9. Pluto Monroe #3
“Get back in the bed,” he said again, his tone letting me know what I wanted wasn’t up for debate.
I climbed back in.
He didn’t try to touch or kiss me again. He took a shot of liquor, hit the blunt once more, then got in beside me, and when he wrapped his arms around me, I didn’t tense up.
I melted into him…
The way he held me didn’t just feel safe. It felt powerful... like his arms could block out the whole world if it ever tried to touch me. His chest was warm against my back, strong and solid, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to fight for anything. I didn’t feel alone.
Being wrapped in him made everything else disappear, and I wasn’t afraid of shit. His body on mine gave me this feeling I couldn’t name. Maybe this is what it felt like when a man loves you, and don’t wanna let go.
I laid there with Pressure’s arms around me, my face tucked against his chest, and I didn’t say a word.
For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.
When I reopened my eyes, I looked around the room and noticed it was still dark.
The blackout curtains kept everything dim, and for a second, I forgot where I was. The bed felt different, softer, warmer… bigger. Then I heard the stream of water coming from the bathroom, making my heart jump.
Oh my God…
Last night started coming back to me in slow flashes. Pressure… The way he touched me…. The way he kissed me… The way he looked at me like I wasn’t just some girl in his house, but instead, like I was somebody he wanted to keep.
We didn’t go all the way, but it felt like we did. My body was still yearning, and heated from the way he’d held me so close. In that moment, I forgot the rest of the world existed.
While in my thoughts, I heard the shower shut off.
I sat up fast and tried to smooth down my hair with my fingers. I didn’t even know what time it was, but I knew I needed to go before I started imagining shit I had no business thinking.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed just as the bathroom door opened.
Pressure walked out, steam trailing behind him like smoke.
He had a thick black towel wrapped low on his waist, and water still clung to his chest and shoulders, making his tattoos gleam against his skin.
His abs looked carved. His scent hit me instantly.
It was clean, expensive, and masculine in a way that made my thighs press together before I could stop myself.
He looked right at me, and I looked down.
He didn’t say nothing at first, just grabbed a chain off the dresser and slid it around his neck while water still glistened on his skin. I tried to act like I wasn’t watching him but I was.
“I was just about to go,” I mumbled, standing up too quick. “I gotta go get myself together.”
Pressure nodded slow, like he didn’t care one way or the other, but his eyes followed every move I made.
“A’ight then,” he said. “You know where the door at.”
That was all he said. There were no sweet words or no begging me to stay. He just had that same calm voice that made you wonder if he was holding back or just didn’t give a damn.
I slipped past him, trying not to stare at his body again, and left the room without another word.
The second I got back to my room, I was dragging my luggage across the floor when I heard Kashmere.
“Bitch—where the hell you been?”
She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her bonnet still on. Her eyes were big and nosy as hell.
I tried not to smile, but it came anyway.
“I spent the night in his room,” I said, trying to keep my voice low.
Kashmere eyes grew wider like she couldn’t believe what I was saying. “You serious? Don’t play with me, bitch.”
I nodded and plopped on the other bed.
Kashmere’s grin stretched ear to ear. “Oh my God. You let him pop your cherry?”
I groaned. “No. I told him I was a virgin.”
Her eyes widened even more. “And? What he say?”
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “He ain’t trip. He still let me stay the night. He just… held me.”
Kashmere blinked. “Held you?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t tell her how safe it felt. How he wrapped me up like he was protecting something fragile and valuable at the same time. I didn’t say how I’d laid there wondering how many other women got to see that side of him or if it was just me.
“I don’t know,” I said after a minute. “It felt… real.”
Kashmere leaned her head against the wall, smiling. “You look happy.”
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t wanna admit that I was already imagining what it would feel like to wake up to him every morning, or how easy it was to feel something for a man I was basically competing for.
A knock hit the open door, and me and Kashmere both looked up.
It was Imani Blaze.
Her arms were folded, her lip curled like she smelled something nasty, and her wig looked like she hadn’t adjusted it since last night. She leaned against the doorway like she’d been standing there for a while.
“I knew I heard you in here runnin’ your mouth,” she said, her eyes locked on me. “So you really spent the night in that man’s bed?”
The heat that shot up my spine made me sit up straighter. I didn’t even blink before answering.
“Yeah. I did. What’s the problem?”
Imani walked in slow, her slides slapping the floor like she needed everybody to hear her make an entrance.
“The problem,” she said, “is bitches thinking they can suck dick and get special treatment.”
Kashmere looked at me then back at Imani. “Now, hold the fuck up.”
I stood up. “I don’t gotta suck dick to make a nigga like me. That’s what insecure bitches like you do when they ain’t got nothin’ else to offer.”
Imani rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. “Girl, ain’t nobody buying that virgin act. You probably take more dick than the bitches who sell pussy full-time.”
I stepped up close. “Say that shit again, bitch.”
Imani stepped in closer. The bitch was just a little taller than me, and her body language was loud as hell even though her voice stayed calm. She had that look—the look bitches get when they’re used to bullying other bitches into silence.
“I said you a fake little goody two-shoes actin’ all soft and sweet, but I see straight through you. And I wish you would swing. I’ll lay your ass out and smile while I drag you all over this house.
We were damn near chest to chest now, and neither one of us was backing up. She stared down at me like she thought I was about to fold, but I just squared up and met her stare like I been waiting on this moment.
“Well bitch, you swing first, and let’s find out what happens together” I said, my voice calm but burning. “I will drag you by that crooked-ass wig and beat the fake lashes off your face. You better get your bug-eyed ass out my fuckin’ face.”
Other girls had started gathering by now, standing in the hallway like they were front row at a live show.
A couple were whispering, their eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Imani, hungry for a reason to scream or gasp.
Somebody even mouthed “Oh shit,” like they were waiting for somebody to swing.
Toni Roc came in next, her arms out. “Yo, chill. This ain’t the time.”
Kashmere grabbed my wrist. “Pluto, don’t even waste it. You already winning, and that’s why she pressed. The bitch mad ‘cause she want your spot.”
Imani laughed. “Winning? Girl please. He just trying to see which bitch he can fuck first. Once he hit, you outta here.”
I snapped. “And bitch once he sees your ugly ass for who you really are, you’ll be right behind me—without ever getting touched.”
The girls ooh’d like it was a rap battle.
Toni stepped between us with her hand on my shoulder. “A’ight, we not doin’ this. Both of y’all need to chill out before y’all fuck around and get sent home.”
I stood there breathing hard, my heart racing. Imani smirked like she’d won something just by getting me heated.
Kashmere pulled me back toward the bed. I let her, but I kept my eyes on Imani the whole time, hoping this bitch would try me again.
This wasn’t just a competition anymore. Last night with Pressure put a target on my back, and I could already feel the hate coming…