Chapter 24 Lily
“Don’t tell me you’re about to go out with him again,” Porsche says. She glares at me through the camera on my phone.
“I won’t,” I shrug.
“Y’all really back together?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No, we’re not back together, but we’re working on it.”
“And how has he changed this time? Remind me, please.”
I roll my eyes. I don’t think she liked him when we first started dating, so this is par for the course.
“Because he’s not the same, okay? He’s listening. He’s attentive. He’s taking care of me in a way that he didn’t before.”
“Taking care of you?” She raises her eyebrows.
“No, no,” I tell her. “Not like that.” I shake my head.
“He’s just... there.” She gives me a look.
“Porsche, he’s showing up for me, and I can’t ignore it. I’ve been drawn to him since the moment we met, and it feels like this time might stick.”
Porsche sighs. “I hope. I want the best for you, girl, and I don’t want to have to have Drummond trade him. The city loves him.”
I gasp and my mouth falls open.
“When he’s with you, he plays his ass off, so maybe y’all do need to get back together because Drummond really wants to get a ring this year.”
Now I glare at her through the camera like she’s lost her mind. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. My man wants a ring, so you go make that boy happy and get us a ring. I now approve.”
“Oh, look at the time,” I say, flatly. “I’ve gotta go.”
“Whatever. Bye,” Porsche says, and she hangs up before I get a chance to.
“Javonte! I know you didn’t bring me to your house to play basketball.”
He stares me down. “What? What’s wrong with playing basketball?”
I start listing them on my fingers. “You’re ten feet tall, and I’m five foot six. You play in the league, and I don’t know how to dribble or shoot.”
He grins. “Perfect.”
I put my hands on my hips. He’d told me to dress athletically. I thought we might go for a walk at the park or maybe do some kind of class together. I’m not feeling this.
“I’m going to teach you how to play basketball.”
I point both thumbs down and stick my tongue out at him. “Boo. Very terrible date.”
“You’re not even going to give me a chance?”
Usually, I’d go along with him, but I really don’t want to get sweaty, jam my finger, or fall on the ground.
“Can we not?” My eyes plead with him to acquiesce.
“If you really don’t want to, we don’t have to. What do you want to do instead?” He sets his basketball down and wraps an arm around my waist.
“Something chill. Can we watch a movie?” I just want to be around him. That’s all. We don’t have to do anything crazy.
“I had a theater room installed at the end of the season. I forgot you haven’t been here in a while.” He stiffens, like bringing up our breakup will ruin the night.
“I’m here now,” I tell him, leaning deeper into his touch and enjoying the feel of him more than I should.
His head dips down, and he kisses me on my neck, sending electric signals through my body and straight to my core. It takes all my strength to not melt into him and go to the one room in his house I know all too well.
I pull away and meet his eyes. His face is a mirror to how I’m feeling. We are dating. Not a couple. Not in a full-on relationship.
And I want to keep dating for a little while longer before we go further. I know what he can do, and I need to keep my head (and panties) on straight.
I’m so tempted though. It’s ridiculous.
“Show me your theater.”
He kisses my forehead then takes my hand.
“It’s a theater room. Don’t expect too much.”
I roll my eyes.
And just as I expected, it exceeds my expectations. It’s not a huge theater at all. It’s cozy and very Javonte with sleek lines, dark colors, and so many snacks behind a display case just like at the movies.
“I have to pay for these?” I point to the box of candy I want.
“In kisses.”
I giggle and grab his shoulders to bring him down for a kiss on his cheek.
“That’s it? You can only have one piece of candy out of the whole box.”
“How much candy will a kiss on the lips get me?”
“Half the box.” He answers fast like these are real prices.
“What about a little tongue?”
His chest rises and falls. “A little?”
“Give me my candy!” I swat at his arm. He laughs and hands the box over.
“Do you want to watch a movie or a show? You still watch all those dating shows?”
He sits next to me, hogging up the arm rest. “Is that judgement in your voice?”
“Nope. I watch those survival shows nonstop, and I’m convinced I could survive in Siberia for exactly six weeks.”
“I’ve never watched one. I’m down.”
Javonte sits up in his chair and taps on the tablet in his lap. The opening credits come on, and I burst into laughter. “You couldn’t survive five days out there.”
The look of offense on his face makes him look like a little kid. I laugh harder.
“You have no faith in me.”
“Javonte, you can’t hunt.”
“How do you know?” He’s really offended.
I try to stop laughing and fail as they introduce the survivalists, how long they’ve been preparing, and what they specialize in.
“I’m sorry. You’re a big strong man, and you sure can survive.”
“You’re being sarcastic,” he says, sitting back in his chair. “But I’m ignoring it and acting like your words are genuine. I could do it.”
We watch half the season. Javonte adds commentary on how he’d stalk the elk, store the meat, and build his shelter much better from the actual survivalists. He’s so serious, and it’s actually cute.
We both ended up falling asleep reclined in the theater chairs while the rest of the survivalist season watched us.
“Lily.” His soft voice and gentle touch on my knees wakes me up. “We fell asleep. You want to go lay down in the bed, or do you want me to drive you home?”
The thought of waking up completely and sitting in a car when I know there’s a very large, very comfortable bed close by makes the decision easy.
“Bed.” My eyes are still closed, and they don’t open when I feel myself being lifted into his arms.
I’m asleep again before he makes it out of the room.