Page 64 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

“Everyone wears pajamas.”

“Well, my particular pajamas just so happen to be panties!” I hissed silently, not sure what his reaction would be if he saw me. He probably would make a joke, but considering I ran away after our kiss in the garden earlier, I wasn’t sure if I just added an extra layer to my awkwardness by being caught almost naked.

Ro shook his head, as if I were being ridiculous.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve seen panties before,” he lowered his voice, coming over to grab a paper towel by my side. My eyes adjusted to the light. He wore grey sweatpants and a long-sleeved Henley. It was black, just as dark as his tussled, wavy hair. He glanced down, peeking at my bare tummy and the frilly lace that hugged my hip. “Kudos, though; you have great taste in undergarments…”

“Oh, shut up…” I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh. I had to give it to Ro, for as sarcastic as he was, he sure as heck was good at making an uncomfortable moment more tolerable. He wiped the water off the counter, and I made myself less small. “You really have to stop scaring me, though.” I tried keeping my voice quiet. “What’s this, like the second or third time? Sheesh.” I put my phone back down.

“Probably like the seventh or eighth time at this point,” he chuckled. “What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep, and I was thirsty,” I said, running my palm through my forehead. “Why are you up?” I finally asked.

He walked to the cupboard for a glass. “Same. Couldn’t sleep, and now I’m thirsty.”

I smiled at that. Liar. “Cute. But really… why are you here?”

Ro filled his cup and stood right next to me at the large kitchen counter. Then he took a sip and made an exaggerated sound. “Thirsty.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I believe you.”

“So where’d you run off to earlier?” he asked, leaning on the counter, his elbow resting near my hips.

“Nowhere…” I answered quickly.

I was too self-aware of my late-night outing to attempt a poker face. To me, I still smelled like dirty hot sex and amusement park cotton candy, and that was after a shower.

“You seemed to be running away from me as fast as you could after you kissed me.”

“Oh. That,” I let out, tugging at my shirt, unable to think of an explanation that didn't give me away.

“I’ve never elicited any kind of response like that from a woman before. They tend to run towards me instead.”

“Ugh. You’re so cocky,” I snapped back.

“Are you going to tell me why you ran off?” he pressed on.

What could I say other than a little white lie?

“I had just forgotten that I needed to give Tallulah her outfit back. She wanted it.”

This time, Ro inched closer. Mind you, we were almost touching as we faced each other. The darkness around us truly made it feel like we were in our own world.

“And Tallulah told you her outfit had an expiration date on it?” He leaned forward.

My entire face felt like it was on fire, not only because I was clearly lying and he knew it, but also because his closeness had my heart skipping double-time.

“She didn’t say that. It was just… something⁠—”

He tsked his tongue, testing the stubble along his jaw. “Something. Makes sense,” he said with an undeniable smirk.

My stomach stirred; my breathing caught. Was it wrong that I wanted Romeo, too? We had history… as in, I had the biggest crush on him throughout middle school and my freshman year in high school. He practically lived with us during every summer: swam in our pool, ate at our dining table, worked out in our gym. It wasn’t like I was dating High Jynx, anyway. There was no one to betray… except for myself and my needs that had gone ignored for far too long thanks to Antonio and my parents. Running away from Ro didn’t change how I felt. And having sex with High Jynx only satisfied my need for him—not for Romeo, who frustratingly still lived in the pit of my heart.

Romeo leaned back, and out of the bubble we created together. “I should get back,” he said as he turned away.

We were having a nice time. It couldn’t be over. I didn’t want him to leave so fast.

“No,” was my immediate response.