Chapter 5 #2
Something primal took over him at that moment.
Everything in him wanted to protect Kenna.
He wanted to assure her that she would always be safe as long as she stuck by him.
He couldn’t let those words fall from his mouth though.
He had literally just met her, and his feelings weren’t justifiable yet.
Although he just learned a big part of her past, there was so much to learn about her, and he wasn’t even sure she would allow him the luxury.
He swallowed his feelings back and gently placed his hand over hers, which rested on her thigh. He hoped he wasn’t being too forward. Somehow, he knew now that one wrong move could set her off, or worse, send her running completely from him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t understand how triggered you were, Kenna.” He looked at Cam. “Both of y’all. I didn’t know you went through something so…”
“Fucked up?” Cam asked before sniffling and standing up. “Can I use your bathroom?”
Kenna moved to get up, presumably to go with him, but Jendaya jumped up. “Let me show you where it is.”
The two disappeared before Kenna could follow, and Damien was glad.
He wasn’t ready for her to be out of his sight yet.
He wondered how he could be so transfixed by a woman he didn’t even know.
It had never happened before, and he had been around plenty of women.
Something about Kenna had him stuck, and his usual charm was knocked down a peg because he didn’t want to scare her away.
It became extremely important to him at that moment to make sure he saw her again after today.
“Are you okay, baby?” Annalise asked Kenna, a great deal of sympathy now swimming in her eyes.
Kenna offered her a small smile. “I am now. Thanks.” She chuckled dryly. “This is exactly why I don’t get out much.”
Dax shook his head. “That ain’t right. I bet if you got out more, you would feel better.”
Kenna’s features scrunched up at the thought. “I doubt that,” she mumbled before turning to Damien. “Thank you for getting me out of there and for bringing us here. I can get an Uber for me and Cam and get out of your hair.” She glanced at Annalise. “Do you need a ride home too?”
Annalise opened her mouth to respond, but Damien beat her to it. “I’ll make sure everyone gets home. I was just about to order some pizza for everyone. Are you up for staying for dinner?”
Kenna fidgeted before connecting her eyes with his. “I guess that’s okay.”
Damien grinned down at her. “Bet. What kind of pizza you like?”
“Damn, nigga, you can’t ask the rest of us what kind of pizza we want?” Dax asked, teasing Damien. It was clear to him by now that he was feeling Kenna, and he would make sure Damien never heard the end of his little crush.
“I been knowing you for two decades, fool. I think I know what kind of pizza you like.”
As they discussed what kind of pizza to get at length, Cam and Jendaya came back into the room. By the time Damien put in the order, he noticed Kenna seemed a little more relaxed. That made him happy. He wanted her to feel comfortable in his presence.
He watched as Cam and Kenna gravitated toward each other, and he understood now more than ever that they were each other’s comfort zones. He respected it, but he also found himself wondering what it might look like if Kenna felt secure enough around him to claim him as a comfort zone.
He subtly watched her as she interacted with everyone until he was brought out of his daze by the sound of the doorbell. Damien stood and looked at Dax. “Come help me with this food.”
Dax stood up and rubbed his stomach. “Say less, man. I’m hungry as hell. You know what playing ball does to me.”
After every game, Dax pigged out on whatever he desired. He always worked up a huge appetite, which was why Damien got him two pizzas of his own, plus some salad and wings. Dax wasn’t even fat. He just had a high metabolism. He’d always been like that.
Damien answered the door and tipped the delivery woman before they walked toward the family room again.
“We can go into the dining room and eat,” Damien announced.
Jendaya was the first one up, and everyone else followed her.
Kenna was last, and as soon as she stepped in front of Damien and Dax, Dax whistled.
Damien was about to drop the pizza and punch him right in his forehead because he thought Dax was looking at her ass.
And what an ass it was. Dax got lucky when he followed the whistle up with, “And she’s wearing that jersey dress with my name? Yeah, I fuck with her.”
Kenna’s eyes widened as she turned around. “Your last name is Rivers?”
“All me, sweetheart.” He cheesed down at her. “Number twenty-eight.”
Her eyes floated toward Damien, and she blushed slightly before she said, “I guess I’ll have to get one with your name next.”
Damien’s heart did a little dance as she turned around and caught up with Cam. Dax let out another low whistle as they kept walking. “Boy, you’re a goner, ain’t you?”
Damien couldn’t even deny it if he wanted to. “There’s something about her,” he admitted.
“Better lock that down, my nigga.” Dax’s long legs walked ahead of Damien, causing him to lag behind slightly as he wondered how he could go about doing just that.
“That rugrat looks a lil tired, Ms. Annalise.” Cam pointed a bony finger toward Alanzo, who leaned halfway off his chair and snuggly against his grandmother with his eyes half open.
Alanzo wasn’t too tired to screw his face up at Cam.
Damien chuckled. He had peeped that Alanzo and Cam seemed to have some sort of rivalry going on one second and they were cool the next.
It seemed right now, and for the next few minutes, at least, the rivalry was back on.
Through dinner, the two had taken up most of the conversation talking about anime.
“Yeah, it’s been a really long day.” Annalise glanced up at the large clock hanging on the wall.
It was an antique clock Damien’s grandmother had in her house.
He learned how to tell time because of that clock, and when she passed, it was one of the few things he took from her house when they cleaned it out.
“And it’s definitely past his bedtime. I think it’s time we get going. ”
Damien’s heart dropped. He knew if Ms. Annalise left, Kenna wouldn’t be too far behind.
He wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. He’d been watching her while they ate.
She kept quiet and observed. He watched as she scoped out all the exits, one to the right of her and one straight ahead of her and right behind him, and he noticed that she jumped slightly when Jendaya accidentally dropped a glass, causing it to shatter.
His instinct was to go to her, just like he had back at the arena. He wanted to pull her close and remind her that she was safe, but once again he found himself practicing restraint since being in her presence.
Kenna covered her mouth as she yawned and stretched from her seat before she pushed the plate with her pizza crusts away. “It’s past my bedtime too.”
Cam smacked his lips and rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I swear you’re seventy-five instead of thirty-three.”
Thirty-three. Damien thought she was around that age but wasn’t sure on the exact number. Now he knew. Baby was only four years younger than him. Perfect.
He ran a hand down his face as he tried to clear his mind.
His thoughts about her made him feel insane because he had never felt this way before.
Here he was thinking about how perfect they could be together and planning their future, and he didn’t even have a clue if she was feeling him in the same way.
Kenna shrugged but didn’t respond verbally. Damien thought she looked cute when she was sleepy.
“I think it’s time we get home,” Annalise said, glancing Damien’s way.
“I have a driver out front for you already. You’re free to head out whenever you’re ready. Thank you both for having dinner with me.” Damien kept his words gracious and tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
Annalise stood and pulled Alanzo up with her. The soft smile on her face reminded him of his late grandmother’s. “No, Mr. Blaze, thank you .”
Damien stood. “Call me Damien. I insist.”
She smiled up at him and patted his arm before looking down at Alanzo. “Zo, what do you say?”
Alanzo looked up at Damien and then at his grandmother. “Can I stay here tonight?”
Everyone laughed at his innocent words as he looked around in confusion.
“No, baby. We have to get home.” Annalise rubbed his head, and he leaned into her sleepily.
“You can come back soon, lil homie. We still have to play some ball together,” Damien reminded him.
“Okay.” Alanzo dragged the word out as he rubbed his eyes.
Kenna also stood, prompting Cam to do the same.
“We should get going too. I have to work in the morning,” Kenna said as she looked around before her eyes landed on him. He peeped the blush creeping up her cheeks before she averted her eyes.
Fine ass.
“Don’t just stand there, man. Walk these people out.” Of course, Dax had to be the one to call Damien out for staring. He hadn’t even realized he was gazing at Kenna, but he definitely wasn’t ashamed.
He heard Jendaya snickering before she stood and held her arms out. “Give me hugs.”
Kenna surprised him and walked over to Jendaya first. The two embraced and shared a few hushed words before separating. Cam hugged her next while Kenna stood to the side and fidgeted in place. Damien knew she could feel his gaze, and he decided to let her breathe for a moment.
“I’ll walk y’all out.”
Annalise and Alanzo followed him while Kenna and Cam hung back, saying their goodbyes to his friends.
“Thank you again for having us,” Annalise said when they made it to the door, and then she looked around him before focusing back on his face and whispering, “You better get that girl’s number.”
Damien barked out a laugh. “You think so, Ms. Annalise?”
“I told you, it’s Annalise, and I’m just saying… don’t let the opportunity go. I see how you two look at each other.”
Damien didn’t respond because Cam’s voice rang out down the hall. “Hey, Mr. Blaze, you gonna invite us back to this fancy ass house again?”
“Cam,” Kenna hissed, and Damien turned in time to see her elbow her friend in the side. Jendaya giggled behind them. He knew she got a kick out of them just like he did, probably because their relationship reminded him of them. “Excuse him.”
“It’s cool. I would love for you two to come back. Soon.” Damien’s eyes stayed on hers as his lips turned up into a smirk.
Kenna gazed at him shyly, causing them to end up in a stare-off.
Annalise cleared her throat. “I’m going to get going now…”
Damien tore her eyes from Kenna and looked at Annalise, who had opened the door with a knowing grin on her face. He nodded subtly at her as she and Alanzo slipped out of the house.
Kenna darted over to the door and followed right behind them. “Thank you for having us, Damien. I appreciate it.”
Her words came out in a nervous squeak before she disappeared outside. Damien stood there with his mouth hanging open. What the hell?
Cam sucked his teeth. “That po’ chile.” Damien’s eyes snapped to him. “I knew her ass was going to do that. Give me your phone. I got you. She don’t know no better.”
Damien chuckled and handed Cam his phone. Cam muttered under his breath as he tapped away on Damien’s phone. When he finally handed it back, he smiled at Damien. “Use it wisely.”
Damien looked down at his phone and smiled when he saw Kenna’s number programmed under the name wifey .
“Good lookin’.” Damien gave Cam a side hug before he watched him walk out the door and close it behind him. Damien didn’t even notice. His eyes were stuck on his phone as he grinned down at Kenna’s number.
“Someone’s got a crush,” Jendaya sang, breaking him out of his trance.
Damien didn’t even bother arguing with her because she knew him well enough to know what she was talking about, and as always, his baby mama was spot on.