Chapter 16 #3
I accepted the plate with furrowed eyebrows. “You made this here?”
She laughed as we settled at the kitchen island. “Yes. I had to run to the store for English muffins and stopped by B&B for the crab meat.”
I examined the plate, in awe of her talents. Picking up my fork, I dug in.
Usually, I wasn’t a fan of poached eggs. I was a simple man, fried and scrambled were my preference. But somehow, Robyn had me devouring this dish like it was a favorite.
“You like it?” she asked as if I’ve ever disliked anything she cooked for me.
Wiping my mouth, I nodded. “You know you can burn, G.”
She giggled. “I know, but I still have to ask.”
“It’s almost as good as you.” I dropped a kiss on her cheek.
Robyn blushed. “Stop it.”
I flashed a sheepish smile then took another bite.
“So are you ready to tell me what’s going on with you?”
I sighed, debating if I was ready. Robyn studied me as I chewed my food. After a minute of deliberation, I said, “The other day, I ran into Valerie at Over Easy.”
Robyn hummed. “How was that?”
“First she apologized for how she acted the last time I saw her.”
“As she should’ve.”
I laughed. “Yeah. Then, we got to talkin’ about Avery and Vanessa.”
Robyn nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. “How are they doing?”
“Good, according to Valerie.”
“Good.” Robyn smiled.
I leaned back in my seat and sighed. “Yeah, Avery will be here this summer and Valerie offered me the chance to see her.”
“And you don’t know if you should?”
“Nope.” I shook my head.
Robyn continued eating. Her eyebrows furrowed as her mind worked. “Did she say if Vanessa is okay with it? I know they have a rocky relationship. I’d hate for you to be in the middle of their drama.”
I explained how they're working on their relationship and Valerie is warming Vanessa up to the idea of me seeing Avery.
“This is all so messy.”
“Yeah, there’s too much drama, which is the main reason I want to just keep it moving. But on the other hand, I miss the kid.”
Robyn rubbed my arm. “I know. Just take it day by day. If Valerie reaches out again, follow your gut. There’s no right or wrong answer.”
“You’re right.” After finishing my food, I took my plate to the sink to wash it.
Robyn remained in place while eating her food.
I looked over her appearance, noting she was dressed up.
She wore a green dress that cinched at the sides and stopped mid-thigh.
Her curls had fallen into loose waves, cascading down her back.
I licked my lips, wondering how much time we had left together.
“Heading out soon?”
She nodded. “I’m meeting up with Khalil to use his printer. Once he listed all the paper options and printer settings, I suggested we meet in person.”
“Good idea. Before you go, I wanna talk about what was shared last night.”
Robyn twisted her lips. “I felt compelled to say it is all.”
“Nah. I’m gonna need more.” I returned to my chair, turning to meet her endearing expression.
“You know I love you, Nadir.”
“I do and you know I love you, but that felt different.”
She grinned. “On my way home, I was thinking about how much our friendship means to me. It’s quickly evolving into more and just because I’m not ready doesn't mean our feelings will stop growing.”
“I agree.”
“When I walked into your place, using my key, the realization hit me again. I love everything about you and us. So I’m taking your advice and letting things play out how they’re meant to.”
I beamed, remembering our conversation from last week. Although I wasn’t talking about our situation, the sentiment remained.
“So, you do listen?”
Robyn laughed. “Shut up. You’re like the only person whose advice I take regularly.”
“And why is that?”
“Because you’ve proven to always have my best interest at heart.”
“Always have, always will. I love you and revere our friendship. No matter what happens it’ll always be us.” I took her hand and kissed it.
Robyn smiled. “Always us.”
I kissed her sweetly. Eventually, I got a little carried away when her tongue pushed between my lips. She pressed her hand into my chest.
“I have to meet Khalil in twenty minutes,” she said regretfully.
With a groan, I replied, “You coming back tonight?”
“No. You’ll be at work all night.”
Running my hand over my face, I sighed. “I’ll come to your spot when I get off.”
She bit back a smile. “Okay.”
After Robyn finished eating, she gathered her things to leave.
I walked her to the door, feeling a little lighter after our conversation.
While I was still unsure about seeing Avery, I decided to wait it out.
There were too many things looming over that situation.
Even if I chose to see her, Vanessa could rescind the opportunity.
Robyn kissed me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I held her gaze, earning a smile that hit me right in the chest. There was so much more I could say in terms of us, but I learned that patience was paramount to Robyn.
In due time, I’d lay it all out for her.
For now, I’d enjoy exploring the chemistry between us.