i'm only given clues

Chapter 6

/

The diner is on a corner, facing the ocean and it takes Normani everything not to reach out and hold Dinah's hand. Dinah notices the move and bumps their hips together, hooking her pinky around her own as they walk across the parking lot. It feels different, somehow. More secure.

When they get inside, Ryan and Quincy look like they've already had about ten cups of coffee as they talk animatedly over the table. The usual array of literature sits between them, as usual, Normani doesn't recognize any of the titles.

"Oh, you're here!" Ryan says beckoning them over, and Normani narrows her eyes instantly at how happy she sounds. "I'm starving."

Normani darts her eyes to Dinah to see if she's seeing this, and gets a shrug in return. Normani sits beside Ryan and Dinah beside Quincy. Normani's not sure if that's worse of better than sitting beside her because, straight away, all she can picture when she sits opposite her is how her body curled and arched into her own barely forty minutes ago as she cried out her name. She crosses her legs, hoping that it'll help.

When Dinah's thighs brush hers and a tingle of electricity runs up her spine and then straight between her thighs, she knows it's going to be a long, long day and an even longer trip.

/

They eat brunch and listen to Ryan and Quincy talk quickly about the day before. Normani really couldn't give a crap what happened to those imbeciles, but it's fun to watch Dinah's face rise and fall as she finds out about Austin and Camila arguing again, or that Troye and Jacob spent the day bedazzling sand castles together with Camila to cheer her up.

It's even more fun to watch as Ryan ducks her head and Quincy's lips turn into a half-smile when Dinah asks how they spent the day.

Quincy goes into a play-by-play description of how they spent the afternoon strolling up and down the beach before getting lost and finding a tiny bookstore hidden away somewhere.

Normani kind of tunes out and notices Ryan staring fondly at Quincy with an unfamiliar sparkle in her eye. She lets their eyes catch when Ryan notices her looking, and raises her eyebrow with a teasing smile.

Ryan smiles shyly and shakes her head so her hair falls into her eyes.

"Shut up," she mouths before the other two notice and Normani laughs.

/

"So?" she asks softly once Quincy's paying for brunch and Dinah's shoving quarters into an old jukebox.

Ryan looks at her over her coffee cup and narrows her eyes. "What?"

Normani chuckles, low and gruff. "You know what," she says and Ryan flushes instantly, letting out a scoff.

"No."

"Are you sure?" Normani teases.

Ryan gives her a look that says "stop it" but Normani shakes her head adamantly. "No," Ryan says again, softer this time. "No. Not right now."

/

The others are all sick with hangovers and Normani can't find the capacity to care when they're stupid enough to get that drunk when they know they can't handle it.

She's also pretty pissed about being charged extra to have one of the couches in their hotel suits professionally cleaned because someone hurled blue shit up onto it.

They can all choke for what she cares.

/

When Dinah sneaks up behind her and presses the entire length of her body against her before pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek, Normani giggles and looks around to see if anyone can see them.