Page 130 of Love Not Qualified

“All right, I’ll let you go back to work. Congratulations on the new position!” I smiled, remembering that she had been promoted.

“Thank you. I’ll send you a video with Ginna soon,” she said, then ended the call.

I shook my head, the corners of my mouth touching my ears. She was one of a kind, I was sure of that and I didn’t know how I was so lucky to get the smartest and funniest friend out of all.

When I got in front of my building, I stopped in my tracks, seeing Tristan’s car in the improvised parking lot.

Wasn’t he supposed to be at the football game? Why was he lying to me?

I unlocked my phone and dialed his number. It rang with no answer, so I called again, but this time, a faint ringtone came from inside the building and I heard someone cursing under their breath.

“Mother fucker.” Tristan walked out with his hands full of pictures I had in my apartment, the toy bear, and a few clothes.

What the hell was he doing with my shit?

He opened the door to his car, stuffing the items in and I marched up to him, stopping behind him. When he turned back, he barely flinched. He rose his eyebrows in surprise, but then smiled and leaned back to kiss me.

I didn’t kiss him back. I tapped my foot on the ground, staring at me.

“You’re here in time.” He kept the smile on his lips, then threw me into his arms and placed me in the car, next to my things.

“Tristan!” I tried to fight and somehow get out before he closed the door, but he was too fast.

He soon followed inside and started the car. I pinched his ear, hard, and forced him to look at me. “What do you think you’re doing?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I told you you’re not going to live here anymore.” He was so relaxed I almost dropped off the pinching part and punched him.

“And is that your decision to make?”

“Now that you’re mine, yes.”

This man… he knew how to push all the right buttons to piss me right the fuck off. I was expecting a large wave of rage, enough to make me say I didn’t want to be with him anymore or something like that, but instead, I was faking my anger.

Why wasn’t I mad at him? He had no right to go into my apartment and gather all my stuff.

He fucking kidnapped me.

Tristan drove away, no sign of tension in his shoulders.

I was supposed to be fuming right now. To lash out at him and say things I didn’t mean, but instead, I stayed silent in the back seat, curious about where he was taking me.

This was wrong.

So wrong.

“I’ll call the police.” I tried to sound serious.

He sighed. “I’m not going to keep you there by force, Haelyn. Stay with me until Christmas and if you decide you don’t like it, I’ll get you a new apartment.”

My stomach tightened. He was serious about this and had no intention of going back and I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to.

“Just give me a chance,” he pleaded, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I bit my bottom lip, but nodded, deciding to do things his way for once without overthinking everything. I was about to live with him and his brother for a week and if I decided it was too soon for us, I could go back to my apartment.

Because there was no way in hell I’d accept him to buy an apartment for me. That was a sure no-no.

“One week,” I pointed out.

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