27
Selah
I wake up alone, wondering if what happened between Beckett and I was only a fantastic dream.
But the fact that I’m naked under his sheets right now tells me it most definitely was not.
I get off of the bed and find my shirt on the floor, and hurriedly pull it on over my head. Unable to find my pajama shorts, I go to the bag I brought with me and grab some cotton shorts instead, then go into the bathroom to freshen up. I get back into bed, just as the door suddenly opens.
The man that has been on my mind strolls through the door, his sharp gaze zoning in on me immediately. He’s wearing a casual t-shirt and shorts, and I already find myself missing seeing him shirtless.
I finally got to see his other tattoos on full display, and what a sight it was to behold. Tattoos grace his well-defined pecs and abdomen, and I wish I had more time to get to show him how much I appreciated every bit of him that I was blessed to see.
I suddenly realize that I’m still wearing my head scarf. I’m honestly not quite sure if Beckett has ever dated a Black woman before, since we didn’t talk in too much detail about our dating history yet. There are definitely some things that I worry he might find odd at first that you only understand if you have been with a woman of color.
Not that he minded the head scarf at all last night..
If he’s questioning my head attire he doesn’t show it at all as he approaches me. His eyes move over me appreciatively as he comes to set down a serving tray over my legs.
He bends down and places a firm kiss on my lips, morning breath be damned. “Good morning, beautiful. How do you feel?” He coos, gently stroking my cheek.
“Good morning, I feel great! How about you? Aren’t you tired from last night?” I ask, as he moves to stand up.
He raises an eyebrow and I realize my poor choice of words. “I-I meant from all of the traveling! Not from us...”
He chuckles at me and squeezes my leg, “No, sweetheart. I’m fine. I’m used to being busy and surviving on little sleep.”
He moves around the bed to sit next to me on my other side, and I look down at the food and coffee cup on my tray. “Is this from Coco’s?"
“It is. I ran out and got some breakfast for all of you. Edison and Gana wanted to eat outside on the back deck. I made my own breakfast earlier since I’ve been up for a few hours getting some things done. Go ahead and eat, angel,” he says, giving me a warm smile.
“Thank you so much,” I say, taking a sip of the coffee and smiling when I notice it’s my favorite one.
He always remembers.
He smiles watching me as I dig into the muffin and eggs he brought for me. His fingers move to my head, gently touching my scarf. “This is beautiful. Where did you get it from?” he asks, running his fingers over the flowers printed on it.
I finish chewing and look over at him, “A bought it from a shop in Charlestown a few years ago. I wear it to keep my hair protected while I sleep,” I explain.
He nods, studying it closer. “Do you have a lot of them?” he asks.
“I have a few. I just rotate them,” I explain, picking at the last bite of my muffin.
I wait nervously, wondering if he is going to make a comment I won’t like, but he just gives me an understanding smile. He gets up from the bed, going over to his suitcase that is open on the floor.
I watch him curiously as he brings over a small bag with handles. “I had a little time to shop while I was back in the city. So I picked you up something.”
He takes my tray, placing the bag on my lap. I look down at it in disbelief, wondering what it could be. “Beckett you didn’t have to get me anything,” I say, reaching inside and taking out a small black box.
“I wanted to, angel. Go on. Open it up,” he says, smiling and folding his arms over his chest.
I grin up at him, my fingers eagerly opening the box. I gasp as I pull out the gift inside. There is a pair of adorable Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bar studs inside, with Strawberry Shortcake’s face in the center.
I can see little specs of diamonds behind the character and ice cream bars, and I gape at them in disbelief. They are absolutely perfect, and I wonder how he knew how much I would really love these.
I blink back tears as he comes closer to me, “Beckett these are so l-lovely,” I whisper, meeting his eyes.
“I’m glad you like them sweetheart,” he says, reaching down and taking them from me. He kneels down next to the bed, “Come here.”
I move closer to him and he helps me put them on one at a time. When he finishes he gets up and I stand on the bed wrapping my arms around him and squeezing him tight.
“You’re so thoughtful,” I say, wiping my eyes. I look at him and decide to be honest with him.
“I was really nervous when you found my doll on the bookcase at my house. I’ve had it since I was younger, it’s a keepsake from my dad. He was always saving up money to get me anything that he could from my favorite show,” I explain, gathering the courage to continue. “I have a lot of other things from the show that I’ve held on to, and I think that is part of the reason why I’ve always still loved everything about Strawberry Short Cake, it’s comforting to me. But I’ve never shown anyone the things I’ve kept, not even Evy or my other friends..”
He takes my hands in his, his eyes going soft as they look over my face. “You can show me anything, Selah. And share anything with me too. I’d never judge you, sweetheart.”
I press a kiss to his lips, smiling against them. This man never ceases to amaze me with how kind and thoughtful he is, not just to me, but to everyone he cares about.
I hurry to the bathroom to see how my new earrings look. I smile at my reflection, looking at the adorable studs and feeling so special and cared for.
Beckett comes in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. “I love them, Beckett. Thank you, really,” I say sincerely, turning to kiss his cheek.
“I’m glad you do, angel. Anything looks good on you though,” he responds.
He turns me around in his arms, and his expression turns serious as he holds onto my hips. “I decided that Edison and I are going to stay here for the summer.”
My eyes widen, and a rush of hope fills me. “Really?! Why? When did you decide this?” I ask.
He takes my hand and leads me over to the bed, pulling me to sit on his lap. He rubs my back slowly and I wait for him to continue.
“When I went back home I realized how crazy it can be coming into that environment after living here. I also just want to spend more time with him, and form a closer bond so that he knows I really have his back, and he builds trust in me. He needs an anchor in all of this. I’m not ready to just uproot his life to make mine easier.”
I squeeze his hand that’s still holding mine, feeling my heart ache as I see the tension on his face. “That makes a lot of sense. But what about your business? I know you’re trying to be selfless, but it seems like you have even more going on now that you’ve completed this new partnership,” I ask.
“I’ve already talked about it with Bobby. He understands why I want to stay, and everyone is much calmer now about me working long distance. Being here has made me realize that there’s no reason for me to be in the office every day. I need to delegate more work to my employees and not try to be such a control freak about every aspect of my business. I’ll fly back a few times for meetings, and just work from here like I have been. We will just need to get back before school starts in September,” he explains.
He sees the worried expression on my face and he leans over to kiss my forehead, “I also just can’t imagine leaving you, Selah. I feel like we just finally are really opening up to each other, and to leave so soon..” he takes a deep breath, shaking his head. “I’m not going to lose you. I’m going to figure all of this out. That’s something we can talk about over summer too, ok?”
I didn’t ever want to make him feel guilty for needing to move back to New York. I knew the risk that I was taking letting myself get attached to him, knowing that I would potentially not only be losing Edison, but also now two more people I’ve grown to care about.
I can’t even think about what it would be like without Edison and Dragana here every day too. Even though Beckett has taken the reigns, I still feel a responsibility and attachment to Edison. And Dragana has quickly become like a second mom to me, filling my heart with the kind words and attention that I always wished I could have received from my own mother.
I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder, “We will figure it out. I don’t want to lose you either, Beckett,” I whisper.
He turns my head and presses his lips against mine, kissing me with all of the emotion I’m feeling right now, like he’s promising me he won’t let me go.
We pull apart and I smile shyly at him, feeling flustered.
“How about you get dressed, Angel. You’re going to spend the day with us, right?” he asks.
I stand up and he does too, staring down at me expectantly. “I’d love that, yes. But I’m supposed to have dinner with some of my friends tonight,” I explain, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt and feeling nervous for what I need to ask. “I was wondering if you can come? I’d love to introduce you to them.”
He raises an eyebrow, rubbing his hand over his chin, “They won’t mind?”
I shake my head, smiling excitedly, “No! Not at all. It’s going to be a group of us getting together at my friends Piper and Oakland’s house. You’ll be more than welcomed!”
He tilts his head, “Well I’ve only met Mary so far, so I’d definitely like to meet more of your friends,” he agrees, then steps closer to me. “Will Joesph be there?”
I fight the urge to laugh, knowing exactly why he’s asking, “ Joey will be there, yes.”
“Good,” he responds, and I try not to overanalyze why that would please him. “We’ll have dinner with your friends, and then you can spend the night again here.”
I smile knowing that arguing with him will be futile. “I’d love that, Beckett,” I agree. “Sounds like a perfect day.”