Chapter 2 Present Day
Present Day
“Ican’t believe you’re dating someone that’s not Lynx. I always thought you two would get married,” Meaghan said.
“Seriously, Fateema. Once y’all let us into your two-person crew, and I got to know you, I always thought you and Lynx would end up together,” Octavia commented.
It was Friday night, and it had been a few weeks since the ladies had gotten together. They decided to meet at Fateema’s apartment at the last minute, to eat pizza and popcorn, drink wine, and catch up.
“Y’all do know dating is just that… dating. I’ve dated my fair share of men.”
“Yeah, but it’s been a few months, and you haven’t talked about anyone but Cornell. This seems serious, and I can’t imagine you being serious about anyone but Lynx,” Octavia shared.
“Me and Lynx have never been serious,” Fateema told them.
“Have y’all tried though? Like, really, really tried?” Meaghan pressed.
Fateema shrugged. “As best we could while living hundreds of miles apart.”
“I disagree,” Octavia said, folding her arms across her chest.
“How can you disagree when I’m telling you we tried?”
“When was the last time you and Lynx lived in the same city?” she asked.
“You know it was before we left for college.”
“Exactly, and that was over ten years ago. Did you ever think your relationship didn’t work because of the distance?”
That was one of the reasons why it didn’t work, Fateema thought. They hadn’t lived in the same state since a few months after they crossed the line from friends to lovers.
“Why does it matter? Lynx will forever be my best friend, but we’ve both moved on.”
“He’s with someone too? Nobody told me that,” Meaghan complained.
“You think he’s in DC twiddling his thumbs?”
“Who is this skank?” Octavia questioned.
“Oh my God, Tay. Whoever he’s dating has done nothing to you. Why are you calling her or them a skank?”
“Because they’re messing around with your man.”
“Girl, Lynx is not my man. If I’m honest, he’s never really been my man. Even when we were doing whatever we were doing, we didn’t have a title.”
“If you say so,” Meaghan mumbled before sipping her wine.
“Just because y’all refused to put a title on it doesn’t mean he wasn’t yours and you weren’t his,” Octavia argued.
“I beg to differ. Can we change the subject?”
“No. What did he say when you told him about you and Cornell?” Octavia prodded.
Fateema recalled their conversation and sighed. “There’s not much to tell about me and Cornell, but he knows I’m dating because I’m always dating. He talks shit anytime I go out with someone more than a few times. For some reason, he thinks I should be sitting around waiting for him.”
“But y’all always end up fucking each other’s brains out when you see each other,” Meaghan reminded her.
“Not always.”
“Tuh! Lying doesn’t look good on you, but okay. I’m not praying for your downfall, but friend, I don’t think you and Lynx will ever be able to leave each other alone,” she responded.
“The lust and chemistry between us is real, that’s for sure, but I want more than that.”
“You don’t think Lynx loves you?” Octavia questioned.
“Lynx loves the hell outta me. I’m his best friend and soulmate, so he’ll always love me, but he’s not in love with me.”
“What? You’re crazy if you don’t think he’s in love with you,” Meaghan said.
“If Lynx was in love with me, he wouldn’t be okay with me seeing other people. Besides, we promised we wouldn’t force anything and jeopardize our friendship. Nothing real can happen between us if we’re living hundreds of miles apart. As long as we remain best friends, I’m good.”
“If you say so,” Octavia said.
“Right.” Meaghan agreed.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you what Mr. Frasier thinks of Cornell,” Octavia said, and Fateema was grateful she’d changed the topic.
“He’s been Team Lynx since he found out we were messing around years ago.
He met Cornell once when I stopped by his house to pick up something while I was with Cornell.
I thought it was rude to leave him in the car, so he came inside with me, and I introduced him as my friend.
I’m sure he hasn’t thought much about him, but he was nice to him. ”
“We’re nice to him, too, but we don’t like him for you,” Octavia admitted.
“Right now, it’s not even that serious. We’re just feeling each other out, and it’s been going well. I’m pretty sure he’s dating other women, so I’m not rushing into anything with him. Can we change the subject now?”
“Changing subject… kinda. I’m kinda glad you and Lynx decided to do a birthday trip instead of a party to celebrate your thirtieth. I am in dire need of a getaway,” Meaghan said.
“And to Negril, Jamaica, at that! I can’t wait,” Octavia exclaimed.
“I’m excited too. Work has been killing me.”
“Me too. I swear, as soon as Ryan proposes, I’m getting knocked up and becoming a stay-at-home mom,” Octavia said.
“I enjoy my job, but I’m looking forward to a vacay. You’re a good one, Tay. All these niggas are trash, and I’ll never leave my livelihood in their hands,” Meghan spat.
Fateema was a physical therapist, Octavia was a bank manager, and Meaghan was a realtor. Their jobs were demanding, so a vacation was definitely in order. They continued discussing their upcoming vacation until it was approaching midnight.
When the ladies left, Fateema was tired but couldn’t turn in because Cornell had caught a late flight back to Chicago from Los Angeles and asked if she could pick him up from O’Hare.
After a quick shower, she changed into one of Lynx’s oversized T-shirts that she’d stolen and would slip on some sweats when she left to pick up Cornell.
Soon after she’d gotten comfortable on her couch and scrolled through the guide on Netflix, there was a loud pounding on the door to her apartment.
“Who could that be?” she whispered.
She tiptoed to the door and looked out of the peephole, gasping when she saw a distraught-looking Lynx. Quickly, she pulled the door open, and he almost fell against her.
“Lynx, what are you doing here? What’s wrong?”
He backed her into her apartment with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and buried his face in her neck. She didn’t realize he was crying until she felt moisture from his tears.
“Lynx, what happened?” she pressed.
His answer was to lift his head and press his lips against hers. She was so used to kissing Lynx that she’d momentarily forgotten he didn’t answer her question and pushed him away.
“Lynx!” she shouted, hoping it would get a response.
“Bunny, I need you.”
“I’m here, but you need to tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?”
“Please, Bunny. I can’t… he’s gone, Bunny. He’s gone.”
“Who’s gone? Lynx, please tell me what’s going on.”
The words Lynx needed to say were caught in his throat.
Their eyes connected, and as tears rushed from his, spilling onto his cheeks, down his chin, and onto his shirt, they communicated how much he needed her and in what way.
Fateema didn’t know what happened to bring him to his current state, but like always, she would be there for him in any way she could.
He pressed his lips against hers again. This time, she didn’t resist him.
She shouldn’t have compared kissing Lynx to kissing Cornell, or any other man for that matter, but there was a world of difference.
It didn’t matter what time of day, Lynx’s lips were soft, plush, and moist. Kissing him was always a heavenly experience, and no other man’s lips could compare.
Somehow, they kissed their way to the couch without missing a beat or disconnecting. He fell on top of her, and she welcomed him by opening her legs. His dick was already hard, and she could feel it against her naked center.
“I need to feel you, Bunny.” He mumbled against her lips. “Please, baby.”
His pleas made her weak, and she couldn’t deny him if she tried. He could get anything he wanted from her, now and always. She prayed he would never take advantage of that fact, but it seemed God was busy when she said that prayer.
He reached between them to push the front of his sweats down, releasing his dick. No guidance was needed because they’d done this hundreds of times. Her pussy was home to him, and his dick knew his way home.
“Fuck,” he groaned as he entered his safe place.
“Mmm.”
It seemed as if it had been a lifetime since they were last together in this way, and they missed each other. He missed how his dick fit snugly inside her, and she missed how he filled her to the brim.
His strokes were slow and intentional, causing her insides to stir and her body to tingle. She slipped her hands underneath his T-shirt, scratching and digging into his back as her climax neared. He felt her biting his shoulder, and her pussy clenched his dick.
“Let me hear you, Bunny.”
Instead of stifling her cries of ecstasy, she released them, praying she didn’t wake her neighbors. Seconds later, he filled her womb, growling into her neck until he was empty.