𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 | ✎

𝖋𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

☊ moonlight
kali uchis

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SWIVELLING THE RING ON my finger, I look up when Aubrey clasps one of her hands on top of mine, sending me a warm smile.

"You okay, Ree?" She was obsessed with the nickname. "You've been quiet for a while now. If this is about the meal, you have nothing to worry about, trust me. This comes and goes every year."

It wasn't the meal I was worried about. I just had a lot on my mind since Alessandro came home a couple nights ago in the state he was in. After bending me over the kitchen island, fucking every breath out of me, and causing a food explosion from knocking it all onto the floor, he'd been...closed off. In a way I didn't understand.

He'd been distant since the meeting, avoiding our long talks at night and sleeping with his back to me. Surprisingly, he'd even gone celibate for three nights in a row.

Although I'd never admit it to him, Alessandro knew exactly how to tug at all the right buttons - if you know what I mean - till I was forced to come over and over again. And I'd be a damned good liar if I'd say I didn't miss it.

"Besides, when Alessandro sees you, he'll barely be able to keep his hands off you."

I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," I joke, facing the window, "He seems repulsed by me nowadays."

Aubrey doesn't respond for a hot second, till I turn and face her, finding her frowning. "What?"

"I'm joking," I lie, nudging her in the rib. I didn't want to burden her with my problems. "And you say I need to loosen up."

"To think I tried helping you," she huffs, turning away from me as I cackle.

"Aw, come here." I plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek whilst she jokingly bats me away.

For a moment, we go silent, enjoying the peace. That is till I can't hold back, blurting the question I've not been able to get out of my mind for the past few days.

"How can you tell the difference between liking someone and lust?" I question before quickly adding, "asking for a friend, of course."

Aubrey pauses to think meaningfully, like she's searching through files in her memory drive. "I'd say," she starts, "you can tell you like them when you want to put them first in everything you do. You become obsessed with the idea of being around them and enjoying their company, not just their dīck or whatever, you know? It's more than just an orgasm at that point. It's the thought of them giving you security and comfort. At least that's what I think."

From everything she's said, I can tell everything she's said came from a personal place, making me wonder who's the lucky person. Her cheeks are flushed and she tries to hide them by placing her face in her palm.