Page 20 of Claiming Kenna

“Why not?” he countered.

“I don’t like sitting up the front,”

“Well I would like you to. It feels wrong being around each other yet keeping one another at a distance. Sitting closer to me in class is not such a big ask,” he said in a low grumble.

“Claire and Kyan will know something is up and we always make fun of people at the front of the room,” I admitted to him feeling like an idiot because as I spoke the words out loud it sounded too immature and childish. He shook his head at me in disbelief.

“You can be so mature and head strong yet so childish sometimes,” I shrugged and offered a small grin.

“Fine. If you wont sit at the front you can do something else for me since relationships are all about compromise,”

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, growing suspicious.

“You will find out soon enough. Right now we should decide what we are going to have for dinner and we will head to your place to get your things,”

“OK, what food do you normally like to eat?” I asked genuinely wondering what foods he liked and disliked.

“Anything, although curry is probably my least favorite but I will eat it if I have to. What do you want though?”

“Italian is my favorite. But anything,” I replied.

“Italian it is. I will order us some to be delivered when we get back from your place,”

“I could go on my own?” I said, biting my lip. He didn’t need to see the shit hole I have been living in. Although I loved my little apartment and missed it, he would take one look at it and have a fit. “Kenna, why are you holding me at arms length? Maybe I would like to see where you used to live?” He spoke adding in the past tense to cement his feelings about me moving in with him.

“I will grab my own things. I just want to do it on my own,”

“Ok, I will give you the space you clearly want. But sometimes it really does feel like I want this a lot more than you do Kenna.”

I crawled onto his lap and sat there with my arms around his neck.

“You have no idea how much I want this. You are too good for me,” I said, tears slipping down my cheeks. He wiped them carefully from my face.

“You can’t ever think that. Maybe we are made for each other.”

“We come from very different places. Trust me you are too good for me,”

“Yeah we do come from very different places. And for that I am glad.” He said finally and lifted me from him.

“Go grab your stuff and I will sort dinner for when you are back,” he stated and pulled out his phone, walking away from me. I had hit a nerve. I was curious about what he was talking about. I looked around his expansive apartment and all his high end furnishings and wondered if I had him pegged all wrong.

Isteppedintomydowntown studio apartment still feeling heavier from our earlier conversations. I looked around and admired how far I had come. A broken home, father in jail, living on food grants to an apartment in New York city and studying at an elite university for Criminal Law. Cullen was right. I didn't have enough confidence in myself. I was so ashamed of things in my life I had no control over yet, here I was fighting for a brighter future. When I get back to Cullens’ I am going to sit him down again and tell him everything about me. If he really cares for me and wants a future together he will accept everything about my life. Maybe then he will openly want to share his past with me.

I swiped up my backpack and filled it with all my school books and things I would need to finish the week. I grabbed my roll away suitcase that was under my bed and put my personal belongings in it. I smiled to myself at my new acceptance and the weight that had been lifted off my shoulders. A weight I had carried for so long that wasn’t mine to carry. I sat on the edge of the bed and fired off a long message to Crystal to say I would no longer be working at the club. I chucked my phone in my backpack and zipped it up. Looking around once more I nodded to myself for assurance. I took a risk coming to New York. Now I will take a risk for love.

I got back to Cullens and the smell of food hit me instantly. There were hints of tomato, basil, garlic and a few other herbs I couldn’t put my finger on. But it smelt amazing. I placed my bags against the wall by the entrance and strolled further into the apartment. Music was playing through his surround sounds and I found Cullen in the kitchen dishing up food and pouring two glasses of white wine. He looked good in the kitchen. Especially in his casual loose black long sleeve top that was rolled up to just below his elbows. Cullen caught my eyes and he placed the wine bottle down on the counter. “You are back my sweet scholar,” he said quietly.

“Yeah I guess I was hungry,” I teased.

He crept closer to me and his intoxicating cologne wrapped itself around me. He placed his hand around the back of my head and pulled my face to his and forced my lips open with his tongue. I parted my lips to his, taking in the length of his tongue and exploring the depths of his mouth with my own. He pushed his bulge into my belly letting me know that he was feeling very pleased I was home. He pulled back and sighed.

“We have my brother coming for dinner tonight. He rang just before and said he was in town, sorry Kenna. But I do have something for you,” He said in a low voice. I felt my mood deflate and anxiety build in my bones. I wasn’t ready to meet any family yet.

“Baby stop freaking out. You will get along well. But I do have something I want you to wear for dinner. Let’s just say it will be our compromise for you sitting at the back of our classroom,” he murmured. “Now you have my attention? Should I be worried?” I replied.

“You’re going to love it so much you will want to wear it again,” he admitted and grinned. He tugged me by the hand and led me to his bedroom.

He picked up a small object off his bed and held it between us. It was a small and black oval shape with a pointy end and small circular handle at the other end which Cullen was holding.

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