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And I start, singing At Your Best by Aaliyah. My voice is soft, high-pitched, and breathy. Powerhouse, I am not. But it’s pleasant. And as soon as I get to the chorus, a tear slides out of his eye and down the side of his face. Startled, I stop singing and wait.

When he opens his eyes, they’re glassy and sad. I reach over and wipe his face, realizing my own eyes are full.

“Why’d you stop?” he asks, his voice cracking.

I pull him into my arms. He rests his head on my chest. He’s quiet, but I can tell he’s crying. It’s probably the first time in years he’s allowed himself to.

So I hold him.

And I finish the song through my tears.

At some point, we fall asleep, still entwined, exposed, and finally,finally, not alone.

36

Julian

I’m roused by somethingtickling my face. I swat at it, hearing a giggle.

I open my eyes to darkness and a woman on top of me. I can’t tell what time it is, but the hour feels strange.

When I feel her soft lips on my neck, I forget about the time. Fuck the time. I’d rather have the moment.

I ease my hands beneath the covers and caress her naked skin. She moans in my ear when I grip her ass and squeeze. I return the favor when she sinks onto my dick.

I’m surprised by how wild she is. How hard she’s going. But it feels good. No complaints. Instead, I join the party.

We’re scratching and biting, licking and sucking. I fuck around and cum quick. Too quick.

“Sorry,” I say with a smile on my face. “Couldn’t hold it.”

She laughs. “You have to make that up to me.”

“Fine. Come sit on my face.”

I see the wheels turning, which makes me laugh. “I don’t give a fuck,” I assure her. “It’s my nut. Climb on up here, girl.”

She happily rides my face. I think smearing my jizz all over my face turns her on. She ain’t up there but a minute when she’s cumming and biting the top of my headboard to keep from screaming.

After I get cleaned up, I rejoin her, tangling my limbs with hers.

“I think…maybe…” she trails off. “I don’t know how to say what I’m thinking.”

“I think I know,” I say. “And I feel the same way.”

“Okay. Good.” She smiles. “What about Brett?”

I take a deep breath. “There are options. We could lure him out. Make him think you’re vulnerable and exposed.”

“So I’d be the bait?”

“Exactly. We call it baiting the line. Using false positioning. Dropping bread crumbs to make the enemy commit to a move.”

“You make murder sound like a chess game.”

“That’s exactly what it is.”

She sighs. “I just want him gone. Out of our lives.”