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" 'Good morning'?" I asked, chest shaking.
"Best way to wake up, don't you think?"
I felt a smile spread across my face. It was the first real, genuine smile I had felt in a long while. "I can't argue with that."
"Honey..." he said, his voice sickly sweet.
"I think I can make it better," I tried, needing the moment to end. If it didn't, I was pretty sure I would turn, throw my arms around him, and beg him to let me keep the moment until the end of time; to let me keep him to the end of time.
"Gotta hear this," he said, nibbling the space right below my ear.
"Pancakes," I announced. "You got most of the ingredients yesterday. Except the baking powder. But you, by some miracle, have a thing of baking soda in your cabinet. It will do in a pinch."
He slid out of me, arms going around my middle for a squeeze. "You're somethin' else, honey," he said and it sounded like a compliment. "Guess I'm running out for syrup," he announced, moving toward the bathroom.
With that, I pulled my pants and panties back up and moved on wobbly legs toward the kitchen where I started coffee for Johnnie and put on water for me. I heard the water running in the bathroom and stumbling in the bedroom for a minute before Johnnie emerged, hair wet from a quick shower and dressed in black skinny jeans, creepers, and a v-neck white tee. Simple. But, lord, he was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. He watched me for a second, head tilted to the side, something I couldn't read behind his eyes, before he moved toward me and wrapped me up, squeezing me so tight I lost my breath. He pulled back, kissing the tip of my nose. "Be right back," he announced, letting me go and moving toward the door.
"Lock up, Amy."
I watched the door close.
It was too late for that, I realized. He was already in.
That was so, so not good.
I moved to the door anyway, locking it, before going back to the kitchen and gathering the ingredients onto the counter. I had just pulled a big bowl from the cabinet above and placed it on the counter when the knock was at the door.
I skipped (okay not quite skipped, but it was close) toward the door. "That was quick. What else did you get that your hands are ful..." I started, pulling open the door.
I hadn't checked the peephole.
Stupid, stupid move.
Because it wasn't Johnnie and the syrup at the door.
"Hello darling," Luis said, as usual, heavy on the 'g' and I had a sinking feeling inside, like the floor giving way beneath my feet.SeventeenShooter"Honey, I'm homeeee," I drawled, pushing open the door, only mildly concerned that she hadn't locked it like I told her to. I was in too good a mood to lecture her, partly because I was getting pancakes, but mostly because, well, the woman who was making them for me.
As I was staring at the syrup selection at the bodega around the corner, I couldn't help but agree that Dade was right; it didn't take weeks or months to figure out you wanted someone. It took me just days. In fact, it took me minutes if I was being completely honest. Having the days, that just reinforced what I already knew. I liked her. I wanted her around. And I didn't just want her around for a quick fuck when I was in the mood, though I would happily fuck her to the end of the world. I wanted her around. I wanted her in my kitchen whipping up whatever popped into her head. I wanted her on my lap when I got together with the guys. I wanted her to integrate herself with the women, to see that she could fit in. I wanted her sleeping in my bed; or tossing and turning in my bed so I had to pin her so she could finally get some rest. I wanted to peruse the fucking food store with my hand in her pocket as she tried not to look mortified.
I wanted her.
And it wasn't terrifying like I thought it would be, to realize I found a woman who I wanted more than sweaty nights with. It should have freaked me out, made me want to run as far as fast as I could. But it didn't. If anything, I felt a deep kind of contentment that was at once both foreign and familiar.
I knew she would fight it, fight her feelings for me. But I also knew she was feeling what I was feeling too. Unlike me, it didn't comfort her; it scared the shit out of her. She was convinced that if she let a man stay around her long enough, he would realize she wasn't worth staying for.
Well, I was just going to have to prove her wrong about that, wasn't I?
The smile was still tugging at my lips as I kicked the door closed and moved toward the kitchen.
And that was when my heart skidded to a stop inside my chest.
Because everything was wrong.
Her pot of water on the stove was bubbling viciously, the water already half evaporated. The flour was overturned, sticks of butter on the floor, sugar spilled everywhere.
"Fuck!" I screamed into my empty apartment, the bag falling out of my hand as I reached for my cell, flipping off the stove before I ran out into the hall.
"What's up, Shoot?" Breaker's voice said calmly in my ear.
"He got her," I said, tearing down the stairs and exploding onto the street, looking frantically around.
"Who got who?"
"Luis got Amy," I clarified, moving down the street though I knew it was pointless. "I left for five fucking minutes and he got her."
"Shoot are you sure she didn't..."
"I'm fucking sure and I need you to call Lo and Wolf and fucking anyone else you can think of and get them in on this." With that, I disconnected, throwing open the door to Paine's shop, making the girls staring at a portfolio jump and yelp. "Paine!" I called, my voice hitting an edge that I didn't even recognize.
