Chapter Fifteen
Naomi was the devil, and she’d just pulled her latest trick. I shot her a look that I hoped burned a hole in the back of her head, but she only smirked, clearly pleased with herself. This was my fault, though. I should’ve told her to stay out of my business. Instead, I lied and told her I was spending more time with Keisha just to get her off my back about Angel. Of course, Naomi being Naomi, insisted I bring Keisha along to the show, and somehow, I’d let it happen.
Big mistake.
The whole night was a waste. I couldn’t tell you one joke the comedian made. The entire time, I was too busy trying to figure out how I’d explain this mess to Angel. Naomi’s meddling ass. Fuck her. I knew she meant well—she was Angel’s friend—but what about me? Wasn’t I her friend too? And first?
And Angel. Damn. She wasn’t making this easy. That dress she wore was tight in all the right places—had me thinking about things I had no business thinking about in public, had my dick hard. She was impossible to ignore, sitting there looking like dessert. Meanwhile, Keisha kept touching my arm, rubbing my thigh, thinking my tension was for her. If only she knew. Fuck Naomi again.
Angel wouldn’t even look at me. Not once. And I got it—she was pissed. She had every right to be. But that didn’t stop my stomach from twisting. By the time the show ended, I was ready to crawl out of my own skin.
Then came the check. Angel, stubborn as ever, insisted on paying her share, flashing this goofy little grin that didn’t match the storm I could see brewing behind her eyes. Before she could pull out her card, I snatched the bill from her hand and slapped my black card on the tray, handing it to the waitress.
She glared at me, and I just smiled back, because even angry, she was fine. Keisha, on the other hand, gave me a look that could kill. But she wasn’t stupid. If she acted up, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave her stranded in Ybor. She finally let go of my arm and stormed out ahead of us, heels clicking like gunfire.
As we headed for the exit, I stepped in behind Angel, using the crowd as an excuse to touch her. My hand slid to the small of her back, just above that perfect curve of her ass. She stiffened for a second, then glanced back, saw it was me, and let it happen. That tiny moment felt like a win. But then she caught Keisha watching us and pulled away.
When we got outside, Angel swayed on her feet, clearly drunk. Naomi saw it at the same time I did.
“We’ll take Angel home,” Naomi said, already making moves.
“I’ll take her,” I said. “We live in the same direction.”
Keisha, clearly irritated, chimed in, “Just call her an Uber.” Jonas shot her a warning look, but the damage was done.
Angel objected too. That was it. I was done arguing. I scooped her up, bridal style, and carried her to my car. She didn’t fight me, probably because we were in public.
On the way to the parking lot, some Rico Suave-looking dude stepped in front of us, blocking my path.
“You alright, Angel?” he asked, his voice dripping with concern.
“Who the fuck are you?” I snapped, already done with the night.
Angel lifted her head, her voice soft, almost too soft. “I’m alright, Solomon. Just drank too much.”
I didn’t like how gentle she sounded with him. “Move,” I barked, pushing past him.
“Call me,” he called after us, and I felt my blood boil.
Ignoring him, I reached my car and opened the passenger door, setting Angel down as carefully as I could. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with something that felt like disappointment and hurt, and maybe even a little confusion. Yeah, I’d fucked up.
I closed the door and walked to the back, holding the door open for Keisha.
Keisha slid in with a huff, her arms crossed like she was the one who had a reason to be mad. “Really, Cassius?”
“Yeah, really,” I said, climbing into the driver’s seat. The tension in the car was thick—Keisha glaring at the back of my head, Angel staring out the window like she wished she was anywhere else.
“Why’d you have to carry me? That was embarrassing,” Angel slurred.
“Because you were swaying like you were about to fall,” I said, keeping my tone even, my eyes on the road.
She sighed, her head leaning back against the seat. “I don’t need you to take care of me, Cassius.”
I glanced at her, just for a second, catching the way the streetlights lit up her face. “Maybe not,” I said quietly, “but I’m doing it anyway.”