Gave you a minute when you needed an hour.

Eva's mom laughed at my joke and her dad's mouth even quirked up into a smile, that stubborn man still trying to pretend he disliked me when I could tell he was slowly starting to fall for my charm. Eva on the other hand? She looked uncomfortable after hearing the word 'clitoris' coming out of her moms mouth and like she wanted to leave hours ago. "Alright," I slid the Cards of Humanity deck over to her and wrapped my arm around her waist. "Your turn."

She faked a yawn and stretched, "I think we're done for the night."

Her mom pouted, a little more than buzzed from the few glasses of wine she'd consumed, "But I'm doing so good! I'm winning."

"It's Sunday and I have to work tomorrow," She replied, standing up and grabbing my hand. "A really early start."

Her mom stood up and swayed a little,  causing her husband to laugh. If I'd known that all it would take for the man to enjoy my company was a bottle of really old and expensive scotch? I would've gifted it to him months ago. "You're right. It's late and I should probably get myself to bed," She said but shot her husband a flirty glance, Eva not missing it and getting a disgusted look on her face. "Are you safe to drive?"

"Unlike every one else here, I'm stone cold sober," She said flatly.

Her mom laughed and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, hiccuping, "Drive safe sweetheart. I can't wait to play this game next Sunday!"

"Yeah," Eva replied, her tone letting me know that next Sunday we wouldn't be at her parents house. What had started as a night where she was going to tell her parents that we weren't actually a couple, quickly turned into a no bars held kind of night, all you can drink, and her mom blushing every time someone said something remotely dirty. 

"Nolan, it's always a pleasure," Ella embraced me in a hug before moving on to give her daughter a hug too, much longer than mine and a few tears might've been present when she stared at her afterwards. "You're so beautiful," She told Eva who smiled awkwardly. 

William hugged his daughter than looked at me, breaking the seal and hugging me. I stood there momentarily shocked, hugging the man back and then pulling away as they walked us to the door. We waved and smiled at her parents and once we were out the door I broke into a laugh, noticing the annoyed look on Eva's face and wondering why she wasn't as shocked as I was. I won her dad over, I actually fucking did it. "It's official. Your family loves me," I said proudly and stared for the drivers seat. 

She reached for the keys in my hand and shook her head, "You're not driving." I groaned but knew she had a point and climbed into the passenger seat, staring at her after buckling my seatbelt. "What?" She asked in a flat tone as she drove down the street, not looking at me but feeling my eyes on her. 

"You really are beautiful," I said seriously. 

She cocked a brow and bit back a smile as she glanced at me, "And you really are drunk. But thank you."

I grinned and shook my head, "Your parents were drunk.... I'm a little buzzed. I'm fine," I shrugged. 

"You're handsome. Even if you're buzzed," She said and forced a small grin, not really in the best mood.

"Don't let my handsomeness distract you while you drive my car," I said and smirked even though she had her eyes on the road.

She rolled her eyes, stopping at the red lights, "I drive just fine stop worrying about your car every time I touch it." 

I set my hand on her thigh and grinned when she jumped. "Damn you're nervous," I pointed out and stared at her, studying her more than usual. When she didn't reply, I gave her leg a squeeze,"It didn't go that bad, did it? Or you're upset because your dad stopped hating me?" 

"Hilarious Nolan," She said back flatly, annoyed for who knows why. "Maybe I should tell them we broke up because you found out you're gay." 

"No one could ever believe I'm gay," I said back in an overly confident tone, silence as she kept driving until she stopped in front of my apartment building. "How do you think you're going back home?" 

She ignored my question and turned her body towards mine, a serious look on her pretty face, "You were right Nolan, it was a stupid idea. I mean telling my parents you were my fiancé. I'm sorry if I forced you to take part of this charade."

I blinked since that was the last thing I was expecting her to say. I mean, she'd been throwing out hints lately that she was over the whole charade, but honestly? I'd gotten so used to it that it didn't bother me anymore. I loved the home cooked meals and genuinely enjoyed her parents company, surprisingly. "Do you want to come in?" I said after a moment, not sure what else to say. When she shook her head no, I leaned in and pressed my lips against her softly, "Come in. Stay the night."

"Nolan, I -"

"I'm not taking no for an answer," I replied with a grin and got out of the car, closing the door behind me and listening to her get out herself and slam the door shut then lock it. 

"I'm not going to stay and wait on you hand and foot if that's what you're expecting," She said while passing me the keys. 

I snorted and resisted the urge to roll my eyes, grinning instead while unlocking the door to my apartment and setting the keys on the hook by the door. "Is it so hard to believe that I enjoy your company?" I asked with a serious look on my face, whether it being forced or not I really meant it.

"Will you say something about what I just said?" She followed me into the living room and sat down on the ottoman while I took the couch, the same strained look on her face that made me wonder where her mind currently was. I'd consumed too much alcohol and all of this was taking me time to process. What did she want anyways? To tell her parents the truth and then what?

I parted my lips and then closed them, opening my mouth again to suppress a sigh, "Come here." She hesitated only for a moment before sitting next to me, her back against my chest as my arms wrapped around her tiny body. I pressed a kiss against the top of her head, not because I knew she couldn't stand it, but because I couldn't resist. Sometimes the attraction I had to this woman was beyond my control. "I still don't understand why you lied to your parents in the first place..."

"Do we really need to discuss this again? How expectations for women are so much different than -"

I cut her off with a groan, not wanting to hear this conversation again. Times had changed and no one expected a woman to be married at 18, tending to their kids and husband 24/7. "Why didn't you just introduce me as your boyfriend?" I asked finally and her head flicked towards mine, her eyes so stunning I couldn't blink.

"Because you're not," She said slowly, like it was common sense.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I could be."

She turned her head again and stared at nothing in front of her, "Yeah, as in a parallel universe you could be." 

I tried not to get annoyed by how bitchy her words came out, "Thank you for having so much faith in me." 

She turned her head once again to stare into my eyes, "I have a lot of faith in you but I know that you don't want a relationship. That's why I don't think us we could ever be a couple."

I stared at her and wished I had said nothing, regretting it instantly and blaming it on drinking too much. "It's like we're dating already instead," I said then paused a moment before going on, "I'm seeing you only and you told me you're not seeing anyone else either, we sleep together and sometimes we fight too, what's different from being a couple?"

She shook her head, "We never go out together, except for visiting my parents, so yes maybe we could be like a couple, but a long married one who's bored to death."

"We have too much sex for being that," I pointed out nonchalantly, trying to joke since it was becoming painfully awkward. 

"I know," She agreed quickly, shifting her body so that she could look at me better, one of her hands landing on my chest, "Even if we were a couple, a real one, we'd lack of prospect."

"What does that even mean Eva?" I asked, wondering if I was really too drunk because she was making no sense at all.

"It means if I'd be in a relationship, I'd want to think that one day I'd marry, have kids...you know, everything."

I raised one eyebrow slowly, "What happened to I'm too busy with my job to have a relationship? You're talking like another person."

"I know, you're right," She paused to take a big breath, "I think I'm going to quit my job."

I blinked, yeah, I definitely drank too much. There were people who liked their job and then there was Eva. Eva was her job. "So you can have kids and get married?" I joked, referring back to the nonsense she'd just said, the bullshit excuse for not wanting to date me. 

She narrowed her eyes on me and looked upset for a moment, "I'm being serious here."

"Isn't that what you just told me you wanted?" I retorted. "Your career came first and now suddenly you want to break up with your job to hunt down a husband and make babies?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked... I don't know, upset? "You don't have to be an asshole," She replied and I wondered if that was how I was coming across. I didn't mean to be rude, but she'd started it by being bitchy. "And no, I don't want to quit my job to get married and have kids."

"Then why?" I asked, feeling like I honestly didn't know the woman sitting in front of me and it occurred to me that I really didn't. You can sleep with someone, spend time with them and flirt, but it didn't mean you knew them. 

She shrugged, pulling away and looking at me with an unreadable expression. "Why are you asking me? So that you can keep making fun of me?" 

"I honestly have no idea of where this is all coming from," I said flatly as I leaned my back against the couch, the distance between us growing and not just the physical one.
She stared at me for a long minute, looking at a loss for words and I was too. "I'm not happy. My job doesn't make me happy and I feel trapped in my own life," She paused and turned her head to look away, not able to look into my eyes while talking, "Oddly enough, you're the only one that makes me feel better."

I bit my tongue from saying what was on my mind and sighed, scrubbing my hands over my face since our night hadn't gone how I hoped. "I think you should quit then," I said when I brought my eyes back to hers, saying the most logic thing I could think of. "You could get hired anywhere in town with Apple on your resume. You're a smart girl, you won't have a hard time finding a new job."

She parted her lips and hesitated before speaking again, "I don't want to work in HR anymore... I want to move on."

I could feel my eyes widen, wondering what had changed overnight that made her want to change everything in her life. I guess when you hit a certain age you had to grow up, but still. How could things change that much?? "What will you do then?" I asked, genuinely curious.

She shrugged, looking unsure of herself, "I think I'll take a pastry class." 

My eyes widened further, as if that was possible. I wasn't sure I had heard her correctly, but I wasn't about to ask her to repeat herself either. "That's so random," I commented shortly.

She licked her lips, "It's not like I thought about it just now. I had that idea in my head for a while now," She tried explaining, but I already felt lost. ""There's an intensive one in Paris, it lasts a month." 

I let her words sink in, trying to imagine not seeing Eva for that long... but didn't she just say in so many words that she didn't want to be with me anyways? "Okay," I nodded my head and resisted the urge to shrug. I felt awkward, like she was waiting for me to decide her future for her. Honestly, I had no idea what the fuck was going on or what the hell I could possibly say. "That sounds nice."

"It sounds nice? This is my future Nolan," She said slowly, a serious expression that was sobering me up quickly. I needed more alcohol. Maybe another bottle to myself. "Can't you say something encouraging? Tell me I'm making a bad decision? Anything?"

I shook my head and returned the serious look, "When I tell you that you're a smart girl? I mean it. If you want to become a chef, then that's exactly what you'll do. You're motivated. You have more drive than anyone I've ever met and I believe in you."

She stared at me and this time it was her turn to take time before saying anything. "Thank you," She said eventually. 

"You're welcome," I said back, almost automatically and she just nodded, acting cold and emotionless. "When are you going?" I added when she just sat there.

"I haven't booked the flight yet, I haven't done anything really...but in two weeks I think," She explained in monotone, looking away, lost in her thoughts.

"Soon," I replied, hoping to hide my shock. I couldn't explain the emotion that I felt. I think hurt might about sum it up though. I'd put myself out there, told her that I wanted to be with her... and she told me she was planning on going to Paris, ignoring what I'd said and making the entire thing about her. It was no wonder why I avoided relationships. They fucked with your mind. "Well, good for you. It should be fun," I replied and stood up, ready to escape when I realized that we were in my home and I had no way of running. On top of being turned down? I had somehow forgotten that I basically begged her to stay the night. I was a fucking moron. 

Her eyebrows shot up as she stared at me, "Going somewhere?"

"To lay down... my head hurts," I replied and took a step back, pressing my fingers against my forehead to feign a headache. 

"That's what happens when you drink too much whiskey," She said flatly, her face giving nothing away. 

"Scotch," I corrected her, nothing else to say. 

She bit down hard on her lip as she stared up at me, lost in her own thoughts. "Do you want an aspirin? Some water?" She asked eventually, getting up herself and smoothing her dress.

I shook my head and covered my mouth as I yawned, "No thank you I just need some sleep I think." 

"I see." She nodded, "Maybe it's better if I go home, so that you can rest better-" She cut her words off when she leaned into me to kiss my cheek, the mood so sudden that I almost jumped back. She blinked her eyes at me and took a step back. 

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, then sighed, "You don't even have your car, I'm not letting you walk home alone in the middle of the night." 

"I can call a cab," She said back weakly. 

I shook my head, "It's okay, I asked you to stay the night I can't take it back now." 

She just nodded and followed me to my bedroom, turning away from me when she took her dress off, our words playing in my head again and again. I pushed my jeans off and peel my shirt over my head, slipping into bed and laying down on my side, my back towards Eva as I closed my eyes. "You were serious when you said you could be my boyfriend..." She said quietly and when I didn't answer she reached for me tentatively, her index finger tracing my spine. "Are you asleep Nolan?" She whispered, not wanting to wake me if I was.

"It doesn't matter," I said after a few moments of silence that felt neverending. 

She inched closer to me, wrapping her arm around my waist as she leaned her forehead against my back. "I'm sorry Nolan, I got it all wrong. I'm an idiot," She managed to say, her words sounding more genuine than anything I'd ever heard. "Tell me what to do to make this right again."

My eyes opened and I adjusted my body on the bed to face her, the lights dim but I could still make out every feature on her face. "You're not an idiot," I replied after a moment of staring at her, taking in her beauty which was still overwhelming sometimes. It was like I'd never get used to how gorgeous she was. 

She bit down on her lip again and I could see how uncomfortable she was when it came to these talks. Hell, I was too. "You've always been so clear... You've never wanted anything more than sex. You don't do relationships." 

I took a cue from her earlier move and leaned forward to kiss her, a quick kiss but enough to stop her from talking because what she had said? It was true. My last serious relationship ended years ago and I'd been with a lot of women since then... But when I met Eva? It all changed. "I stopped sleeping with other women when I met you," I admitted, even though she already knew as much and she'd told me the same when it came to her hooking up with other men. We were exclusive basically, only we never asked each other for that. "I' go to Sunday night dinner at your parents house every weekend. I'm all in Eva. You're the one who has doubts, who makes up an excuse when I invite you to do something with my family. Either you want to be with me or you don't, but tell me what you want because the balls in your court."

She stared at me as she processed my words, almost looking afraid of taking the plunge. Honestly, I wasn't even sure where my sudden burst of confidence had come from. "I'm confused," She said eventually but honestly, forcing herself to breathe more regularly.

"Why? What's the reason why you could be confused?" I asked as I stared back at her, "It's simple Eva, be with me or don't."

"It's not that simple," She retorted quickly, a habit she couldn't get rid of. I shot her an annoyed look and groaned, arguing the absolute last thing I wanted right now. "You're right, maybe it is, but it's still a big decision to make. What if we got together and then we start fight? What if we end up hating each other? What if we break up and get hurt?" 

I raised one eyebrow at her slowly, "So that's what is worrying you?" I waited until she nodded, inching closer to me to let me know that she wasn't trying to pull away, "Don't you think we should at least try to be together before worrying about breaking up? Do you think it'd be that different from how it's been between us so far?"

"You're so smart and logic," She said quietly and even smiled a little, because I was right and she was telling me in her own way. "I think you convinced me...I want to be with you," She added and blushed.

Unable to resist, I let out a laugh and kept my eyes locked on hers, "I convinced you?"

"Don't ruin the moment," She replied with the trace of a smile on her plush lips and leaned her chest against mine, her lips parting as she kissed me.

I threw all of my doubts out the window and kissed her back, rolling onto my back when her body shifted on top of mine to straddle me. I moved my hands to her thighs and kept kissing her since it was our best way to communicate. I waited until she had pulled back her head, still keeping it close to mine and locked in an intense gaze. "You're not very romantic. We're going to have to work on that," I told her with a grin.

A grin appeared on her lips and she hit my chest playfully, "And you're better? You were about a minute away from kicking me out of your place."

"I'd never do such a thing," I said honestly, using an innocent smile to add to the effect. 

Her lips pursed together while she studied my expression, "So does this make you my boyfriend?"

"Do we have to sound like we're in high school all over again?" I wrinkled my nose, faking a hurt expression when she hit me in the chest again. "Hey," I reached for her tiny waist and pulled her back against me. "Yes. You're my girlfriend. If you're good I might even ask you to prom."

"Hilarious as always Nolan," She said and hid her face against my neck, nuzzling me in the process.

"Would you say no?" I asked and smirked to myself. 

She pulled her head back again to smirk back at me, "I'm afraid we'd look like fools, we're too old for that." I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head, she had a point. Not that I was really planning on asking her anyways. "I'm still going to Paris, you know..." She trailed off when I said nothing. 

"I meant what I said," I said back and this time the tone of my voice was more serious.

She looked at me and bit down on her lip, looking like her mind was full of the perfect things to say. "Thank you," She said instead, smiling and kissing my lips once again.

I gave her a nod back and faked a serious expression, "You know that my expectations are going to be ridiculous now that I know you're planning on becoming a chef, right?"

She rolled her eyes but a smile was playing on her lips, "Aren't they always ridiculously high?"

"You're right," I grinned and closed my eyes, thinking about how weird it'd be not seeing her at work every day... or at all when she'd be gone. It was weird going from seeing someone all the time to not at all. Of course a month wasn't very long at all. But still. 

"Are you falling asleep already?" She asked in a soft voice and poked my side.

I grinned but kept my eyes closed as I shook my head, "No. When are you going to put in your notice?"

She cuddled closer to me, finally able to relax. "In two weeks," She answered quietly, lost in her thoughts while I got lost in mine. When I opened my eyes, she had a smile on her face and her eyes were closed. She looked like an angel.

"Why are you smiling? Are you impatient?" I asked.

She peeked one eye open, finding me looking at her, "Yes and I'm also thinking that while I'm away we should skype."

I grinned back at Eva, a naughty glint into my eyes, "You need to consider the time difference..."

She lifted herself up a little, just enough to look at me better, "When I'll wake up will be when you'll go to bed. It sounds like a perfect time to be naked together."

"Speaking of which," I said as I unhooked her bra with one hand only. I'd done it a million times before and I already knew Eva's body by memory.

She slid the straps down her arms before discarding the piece of lace on the floor, then she glued herself against me once more. "Should I still talk to my parents?" She asked me, changing the subject before we could get carried away.

I pursed my lips together and breathed through them, realizing what she was talking about, "About us you mean?"

"Yes..." She trailed off and had a serious look on her face. 

'Yes," I answered her and pressed a quick kiss on her lips since it seemed like the right kind of encouragement. "They're going to know that we're not engaged when we never get around to planning a wedding."

"Meh," She nuzzled my neck and breathed against my skin, making a grin appear on my lips that she couldn't see. 

"Tell them that we're taking things slow," I suggested. "Tell them that you need to focus on your new career and we're going to be together still, but we have no plans for a wedding anytime soon. You're already going to shock the hell out of them with your career change. You don't need to give them heart attacks by telling them we lied too."

"But I'm going to lie to them anyway," She said quietly, keeping her cheek on my chest.

"Are you trying to say you like being my fake fiancé too much to let it go?" I said back with a smirk.

She tilted her head up to smile at me, "You caught me. I'll talk to them, if you're lucky enough they'll still invite you over for dinner while I'll be away," She added, adjusting her head again so that her nose brushed against my neck.

I laughed at her words and shook my head, "Because that wouldn't be weird or anything."

Eva grinned at me, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're weird?"

I tightened my arms around her waist and squeezed her until she was trying to break free from my arms. I kissed the top of her head and then loosened my grip, "I'll give them a break and spend time with my family instead."

She lifted a brow in response, "You don't talk about your family often."

"You never ask about them," I said seriously and shrugged it off since we weren't really dating then and that sort of thing didn't matter to her. "I invited you to my sisters birthday party once and you shot that offer down."

She looked up at me, parting her lips then closing them again. "It happened once only and back then we just fucked," She protested finally, the words sounding awful but holding such truth. 

"You didn't seem interested anyway," I shrugged again, moving my hand up and down her back mindlessly.

Letting out a sigh, she adjusted her cheek against my chest once again since eye contact wasn't needed anymore, "I am now. I want to know more about you."

"Don't you think you know me already?" 

"I do, but there are some parts of you that are unknown to me. Your family for starters," She answered quietly.

I chuckled and felt her body shake a little with mine, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," She replied quietly and I grinned to myself. 

"That might take all night. How about I start with the basics?"

She nodded against my body, "Sounds good to me."

"Well my mom had me when she was really young, so my dad has never been in the picture," I told her, leaving out the part where my mom and grandma raised me on their own. My dad sent a card once, but I didn't know much about him other than his name. Honestly, I didn't want to know anything else. 

"How's your step dad?" She asked and glanced at me before adjusting her head once more on my stomach. 

"He's okay. He makes my mom happy and that's all that matters to me," I shrugged. "He's there for Ella, seems like a good dad."

She took my words in once again, "Such a wise man you are." She was quiet for a moment before adding, "How is it to have a sister?" 

"I have no idea, she could be my daughter more than my sister," I said in a playful tone even though I had a point, my fingers playing with her hair as my chest heaved up and down as I breathed. 

She turned her head just so slightly to nip at my stomach before placing a kiss on that same spot, "But still...she's your sister."

I let out a quiet groan, my hand still stroking her hair gently, "I guess I'll let you know when she'll be old enough to walk and say things that make sense."

Eva rolled her eyes, "I give up." She sighed, "I wish I had a sister or a brother."

My hand moved from her hair to her face, my fingertips brushing against her cheek gently, "Why?"

She shrugged, "It would've been nice to have someone to play with, to grow up with...some company, you know." 

"I know," I replied since I had grown up basically as an only child too. My mom had my sister really late in her life, was already pushing 50 and I was long moved out of home by the time she announced that she was pregnant. I understood exactly where Eva was coming from. "I always wanted a brother."

"Are you getting greedy now?" She grinned at me and I laughed, shaking my head and letting my arm wrap tight around her waist while I set my other hand behind my head.

"I'll only be greedy when it comes to you," I replied after a moment.

She matched my laugh and kept her head rested against me, "I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, but okay."

"We're just back to my high expectations again," I joked with a sigh.

She shook her head and I could picture her rolling her pretty eyes, "You wish."

I grinned to myself as I closed my eyes, "No, I'm fine with this."