SINFUL *STILL editing*

SINFUL - 26

Cynthia's heart pounded in her chest and she licked her dry lips nervously. She knew how tense she must have appeared sat in the passenger seat of Prince's car. She checked that her seatbelt was secure for the umpteenth time and cursed herself in her head for ever agreeing to this madness. She stole a glance at Kobe as he steered the wheel of the car suddenly, make a sharp left which caused the driver behind to slam his fists on his brakes as well as his car's horn. Kobe had his tongue hanging over his bottom lip and appeared extremely relaxed. He could sense Cynthia uncomfortable body language and it bothered him.
"Relax C...just sit back and enjoy the ride." He said without looking in her direction, she was grateful that he was keeping his eyes on the traffic ahead of him.
"How can I relax when you're driving illegally? It's getting dark and you're a black boy in an expensive car. My days, I pray you don't get stopped." Cynthia responded, verbalising her worries.
"Me? Get stopped?" Kobe laughed, "Nah, that's never happened. It's calm."
"For your sake I hope so..."
Moment of honest; someone's gotta take the lead tonight, who's it gonna be?
Cynthia instinctively closed her eyes when she heard Alicia Keys' voice, this song always made her feel some type of way. No matter how many times she heard it, she got the same feeling. Just as intense, just as pure...every single time.
"I was wondering baby, if I make you my baby we can do the unthinkable!" Kobe's voice cracked as he strained it in order to sing along. His off key singing snapped her out of her moment of nostalgia. She stared over at him in bewilderment, then giggled.
"Is that you yeah?"
"What? I don't care this tune is wavy!" He increased the volume and continued singing along.
"Yeah, I love it." She uttered, unsure if he'd heard it over the music as well as his awful singing.
Before long, Cynthia had been put out of her misery and they had arrived at Nandos.
"I'm starving..."
"Tell me about it." She hurried out of the car and followed behind Kobe while they walked into the restaurant. As soon as they entered, Kobe's eyes panned the room in search of a suitable table for the pair.
"Table for two?" One of the male staff approached them, looking from Kobe to Cynthia.
"Yes please." Kobe stepped forward, evidently eager to be seated and order his meal. The waiter walked them to the small table in the corner.
"Have you ever been to Nandos before?"
"Have I?" Kobe scoffed causing the waiter to chuckle and Cynthia just stared at him blankly, making it clear that he was asking a stupid question. Cynthia started giggling which caused Kobe to begin laughing too.
"I know what I'm ordering already." Kobe left his jacket on his seat and stood up.
"Besides the whole chicken?" Cynthia lifted up and eyebrow.
"I'm a grown man b."
"Is that so?"
"Pree my chin hairs." He stepped closer to her, raising his head so she could get a better look.
"More like bum fluff." She sniggered, tip toeing for a closer inspection.
"No manners." Kobe's face dropped in shock. "You're coldddd."
"Just calling it how I see it." She turned swiftly to join the queue to make her order. When they got in the line, Kobe casually threw his arm over her shoulders.
"Are you feeling fine?"
"I'm calm, you?" He replied nonchalantly.
"You better remove that your dirty arm, don't need people getting the wrong idea." She smirked at the pained expression on his face. "Plus I don't know where it's been." She gently pushed his hand off her shoulder. Though he knew she didn't mean it Kobe couldn't help but feel a tad bit hurt but her words, and that annoyed him.
As well as the whole chicken, Kobe ordered large chips, garlic bread and the chicken wraps. Cynthia opted for half a chicken with the same sides. She watched Kobe gulp down his first bottomless glass in ten seconds flat.
"You love ketchup init?" Cynthia tipped the bottle upside and relentlessly shook it until she had a large red puddle at the side of her plate.
"Yes! You know this already Kobes."
He looked up at her from his food and couldn't help but smile a little, he loved it when she called him that.
"Cheeky Nandos with the broski..." Cynthia made sure she captured her meal as well as Kobe with his mouthful of chips as she made a new snap.
"Why you always using me though? I know once girls see me on your snapchat your phone won't stop vibrating." He rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. Cynthia shook her head as she swallowed some chicken, she couldn't even argue because she knew he was right. His face suddenly burst into a smile as he chuckled at his own joke. It was fascinating how bright and large his eyes were but when he smiled you could barely see them, you would have thought his eyes were closed. Cynthia quickly averted his gaze when he licked Peri Peri from the corner of his mouth.
"It's not everyday let your imagination run wild..." She thought to herself, Cynthia knew deep down she needed some romance in her life, a lack of a love life had her bugging.
"So..." Kobe paused to take a sip of his drink, the structure of his jawline intensified as his lips puckered. "What's going on in the boys' department eh?" He raised a brow and offered her a questioning look.
"What do you mean, you know I ain't got no man." She joked.
"Yeah but certain man from college are onto you what you gotta say about that?
"Like who?"
"Don't act like you don't know, sly girl."
"Boy...you must be seeing something that I'm not."
"Whatever."
"I'm sorry I can't be like you..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He was evidently trying not to grin.
"Got certain girls moving thirsty."
"Nah, nah leave it out. Stop that, stop that. We're not talking about me, as I was saying...so you not feeling anyone at the moment nah?"
"Why you asking me this?" Cynthia laughed, finding this all so amusing.
"Why you getting defensive?"
"I'm not."
"Answer the question then."
Cynthia remained silent and diverted her eyes from Kobe to her blank phone screen.
"C..." He pushed.
"What man..."
"Talk nuh."
"I'm...feeling my books."
"Ahhh, them ones." Kobe responded sarcastically, giving her side eyes as then proceeded to bit into the leg of his chicken. "But for real, I don't wanna see no boy mess you about, that's when there's gonna be a problem." Kobe was back to his calm serious state.
"Awwww." She genuinely felt happy to hear him say that. "Never." She smiled.
"Say nothing C!"
"Kobe stop talking with your mouthful honestly it's disgusting!" She threw him a dirty look.
"Swear?" He enquired but continued doing it regardless.
"Don't let me put you on snap looking like one hungry Af."
"Arrr, allow it. Ok, ok I'm sorry man." He grumbled. Cynthia picked up her phone and opened the snaps she'd received; girls she barely spoke to but was cordial with at college were sending her snaps. Most were filled with emoji eyes and love struck faces or stupid questions like 'Is that Kobe in first year?'
"Yeah, you've got fans."
"Obviously..."
"With your fat head."
"Don't hate, just appreciate what God has given to me." He winked at her. "What are the beautiful ladies tell me."
"Nothing, they're not even gonna get a reply from me. How rude, they don't even snap me EVER. Unless Micah's on my snap. They can f*ck off."
"Ay, what are getting mad for?" Kobe laughed as he watched Cynthia's annoyed expression. "What, you jealous? Aww, don't worry them girls pagans, you're a real one b." He licked his thick lips and Cynthia's eyes dropped down to her glass of Fanta.
"You're repulsive."
"Skeen. Them myths there."
Cynthia couldn't help but snigger.
"I'm tired of you."
Kobe didn't say anything, he just sat there and smiled. Cynthia finished her food and tried her best to ignore his incessant glances. It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable, because that was never the case with Kobe. But there was something foreign in his body language that she couldn't quite read.
"Kobe?" She began. "Are you ok?" Maybe he was troubled, perhaps he had some things are his mind.
"Yeah." He sat up in his seat and cleared his throat. He' forgotten himself and had been sat there daydreaming.
"You look like you're thinking really hard."
"Do I?" He laughed awkward, before standing up to get a refill. He knew it was a matter of seconds before his face would heat up so ensured he was out of sight for a moment. He took his time to fill his glass up with coke and then went back to their table. He was disappointed because he could see that they had both already finished their meals, he wanted to spend more time with her. He needed to. There were things he had to get off his chest; things his mind didn't completely understand but things he had to get off his chest nevertheless.
"Kobes..." Cynthia bit the inside of her mouth as she watched him sit back down. "I'm stuffed."
"Cool."
She wanted him to tell her what was going on in his head, she wanted to know what he was thinking. She always knew when something was going on with Kobe like now. But she was confused as to why he wasn't opening up to her like he usually would.
"Alright, let's roll." He turned to pull her jacket of the back of the seat and addressed her whilst avoiding her eye constant.
Now there was an undeniable awkwardness between them.
Cynthia didn't want to push things, she knew that part of being a good friend was being able to sense when someone wasn't ready to open up and just being ready and willing to listen when they were. He was quite a distant in front of her as we stepped into the chill of the night and walked towards Prince's BMW. Cynthia grew worried as her mind raced with the wildest thoughts. She thought about Prince, his mother, Reagan, Morgan...
Was it a family issues?
They sat in the car in utter silence and it was killing Cynthia. She was patiently waiting for Kobe to turn on the engine so at least music would mask the evident awkwardness. Kobe scrolled through his phone for a while replying to messages and entertaining himself with countless stories on Snapchat. Cynthia glanced across and saw him like a girl's Instagram picture. He suddenly put his phone down and turned to Cynthia.
"C, I think you're beautiful you know."
Cynthia broke into her signature smile and slapped his hand lightly as it rested on the gearstick. "Kobe, you're the cutest. You're so random as well."
"I'm being serious though."
"I know."
"No. You. Don't."
"What else should I say? Thank you..."
"I can't keep it in anymore." He sighed deeply, leaning his head against the black leather headrest, dragging his hand down his face. Cynthia's eyebrows creased as she watched him.
"Kobe..."
"..."
"Keep what in?"
"I like you init." He looked her dead in the eyes, his face immediately heated up as the words left his lips. Her face melted into another smile as she noticed his reddened skin. "F*ck it I said it. Do what you chose with that information." He turned on the ignition and began to reserve out onto the main road. Cynthia looked down at her lap and then stole glances at Kobe not sure what to say. "Stop that," He chuckled as he felt her repeated gaze.
"I thought we were friends Kobes."
"Rules are made to be broken b."