Romance: JADEN: An MMA Fighter Romance (Bad Boy Tattoo Romance) (New Adult Pregnancy Short Stories) (15 page)

“Girl, get me some water from the kitchen would you?”

He flapped his hand towards me and the kitchen, still keeping his eyes firmly closed.

“My name is Georgia, Professor Walton.”

His eyes flung open and I knew my change in attitude had shocked him.  He relaxed himself immediately though and continued his order.

“Yes, yes.  Georgia, get some water.”

It was the first time I had heard him say my first name and I felt like I had made some sort of progression.  My small accomplishment made me want to conquer more.

“Please would be nice.”

His eyes flung open again, even more surprised at my willingness to tempt the dragon for a second time.

“I will get it myself.”  He huffed swinging himself into an upright position and walking straight past me without a glance.

He walked back with a glass of water.  I hadn’t moved from my seat.

“Is it that hard to say please?”  I asked, more frightened by him now that he was wide awake, but I pressed on.

“You should leave Miss Samuels.”

I sighed and mustered up all of my courage.

“What?  And be blamed for your death?  I suppose you would love to haunt me for the rest of my life wouldn’t you?”

I rolled my eyes and he stared at me in complete disbelief.

“I have no plan to come back to this world once I am gone, Miss Samuels.”

“And why is that Professor?  Has the world really been that cruel to you?”

He laughed, and I felt my face burning with fear and embarrassment, but most of all, anger.

“Do you think I need to answer to you, Miss Samuels?”

“I don’t think you need to answer to anyone Professor, especially if you insist on living this angry, lonely world you have cocooned yourself in, forever.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.”  I spat with sarcasm, my heart beating faster and faster.

“You have a lot to learn Miss Samuels.  I have seen the world far more than you.  I know much more than you.”

“And I suppose you have suffered so much more than me too Sir?”

“I haven’t suffered.  Nobody in this country knows what real suffering is.”

“Well, that is a very uneducated view, Professor.”

“I don’t care.”

I chuckled at his lack of argument.

“My ten-year-old brother used to say that because he was too young to have a better response.  I expected more from such an educated man as yourself.”

He leant forward resting his elbows on his knees and looked straight into my eyes.

“What do you want from me?”

“From you?  I doubt there is anything you could say or do to help or benefit anybody in this world Professor.”

He laughed and then sighed, smiling as if he had finally figured me all out.

“Taking your anger out on me Miss Samuels?  Was daddy cruel to you?”

“I never knew my father, Professor Walton.  He died shortly after my birth.  The same cancer that killed my brother when he was only ten years old.”

My satisfaction at the look of his face dropping at my words, was enough to hold my tears from falling down my face.  I sat back, resting into the chair.  I held his gaze that had now weakened with embarrassment and what I thought I could identify as sadness.

He finally broke our stare and we sat in silence for the next ten minutes, wondering how our conversation had taken such a dramatic turn.

“My wife died in a car crash on the way to the airport for our honeymoon nine years ago.  I died that day too.”

His confession caught me off guard and before I could find any words to respond to him, he had left the room through a door to my right.  This day just kept bringing the surprises.

***

I softly knocked on the door and creaked it open, knowing that I probably wouldn’t get a response.  Professor Walton was lying on his bed with a photo clasped in his hand, pressed against his chest.  I could see a shimmer on his cheek where his tears had left their marks.  I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him even though I still was angry at him for being such a horrible human being.

He hadn’t looked over at me yet, his eyes stayed fixated on the white roof of his room.  I closed the door behind me and walked slowly towards him, stopping just far enough away so his arm could not reach me if he swung out at me unexpectedly.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, Sir…” I started and he interrupted, keeping his stare above him.

“David.”

I was confused at his interruption but as I realised he was allowing me to address him by his first name, I greatly appreciated it.

“I don’t think you needed to die that day, though.”

He turned his head slowly towards me and I saw the same sorrow I had seen in his office earlier that day.

“I know.”  He sighed.  “I know Georgia.”

My heart broke for this man in front of me, a man I had not met until this very moment, despite seeing him every weekday this year.

“I am deeply sorry about what you and your family have battled against.”  

He pat down on his bed next to him, and sat himself up.

“Come sit Georgia.”

I hesitantly obliged and he continued to speak.

“I know I am an unpleasant man…” he started and I attempted to rebut his words, even though this was quite true, it seemed it was an automatic response when someone puts themselves down.

“And I have no legitimate excuse but to protect myself from one of the world’s most painful enemies.”

He looked at me and he could tell I was still unsure of what he was implying.

“Love.”  He clarified.

“Love brings pain Sir, but it brings such joy as well.”

He smiled softly.

“Yes, of course Georgia, but I don’t know if it is all really worth it.”

“And living your life like this is?”  I questioned.

He grabbed hold of my hand.

“You remind me of her you know?  Warm, caring….beautiful.”

I felt my heart start beating faster in a completely different way than I was used to, especially as a response from Professor Walton.  

“You almost make me want to try again Miss Samuels.”

I looked down at his hand holding mine, now embarrassed, and we were suddenly snapped out of the strange moment we had just been experiencing.  He pulled his hand from mine and started to apologise for his inappropriate behaviour, and I decided it was time I left him and went home.

***

He wasn’t in class today, most likely hiding his bruised face, and ego, away from the world.  I went to his office after class.  I knew he still didn’t deserve, or want, my compassion, but I couldn’t help but be concerned for him.  He wasn’t in his office though and the next thing I knew, I was driving back to his house and knocking on his front door.  There was no answer so I turned the handle myself, assuming it would be locked, but it was actually open and I slowly let myself in, hoping that I wasn’t about to stumble on some other company that would be shocked at my appearance.  I was safe, no one was there, not even the professor.  I felt like I was doing something incredibly wrong walking through another person’s house uninvited, but as I called a few times more and got no answer, my immediate worry kept me going.  His bedroom door was slightly ajar and I could see a pair of feet peacefully relaxing on the end of the bed.  I pushed the door open further to reveal Mr Walton lying motionless.  I was instantly frightened that he may not be alive but my concerns were soon put to ease as I saw the rise and fall of his chest and I heard his little groans making their way from his open mouth.  I refrained myself from waking him and took in the sight before me.  He was only wearing shorts, which left the rest of his body lying there for me to devour with my eyes.  Of course, I wasn’t intending on looking at my literature professor in this way but I couldn’t rip my eyes away from his muscular form.  His biceps curled up above his head, his chest hardened as he stirred, and his abs found me in a state of very unwanted thoughts.  I had to wake him so I could snap out of my unexpected awe of his body.

“Professor Walton.”  I whispered as I closed in on him.  

I lightly poked at his arm and he shot up ready to attack.  I jumped back frightened and he held his forehead realising it was only me.

“Miss Samuels, how did you get in here?”

“Sorry, Sir.  The door was unlocked.  I called out but no one answered and I was worried.  I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.  You are welcome here now Miss Samuels.  You have seen me at my worst.”

“I would say it was your best Mr Walton.”  I was intending honesty rather than being flirtatious but as the line came out, I darted my eyes away from him in embarrassment, for a comment that actually sounded highly seductive.  He laughed and I relaxed, thankful he wasn’t going to bite my head off for being so inappropriate.

“I suppose you are right Miss Samuels.”  He nodded.

“Georgia.”  I corrected him.

“David.”  He said and held his hand out as if introducing himself for the first time.  

We shook hands and we both smiled.  He saw my eyes involuntarily sweep down his manly physique and he suddenly got up, pulling random clothes over him, to cover up his naked body, that he'd just realised was on show.

“So sorry Miss, ah Georgia.”

“No problem.”  I blushed and walked out of the room.  “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Georgia!”  

I turned back around to see Mr Walton now fully dressed and I felt very attracted to his new laid back slacks and t-shirt look.  He looked so much younger and no longer held his conceited attitude that made others feel inferior to him.

“Won’t you stay for lunch Georgia?  It is the least I can do.”

I looked at him quizzically.

“Sure.”

And we made our way to the kitchen.

***

We sat at the dining table after a very quiet and quick lunch and he looked at me in deep thought.

“I quit teaching today Georgia.”

“What?”  I was completely shocked.

“I need to start fresh.”

I didn’t know how to respond so I gave him my silence.

“Thank-you for everything yesterday.  I guess this will be the last time we see each other.”

My heart dropped when he said these words and I looked at him, seeing his pained eyes that I’m sure now mirrored mine.  I felt my entire being fill with despair and I wasn’t completely sure why.  In such a little space of time, I had gone from despising this man, to wanting to hold him and show him how beautiful life can be.

“I guess so.”  I replied and he looked away disappointedly.

“Is there something wrong?”  I asked, worried I had done something to upset him.

“No, no I guess not.”

“You can be honest with me…David.   I am your friend now.”

“Friend.  That is what pains me you see?  I haven’t had contact with someone like this in a long time that I had forgotten what it was like to care; to care about myself…and someone else.”

He looked up at me with his last words and I felt them encircle inside of me.

“Now you will have lots of friends David, and you will be happy.”

He held his head in his hands and didn’t move.  I sat silent, waiting for him to be ready to speak again, but there was nothing.  He sat there and every so often I heard what sounded like sobs trying to crawl up his throat and out to me, screaming for help.  I walked around to him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay Sir?”  

I realised I had gone back to addressing him as Sir but now was not the time for corrections.  

He looked up at me and his now red sore eyes, staring at me, stung me so that I could hardly hold back my own tears.  I sat on the seat beside him and his eyes continued to beg for me.  I hugged him and I felt his body slowly start to break until he was silent and relaxed and calm.  We pulled out of the embrace and our faces now stood inches apart.  Both of our gazes fell to each other’s lips and then back to our eyes.  His warm hand came up to my cheek and I fought my instincts to run away.  He ran his thumb softly over my cheekbone and carefully forwarded his lips towards mine until I could feel their wet softness upon mine.  And then he quickly pulled away, leaving me embarrassed and confused.

“Sorry, Miss Samuels.  You need to go.  Good luck for the future.”  He tried to dismiss me abruptly and my anger from the day before bubbled back to the surface.  However, my desire quickly took over and I stormed up to him and grabbed his face between my hands, pushing my lips against his again and forcing him to allow me entrance.  Seconds later, he pushed me off, rejecting me again and I knew I had to leave this time.  This was wrong, very wrong and we both knew it.  I headed for the door until a strong force from behind me lunged at me, spinning me around and kissing me again.  I opened my mouth, urging his tongue to find me and he did.  He kissed me with so much passion and I finally felt like I understood him.  I kissed him back and we only broke minutes later from the exhaustion of our rush of emotions.  He stood there in front of me and I could see his mind thinking over his next moves.