Page 33 of I Changed for You
He set a bottle of fruit punch on the table with two wine glasses. “Since you can’t drink any liquor or even wine, let’s settle for some punch.”
I laughed, taking a seat at the table. “Punch got us in trouble the last time.”
He guffawed. “Yeah, let’s not go there. It was good as hell though.”
I nodded, shivering just thinking about it.
“Let me go get the food. I’ll be back.”
I reached for my wineglass and took a sip of the punch. It tasted like the one at Skylar’s party. I had to stop myself from drinking it so fast. Although it had no alcohol in it, I didn’t want to get full on just punch.
Melijah returned to the table, setting the food down. My eyes widened at the sight of how big and juicy the steaks looked. I wouldn’t be able to eat a whole steak like that. Even the salad looked good.
“All of this looks good, Lijah.”
“Thanks, Eli. You should wait to taste it before you praise it.”
I waved him off. “Oh, please. I’m sure it’s good.”
He shrugged with a light chuckle. Once he fixed the food, we dove in. I moaned when I tasted the vinaigrette dressing in the salad.
“This is so good. Who taught you how to cook?” I asked him.
“Myself. I had to learn. When I was eighteen, I had to move out of my parents’ house.”
“Huh? Wait. What? Why?” I could’ve stayed with my parents as long as I wanted to. I no longer wanted to be at their house. I hated it there just as much as I do now.
“It’s just something they did. They did it to my sisters as well. Remember, I told you about my making money washing cars?”
I nodded.
He continued, “I had to work for what I wanted in life. My parents were there for my sisters and me, but they also wanted us to be independent. When we moved out, they didn’t just leave us to do things on our own. Nah, they set us up in an apartment with a small allowance until we were good on our feet. After that, the rest is history.”
Melijah’s story fascinated me, and I wanted to know more about him. His family differed from mine in a good way, and to me, he was blessed. He had all of this just by working his ass off since he was a little boy.
“Wow. That’s interesting.”
He shrugged. “You seemed to have the finer things in life. What was that like?”
I scoffed. “Do you really want to know? It’s not as interesting as yours.” I chuckled, reaching for my wineglass. “My family is difficult. Their own family wants nothing to do with them. Since I could remember, my parents walked around with their noses in the air. They looked down their noses at the poor and considered them as beneath them. They’re the biggest monsters I’ve ever met. They tried teaching my sisters and me to be just like them, but I refused. I was never like them from the time I was a little girl. Sometimes I still feel sheltered, as if I’m under their spell, but I had to break out of that. I’m thirty-three, and they still try to run my life and tell me what to do.”
Every time I thought about my parents, I got sad because of what had recently happened at my house.
“People only do what you allow them to do. Sometimes you just have to say fuck them and do your own thing.”
I inclined my head. “You’re right about that. That’s why I’m done with them.”
“Good. I don’t know them and don’t like them.”
I chuckled. “Well, I hope you never get to meet them. I already know it won’t be pleasant.”
Melijah shook his head. “Nah, I want to meet them. I want them to talk down on you while I’m around. It’ll be their last time ever doing so.”
I grinned hard. “Well, in that case, I can’t wait for them to meet you.”
We shared a laugh.
After we finished eating, I helped Melijah clean up before we headed back to his parents’ house to return the boat. I ended up falling asleep and woke up with him carrying me in his arms to his car.
