She scrunched her face. “I suppose so. I hate my natural hair though.”
I planted my chin on her shoulder and glanced down at the tablet, seeing she was working on her comic. “Why?”
Her eyes followed mine. “Because my natural hair is too thick, that’s why I keep it braided.”
I stretched my hands in front of her and lifted them. “I cannot wait to see it.”
Nakyra turned and faced me again, her eyes beamed with softness and her smile grew. “I still can’t believe you’re learning sign language.”
I kissed her cheek and stepped back this time. “Believe it, baby.”
“Close but believe is…” She lifted her hands and showed me, which I repeated.
I sniffed the air. Nakyra turned fully on the bar stool. “What you cookin’? It smells good.”
“Homemade lasagna rolls and cheesy garlic bread.”
My stomach rumbled just at the thought of the food. I hadn’t had much today but coffee and a granola bar. I’d been working nonstop this week, preparing for the expansion of the company. After the meeting with my dad, I had been on conference calls the rest of the day.
Nakyra nibbled her bottom lip and shifted in her seat. “I’m glad you came home when you did. I was hoping we could talk.”
Home.
It was odd hearing her refer to this place as my home. I knew she meant her house, but West Pier hadn’t been my home for a long time, yet my chest filled with heat at the sentiment.
“Everything okay?” I undid my suit jacket and waited for her to continue.
Her teeth scraped over her bottom lip and she averted her eyes from mine. As far as I knew, things between us had been good. Since we’d slept together, nothing major physically had changed, but emotionally everything had, down to us sharing a bed every night. She ended up in my room, more than likely because she was uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed she shared with my brother. It didn’t bother me because I enjoyed having her in my arms when I went to sleep and again when I woke up. We still ate together at night or stayed up watchingCriminal Mindsor a movie until she tapped out.
“I think so,” Nakyra started. One of my brows rose. “I don’t feel guilty about what we did.”
I squinted. “I don’t either.”
“Shouldn’t we, though? Technically what we did, what we’re doing, is wrong.”
I dragged a hand down my mouth and studied her. “Maybe, but I can’t find it within myself to.” I shrugged.
Nakyra’s eyes dropped to her hands resting on her lap. “How do we know this is real?” she whispered. “It’s obvious that I accepted a lot of shit with your brother I never should have. Being around you has opened my eyes to a lot of things and part of me wonders if this is a rebound thing because I’m in a vulnerable state.” When her eyes lifted and focused on me, it felt like she was caressing my soul. They bored into me deeply with contemplating reflecting there.
I didn’t respond right away. It was clear she had been thinking about this for a while. I couldn’t blame her for her hesitation. Nakyra never had someone who cared for her or put her first. It was clear that she easily clung to those who showed her some form of love because she lacked love from her parents. It didn’t bother me that she was unsure right now.
The alarm on the stove went off, halting the conversation. She climbed off the stool and walked to the stove. I waited for her to pull the food out and set it on top. She turned back to me and walked to the island but stayed on the side she was on.
“I am not here to play with your feelings,”I signed slowly, so I said the right thing. “I told you before I do not want to.How do you say pressure?”
A small, toothless smile formed on her face as it softened and she moved her hands.
“Thank you. I do not want to pressure you into anything. The only thing I can tell you is to follow your heart.Does it feel like this is fake?”
Nakyra tucked her lips into her mouth and crossed her arms, rubbing them with her hands. “No. No, it doesn’t. But how can I trust myself? For the past eight years I’ve been in love with someone who preyed on my insecurities and manipulated me into falling for him. How can I trust anything after that?” Tearspooled in her eyelids and that tugged at my heart. It pissed me off that my brother caused this kind of turmoil in her. She had been through enough growing up and didn’t deserve it as an adult.
Pulling my suit jacket off, I moved forward and laid it on the stool then walked around the island until I was in front of her. I cuffed her chin and lifted it.
“I understand where you’re coming from. I can’t tell you how to feel or how to handle your feelings. If you need to take a step back from this and get your mind right, then I’m okay with that. I’m a patient man, Nakyra. If you need some time just tell me and we can put a pause on this. I won’t be upset. You have to do what’s best for you.”
She inhaled a deep breath and lifted her arms, wrapping them around my neck. “No. I don’t want that,” she said lowly, her voice a velvet murmur. She stepped forward, pressing her chest against mine. “I just want to make sure this is real.”
It felt like someone had maxed out the heater around us as the air intensified.
