Chapter 13
We went through two more condoms before Noelani tapped out, and admittedly, I wasn’t far behind her.
No woman’s pussy had ever felt as good as hers.
I tried to find the words to describe it, but it was indescribable.
I wasn’t the most verbal during sex, but the last round almost had my grunts and groans turning into screams and moans.
She climbed off of me, fell onto the bed, and rolled over, leaving me to dispose of the condom and bring back a towel.
It took me a minute to catch my breath, but eventually, I made it to the bathroom.
I turned on the light, lifted the toilet seat, and reached for my dick, pausing and looking down when I felt the tip of my shit sticking out of the condom.
“What the fuck? Did this muthafucka—damn, this muthafucka broke,” I whispered as I pulled it off.
I held it up to get a better look, shaking my head because it was clear as day that the condom had indeed broken. I looked behind me and could see Noelani on the bed. She hadn’t moved, so I assumed she’d fallen asleep.
Since the day I started fucking, I was adamant about wrapping my shit up and pulling out. It was a little advice I’d gotten from Ramina’s father before he was killed, and I’d adhered to it with every woman I’d been with except Marlena, and now, Noelani.
Aside from condoms, birth control hadn’t been discussed, and I didn’t know if Noelani was on the pill or using another form of contraceptive. Is it crazy that a part of me hoped she wasn’t? I shook the thought away because it was too soon.
I finally flushed the condom and retrieved two towels from a basket she had on a shelf. After cleaning myself up, I wet the second towel with warm water and returned to the bedroom. Noelani opened her eyes when I began to wipe between her legs.
“Be gentle,” she whispered.
“You weren’t saying that shit a few minutes ago.”
“Shut up.”
I finished cleaning her up and got into bed beside her. She adjusted her body next to mine, laying her head on my chest and draping her leg across mine. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
“What made you come back after you left the store?” she asked.
“It wasn’t me. It was my dick.”
“Wow.”
“Nah, that’s only partially true.”
“Tell me the whole truth.”
“Only after you tell me why you left me on read.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated? You fucking with another nigga?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“Wassup then? You just like ignoring niggas?”
She giggled. “I’ve been known to ghost men in the past because they weren’t about shit.”
“Damn. That’s how you feel?”
“No, Rowdy. I wasn’t ghosting you. Besides, you know where I live and work.”
“True, but I’m not in the business of chasing women who don’t want to be bothered. Answer my question.”
“I started responding to you numerous times, but I didn’t know what to say. I also knew there was a chance you’d ignore me since I ignored you.”
“Noelani, the appropriate response to at least two of those texts was good morning. How hard is that?”
“Harder than you think.”
This conversation was going in circles and starting to annoy the fuck out of me. Noelani had done everything but answer my damn question.
“If it’s that hard, don’t expect to hear from me when I leave here tonight.”
While we lay quietly for a while, I pondered why she never responded to my messages, as I’d been doing all week. We had a connection and vibed from the beginning, so I wasn’t expecting her to ignore me.
“I’m not interested in a fuck buddy, and that’s all most men are interested in these days.”
“What makes you think I’m one of those men?”
“We met at 3:30 and were fucking by 10:30. That’s not exactly how most long-lasting relationships start.”
“Says who?”
“I don’t know . . . statistics.”
“C’mere,” I said, pulling her on top of me. “You forgot one little thing in your premature conclusion.”
“What’s that?”
“You stole my heart by 3:31.”
She smacked her lips. “You play too much.”
When she tried to get up, I held her in place, forcing her to look at me.
“I don’t play when it comes to matters of the heart.”
“Maybe not, but I know I didn’t steal your heart after one minute.”
“Fine. I may be exaggerating a little, but . . . I like you. I want to know everything about you. After spending one night with you, I want to be in your space as often as you’ll allow me.
I might look sane on the outside, but I want you to carefully consider my mental state the next time you decide to ignore my texts or calls.
I let you slide this time because you weren’t mine, but don’t do that shit again, or you might see a different side of me. ”
“Interesting. I don’t know if I should be scared or turned on.”
“A little bit of both.”
“It sounds like you’re claiming me.”
“Your comprehension skills are top-notch because that’s exactly what I’m doing. You cool with that?”
“As long as I’m the only one you’re claiming, and the only one who can claim you.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Let me nut in your mouth, so I know it’s real.”
“Challenge accepted,” she said before disappearing under the sheet.
“If this place is fancy, I’m turning my ass back around,” I told Noelani as I parked in a space at Onyx City Grill.
“It’s not fancy, and nobody knows you had those clothes on yesterday. At least you washed your ass and brushed your teeth.”
“True, but don’t be in here trying to seduce me because I ain’t wearing draws. My dick has nothing to restrain it.”
“Hmm. That might work to my advantage. Let’s sit in the back.”
I shook my head as I got out and walked over to the passenger side. After helping her out, we held hands as we went inside, and she led me to a booth in the back. Once we were seated across from each other, she felt too far away, so I got up and slid next to her.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a confused expression.
“You were too far away.”
“Aww, you wanna be close to me,” she cooed. “That’s so sweet.”
“Being in you would be better, but I’ll settle for next to you for now.”
“Hello. I’m Denise. Welcome to Onyx City Grill. Have you been here before?” the server asked when she approached.
“I have, but he’s a first timer,” Noelani responded.
“Would you like me to tell you some of my favorites?” Denise offered with a broad smile, showing all thirty-two of her teeth.
“Actually, I’ll have my lady share some of her favorites. Thanks for offering.”
“No problem. What can I get you two to drink besides water?”
“I’ll take a sweet tea,” Noelani said.
“Same for me. Thank you.”
“Okay. I’ll be back with your drinks shortly.”
Denise left, and we focused on the menu.
Noelani pointed out more items than I could count that she liked, and I decided on the bacon, egg, and cheeseburger on Texas toast with sweet potato hash browns as my side.
Noelani chose the grilled chicken and steak Caesar salad.
A few minutes later, Denise returned with our drinks and took our orders.
“Do you eat here often?” I asked when Denise left.
“At least a few times a month. Why?”
“You’ve tried damn near everything on the menu.”
She laughed, but I swear there were only a few things she didn’t point out.
“Don’t try to make me seem—”
“Noelani?”
We looked up, and a pretty dark-skinned woman with an adorable baby girl, probably not quite two years old, on her hip stood next to our table.
“Hey, Rue. Oh my God. She’s adorable.”
“Thank you. I thought it was you over here hiding in the corner. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. How are you?”
“I’m good. Who’s this handsome young man?”
Noelani looped her arm through mine and leaned her head on my shoulder.
“This is my boyfriend, Rowdy. Baby, this is Rue and her little girl, Bliss.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I said, shaking Rue’s hand.
“You too. Are you from around here? You look a lot like my brother-in-law.”
“Oh my God. I told my sisters the same thing, but he’s from Savannah,” Noelani replied before I could.
“They haven’t mentioned having any relatives in Savannah. So, are you ready for school to start?” Rue asked Noelani.
“I could use a few more weeks off, but I’m not dreading it as much as I was at the beginning of the week. Violet’s all by her lonesome now that Sage graduated. How’s she feeling about it?”
“That’s a conversation for another day, but she’ll be okay. Oh, Rocky and Briar just came out of the bathroom. We’ll catch up soon.”
“Okay. Bye.”
When Rue said the name Rocky, she captured my full attention.
I watched as she walked toward the bathroom, stopping when she reached a man with locs and a young boy.
The man took Bliss from Rue’s arms and planted kisses all over her chubby cheeks before holding her with one arm and wrapping the other around Rue.
As they headed toward the restaurant doors, he waved and nodded his head in our direction, and Noelani returned his greeting with a wave.
I didn’t know what Rocky looked like, but with Rue mentioning I looked like her brother-in-law, I knew there was a strong possibility that the man I’d just seen was my brother.
“You okay, baby? You look like you just saw a ghost,” Noelani said.
The server arrived with our food, which distracted her attention. We enjoyed lunch, but knowing that I’d possibly just seen my brother for the first time remained on my mind.