Page 80 of Lyric Squared

“I don’t ever want to lose you. No matter where we stand, I want to know that you’re always at my side like you’ve always been.”

“I’ll be there. You know this.”

“I’m exhausted,” she rushed out with a sigh.

“And I think that’s it for you.” I pointed toward her cup. It was still half full, but she was done. It was time to call it a day.

“It is. We have such a long walk. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Then don’t,” I told her as I stood to my feet and grabbed her belongings. I stuffed everything we’d brought with us inside of her large Fendi bag and bent down in front of her.

“What are you doing?” She chuckled.

“Waiting for you to climb on.”

“On your back?” Lyric was utterly amused.

“On my back.”

After a few seconds, reality sunk in and she knew that this was far from a joke. If she didn’t want to walk, she didn’t have to. I felt the weight of her frame as she climbed on and gotcomfortable. Once I was fully erect and standing tall, she kissed the side of my face.

“Can you take us a picture and a video? I want to send it to Ever.”

Someone knows. The thought relieved me in ways I didn’t know was possible. I wasn’t sure why I’d imagined Lyric was holding onto the secret herself without letting anyone in. Ever had crossed my mind, but I wasn’t sure. She’d mentioned her in the letter, but nothing about her had surfaced since our first night together.

Before taking off, I dug into her purse and retrieved her phone. I held it up to her face so that it would unlock. When it did, I obliged. I took an array of photos of Lyric and me. As the video began rolling, I thought it was awfully cute the way she began squeezing my neck, kissing all over my face, and screaming into the camera.

“I’m going to marry this man and give him chocolate babies. Girls. We’re having girls.”

Carefree.That’s how I wanted Lyric at all times when it came to me… to us. The moment was so bittersweet knowing that Maldives and anywhere else I decided to take her would be the only time I’d get to experience this version of Lyric until we shared our relationship with the others.

“I love you, Keanu,” she whispered in my ear long after the video had ended.

By the time we arrived at the villa, I wasn’t surprised to learn that she’d fallen asleep. The heaviness of her frame was the first clue. The sound of the Indian Ocean and the plethora of drinks she’d consumed had lulled her right to sleep. She barely moved an inch when I peeled back the covers and laid her on the bed. Before tucking her in, I removed her dress. Sound asleep in only a silk thong, I left her so that I could blow one while watching the water.

“Keanu.”

I heard Lyric’s voice say.

“Your phone. It’s ringing.”

The time difference was on my ass, making it hard to even open my eyes after I began to hear the loud ringing myself. I felt the chilled piece of matter on my bare chest a second later. Appreciative that Lyric understood that I was completely out of commission and intervened, I spoke my first words of the day.

“Thank you, baby girl.”

“Answer it.”

“Yo?” I said into the phone after swiping to answer.

“Nigga it’s too late in the day for you to be sounding like you still ain’t rolled out of bed.”

“Long fucking night,” I admitted. “What’s up, Luca?”

At the sound of his voice, I was up and now wide awake. I pressed my back against the headboard of the bed and wiped the sleep from my eyes. The fuzziness was clinging to my thoughts and making it hard to comprehend much, but I’d manage.

“Shit. I got some shit I want you to look into for me. Hit me when you wake up. I’ll stop by the crib.”

“I’m out of dodge right now. I’ll be back in another day or two. Can it wait?”