Chapter 20 #3
"Now I don't feel like I have to protect myself from him."
Nia's smile softened.
"That isn't something to take lightly."
"I know."
She squeezed my hand once before letting go.
"I think that's why you're glowing."
I laughed quietly and shook my head.
"Don't start."
"I'm not starting anything."
She leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile.
"I'm just watching my best friend fall in love."
I opened my mouth to argue.
Nothing came out.
That silence answered the question far better than any words could have.
Her grin widened.
“Oh I absolutely want you to start.”
I shook my head, laughing under my breath.
“Let’s just say the bedroom is not a problem.”
“That man looks like he knows what he’s doing,” she said casually, taking another sip of wine.
I nearly choked.
“Nia.”
“What.”
I leaned back in my chair, smiling despite myself.
“Let’s just say he’s… very attentive.”
Nia laughed quietly. “I’m happy for you.”
I know she meant it. If anyone cared about my happiness, is was Nia.
I glanced inside again.
Jalen was leaning back on the couch now while Cal pointed at something on the tablet, both of them deep in conversation.
Watching him there, relaxed in my space like he belonged, something warm settled in my chest.
“Yeah,” I said softly.
For once,” I said slowly, “I don’t feel afraid.”
Nia looked back at me.
“What do you mean?”
I thought about it for a moment before answering.
“With him… I feel seen.”
The words surprised even me a little.
“He listens,” I continued. “He notices things. Small things. The way I joke, the way I think.”
Nia smiled gently.
“And?”
“And he makes me feel beautiful.”
Not in the loud, over-the-top way men sometimes tried.
Just in the quiet way he looked at me.
Like I was something worth paying attention to.
Before Nia could respond, the sliding door opened.
Cal stepped out onto the patio, rubbing his hands together like the night air had just hit him.
“Alright,” he said, stretching his shoulders. “I think we’ve talked enough football for one night.”
He walked over behind Nia and casually ran his hands through her big curls, massaging her scalp like it was the most natural thing in the world.
She leaned into it without even thinking.
I raised an eyebrow.
Nia suddenly stood up, stretching her arms above her head.
“Welp,” she said standing up smooth but quickly as she grabbed her purse. “I better get going before it gets too late.”
Cal yawned.
“Actually… I should probably head out too. Big day tomorrow!”
I looked between them and laughed.
“What a coincidence.”
Neither of them said anything, instead headed towards the patio doors and toward the front door.
We followed them to the door, exchanging quick hugs and promises to see each other at the game tomorrow before they disappeared down the elevator.
The penthouse grew quiet again once the door closed.
Jalen and I stood there for a moment before headed toward the kitchen to clean up the remains of the night.
He grabbed a stack of plates while I rinsed glasses in the sink.
After a minute he looked over at me.
“How long have Cal and Nia been in love?”
I turned, laughing.
"Is it that obvious?"
He shrugged as he dried another plate with the dish towel.
"A little."
I laughed softly and rinsed the last of the soap from my hands.
"They've been like that since we were kids."
"And neither of them has admitted it?"
"Of course not."
He chuckled.
"I've never met two people who flirt so much while pretending they can't stand each other."
I smiled as I stacked the last clean plate in the cabinet.
"They're both stubborn."
"They definitely got that part right."
I laughed.
"They'll figure it out eventually."
He nodded as though there had never been any doubt.
"They will."
I reached over to turn off the faucet, and a few soap bubbles drifted lazily toward the ceiling before one landed on his forearm.
He looked down at it before flicking it in my direction.
The tiny bubble floated through the air and landed against my shoulder.
I looked up at him.
"Oh, you're starting something."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Another bubble floated between us, and he leaned forward just enough to gently blow it toward me.
I laughed and swatted it away before scooping up a handful of bubbles from the sink and sending them right back in his direction.
"You cheated."
"I adapted."
Within seconds we were both laughing as soap bubbles floated around the kitchen while we batted them back and forth like two children who had completely forgotten we were supposed to be cleaning up after dinner.
Atlas wandered into the kitchen, looked at both of us as though we'd lost our minds, and quietly walked back out again.
That only made us laugh harder.
Eventually the bubbles disappeared, and so did the laughter.
The kitchen grew quiet again as we stood facing one another with only a few inches separating us.
I looked up into his eyes, and something about the way he was looking at me made the rest of the room seem to disappear.
He reached up and gently brushed a loose curl behind my ear before letting his fingertips linger against my cheek.
"You have no idea how beautiful you are," he said softly.
Heat rushed into my cheeks.
"You always say things like that when I'm standing here with dish soap on my hands."
He smiled.
"I mean them every time."
My heart softened.
I reached for the front of his shirt and lightly curled my fingers around the fabric.
"I like this," I admitted quietly.
"What?"
"This."
I glanced around the kitchen before looking back at him.
"The cooking together, the cleaning up afterward, and the way we've somehow managed to turn washing dishes into a game."
His smile widened.
"I like it too."
Before I could say anything else, he leaned down and kissed me.
The kiss began softly, but it slowly deepened until I forgot about the dishes still drying beside the sink and the kitchen light glowing above us.
I wrapped my arms around his waist while he pulled me a little closer, and for several long moments nothing else existed except the steady beat of my heart and the warmth of his embrace.
When we finally pulled apart, we rested our foreheads together, both of us smiling without saying a word.
"I should probably let you finish putting the dishes away," he said.
I laughed quietly.
"They can wait another minute."
He kissed me once more before taking my hand.
"Come on."
The rest of the evening passed with the same easy comfort that had quietly become our normal.
We watched another episode of our favorite reality show, shared a bowl of popcorn that somehow ended up mostly empty because Jalen insisted he wasn't eating it while continuing to steal handful after handful, and laughed until neither of us could remember what had been so funny in the first place.
Sometime after midnight, we wandered upstairs together.
I fell asleep curled against his chest while his arm rested comfortably around my waist, and for the first time in years I drifted off without feeling the need to check that every door in the house was locked one last time.
Morning arrived far sooner than either of us wanted.
Soft sunlight streamed through the bedroom windows and stretched across the comforter until the warmth reached my face.
I slowly opened my eyes and found Jalen sitting on the edge of the bed as he tied the laces on his shoes.
He looked over the moment he realized I was awake.
"Good morning."
I smiled sleepily.
"Good morning."
He stood and walked back over to the bed.
"You heading out already?" I asked.
"I need to get home and start getting ready for tonight."
I pushed myself up against the headboard and smiled.
"Big game."
"The biggest one this season so far."
He leaned down and brushed a lingering kiss across my forehead before smiling at me.
"I better see you there."
"You will."
"I mean it."
"I wouldn't miss it."
His smile grew even wider.
"Good."
He gave me one more quick kiss before heading toward the bedroom door.
Just before disappearing into the hallway, he turned around one last time.
"And don't be late."
I laughed.
"I'll be there."
He pointed at me playfully before walking downstairs.
A few moments later I heard the front door open and close.
The house became noticeably quieter after he left.
I rolled onto his side of the bed and smiled when the faint scent of his cologne still lingered on the pillow.
I hugged it against my chest and closed my eyes, convincing myself I would only rest for another five minutes before getting ready for the day.
When I opened my eyes again, the sunlight had shifted across the bedroom, casting bright streaks of light against the opposite wall.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand and immediately sat upright.
11:02 a.m.
"Damn."
I had a hair appointment.
I rushed through a quick shower, slipped into a soft cream lounge set, and headed out the door with my mind still replaying the night before.
I couldn't stop thinking about the laughter that had filled my house, the ridiculous karaoke performances, the mess we had made in the kitchen, or the way Jalen had wrapped his arms around me before leaving that morning and pressed a lingering kiss against my forehead.
The memory made me smile all the way to the salon.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot, Houston had fully embraced game day.
People wearing jerseys filled the sidewalks, restaurants had televisions visible through their front windows, and nearly every passing car had sports radio playing loudly enough to hear through the open windows.
The city always felt different on game day.
There was an excitement in the air that was impossible to ignore.
Thankfully, the salon offered the complete opposite.
Soft music drifted through the speakers, the smell of shampoo and hair products filled the room, and only one styling chair was occupied when I walked inside.
My stylist greeted me with a warm smile before draping the cape around my shoulders.
"You have plans tonight?"
I smiled.
"I might."
"I figured as much."
She laughed as she worked conditioner through my hair.
"You look happy."
The comment caught me off guard.