“I’m not okay. I need you here,” I say, then kiss her nose.
I turn to find her a shirt and gather my thoughts. I fucked up. Tonight, I was supposed to show I could be indifferent to Oni.
Instead, I showed I will kill you for breathing in her direction. I have to spin this and keep her safe. Right now, my head is too fucked up for me to see how.
Losing her isn’t an option. I should send her home. I should walk away. I know all the things I should do, but those are all the things I will not.
“Fuck,” I hiss and punch the closet wall.
Oni
“Here,”Rico says as he hands me a T-shirt to change into.
“Thank you.”
I take it and hold it to my chest as he turns and heads to the bathroom. I don’t release a breath until he shuts the door behind him. Releasing a sigh, I go to sit on the edge of the bed and start to take my shoes off.
They drop to the floor with a deafening thud. It’s then I realize how hard I’m breathing. I’m going to spend the night in his room. In the bed with him.
“What are you doing, Oni?” I hiss at myself.
Megan lost her virginity last year. We’re a year apart, me being the oldest. I will never forget the look of regret on her face.
Would I regret going all the way with Rico? Something tells me I wouldn’t. I chew on my lip as I stare at the bathroom door.
His words come back to me, and I shiver.When I get out of the shower, you better be here. Don’t run from me again. I just watched you stand in the middle of a gunfight. I’m not okay. I need you here.
I understand how he feels. I want to be here with him too. Pulling up my big-girl panties, I stand and reach for the clasp on the back of my jumpsuit. It falls to my waist, and I cover my bare breasts.
I then reach for the side zipper and release it. The jumper falls to the floor, and I step from it. Quickly, I grab the T-shirt and pull it over my head.
The thing swallows me, falling well below my knees. I pick up my romper and shoes and take them over to the chair on the other side of the room.
As I set my things down, pictures on the desk grab my attention. I move to get a better look. A smile comes to my lips as I look at one that seems to be Rico, his cousins, and Mario as little kids.
Everyone has a smile on their face except for Rico. Even as a boy, he had a serious expression on his face. I wonder what he was thinking back then. Did he have so much on his shoulders even then?
The next picture is of Rico and a pretty, dark-haired woman. She’s very pretty. Tall and thin, but not too thin. Rico has his arm around her shoulders and a genuine smile is on his face.
I get the feeling this is his mom. I’ll have to ask him some other time. Suddenly, my body feels so heavy.
I stumble back over to the foot of the bed and climb onto it. The moment my head hits the pillow, my lids grow heavy. I snuggle into the pillow and release a yawn.
The bed dips and warmth hits my back. I open my eyes, confused for a moment. Then I feel soft lips against my skin.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Rico murmurs.
“I didn’t know I fell asleep.”
“Come on, let’s get under the sheets.”
I get up with him as he pulls the comforter back and then peels the sheet up for me to slide under. He climbs in behind me and wraps me in his arms again. I inhale his delicious scent as I lie stiff as a board.
Rico chuckles in my ear. “Relax, baby. I’m not about to pull anything.”
I turn around to face him. He has a gorgeous smile on his face. Smiling back at him, I cup his cheek.
“Is that your mom in the picture on your desk?”
