Page 112 of Rah

“Itwasyou. I didn’t likeyou. I like her.” I couldn’t help it. I had to do it. I had to bring her down off that high horse.

“Fu–”

“I know, I know. ‘Fuck you, Fabil,’” I mocked her with a chuckle.

Her scowl was turning her face into the ugliest I had ever seen it. I didn’t wait for her to blow up. I just stepped into the crib and closed the door. After locking it, my eyes met Aaliyah’s and she was looking at me with a playful grin on her face.

As I rushed towards her, she quickly told her auntie, “Let me call you back.”

I think she hung up before her aunt could even respond. Within seconds, I was on top of her, biting her neck playfully. “You think that shit was funny?”

Through her uncontrollable giggles, she said, “Stooop, Fabe.”

We both laughed and kept play-fighting with each other.

But little did we both know, this shit was going to backfire straight up in our faces.

SOLAE

“Mmmm, that feels good.”

“Do it?” Priest’s deep, seductive voice swam into my ear from behind. I could nearly feel his lips on my ear. “You look like it does.”

My eyes closed for a split second to enjoy the feeling of his hands rubbing my tense shoulders. I leaned back into his chest as he stood behind me at the bar.

For a split second, I wished that I could stay in that moment. I was only twenty-seven. This was what life was supposed to be—getting massages from a fine ass dude that was buying me drinks and anticipating fucking him later. That was what I wanted. Not a life of stressing about court dates and if I was going to spend most of my future in prison.

Luckily, since the day that Priest showed up at my parents’ house, he had been around to take my mind off the bullshit. He had even been able to talk me into coming out with him for some drinks that night. I still didn’t feel like pulling myself together, but I couldn’t allow myself to walk into any placewith this sexy man looking like his little sister. So, I stuffed myself into a pair of high-waist, skinny leg denim jeans, knee high brown stiletto boots, and a cropped, off the shoulder sweater. My hair was still in a ponytail, but I had beat my face to keep from looking thirteen. The red lipstick popped off my sun-kissed bronze skin and gave me a pin-up girl look.

“Okay, okay. Stop before you put me to sleep,” I chanted with a bit of a slur. That was how good his hands felt. He had me tongue tied. I wondered how he could make me feel by touching other parts of me, but the stress of that day had quickly washed away those lustful thoughts.

“Shit, that felt good.” I was damn near moaning as he sat back in the bar stool next to me.

“I got them hands, girl,” he teased with a smile. “So, what happened today that got you feeling bad? Something happened in court? The new lawyer I got you is good, right?”

Priest had wanted to go out somewhere in the city, but I was so scared that someone would recognize me from the articles and social media posts that had gone viral. So, luckily, Priest and I were at a bar downtown that was nearly empty. With that and the R&B playing from the iTunes jukebox, our conversation couldn’t be heard, and I was so grateful.

“It was another continuation,” I answered, blowing out my irritation. “The prosecution is waiting on more evidence before we go to trial.”

Priest shook his head. “Damn.”

“But it will be a bench trial, though. So, it should be quick, whenever they are ready.”

He reached over and put a soothing hand on my thigh. When he lightly squeezed it and leaned towards me, the raunchy, strong, and tantalizing aroma of his cologne washed over me.

His face was so close to mine that I could smell his gum as he said, “You’re gonna be okay.”

I felt like a little girl, allowing the simple presence of a guy to render me speechless. But I had been with Rah all my life. I had never cheated on him. For the last fourteen years, he was all that I had known. So, the littlest things that Priest did gave me a feeling of overwhelming lust.

He lightly grabbed my throat, pulled me further into his space, and kissed me. I felt myself becoming putty in his hands.

He spoke against my lips, “I’ve been wanting to do that since I picked you up.”

His kiss lingered, deep enough to steal the breath out my chest, but when he pulled back, his eyes were serious. “I wish I had some connections high up to make this whole charge disappear. But this ain’t the movies. I’m heavy in the streets, yeah, but I don’t have judges or prosecutors on payroll.”

The honesty in his voice made my throat ache. I dropped my eyes to the rim of my glass, whispering, “You really do like me, huh?”

“Iadoreyou.” He tilted my chin back up as his lips curved into that cocky smile that always disarmed me. Then he kissed me again. It was soft and lingering, like he was proving his point with every press of his lips.