Chapter Forty-One
Nola
I parked my car and led Bee to the exact spot Miguel told me about weeks ago.
After that first night here, I wasn’t sure if I’d return, but this walk had slowly become part of my morning routine.
Emotional bits that my parents had trained me to keep bottled up and let go on the court, were released on this part of the beach, which was starting to feel like another safe space. I always felt lighter after leaving.
Tonight, it felt even better to know I wasn’t leaving any pieces behind. I’d be leaving just as I arrived—whole.
With my fingers loosely intertwined with Bee’s, we sat in the sand.
The full moon still provided so much light giving me freedom to roam my eyes possessively over Bee.
The white long skirt that reached her shins and the bright yellow halter top.
Gold anklets were layered on her right ankle and the stack of bracelets on her left wrist balanced her out, like she belonged here.
Like we belonged together.
“You know, I hadn’t made it down here yet.” Bee stared out into the ocean, the tides pulling in and out from shore visibly settled the nerves she had. It bothered me that I couldn’t account for the internal ones though.
“When we first moved here, Miguel, one of the doormen, told me about this spot.”
“Is this where you go when you’re running away from me?” She smirked.
“I’ve never run from you, Brittney. I don’t have it in me to run away from this.”
She turned to me with tears in her eyes, an errant tear dropped down her cheek and I wiped it away without thinking. “Stupid, big feelings,” she mumbled.
“Hey, they’re not stupid.”
“Yes they are, Nola. Do you know I have no idea if you like going dancing? Socializing at bars? Do we have the same movie tastes? Because if so, you should absolutely know I get a large bucket of popcorn solely for myself. No sharing allowed! Do you think that’s selfish?
Will you get annoyed that I will absolutely pick up every phone call from any of my siblings without question?
Will you get embarrassed when I crash out during a game because my blood boils so fast I explode immediately? ”
“Will you love a girl who doesn’t know how to love?” Brittney whispered, head titled to the sky again like she wasn’t brave enough to see how I processed her confession.
I didn’t know this side of her. The apprehension leaked from her body like it was a new perfume, her fingers started to draw circles in the sand.
“Can you please look at me?” I asked.
“I’d rather not.” She scoffed out a laugh, like she was an embarrassment to herself. Like I would ever be embarrassed of her. I took her head into my hands and tilted down.
“Brittney, I will take whatever girl you give me. The confident one, the talented one, the caring one and the hurt one. Shit, I’ll take the one who can beat me, everyday of my life if you’d let me.
I will take all of them and prove to you that we’re more than just two people stuck together.
I will prove to you that we’re two people who belong together.
Whether or not our jobs got us there or not. ” I said with certainty.
“You always do that you know.” She laughed.
“What?”
“Sound so confident, like you can see the future. I’m only like that on the court, but you do it all the time.”
“What can I say, baby, it just comes so easily.” I gave her the smile because I knew it’d drive her insane. That it could have the power to end this never-ending spiral for her. I needed her to see that I wasn’t going run scared.
Bee shoved my shoulder away, her smile present for the first time in a long time tonight. “You keep making all the declarations of love. I need to even the score.”
“You don’t have to. For once, I’m happy to do all the talking.”
“Hell hath frozen over,” she said solemnly. “Nola Young, would you like to be my girlfriend?”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “I wanted to ask you first.”
“Well, I guess I beat you to it. But if your asking comes along with a big, grand gesture, feel free to keep that plan.”
“Brittney Lee, would you like to be my girlfriend?”
“You have to answer my question first.”
“What if we did it at the same time?”
“Fine…three, two, one.”
“Yes.” I said with my whole chest, while Bee shouted, “Duh, obviously!” She pulled the neck of my shirt to close the distance between us for a kiss.
It was immediately more sensual than our kiss on the rooftop, long, deep, and hypnotic.
I pulled apart to catch my breath but I was being pulled toward her again.
I raised my hand up so my fingers could trace her jawline and I watched Bee’s eyes flutter close. With nothing but the sound of the crashing waves in front of us, her head dipped to direct the movement of my hand.
My hand dropped to the soft of her neck, Bee rolled her neck slowly so the whole of my hand came to rest against her throat.
My fingertips had closed on the other side of her neck.
I didn’t know all of Bee’s spots, but I was eager to learn.
I tightened my hand on her throat to play, to tease.
Her head rolled back, eyes fluttering like I hit her soft spot.
“Bee…”
“You know they say actions speak louder than words,” she said so softly the ocean was close to drowning her out.
But I could hear her.
I always would.
“You could show me…how much I mean to you.”
Before she could say another word that’d tempt me, I was scooping her into my arms and throwing her around my back so she could wrap her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time.”