Page 46 of Lyric Squared

“I’m not thinking about your neighbors, Lyric. It’s cold out here.”

“Oh, right.” I chuckled, nodding my head.

“Always ready to pop off. Take ya ass upstairs and get out of that thin ass silk. That’s what I should be telling Momma about. Shit looks cheap.”

“Well, it’s not but you’re welcome to buy me more since you have so much shit to say.”

“Charge it to one of my cards. You’ve got all the numbers.”

“Will do.”

When I made it into my room and out of Laike’s sight, I slowly shut the door behind me and placed my back against it. Sighing in relief, I released the breath that I’d been holding since he walked through the door. The comfort I’d always felt being openly and freely me had dissolved. For the first time, in the presence of one of the people I loved most in this world, I felt like a fraud.

Knowing that just hours prior, his best friend was slipping and sliding inside of me, leaving traces of him that could result in long term consequences without his knowledge was disheartening. And if I hadn’t known it after we’d indulged, I now knew that I’d definitely crossed the line – the very thick one that I knew better than anyone not to get near. The thought was invasive, consuming my entire mind and body at once. I was immobile, crippled as I remembered what I’d done and how fucking good it felt doing it. The fact that I wanted to do it again and again was repulsive.

Get your shit together, Lyric, I chastised.

Inhaling, I reserved a pit of oxygen that I slowly exhaled seconds later. As I counted down from ten, I could feel my bodyand mind relaxing. My splintered nerves slowly rejoined as I centered myself.

My cell rang out loud as I came from under the agonizing stress my actions had placed me under. I rushed to my bed, finally mobile again. Seeing Collin’s contact flash on the screen made my heart smile.

“Hey,” I answered.

“Good morning,” his baritone warmed the line as he greeted me.

“Morning.”

“I was thinking about you on my way to this meeting. What do you say we go to lunch tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow is a little tight for me. What about Monday? Brunch, maybe?”

“Brunch sounds good.”

“And, I was thinking about what you asked me last night.”

“What about it? You don’t have to decide now. Like you said, you need a little time to think about it.”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“And?”

“I want to move forward. I’d love to take this thing between us to the next level,” I revealed.

“Lyric, you sure?” he asked, I could hear the smile in his tone.

“Yes. I’m sure. I’ve thought about it and made my decision.”

“You just made me the happiest man alive, Lyric!”

“Did I?” My heart galloped in my chest. It made me happy to hear that I made him happy.

“Yeah. You did! Are you sure you can’t squeeze me in tomorrow?”

“Not tomorrow but Monday for sure, Collin. I already agreed to some family stuff tomorrow. I can’t back out of that, ever.”

“Got it. I can’t wait to see you on Monday, then.”

“Same,” I replied, looking forward to our day date on Monday.