Page 2 of Resisting Your Love

One Month Later

I removed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, getting ready to pour myself another glass.

"He has never been this distant before. I don't know how to feel," I stressed to my best friend Mianna, but she liked to be called Mimi for short.

She came over to my house to keep me company before she headed home for the night.

"Girl, I think you overthink too much. What makes you think Joel is being distant?" She held out her wineglass.

I scoffed, pouring the wine into her glass. "I can give you a whole list of things, but you won't believe it."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not true. I just can't see Joel being distant toward you. That man loves you, plus I hooked y'all up. Y'all are too cute together for any of you to be feeling some kind of way."

"You always throw that up in my face. Just because you go with his cousin, you think we're all supposed to be happy and in love like you are. Sometimes it doesn't work like that." I hated I was taking my frustrations out on her, but I was irritated with Joel.

Mimi threw her hands up. "Well, maybe you need to talk to him and figure out what it is that's going on. It could be nothing."

"Or something, but I won't keep going back and forth with you about it. It won't solve anything, anyway. Not until we talk to each other. Whenever that will be," I mumbled.

I went to take a seat at the kitchen table with her and put my elbow on it. I rested my chin in my hand as I tapped my cheek with my fingertips. "Maybe I should drive to his house to see what's going on."

Mimi shook her head, taking a sip of the wine. "He had to work today."

If Joel were talking to me, I would have known that. I hated that he was cutting me out of his life for no apparent reason. If anything, he needed to be honest with me. How come my best friend knew he had to work and not me?

I threw my head back and groaned. "Now I have to wait until he gets off."

"Best time to do so. Other than having Joel problems. How are you, girl? We don't talk how we used to since you started working at your father's poker lounge."

I cringed, not even wanting to think about that place. "Why did you even have to bring that place up? You know how much I hate it."

"Yes, I know, but you have to get from up under your father. The only way to do that is to work. It's a good thing you don't see him all the time." She chuckled.

I glared. "That doesn't even matter. I still feel like I'm being watched."

I started working at my father's lounge two weeks ago and was ready to quit it already.

The work wasn't hard, but the workers looked down their noses at me.

They acted like I was getting paid more money than them.

One thing about me is that I was unable to hold a job for long.

Since my father was a very wealthy man, I didn't want to work.

Why should I when he would get me anything I wanted or needed?

Plus, I had a black card. Joel felt some type of way about that, too.

He hated that I depended on my father for everything and never came to him.

We had only been dating for a year, so I felt like I shouldn't have to.

Plus, he wasn't even my husband. At twenty-eight, I didn't have marriage on my mind.

"Well, all you have to do is watch them back. They can feel any way they want to. If they have a problem with it, they can take it up with your dad. Ohh, that's what you should tell them." She picked up her wine glasses and took another sip.

Mimi matched me in every way. She was my best friend and the closest thing to me since my mother died in a car crash.

I wouldn't know where I'd be without her.

She pulled me out of the dark place I was in after losing my mother.

My father wasn't there since he was going through his own grief.

Truthfully, since the passing of my mother, my father had barely been around.

It made me feel down, but I tried not to let it get to me. People dealt with grief differently.

"I'm not worried about them people. They're not putting money in my pocket or signing my checks."

She snapped her fingers. "There you go, girlfriend. Sometimes, you have to think that way. If you don't, you'll let others run all over you. That's something that's not about to happen."

Mimi was right. Since I was quiet and was known to keep to myself, people tried me on a daily.

I had to let them know plenty of times to tread lightly.

When I was up, it was hard for me to calm down.

Since the loss of my mother, I didn't too much care about anything anymore.

She was my lifeline. To lose that, I was in deep mourning.

The good Lord knew how much I missed my mother.

Mimi's cell phone commenced to ring. The smile that spread on her face told me it was her man calling. I knew she was about to head home since that always happened when he called.

"Okay, girl. I'm going to head out. My man just got off work. He wants me home and naked by the time he gets there."

I grimaced as she danced in her seat. At least one of us was getting some. It had been a couple of weeks since Joel touched me. I wish I knew what the hell his problem was.

I stood up from the table right along with her. "Make sure you call me when you get home."

Mimi gave me a slight nod. "And you know I will. Make sure you talk to Joel. I really want you guys to work."

I scoffed, walking her to the door. "The other person has to be willing to make the relationship work as well."

"So true, but we will talk later."

When Mimi walked out of the door, I closed it and leaned against it. I closed my eyes, fighting off the eerie feeling that sank into my soul. What the hell was about to happen?

I had to see Joel and find out what was going on.

That was the only way I'd feel better. I had this nagging feeling that wouldn't leave me alone.

Plus, he hadn't reached out to me all day.

I had to be the one to call him, but he didn't answer any of my calls.

When I pulled into the apartment complex, my stomach dropped as I passed by Joel's car.

It was parked in front of his apartment building.

I needed him to be upfront with me. That was the least he could do.

I exited my car and made my way to his apartment door with my heart throbbing in my chest. Once I reached it, I rang the doorbell. I gnawed my bottom lip, waiting impatiently for him to let me in.

I heard his footsteps coming to the door. When he opened it, his eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost. My heart ached a bit from the gesture. Was he not happy to see me?

"Amryn? What are you doing here?" he questioned. His dreads were falling all in his face as he screwed up his oval-shaped face.

I arched a brow, placing my hands on my hips. "Am I not allowed to come see my boyfriend?"

He looked dumbfounded at me. "Of course you can. I wasn't expecting you to drop by without calling."

I gawked at him. Was he for real? "I've been calling you all day. And are you going to let me in? I refuse to have this conversation outside in the cold."

It was the middle of September and was getting colder by the day. He looked hesitant like he didn't want me to come inside his home.

"Do you have someone in there? Is that why you don't want me to come inside?" My blood boiled at the thought of him having someone in his apartment.

He scoffed and moved aside to let me in. "Man, you are being ridiculous right now. Bring your ass on inside."

When I entered his apartment, I peered around, expecting to find someone else there.

I was starting to think he was cheating on me, and that was something I didn't want to feel.

My heart would be crushed if that happened.

Although I wasn't in love with him as of yet, I was growing to love him.

I swirled around to see him watching me, leaning against the door.

I nibbled on my bottom lip as uncertainty flowed through me.

With a look of annoyance on his face, Joel pushed off the door and made his way to the couch to take a seat.

I followed behind him to take a seat next to him.

He sat on one cushion, and I sat on the other.

I wasn't trying to get too close to him, fearing he would move away from me.

I folded my hands in my lap, not knowing how to approach this conversation.

Would he turn me away? Would he be reasonable? How would it end?

I inhaled and let out a shaky breath. "What is going on, Joel? You've become distant, and I would like for you to tell me what's going on."

He tilted his head to the side and studied me. I tried not to squirm from the look he gave me. "You're being extra for no reason. Think what you want."

I frowned, knowing I wasn't being extra. The only thing I wanted to know was the reason behind him being distant toward me. "Okay, Joel. If I'm extra, so be it."

My shoulders sagged at the possibility of Joel giving up on our relationship. We had been together for a year now, but it felt like our relationship wasn't going anywhere.

It was true Mimi hooked us up, but we decided to build on our own.

But sometimes we could go days without talking to each other.

I had never stayed the night with him either.

We'd have sex during the time I was with him, and I'd leave to go back home to my own bed.

Could he be tired of that? Did he want me to move in with him? If that were the case, I wouldn't.

"What's the reason for the visit? Is it to argue with me?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not. I'm just here trying to get answers." My hands grew sweaty as my heart pounded in my chest.

"There is none to get, Amryn, but with you still at home with your father, you'll think just about anything."