“What happened?” Anthony insisted, this time with a persuasive power behind his remark. His voice continued on an even keel but worry doused his previous calm demeanor. “Are you okay?”
“Did you get close to me just to use me as leverage with my father?”
“What? No!” He responded, sounding genuinely insulted, “Why would you think…” As he spoke, his face scrunched up with disgusted understanding. “Oh my God, did your father tell you that?”
I tried not to give anything away but the waiver in my glower was enough to assure him of what had happened.
“Sahara, no,” he replied, this time stepping forward and grasping my arms in his hands, supportively. “Please,” he added as his brow furrowed, “Sahara, I love you.”
“You can’t love me, Anthony. We just met,” I spat, breaking out of his grasp, and spinning around so that my back was to him.
Instantly, I felt him behind me, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me back, into him.
“Please, Sahara… I know you must be angry and hurt…and the world probably seems like one massive misunderstanding;” As he spoke, his head nuzzled softly into the nape of my neck until his lips kissed my skin, “It’s like you don’t know you are at place. I get it. I’ve been there but listen to me, okay?”
After one last kiss, he slowly drew his head away and I could feel his eyes staring at me, waiting for an answer.
At first, I refused to look at him. Yet, eventually, the power of his unyielding gaze compelled me to relent.
“Okay, I’ll listen.”
Anthony’s grin was beaming, and his eyes rested on me thankfully. Even in my crazy, aggravated state of mind, it was hard to ignore that he seemed to be acting genuinely.
“I know we haven’t known one another that long but I didn’t need a lot of time to get to know you. It was easy to get to know you and it is even easier to love you.” Anthony paused, and I wondered if this was his way of asking for permission to continue.
I didn’t respond but I didn’t break eye-contact either. While I wasn’t completely convinced, I couldn’t help but feel myself settling into his arms. The strength and warmth I found within his arms was comforting and had started to soothe the savage reality that I had come to know.
“Sahara, I have never met anyone like you. I have never had this kind of relationship before. I don’t want you to leave but if you do, I couldn’t live with myself if I thought for a moment it was because you thought I was untruthful with you. I have never lied to you, Sahara, and everything that I have said, or did was genuine. I promise.”
I took all of this in, focused on his words and contemplated the intentions I perceived. While I had no reason to mistrust him, I couldn’t bring myself to completely loose myself to him. Not yet.
However, after staring at me for a long while, without receiving a response, his arms dropped, and he pulled himself back, giving me space.
Still, his eyes remained on me though and I continued to contemplate my reaction to what he was saying.
“Well, thanks for hearing me out, I guess. I don’t want you to go but I would never force you to stay. I’m sorry about what happened to you. Your dad’s an asshole and if I’d have known…” Anthony allowed his voice to trail off there as he shook his head, “Anyway, I guess it doesn’t matter now.”
“What do you want?” I finally asked, prompting Anthony to stare back at me with renewed enthusiasm.
“I want you to come with me,” he replied without missing a beat, “I travel all over the world to broker deals, but I have the freedom that we could travel together. There might be some close quarters but I’m okay with making the best of it if you are,” his sly simper returned, and I couldn’t help but return a small grin.
I thought about traveling the worl
d with him and the thought excited me. Immediately, I envisioned exploring the world together and focused on how wonderful that would be.
Yet, I didn’t respond but I wasn’t quite sure why.
“So…” he started, obviously slightly disheartened by my lack of response, “I guess the only natural thing to ask now, is…after hearing me out and now that you do know my intentions, Sahara, what do you what?”
I met his gaze and beamed. Finally, I felt I could make a decision and this time, I didn’t care whether it was right or wrong. I only knew that right there, in that moment, with Anthony, I had a concrete answer and a clarity I had never experienced.
“You,” I replied, rushing forward, and sliding my arms around his neck.
Anthony pulled me closer and returned a playful simper.
“I don’t care where we are, as long as I’m with you,” I added in a whisper as his lips pressed passionately against mine.
Epilogue