Page 32 of Lily In The Valley
“Y’all talking about insurance at the club?” he asked the group, his attention squarely on Nyah.
“It’s a lounge,” she corrected him. “We’re classy now.”
“It’s a patio,” he said, topping off Nyah’s drink without her asking. “And it could be a garage, but if you there, it’ll still be the most exciting spot in the world.”
“Smooth,” she said, smiling despite herself.
I looked over at my parents again. My mother leaned on my father’s shoulder as they swayed to the line dance being played. I hadn’t seen them like this in weeks…months, maybe. It made the ache in my chest go quiet.
Khalil pulled me into his chest as he sat on the top of the booth in our section. “You keeping your promise?” he asked, nuzzling his chin into the crook of my neck.
“Which one?” I smiled back.
“Shit, both of them,” he replied, squeezing me tighter and gripping my ass. “Talk to me.”
“I did already.”
“You said you weren’t sure about Seattle then deflected. Tell me why.”
I exhaled, letting myself sink further into his arms. “Because it’s far. Because I don’t want to be alone. Because it feels like I’m choosing ambition over my family, my friends. Over…you.”
He blinked slowly and nodded his head. “Nah. Choosing Seattle doesn’t mean choosing against us.”
“You say that now. But one day, you’ll get tired of beating your own dick, and then what?”
He snickered. “I’ll say it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the month and months after that. I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.”
I looked down at my nails. “What if everything falls apart?”
“I’ll help you put it back together,” he said without hesitation. “I’m not going to lie like I’m not going to miss you something bad. But you have to go, Kelly. You have to let yourself be great.”
My eyes stung but I blinked the tears away. What would I look like crying in the club?
“You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”
He leaned in, brushing his nose along my jawline. “I know exactly how much.” Then he kissed me. And it wasn’t the kind of kiss meant for public places. It possessed me, as our tongues danced together. His fingers slid lower on my waist, making their way to my ass, where he gripped tight enough to let anyone passing by know I was off limits. When he pulled back, his hazel-green eyes were deep emerald. His mouth curved devilishly.
“I’ll be in Seattle every other weekend if I have to,” he said. “I’ll FaceTime you while you eat them dry ass sandwiches in the cafeteria.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and swayed to the music. “You really do love me, huh?”
“Since been. Never gonna stop.”
“I like the sound of that.”
He smiled wide like I’d just handed him a key he’d been waiting for. “Good,” he said. “Now, let’s dip out so you can make good on that other promise.
“Why are you always so nasty?” I smiled.
“Because you like it,” he answered, then kissed my neck. “Come on.”
Chapter 10
Kelly
The first thingI noticed was the quiet.
Not the kind of silence that clawed away at my mind when I was alone in my bed at night, save for the bright white light of my laptop screen. This was different. A weighted stillness. As I stared out of the window of Khalil’s rental car, thick pines and red dust swirled with something in the air–maybe peace, maybe pressure, maybe both.
