Inheritance

Chapter 7

"Mhmm. She probably is..." He agreed, while steadily taking a few long steps towards me. 

As he straightened out his posture and rose to his full height, our substantial height difference became pronounced in the process. His eyes daringly searched mine with so much intensity that I slowly started to back away from him, until my butt made contact with the sharp countertop surface.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" I asked, truthfully curious as to what his intentions were.

"I don't know." He hesitated before he continued. "It's just that you remind me of someone I used to know."

For a moment, I could detect a hint of vulnerability laced in his voice and I wondered just who could bring such a powerful man to a depressed state. But, just as quickly as the emotions came, he removed all traces of their existence from his beguiled face.

"Oh really? Who were they to you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"They were one of the few people I truly ever loved. But, they did something to me I won't ever be able to forgive." His voice darkened, as it bristled with an emotion akin to anger.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. I know how it feels to be disappointed by someone you love." I offered him a small smile, to which he made no effort to return.

"Does it bother you?" He asked, after an incisive moment of silence.

"Does...what bother me?" I returned, unable to decipher the objective behind the closed-ended question.

"The way I stare. At you." He pondered, as his dark gaze studied my flushed appearance.

Glowering down at me from a modest distance above, I was sure he could uncover every last one of my veiled secrets with one of his enigmatic looks. The way his midnight gaze steadily roamed across my unassuming frame caused my body to ignite from within, but it also spawned me to wonder what about the man aroused such pronounced feelings from me.

"Yes." I finally responded in a fragile voice I barely recognized as my own.

Rather than acknowledge the closeted remark, he smoothly strutted forward until his body was crouched directly in front of mine. Our faces were now jarringly closer than they'd been mere seconds ago, allowing me to analyze the perfectly smooth ridges of his unblemished features.

"Good." He concluded, as his melancholy orbs drifted to my stilted lips. 

It wasn't long before he glanced down at my body once again, taking his plump bottom lip in between his teeth. He eventually completed the suffocating examination by retreating his unnerving survey back towards my face. I could feel my cheeks heat up at the thought of our close proximity, utterly compelled by the handsome man standing before me.

Hearing voices approach from down the hall, we quickly distanced ourselves. I sat down at the island table, while Kendall ran a frustrated hand through his hair. I didn't miss the way he eyed me cautiously, appearing conflicted over something. 

Could it be possible that we did know each other?

"Oh, there you two are. We were wondering where you had run off to." Coco entered the kitchen, followed by Ahmad, then Patricia who suspiciously narrowed her eyes at us.

"Yeah, what exactly were you two doing in here?" Patricia inquired in a suggestive tone. I stared at Kendall, hoping he would offer her some sort of clarity. But, he simply stared back at me, seemingly unfazed by the accusations clearly lingering in the air.

"Umm, we were just talking about how nice the weather's been." I didn't know why, but there was a small part of me that wanted to keep what Kendall had shared with me private. Besides, our conversation was none of their business. Even if it was quite literally five seconds.

"Yeah." Kendall managed to agree with clear disinterest in his tone.

"That sounds boring. Kendall you should join us outside. The pool is nice and warm." Patricia insisted, ignoring my presence and focusing on him.

"Yeah, sure." He responded, causing Patricia to eagerly pull his arm and lead him to the backyard. 

I envied the way she never shied away from expressing her emotions. She always showed up as her most authentic self, and never let fear of rejection prevent her from pursuing what she wanted. I still had many insecurities that stopped me from being as forward with men, especially as a Black woman. Seeing Kendall and her together made me realize how good they actually looked side by side. 

Perhaps Patricia had been correct, and there was no competition between the two of us. After all, she always got what she wanted.

"Do you want to come outside, Sasha? I know you wont be swimming, but still." Coco asked, while shooting me a guilty look.

"Actually, I think I'm going to head home. It's getting kind of late and I have to be up early." 

"I understand, do you want me to come with you?" She asked, then looked back at Ahmad who nodded in understanding.

"No! You two look like you're having fun, I'll be fine." 

They kept me company until my Uber arrived and then I left for what would be a long ride filled with  many interesting thoughts.

~~~

Short filler chapter but the next one will be longer. I promise😪

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~Chelly😘😘