"Are you ready?" he asked. I was on the phone with Eli and we were about to head to a Fourth of July celebration hosted by his mother.

"Yea." I replied.

We got off the phone and he came to get me.

I looked down at my feet as I put my shoes on in the car, but then I noticed we weren't moving.

I looked up and saw we were still in my driveway. I turned to Eli and he was just staring at me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You're so pretty." He smiled.

"Stooopp."

He chuckled and finally pulled out of the driveway.

____________________________________

The drive was long but we made it feel short. After the hour and a half that only felt like thirty minutes, we'd arrived.

"Hello, my babies!" His mother greeted with a smile. She gave me a hug and a kiss on my cheek then did the same to Eli.

"Everyone's out back, would you two like some punch before you go out there to join?"

His mother looked...smaller...than I remember.

"Sure." I answered.

"Do we have beer?" Eli asked and walked towards the kitchen.

"What a schmuck." His mother laughed and I did the same along with her.

We went to the kitchen and I saw Eli crack open a beer as his mother made my glass of punch.

"How have you been, Leyla?" she asked and handed me my drink.

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Well...there are good days and there are bad ones, but we push through, don't we?" she said with a sweet grin.

"Who's here?" Eli asked then took a sip of his beer.

"A few work associates, previous important clients, your uncle and aunt, Candice,"

Oh god.

"And you may see a few cousins and of course some of their children." she finished.

"Great." Eli answered sarcastically.

"I saw the emotions on both of your faces when I mentioned Candice. Don't worry, I don't like the girl either. Bit stupid for my taste." His mom told me and I laughed.

I love her more and more everyday.

"There's a snack table outside and your father and his friends are grilling. We'll pop fireworks in the next hour or so. Go have fun." she instructed.

Eli took my hand and led me out of the kitchen.

We took our seats outside and I examined everything that was going on.

Kids played in the yard.

The older men huddled up with beers in their hands and tended to the grill.

The older women were in several different groups talking and laughing.

The younger adults were conversing with each other by the snack table or by the wall.

I didn't care much about the Fourth of July but it was an excuse to be with Eli so obviously I'd agree to attend.

"What's wrong?" Eli asked and sipped his beer.

"Nothing, I'm just observing."

"And what do you see?" he wondered.

"Umm...Cliques."

He chuckled. "Yea, well."

"Hello, lovelies."

Ahh, there she is. What a joy.

"Hello, Candice." Eli replied dryly.

"How has everyone been?" she asked and uninvitedly took a seat.

"Well, I *was* good. That didn't last long." Eli said sassily and finished the rest of his beer.

"Awww, what happened?" she asked ignorantly.

Eli sighed and got up to go throw away his beer bottle.

"He must be stressed." she assumed incorrectly. "So how are you?"

"I'm okay." I answered.

"That's nice. So you and Elijah have become pretty close friends, huh?"

"I'm sorry?" I asked in confusion.

"You're close to one another. I've seen you often, you two go to his events together, but you don't own anything, so I know you aren't dating because his father wouldn't allow that. So you must be like besties, right?" She had a grin on her face while she nodded like she really thought she was on the right track.

I guess my face showed my frustration because she asked, "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? It's okay that you don't own anything, if that's your issue. The job isn't for everyone. It's just that, I remember Derek saying Eli tried to get with a poor girl earlier this year and it made him angry but Eli wouldn't disrespect his father like that, especially when he knows his dad is trying to hold onto an empire."

'Oh my God just because my family isn't run by fucking entrepreneurs and making eight figures doesn't mean we're fucking poor!' I didn't have the guts to say that out loud.

"It's okay that you're friends. I just think it's best that you don't get too attached and fall in love. It wouldn't happen." she stated. "Plus...I kind of have dibs. He's sexy, isn't he?" she's said with a smug smile.

'Alright, bitch, that's enough.'

Eli came back with another beer and took his seat again.

"Sorry about that, my father held me up by wanting me to join his conversation but the assholes are fucking talking about some bullshit in their stocks. Who cares?" Eli explained and cracked his beer open.

I ignored his statement and sat in his lap, turned to the side, then kissed him as passionately as I could.

His hand held my face as he kissed me back harder and our tongues danced.

"I missed you, too." he said with a smile.

"Elijah, what the hell is this?!" Candice asked and grabbed his attention.

"Uhh...I don't understand the question?"

"Why did you kiss her?!"

"Well in all honesty she kissed me and I just accepted it and kissed her back."

"I THOUGHT our families had a DEAL?!" she shouted.

"Candice, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"What's going on over here?" Deana came and asked.

"Your father-!"

"Oh, great." Eli cheered sarcastically.

"He said that you and I were going to be MARRIED!"

I got out of his lap.

"WHAT?!" Eli began shouting as well. The entire backyard was now looking at the scene that I'm pretty sure I caused.

"Your father told mine that you and I would get married and my father swore if we did we would work with your family!!! WE HAVE A CONTRACT!!" Candice explained.

"Alright, what's the problem?" Mr. Matthews had come over with a spatula still in hand and his apron still on that read 'Head Chef'.

"YOU FUCKING SOLD ME OFF?!" Eli stood up and yelled.

"What now, boy?"

"Don't fucking stand in my face and act like you don't know what the hell I'm talking about." Eli's yelling stopped but he was calm and angry, which was worse. He was going to say or do something irrational soon.

His dad's posture straightened and he poked his chest out like an animal trying to assert dominance.

"Derek, is that true?" Deana asked.

Mr. Matthews' eyes never left his son's.

"IS IT TRUE?!" she repeated.

"No." he began. "I didn't sell your son. I made a business deal." Mr. Matthews claimed.

"OUR son, Derek! OUR!!!" Deana yelled.

"HE'S NOT MY SON UNTIL HE LEARNS TO BEHAVE AND ACT LIKE AN ADULT!!!" Mr. Matthews barked.

Eli was fuming.

I see where he gets his anger from.

"You will marry Miss Whitley, whether you like it or not. The moment you learn to do what's right for YOUR JOB! YOUR FATE! THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY I WORKED MY ASS OFF FOR SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, SO YOUR ASS COULD LIVE COMFORTABLY AND THRIVE WITH NO PROBLEM, life will be a hell of a lot easier for you." Derek scolded Eli.

"Don't you dare stand here and lie to my child and tell him you did this for him. You care more about your precious dollars than your own child's happiness, don't you?" Deana asked and looked unbelievably hurt.

Eli angrily grabbed his beer bottle and threw it at the wall of the house, barely missing his father, and making it shatter into pieces. I, his mother, and Candice all flinched.

"Life will be a lot easier when you're fucking dead." he told his father and for the first time ever, Mr. Matthews actually looked hurt.

"I won't marry you. In fact, if you ever try to approach me and hold a conversation again, I'll wring you by your fucking neck." Eli threatened Candice.

She looked terrified.

"And I hope your company falls. I want it all to fail and to crash. I hope it burns and you're stuck in the middle to go down with it." he told his father.

They both huffed and puffed angrily as the entire backyard stared at them in shock like it was a season finale.

Did I do this?