Page 68 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“Good evening,” I walk into the house, dead tired, and there they are — Nickoi and Gutta, chilling in the living room, talking low.

Soon as I walk in, silence. Like I just walked in on a secret.

Nickoi sent a driver to pick me up from school today, which he never does. So yeah… something’s definitely up.

“Good evening,” the friend says.

“Yuh Gov babes?” Nickoi asks, his eyes aren’t leaving mine. The look on his face is strange but I guess he isn’t having the best day.

“Mi alright mi just tired,” I tell him. They had a concert at school today and I was up and down with Mrs. Adam’s the whole damn time. He raise his brows but stays quiet.

Him wah know. “Mi did a help out Mrs. Adams with some stuff for a concert today,” I sigh and plop down. He walks into the kitchen and comes back with a bottle water. He hands me the water and I smile, pecking his lips. His friend looks at his phone, I guess he feels awkward. Who wouldn’t?

After downing some water, I take a shower and throw on a blue cami crop top and gray spandex shorts.

Fresh and comfy, I head out to the balcony and start scrolling through reviews of the restaurants we talked about.

Zanne mentioned Cru Bar and Kitchen, but honestly, I’m feeling Mommy and Sash’s picks more.

Mystic Thai or Dinner in the Sky? Yeah… those sound like a vibe.

After half an hour of scrolling, I get tired and yawn.

Glancing out, I spot a familiar pair of Yeezy slides coming through the gate with Nickoi’s security right behind.

Sash. Nautica top, blue denim jeans, Yeezy slides — and a bonnet, of course.

She walks in, and I get up, heading downstairs to meet her.

“Good evening, where is the dolly?” I hear her before I see her.

Nickoi says something I can’t make out, but it’s probably him telling her I’m upstairs because next thing I know, she’s heading up the stairs, and I’m halfway down. “See har ya,” Sash tells Nickoi when she spots me. I smile.

“Hey Sash,” she hugs me and I hold the rails, preventing us from falling. I hug her then pull away.

“Mi seh gyalllllllll the drive was so long!” She’s out of breath. “Mek mi tired essi,” I laugh at her antics.

“Man a mek mi know say the woman come to him and mi a say a affi smaddy chat mi Don,” I overhear Gutta saying. Smaddy chat what? I try to eavesdrop a little more but Sash is talking at the same time making it hard for me to focus on what they are saying.

“Yuh eat yet?” she asks and I shake my head.

“Not yet, mi a go cook sup’m,” I say and she slaps me playfully.

“Eh-Eh, mi order pizza and burger fi the two a we,” she grins, heading up the stairs. I smile, glancing back at Nickoi as he talks. His friend just nods, looking at him with a somber expression. I can feel it—something’s off.

First of all he always makes himself available to pick me up. No matter what. But today eerily sends a taxi for me. Now he’s speaking indistinctly with Gutta. I realize that Sash has already made it to the top.

“A which way?” her voice echoes and I hurry up the stairs to lead the way. When we get inside, we put the stuff down and stayed on the balcony for a while; talking about random family stuff until she ask to go in the pool.

“Yuh bring swimsuit?” I ask and spring up because I have a few. She shakes her head.

“Afta mi neva’ a think say pool would a’ ova yer.”

“Mi have some,” I offer, looking through my bag and she stands beside me. Well that’s what I thought but I gasp when I hear her pulling Nickoi’s closet. I turn around startled.

“No but watch nice polo shirt and polo shorts!” she gawks.

“Sash!” I call, and he walks in, making me gasp.

Ah bwoy, why now? Irritated doesn’t even scratch the surface of his face. His cold, empty eyes flick to Sash, and my heart drops.

“Weh yah do?” his voice fills the room. If mi never sure if him vex, now mi know fi sure. The solemn ambience in the room is dreadful. She looks at him startled but knowing Sash, she a go lie and get out an any situation.

“A did fi yuh clothes?” she asks, acting ‘unaware’. He just stares at her, silent. I keep my eyes on him, but my mind starts to wander.

Lawd tell me why his ice cold eyes, narrowed eyebrows and clenched jaw turns me on? I don’t know why but, to me people appear an eye sore when they’re angry–but Nickoi? Man looks like a meal.

My focus drags from Nickoi’s appearance to my cousin shining through her specialty; lying of course. “A help mi a help Zara look fi a bathsuit and mi check seh it would a in yasso.”

He doesn’t look convinced but he decides to let it go and walks out to the balcony without saying anything. I watch as he sits down, looking out. Wah do him?

“Hey that close yuh faaaaaaat!” Sash whispers and I shake my head.

“Sash mi nah try fi disrespect you or anything but nuh touch the things them in here,” I whisper back.

She nods. “Mi notice say him funny.”

“Very,” I say, looking at him wondering what’s wrong with him. I look back at the bag, searching for the bathing suit.

I find it and hand it to her, and we both change into our bikinis.

“Raeee!” she says excitedly, looking at her butt in the mirror.

“Me? Put on weight?” she grins, and I chuckle while tying the string around my neck.

She looks at me, then gasps. “That nice, eeeh!” I know she’s talking about the tattoo.

I smile sweetly. “It was so painful though,” I say, then she asks. “Wah Aunty dem say?” her eyes wide.

“Mama never too happy,” I say and we walk out.

“Mi know say she wouldn’t like eh,” Sash walks next to me.

Everyone knows that Mama is a die hearted Adventist. It’s surprising how she didn’t say her famous ‘doh bother go mark up yuh skin enuh cause the Bible say a sin.’ Out of nowhere a sudden wave of guilt rushes through my body and I let out a sigh.

I’m really rebellious these days when I think about it.

Despite my age I always listen to her guidance no matter what.

You affi live your life, the girl in my head assures me.

We reach the pool and Sash gets in the water then I push that thought to the back of my head.

Just breathe. And I do just that. My mind then drifts to Nickoi who’s relaxing on the balcony chair.

I move my head up and squint my eyes with my hand over my eyes as a shield blocking the scorching sun.

“Psssst,” I smile up at him and he gives me a small smile but says nothing. I hate when he’s like this. I know he isn’t a talker but usually I’m an exception. “Wah’m?” I try and he shakes his head.

“Just a wul a meds,” he retorts. I side eye him and he chuckles. “Gwan go take picture with yuh cousin nuh,” he fans me off playfully. I look at Sash–snapping her pretty face.

An idea pops into my head, and I slide into the water with Sash.

She turns the camera on me, and I smile shyly, knowing Nickoi’s eyes are on me.

We take turns, snapping pictures of each other before we start making TikToks.

After that, we decide to take some pictures at the edge of the pool with my digital camera. .

I take Sash pictures and she takes the phone looking at them with a smile. “Hey mi affi tek picture first enuh cas when a time fi gwaan wid miself mi nah member phone,” she says.

I laugh watching her. “Nuh true?”

“Them look good,” she smiles. “Arite fi yuh time now Goodaz,” she tells me and I move to the edge of the pool.

“How yah tek it?” She questions and I brace my hand on the edge.

“You come out of the pool and I’ll stay in,” I say, and she steps out. I start posing, and after a while, she hands me the phone to look at the pictures. They’re cute.

“Thank you,” I smile. “Mi wah take one on the lounger,” I take a seat on the edge of the pool. As soon as I start posing, Nickoi calls my name, and I look up at him, my cheeks flushing.

“Yes?” I smile.

“Hey yuh nuh affi do too much fi she smile off har face enuh,” Sash looks up at him and say with a laugh.

“So it fi go mon,” he smirks. “Fawud when yuh tek the picture,” his eyes on me.

Sash starts taking my picture again, and I strike a few more poses. When I’m done, she gets back in the pool, and I walk all the way up to Nickoi. By the time I reach him, I’m out of breath and tired. My eyes find his, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Stinka?” I tease and he looks at me annoyed.

“Zara stop that shit,” his glare making me laugh.

“There’s a delivery man here!” The security says, grabbing our attention.

“Oh arite mi did order food so collect it and give him this fi me,” I hear Sash saying as I stare at Nickoi. “Mi know yuh hate the name,” I continue. “But mi just wah bother you.”

NICKOI After hearing that a detective went to Keno’s house asking him questions about the Constant Spring shooting mi vibes bruck cas mi know say a affi smaddy tip them off. And look how we do everything clean. Someone just had to mess that up huh?

Jah. No detective shouldn’t just show up at my friend’s house because we didn’t leave any loose ends for them to track back to us.

And if they went to Keno then chances are they’re coming to me next.

Mi just cya understand a who would a talk.

.. mi know a affi smaddy weh close to me.

I let out a sigh. Dem claim say dem just a ask people bout the incident.

But why so close to wi? Something affi wrong.

Member say whatever done in the dark go come to light enuh.

Real meds dat but Jah Jah. I notice that Zara is on to me though. Just by the way she’s looking at me so I’m just going to put it behind me for now and try to make things run off smooth. Yuh know seh Zara is a detective harself. No joke.

With a smirk playing on my lips, I watch her explaining why she thinks I should accept her Uncle Sam nickname. Dem Yankee style deh must stay a foreign.

“Come yer,” I say, biting my lip as my eyes trail over her body.

Why har cousin affi deh yah now? “I’m wet,” she says pointing at her swimsuit and my eyes drop to her piercing then to the small droplets of water trickling down her thighs, picturing something else.

My eyes then move back to her gorgeous face. “So?... sit down beside me,” I insist and she sits. I put my arm around her and pull her closer to me. “A plastic chair a nuh like you a wet it up.”

She laughs. “Yuh just lef me gone so!” Sash calls out.

“Soon come back mon,” she retorts. I take out my vape before I puff a few times and catch her staring.

“Yuh want it?” I ask and she bobs her head. I give her and she starts vaping. I look away from her because I don’t want to act on how I’m feeling with her cousin here.

“I was gonna send you the picture to cheer you up since you did look upset,” she says.

Eeeh? Good thing she nuh send it, my subconscious smirks.

“Babe yuh hear me?” she asks, her dark brown eyes seemingly studying my impassive ones. Baby girl, there’s nothing there to see.

I’ve already mastered how to hide my emotions. “Mi nuh hear wah yuh seh,” I say to her.

“Mi a say wah you a go eat cause the stuff that she buy a nuh vegan or pescatarian,” she tells me. The way how she care bout me. I smile to myself.

“Mi have vegetable salad, I was eating it earlier,” I tell her and she smiles.

I find myself staring at her tattoo. Then, to her cleavage before dirty thoughts starts brewing in my head. Again. She smiles and pulls on the vape again exhaling it like a bad bitch. My bad bitch.

“Mi show mommy,” she says, talking about the tattoo. Mi d’evu a meds that. She’s so innocent and she d’evu have an idea wah she a do.

She takes up my phone and start making a video before she blows the smoke in the video. Zara man... mi a try behave miself enuh.

“Wah yah think?”she laughs.

Yuh nuh wah know. “Nutt’n,” I simply say and she looks back at her cousin calling her.

“Mi a come now... just did a do a video with Nickoi,” she says, getting up, and yeah, my eyes go straight to her ass.

When she sits back down, I try to keep it together, really try, but that only lasts so long.

My hand slides onto her thick thighs, and she looks up at me, face flushing right away. Of course she a go blush. So naive.

Juaqína calls me, and I answer, slipping my AirPod into my ear. “Nickoi, yuh hear wah dem a say a gwaan?” she asks, her voice low and urgent.

I watch Zara get up and walk out before I finally answer Juaqína. “Mi go affi link unuh and see how wi go deal with this,” I say, my mind already spinning.

“Know yah go find a way, just know none a we nah rat yuh out so gwaan do yuh thing,” she assures me.

“Respect enuh,” I nod.

“Yeah... so yuh busy tonight?”

“Yah, a wah?” my brows up.

“Today a Tuesday enuh when we usually drink and thing... just wul a vibe,” she reminds me. Shit. A something we always do enuh but from wen mi a miss that.

“I guess yah go miss it again,” she breathes out, tone sarcastic.

“Mhmmm,” I say, my eyes following Zara as she slips into the pool. “Mi a go busy tonight. ”