When I'm With You

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

An hour later, Quinton and Bruno walk in with moving boxes. I'm in my bedroom packing up my clothes while Bruno and Quinton pack of my living room and kitchen. Hernan is helping pack up my bathroom. "We can put your furniture in storage if you want." He tells me. "Okay." I say simply, not looking up from what I'm doing. He walks over and cups my face in his hands "I'm sorry." he tells me. "Not your fault. Everyone back home told me I was making a mistake moving here. That I wouldn't make it here." I tell him. "That how you feel?" he asks. "I don't know." I tell him honestly. "No matter what, you have me." he tells me. "I appreciate that. But Hernan..." I start but he stops me. "Don't. I promise it will be okay." he tells me and I just nod and go back to packing.

It takes us a few hours to get packed and Quinton, Bruno and a few other guys move my furniture out and into storage and my boxes to Hernan's house. Walking into the house, I start to unpack my clothes and toiletries. Hernan helps but I still feel him watching me. Once it's unpacked, I tell him "I'm gonna shower." He nods and I head into the shower where I sob until the water gets cold. Getting out, I get dressed in a pair of leggings and a sweater and walk out to the living room where Hernan is. I sit on the couch next to him and he pulls me to him. I feel his fingers running up and down my side and I feel the tears fall again. He tilts my head to look at him and kisses me softly and says "It's okay baby. I got you." before pulling me into his lap and holding me while I sob harder.

The next morning, I walk into the kitchen, where his housekeeper has made breakfast. "Sweetheart, this is Maggie, our housekeeper. You need anything, let her know. Maggie, this is my girlfriend, Sophia. She's living with us now." he tells her. "Welcome Miss Sophia. Anything you need, you let me know." she tells me and I say "Thank you Miss Maggie." She nods before heading out to clean the house. I sit to eat and am picking at my food. Hernan walks over and wraps his arms around me from behind and says "You need to eat Sweetheart." I nod and start to eat. "I have some things to take care of today so I want you to relax. Just take a few days and rest." he tells me. "Okay." I say. I still don't say much. In the matter of a day, I lost my dream job and my apartment because I wanted to be with someone. "I think I'm gonna call my cousin today. I might go visit for a couple of weeks and just get my head right." I tell him. "Will you be coming back?" he asks. I look at him and ask "Are you sure you want me to come back?" I ask. He kisses me softly and says "I want you here. I need you here with me." he tells me and I nod.

The next day, my cousin is picking me up at the airport. We get to her house and she asks "How long are you wanting to stay?" I sigh and say "Couple of weeks. Need to get my head right." I tell her. My cousin is my best friend. We tell each other everything. If anyone can help me get right, it's her. We get to her house and walk in and she pours both of us a glass of wine. "Now, tell me what's got you twisted up." she says. "Dani, I don't know what to do." I tell her and feel the tears threaten to fall. "Start from the beginning." she tells me. "I started this job singing in a lounge. I loved my job. One of the guys that hung out in VIP started watching me every night. Well, he asked me out for pancakes after work one night and against my better judgement, I went. He was sweet, charming, honest, sexy as hell. Just, pulled me in. Made me rethink not letting people in. We'd been talking and one of the owners of the club I worked at, she has a thing for him. Saw that we were talking and spending time together and he asked me to be his girl. I said yes and he's been amazing. Knows about Jacob. That owner, told me that if I didn't end things with him that she would make sure I never worked in Harlem again and that she could make me disappear." I tell her. "What did you do?" she asks. "I told him I couldn't see him anymore and honestly, it broke my heart more than I thought it would. But he told me he wasn't letting me go that he would talk to her and handle it." I tell her. "Did he?" she asks. "He told her he was with me and that he didn't want her. So she fired me." I tell her. "Shit." she says. "That's not all. I get home and have an eviction notice that I had a week to get out." I tell her. "Where are you staying?" she asks. "He moved me in with him and said he'd take care of me and to just relax for a while before we planned my next step...whatever that means." I tell her. "He moved you in?" she asks. "Yeah." I tell her. "You got any pictures?" she asks and I show her one on my phone that I took. "Holy shit. He's fucking hot." she tells me. "Yeah. I know." I tell her. "Look. I love you. But he's being really good to you. Just don't stress about things. Let him handle it. Okay." she says. "Yeah. Okay." I tell her.

That night I call Hernan. "Hey baby." he says as he answers. "Hey." I say. "How are you feeling?" he asks. "I'm okay I think." I tell him. "Good." he tells me. "Hernan?" I start. "Yeah baby." he says. "When I come home, we'll be okay. I promise." I tell him. I hear him sigh in relief. "Yeah baby. We'll be perfect when you come home." he says. "I'm gonna head to bed. Seeing some other family tomorrow. I miss you." I tell him. "I miss you too baby." he tells me. We end the call and I go to sleep in the shirt that I stole from him when packing my things.