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Storm extends his hand, but silence descends upon the room for several stale breaths as Daddy ignores Storm’s outstretched palm.

“Well, Storm Sandoval. Tell me why you’re sniffing around my daughter.”

I could throw up all over the floor.

“Anyway!” Mama says brightly. “Thank you for getting my baby here. Praise God you were in the right place at the right time.”

“It was my honor to help,” Storm replies, his voice clear. His fingers squeeze mine in a brief twitch, and I pray my hand isn’t sweaty.

Ezra and Yenn are absent, and when I inquire about their whereabouts, Mama tells me they’ve gone to the cardiac unit where Yenn’s father is.

“I see,” I say, and the four of us fall silent. But of course, Mama is the one to break the quiet.

“So,” she begins, and her gaze flicks to where our palms meet. Looking back at Storm, she says, “Dinner. Sunday. Five p.m. We’d love to thank you with a home-cooked meal.”

Then she smiles in that way that I’ve learned means there will be no negotiation.

Opal Rivers can be a force when she decides to be.

“Mama, I’m sure Storm?—”

“I’d love nothing more,” Storm cuts in. Another quick squeeze of my fingers.

Mama’s smile could rival the sun.

“Excellent!” she chirps. Grabbing my dad’s hand, she pulls them toward the exit. “Well, we’ll leave you two young people to it.”

She says the rest of this on what feels like one breath, and Daddy’s face morphs as he frowns.

“Opal—”

“Not now, Reggie,” she whispers, still loud enough for me to hear. The door closes behind them and they’re gone as quickly as they came.

The room falls silent again.

“You don’t have to come to dinner,” I offer, pulling on my hand again. He finally lets me free.

But when he just stares at me, his eyes flitting around my face, he smiles again, slow and dangerous.

Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, he leans close, so close, too close….

…and kisses my cheek.

“I’ll see you on Sunday, Sweetness,” are his parting words.

13

STORM

“Fuck,Storm,” Shae moans, and the sound is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. I’m licking into her greedy cunt, sucking on her clit and the sensation of her pussy gripping my fingers has my neglected dick leaking pre-cum.

It’s been more than a month, at this point, since I last fucked—which is wild in itself. There’s no moral reason for my new-found celibacy; no one seems important enough to steal my attention away from all the shit happening in my life.

Well, no one except Shae. I’m so fucking glad I waited for Shae.

Her hands plunge into my hair, and she tugs.

“Please,” she whimpers. “Please fuck me. Please come inside me.”