Chapter 3 Awkward Discussion

Elona's POV

I packed up my things because I was done writing the essay. I closed the book that I was writing in and I left it on the coffee table. Crislynn closed her book and then she packed it in her backpack. I was concerned about Mr. Crane because I saw him read Crislynn's essay and there was a shift in him. However, he knew that I saw.

I stood up from the floor and Crislynn was texting someone on her phone. I looked towards the kitchen and I could see Mr. Crane sitting at the dinner table. He was scrolling through his phone, his expression was neutral. I wouldn't be able to keep my composure after feeling sad just reading about someone that I have lost.

I miss my mother but it isn't that much. Sometimes I would shed a tear but I was young when she died. "You can have a seat at the dinner table," Crislynn said.

I was hesitant because Mr. Crane was sitting there and my crush on him had somehow increased. I took in a deep breath as I found the courage to walk over to the kitchen. As I stepped closer, Mr. Crane was heavily into his phone.

As I pulled a chair out across from him, it screeched on the floor and he looked up at me. Those green eyes captivated me, and as I thought that his gaze would hold mine, stopping my heart in the meantime, he lowered his gaze again on his phone and I took a seat.

Now, I was feeling awkward as I clasped my hands on the table with nothing to do and my phone was in my backpack. With relief, Crislynn came into the kitchen. "Dad, table manners," she said.

"I just need to respond to this email and then you will have my full attention." he looked up at me, "Both of you," My heart stopped because his gaze penetrated into me when he said that and then all too soon he was back on his phone. I swallowed but my throat felt like sand paper. I needed some fluids in my system.

"Here you go," Cris placed grape juice in front of me and her father. She went back to get her juice and returned by placing it beside me on the table. The door bell rang, "That must be the delivery guy," she hurried out of the kitchen and then as I took my glass of juice, I saw his phone being placed down and he took his glass too.

I looked up at him and he was already staring at me as we took a sip and then, at the same time, we placed it back on the table. He cleared his throat, "Please, don't say anything to Crislynn about me reading her essay." he said.

"Um," I licked my lips and his gaze lowered to them, following the movement of my tongue. "I promise that I won't tell her anything," I replied, and he looked into my eyes again.

"Thank you," he said as Crislynn stepped into the kitchen with two boxes of pizza. "Dad, I know how much you love pizza, so I ordered two and you must be hungry," she placed the two boxes on the table.

"I'm starving," he said, but his gaze held mine and I didn't know if he was doing that on purpose, but I could be wrong too. He had never looked at me like that before.

"Dad, you need to go out more often and not for work...I mean dating," Crislynn said as she sat down beside me, opening both boxes and the aroma hit my stomach, making it growl.

We began to eat and I tried not to look at Mr. Crane. "My dating life has stopped and if I were to date, then you would know," he replied. I still refused to look up at him.

"How will I know?" she asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Don't ask a question on a question, of course I really want to know," Cris pushed further.

"Well..." I looked up at him as he smirked. He held a slice of pizza in his hand because I was curious to know. He was studying the pizza.

"Please, spit it out, dad. We are dying to know," Why the hell did she bring me into it now, because he looked up at me, still smirking.

"You would hear me fuck a woman," I coughed as I choked on my pizza.

"Dad!" I reached for my glass of juice and gulped it down, finally being able to breathe again. I felt Crislynn's hand pat my back. "You see what you just did to Elona?"

"Are you okay?" he asked as I placed my glass down. He was no longer smirking, but concerned.

"Yes, it just went down the wrong pipe," I said, coughing some more before I continued to eat and looked away.

"Well, soon you will be doing it and I might as talk about it." he said and my eyes found his again. He was chewing and I watched his Adam's apple move as he swallowed.

"I doubt Elona will do it soon. She is a fucking saint," I turned my head to her because now she is discussing me.

"Cris, this is about you and your father, not about me," I chuckled, and I could feel the heat creep up my cheeks and they must be red now. Now here is the thing with Mr. Crane and Cris. They talk the way that they want to and I am still respectful to my father. But I loved their kind of relationship too, not that my relationship with dad was any different.

"Soon, Elona will also indulge in sexual things." When I looked at him, he was watching me intently. "She will experiment and she might love some things." it was as if, in this moment, our eye contact pulled me towards him as if it was only the two of us.

"I'm eating dad, next topic," he snapped out of the trance and took a napkin, wiping his hands and his mouth before his phone rang on the table. "Can't we just eat in peace without your work bothering you at dinner time?" Cris asked.

"Sorry, I have to take this," he said as he stood up and walked away.

Cris sighed, "He always does that."

"He is burying himself in work because that is what he knew since your mother..." I stopped myself from saying anything more.

"Its okay, you can talk about her. I know he has buried himself in work since she passed away. It is three years and it is by time that I start hearing him fuck someone, at least then I will know he listened to me and dating someone," her shoulders sagged. As much as I want to be that person that he fucks, I know that it will never happen.

"He will in due time. It's getting late and I need to be home," I said as I stood up, "Thank you for the pizza," I said.

"I love having you around," she said, "Next time, we should camp outside in the backyard before we drift apart next year, going on our next journey in life," she said.

"I will still come over no matter what," I reassured her.

I went to pack up my things and left. Next year, we will be going our separate ways with our chosen fields of study. My heart is sad because I might not be seeing Mr. Crane that much although they live down the street from me. But with Mr. Crane always busy, I'm not so sure. Now and then he would come over to my house to hang out with my dad because they are friends too. So I hope to see him here more often though.