Page 90 of Without Bound
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” She hugs me back, her tiny arms barely reach my belly button and I can’t help but chuckle.
“You’re the cutest damn angry peach I’ve ever seen,” I joke.
She socks me in the gut, much like the ones she administers to Nix on the daily, and now I know that he isn’t joking when he doubles over in pain. She’s small but mighty.
“I’m going back inside. And you two better hurry it up before Phoenix comes looking.”
We nod our heads and I give Anais one last kiss before sending her off for the night with a plea to be careful.
I’m able to enjoy the festivities with everyone, but only because my butterfly sends me a flurry of texts throughout the night.
??:
??:
??:
Each one brings a bigger and brighter smile to my face and I tell myself that no matter how hard it’s going to be, the sooner we tell Nix the better. Then I can walk proudly with my girl by my side.
30
Anais
“So you two are pretty serious, huh?” Keyara and I lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, having girl talk.
“I mean, as serious as I’ve ever been. I dated a few guys in high school but only really did anything with one guy. And we didn’t even date all that much. But there’s just this way he makes me feel. It’s a high I’ve never known before. Euphoric, really. So to me, the feeling that I have tells me it’s pretty real.” I try to explain, however, I don’t think it’s the exact words.
There are no words to explain my feeling for Bishop. Yes, there’s the fact that I love him, but it’s more than that. And to ask me how I know since I’ve never been “in love” is difficult to answer. The words can’t express it adequately and since they can’t reach inside my chest and feel the way my heart beats for him, this is all I have to give.
“Shit. He has you using words like euphoric and high. Those aren’t fuck around words.” She rolls over to her side, propping her head on her fist and looking at me. “When are you telling your Uncle? Seems like he’s the only one who doesn’t know.”
I close my eyes and blow out a hot breath. “I dunno, but I know we need to do it soon. Viv gave us two weeks and it’s already been four days since then. I should just go down to his office and sit there while he calls Nix. Every time he says he’s going to do it, we get…distracted.” Keyara smirks and rolls her eyes. “At least in his office, we have no other choice than to call him.”
“Oh c’mon. You mean you’ve never been to his office and got busy on the desk?ThatI don’t believe.”
“Well believe it, chica. I have never been to his office. In the beginning there was never a reason to go all the way over there. It’s not like I have a class by the baseball fields. And now, I just go to his house. We just seem to get distracted there. So I see the office as a neutral place.”
She shrugs and rolls back on the mattress. “Why don’t you go down there now since our class was canceled. We have that lab later.”
I pop up off the bed when she reminds me of our lab. “Oh shit. I forgot about that. Okay. I’m going down there and should be back in about thirty minutes.”
“Suuure, thirty minutes. Twenty bucks says you take an hourandget busy on the desk.” She holds out her hand and I smack it away.
“You better have a twenty in that wallet because I’m not waiting for you to go to the ATM to get my money.” I grab my keys and stick my driver’s license in the back pocket of my jeans. Just before I walk out I sing, “Bitch betta have my munay!”
I laugh all the way to the practice fields where Bishop’s office is. I’ve never actually been here, so I don’t know if I need an escort or pass to get in, so I decide to text him once I’m parked and standing outside.
Me: Hey big guy. You busy right now?
I watch as it immediately goes from delivered to read and then watch as the dots dance on my screen until it buzzes in my hand with a response.
??: I’m never too busy for you, baby girl. What do you need?
Me: Go open the front door of your building.
??: ????
Me: Just do it.
