just can’t prove it!”
“It’s always the same with you when you lose.” Pete guffaws. “She’s just better at it than you are.”
“She’s beautiful,” Sam tells me.
Like I don’t already know.
“She is,” I agree, not willing to say anything more because I don’t trust myself.
The more I look at Robyn, the more I hate that she’s leaving Monday morning. But I won’t ask her to stay, I can’t. I’m still married to her mother, and it would be absurd to ask her for anything more than the time we’ve had together. I made it perfectly clear to her: I set the boundary, she agreed, and I need to respect that.
Sam stating she’s young isn’t new to me. It’s not like I haven’t had that thought running through my mind every single time I’ve been with her sexually. But hearing him say it… only makes me realise it more.
I don’t know when it happened or even how, but the way I feel about Robyn has changed drastically and asking her to stay, to wait for… whatever it is I want from her isn’t fair, regardless of how I feel. The time we have spent getting to know each other between sleeping and sex has been some of the most enjoyable moments I can remember having.
Robyn isn’t just the woman I’m sleeping with; she’s the woman that if I was twenty years younger, I would’ve snapped up and never let go. But I’m not, and she still has her whole life ahead of her. One I’m not going to ruin just because I’ve developed feelings for her. Feelings I can’t fathom because this wasn’t supposedtohappen.
It was only meant to be fun, except it turned into something far more for me and even though I’m a grown man… I don’t have the confidence to ask her for more because she deserves better than I could ever offer her.
“Penny for your thoughts, big guy?” Sam breaks my concentration.
I shake my head. “Just realising some shit, brother, and you’re right… she’s young.”
“Fuck…” He sighs. “Don’t listen to me, what the fuck do I know. I’m aging like milk, remember.” Both of us chuckle together. “If there’s one thing I can say about her, Robyn definitely has a mouth on her.”
I smirk devilishly. “That she does.”
“Yeah, no, I don’t want to hear about your sexcapades with her thank you very much.” He lifts his wrist and checks the time. “Think it’s time the three of us get out of here and leave you both to it.”
I glance at the clock above the fireplace, realising it’s a little after midnight. “Yeah.”
He grunts as he pushes to stand. “Come on, fuckers, let’s leave these two love birds to it.” Sam walks to Robyn and she stands, smiling as he holds his arms out for a friendly hug. I watch as his lips find her ear, his mouth moving, saying something I can’t quite hear.
She pulls back from him and smiles, offering him a gentle nod before hugging Pete, and finally Danny—even if he is glaring at her in relation to her kicking his ass at poker.
Robyn looks at me and smiles, but this time… something’s different with her. With us. “I’ll see you upstairs…Daddy.”
Closing my eyes, I hear her little giggle because she knows she’s going to regret ever saying that in front of them.
“You make her call you daddy?” Pete snorts with laughter as he walks over and fist bumps me. “I didn’t know you had it in you, pops.”
“Pete, shut the fuck up before I fold you into a pretzel,” I call over my shoulder as I walk towards the front door. Ready to spend what’s left of the day with my girl.
“He’ll never admit it, but he cares about you more than you think… so don’t hurt him, his old heart can’t take it.”
