Page 74 of Cocky

My chest tightens.

No way.

It hits me before I even turn.

My eyes search the crowd, scanning through bodies moving in sync to the beat, laughter cutting through the music, drinks flashing in the light.

“What’s wrong?” Solace asks.

I hold a finger up before leaving the section to find the source. The balaclava helps me move freely without being stopped for photos.

I let my nose guide me through swarms of people, suddenly not caring how close they all were to me.

It all disappears until I see her.

Frankie.

She’s in something dark.

Her hair’s down, skin glowing under the amber lights. She’s at a booth with two women, laughing and dancing.

And for a second, I forget the music, the crowd, everything.

She shouldn’t be here.

And I damn sure shouldn’t be looking at her like this.

I watch her for a while before I move.

I tell myself I’m just being polite. I’m gonna say hi, maybe apologize for yesterday and let her enjoy her night out.

But that’s a lie.

When I finally push through the crowd toward her booth, she’s mid-laugh—head thrown back, hand over her chest, eyes bright in a way I’ve never seen before.

She spots me before I can speak and the laugh dies.

“Seriously?!”

That smile widens at her annoyance, but before I can process it, she’s up and wrapping her arms around me.

I freeze.

Frankie. Hugging me.

What the hell?

Her scent hits me again.

Warm, spiced, dizzying.

I don’t even hug back right away because I’m too busy trying to understand what’s happening. By the time I do, she’s already pulled away, grinning like we’ve been best friends since primary school.

“You’re here!” she says, practically bouncing. “What are the odds?”

“Yeah, uh…” I clear my throat, still thrown. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

She waves a hand like that’s ridiculous. “Tasha dragged me out. Oh, do you know Tasha? Tash, this is Chinaza’s brother Jabari! Jabari, this is Tasha! She’s my partner.”