“What was that? And did I hear correctly? Are you marrying Daimon?” she demanded.
“Yes,” I said faintly.
“Damn, girl. Why?” Elissa looked at me with a stupefied look on her face. “I mean I get that you two got that sizzle, but I always thought it was Darren who was going to be your main man.”
“What? Why?”
“Come off it, girl. You’ve always known how much he cared for you. It was always Addie this and Addie that. You always came first with him.” Elissa was seriously enlightening me. I hardly ever saw that. What I saw was an old friend from high school who helped me when I needed him.
“You’ve got it wrong. Darren cares for me as a friend, nothing more.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Whatever, girl. As long as you’re happy, I'm happy,” Elissa said as we headed to our tables. “You realize you’ll have to take me with you when you’re shopping for your dress?”
“Of course I will!” I shouted over the crowd.
The night was excruciatingly long. Not because of the patrons, but because of the unfathomable amount of male testosterone coming off both Daimon and Darren. Daimon made sure he was there the whole night, watching me like a hawk while Darren brooded in the corner attempting to fill out his inventory forms. It was completely ridiculous watching them both. They were friends from high school and I couldn’t believe they were acting this way because of me. It had to be because of some male ‘I got a bigger dick than you’ bullshit.
“You can’t be seriously pissed at me,” I said without thinking the moment I saw Darren in the corridor. It was the end of my shift and I was beat physically and emotionally. I didn’t want someone who I cared for being angry at me for something I needed to do. I had signed that stupid contract and given my word so I couldn’t tell him what was really going on, but I didn’t want to lose my friendship with him over this stupid deal I had with Daimon.
“Mad? I'm not mad,” he scoffed. “I just wish I was the one to see you first, the one to be whatever the hell Daimon is to you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, surprised by his tone.
“Come off it, Addie. Daimon was the biggest asshole to you and yet you always sought him out. You two are like magnets to each other. One minute you hate him the next you want him. I can see it, everyone can.”
Okay, Addie. Don’t lose it, not now, you need Daimon and a deal is a deal.
“What Daimon and I have is rare and different. I don’t expect you to understand and I most certainly don't have to account for what goes on between us, but you and I have been friends for years. I don't want to lose our friendship over this.” I watched as Darren’s face changed and a darkness took over, one I had never seen him have before. Darren was always smiling and happy, this Darren was not the one I knew.
“You can’t have me as your safety net and then go running to Daimon when you want to fuck.” Darren grabbed me by the shoulders and held onto me as he pushed me into the wall behind me. “Addie, choose me,” he growled low in his chest.
“Darren, get off me,” I choked out.
“Addie,” he pleaded.
“Please?” I managed to say as I tried to fight him off. Darren slowly released me and looked down at me, his face solemn.
“Daimon will fuck up and I will be there to take you away from him.”
MY SURPRISE
“Fuck,” shouted Daimon the moment we walked into his penthouse. He drove me back here in silence. I was beginning to understand him. When Daimon was angry he liked to be left alone, but made sure I was around the moment he needed to vent.
“I fucking will not allow you to work there anymore,” he cried out. Drako, seemingly scared, came running behind my legs away from Daimon. “I fucking hate it. Do you understand I hate how he slithers around you with his smiles and happy self while I look like the fucking asshole? You are supposed to act like you love me, Addie, yet you act like I'm repulsive in front of him.” I waited knowing he wasn’t done yet. “I hate your relationship with him. I don't give a shit that you’ve known him since high school, he’s off limits,” he bellowed at me. Daimon’s chest was heaving as he glared at me waiting for my response.
“Are you done?” I asked calmly.
“Are you going to keep working there?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I'm not fucking close to being done. I want you to be planning the wedding with the wedding planner. I even gave you an extra week. You think I can so easily move things around when it suits your needs. What about my needs, Addie? I paid you to be mine and yet here you are acting like you’re doing me a favor,” he hissed.