Chapter 10 #2
“Doesn’t hurt to try, right?”
With a shake of my head, I left Lyric alone in the villa as I headed for the shower. So that she was still entertained, I left my cell phone behind as well. The volume was lowered, but she could still hear the music very well.
“Last one,” I warned, watching as Lyric took a sip of the drink our waitress had brought over.
She’d had four mixed drinks, a new one each time, and two shots. One was a celebration for our union and the other was for the ‘No Sex’ pact we’d made. We knew that it wouldn’t be very easy but keeping our hands to ourselves was necessary for what we were both trying to achieve.
“Last one, baby. I promise.”
Sober thoughts. That’s what I had been getting from Lyric all night through her drunken haze. What was supposed to be a quick bite and a drink or two after our facials had turned into three hours of long, progressive conversations that we both needed to officially break the ice.
Though it was her third time referring to me as anything other than Keanu or Ken, it still made my heart speed in pace and the corners of my mouth turn upward. Baby. I’d be that for her because that’s exactly what she was to me. Baby. The simple word meant everything coming from her.
Slouched in my seat, I found straying away from Lyric’s frame far too complicated of a task. The sun was retreating and the beauty of its setting served as her background. Unintentionally and effortlessly, she commanded the attention of everyone within a twenty foot radius. She was the moment.
“Truth or dare,” she broke through the silence.
“Truth,” I responded, eyes never leaving her smile.
She was toasted. Her glossy, suckable lips made my dick hard underneath the table. Just the thought of how well she used them and how they sounded when wrapped around my shit had me wondering if we would really see the end of the trip without tearing into one another.
“No fun,” she whined, taking another sip of her drink.
“Truth, Lyric.”
“Am I your final destination?”
Liquid courage. She’d been surviving the entire evening off of it, and I didn’t have any complaints. I wanted her to reveal her true feelings and desires when it came to us and if that meant allowing her to drink a few fruity mixes until she found the courage to do so, then so be it.
“Yes. Yes you are. I don’t want nobody if it ain’t you. I won’t accept anybody but you. It’s you, Lyric. It’s you or nobody.”
“Do you cum like that for everyone you’ve ever been with?” She asked a second question though she was only supposed to ask one.
“It’s my turn. I think.”
“But answer the question first,” she insisted, taking another sip.
“Why? Why would you want to know that?”
“Because it would make me insanely jealous if the answer is yes, but I still want to know.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I’ve always known that I can keep going after I nut once, but I’ve never wanted to. One was enough for me until I ran into you.”
Visibly relieved, she sighed. “I feel like I’m crazy for you or at least I will be. Deranged. You know. All in. Unstable when it comes to you. Madly in love. You have the potential to take me there.”
“I’ve already arrived. I’m just waiting for you, baby girl.”
“Ask me.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
Taking a second to place my words, I rubbed through my facial hair. Lyric’s glossy orbs peered directly into me as she waited for me to say something. Anything. Not until I was ready did I return the smile she wore and shared my thoughts with her.
“I dare you to let me love you out loud, without restrictions and without consequences. I dare you to let me be the nigga for you… forever. I dare you to do that shit.”
“What do I get in return? For letting you love me unrestricted and without consequences?”
“Me. Happiness. Peace. Love. Endless supply of funds. And some minis looking just like you, running around the crib.”
“Yeah?”
“Is that enough?”
“If you’d stopped after Me, it would’ve still been enough,” she responded, tilting her head and smiling in the process. “Everything else is a bonus, especially a few baby girls.”
“Is that what you want? Girls?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“Girls, because I had a feeling that’s what you wanted. Honestly, as long as they’re from you, I don’t care.”
“But, we’re having girls. My heart says so.”
“Then, girls,” I agreed.
“I love you, Keanu,” Lyric confessed, teary-eyed.
Leaning forward, I swiped her tearful eyes and replied, “I know.”
“Not like, just love you. But, like in love with you,” Lyric emphasized.
“And the feelings are mutual.”
“Then, tell me. Tell me you love me. All I ever get is always and whatever else my family thinks of. I want you to tell me.”
“I love you, Lyric. I’m in love with you, deeply, wholly, and unconditionally. I love you.”
“Yeah?” She nodded with furrowed brows and a pain in her expression that I felt from afar.
“‘Til death.”
“Are you afraid of losing our friendship if this all crashes and burns?”
“It won’t crash and burn.”
“But if it does?”
“My love for you will remain unchanging. I loved you before the message, Lyric. I’ll love you forever after. If partnership isn’t in our deck of cards, then we can always fall back on our friendship. That’s the beauty of this.”
“I don’t ever want to lose you. No matter where we stand, I want to know that you’re always at my side like you’ve always been.”
“I’ll be there. You know this.”
“I’m exhausted,” she rushed out with a sigh.
“And I think that’s it for you.” I pointed toward her cup. It was still half full, but she was done. It was time to call it a day.
“It is. We have such a long walk. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Then don’t,” I told her as I stood to my feet and grabbed her belongings. I stuffed everything we’d brought with us inside of her large Fendi bag and bent down in front of her.
“What are you doing?” She chuckled.
“Waiting for you to climb on.”
“On your back?” Lyric was utterly amused.
“On my back.”