kiara pov
"you're back early." aliana says as i walk through the front door.
"mikey kinda talked me out of it." i say.
"was tobiah having fun?" she asks.
"yea. he was." i reply.
"good."
mikey walks through the front door.
"hey mikey." aliana smiles.
"hey ali." mikey says. he turns to me. "let's go in your room."
i nod my head. i look at aliana. she smiles at me.
"don't be up there bumping and grinding." aliana says.
"we won't, ali." i reply.
"yea, ight." she replies.
mikey places his hand on the small of my back. he guides me upstairs. he reaches in front of me and opens my room door. the both of us walk in. he closes the door behind him. i sit on my bed. i watch as he rolls my desk chair in front of me. he sits on my desk chair
"kiara?" he asks. he watches me intently.
"yes?" i reply.
"i need you to talk to me. tell me what's going on with you." he says. he grabs my hand as he stares into my eyes.
"ever since we ended things in december, i've been trying my best to keep an open mind with everyone. i don't want to keep anymore secrets from anyone. i don't want what happened to me and you to happen to anyone else. i didn't want to lose what we had. i guess i'm saying that what happened between us scarred me." i explain.
he looks down with a sigh. he opens his mouth but nothing comes out. he's at a loss for words leaving the room completely silent.
"you meant so much to me in so little time and it hurt me a lot when i lost you." i sigh. he pushes a few braids behind my ear as i look down at our hands.
"kiara. you have to understand that what happened between us was what was best for both of us. we needed that time apart so we can come back stronger. i know it was hard for you. it was hard for me too. you have no idea how many times i broke down crying because of how much i missed you, but you gotta understand that what you told me was too much for me." he explains. i look up at him.
"so it's my fault?" i ask.
"i never said it was your fault." he says.
"you insinuated it." i reply. i take my hand away from his.
"kiara."
"what are you trying to say mikey?" i ask.
he looks at me confused. "i'm trying to say that what happened between us needed to happen."
"but it happened because of me?"
"kiara, that's not what i'm saying."
"then what the hell are you saying, mikey?" i question raising my voice.
"i'm trying to say that what happened is because of both of us! you had the secret that could break us apart, but i'm the one who let it affect us. i'm the one who let you walk away. i'm the one who told you to leave. yes, you fueled the fire, but i didn't put it out. i'm sorry, kiara." he sighs. "i'm sorry i let it get this far."
i grab both his cheeks into my hands and pull him in for a kiss. i kiss him softly to let him know it's ok. to let him know we'll get through this. he places his hands on my hips. he kisses me tenderly.
it feels like every time we kiss, all of our problems go away. all of my fears vanish. the thought of losing him doesn't cross my mind when i'm in his embrace.
he pulls away from me. he leans his forehead on mine.
"i'm sorry." he whispers.
"it's ok, mike. it's ok." i whisper back. he stands up and pushes me on the bed. he lays beside me and pulls me close.
we laid in my bed for a while. we talked about what our future would look like together. we also talked about our hobbies and interests, which is something we haven't had much time to talk about.
he did know me well enough to know when something was bothering me, but he didn't get the chance to fully understand me. we never spent enough time together to have meaningfull conversations. we've always been so caught up in everything else but each other. it feels like i'm finally getting to know him. yes, we did facetime a lot, but it's not the same. it feels like i finally got some real one on one time with him.
"ki." tobiah says bursting into my room.
"tobiah!" i exclaim. "what if we were fucking?" i ask.
"then i would've shot him." tobiah replies. he flashes his gun on his hip. i look at mikey. he looks at me nervously.
"you wouldn't shoot your cousin." i state.
"if i saw him fucking my sister, i would." he replies.
"what do you want?" i ask. i turn on my other side so my back is to mikey. i lay down and back myself up against him. he wraps his arm around me and lays his head on my shoulder. tobiah looks at us disgustedly.
"i wanted to tell you how my date went." he says.
"ok." i reply. i motion for him to go on.
"does he have to be here?" tobiah asks pointing to mikey.
"why would he leave?" i ask.
"its fine. i'll go." mikey says. he climbs off my bed. he walks around my bed to face me. he kisses me softly. "don't forget about tomorrow." he says.
"i won't. i'll be there." i smile. he kisses me again.
"call me later." he says. he heads toward my door.
"i will." i nod my head softly.
he walks out of my room. tobiah stares him down as he walks past him. i sit up on my bed and dangle my legs off the edge. i wait until i hear his footsteps going down the stairs before i say anything.
"why are you being so mean to him?" i ask.
"i'm not being mean. i just don't want him all up in my business." tobiah shrugs. he sits on my desk chair.
"he's your cousin." i say rolling my eyes. i grab the pillow mikey was previously laying his head on. i pull the pillow to my chest but not before smelling it. tobiah looks at me weirdly.
"did you just smell the pillow?" he questions.
"yea. so what?"
"ok, anyway, i wanted to tell you we had a good time and we're going on a second date." he says. my eyes widen on instinct.
"tobiah." i sigh.
"before you say anything else, just hear me out." he takes a deep breath. "i explained my situation and told her about my dad. she said she's ok with it as long as i keep that part of my life away from her. she said she doesn't want to be involved in it."
"so she's ok with your lifestyle?" i ask.
"yea." he replies as he nods his head.
"well since that was my main concern, i'm happy for you." i nod.
"really?" he asks.
"yea. if this is something you're serious about, then i want the outcome to be in your best interest." i say.
"thank you." he gives me a genuine smile.
"now let's talk about mikey." i say.
"no." he replies instantly. he straight faces me.
"yes. i let you talk about rose now you have to let me talk about mikey." i advise.
"fine." he rolls his eyes and leans back in the chair.
"why are you being so hard on him?" i ask
"i don't know. i guess it's because it's fun messing with him." he says.
"tobiah." i say sternly.
"what?"
"you get on my nerves." i scoff.
"and you get on mine, so i guess we're even." he smiles sarcastically. i lay back on my bed.
"you interrupted my chill time with him, so i'm going to his house tomorrow." i say.
"you have school tomorrow." he advised.
"you act like i have something to do after school." i laugh.
"you're annoying." he snickered.
"it's only fair."
he stands from my chair and walks toward my door.
"that's why i'm gonna tell rose you were spying on us today." he snarls. he sticks his tongue out at me childishly and runs down the hall.
"no you're not! tobiah!!"
mikey pov
i unlock the front door. i walk inside the house to find mom sitting at the kitchen island. she's swirling a glass of wine in her hand; the wine bottle sits on the island in front of her.
"hey mike." mom says.
"hey mom. what are you doing?" i ask. i close the front door and hang my keys on the key holder beside the door.
"i'm just trying to free some space in the cabinets." she says. she sets the wine glass down. "i asked your sister to help me. i wouldn't go in the bathroom down the hall. she can't hold her liquor." mom snorts.
"is that all you're doing? cleaning out the cabinets?" i ask. i pull out the bar stool beside her. i sit down.
"well, no. your father and i had an argument."
"it was bad! dad stormed out the house; mom started crying. it was a mess." samila says, cutting mom off. samila throws her arm around my shoulder. maliki comes into the kitchen. he grabs samila and drags her away.
"sorry. i haven't had much luck with keeping her away." he says.
"give her some water, mal." mom says.
"i don't need water. i need more wine." samila says. she leans on my shoulder groggily. "mikey, please give me more wine."
"drink what's in your cup and i'll give you some of moms white whine." i say.
"ooh. i like white wine. that's why i like tom." she laughs.
i look at mom. "she's never drinking again after this." mom says.
"that's a fact." maliki says. he hands me a bottle of water. samila chugs down the rest of the wine in her glass. i take her glass from her and pour the water into it. she takes it back quickly. she chugs the water. she holds out her glass to me. i pour her more water. she chugs it down too.
"this wine is nasty." samila says. she looks at her glass with a disgusted face.
"ok that's enough. go to bed mila." maliki says grabbing her. he pulls her with him upstairs. "we're going to bed." he says.
"ok. see you in the morning mal." mom replies.
"night." i say. maliki leads samila up the stairs. she stumbles the entire way up.
i laugh to myself before turning to mom.
"so you and dad had an argument?" i question.
"yea." mom replies.
"about what?" i ask.
"you." she says. she turns her head to look at me.
"about me? why?"
"because he doesn't think it's ok for you to hang out with kiara instead of training. he wants you to spend every available moment you have in the gym instead of with your girlfriend." mom explains.
"wow. he really said that?" i ask.
"yea. he did." she replies. she takes another swig of her wine. "he left out of here and didn't tell me where he was going."
"thanks for having my back mom." i say. i grab her hand.
"of course. i'll always have your best interest at heart." she sets her cup down. she smiles at me and brings both her hands to mine.
she kisses my forehead gently.
"i love you, mom." i say.
"i love you too, son." she smiles.
i stand from the bar stool. i push it under the counter.
"if you ever wanna talk, just come find me. i'll always be here for you." i say.
"i know. thank you." she smiles genuinely.
i smile at her once more then head upstairs. i walk into my room. i close my door behind me. i slide my shoes off my feet and toss them beside the others. i take off my jeans and put on some shorts. i take off my shirt and lay on my bed. just as i grab my phone, it lights up with an incoming facetime call. kiara's name pops up on the screen. i answer the call immediately.
"hey, i was just about to call you." i admit just as her face appears on my screen. i plug my phone into the charger.
"guess i had good timing." she replies. she smiles to herself. "what are you doing?"
"about to go to sleep. what about you?" i yawn.
"stay up a little longer. i wanna talk." she says. i smile at her through the phone.
"ok. what's up?" i mumbled.
"so aliana made a shirt for me. it has your school name and jersey number on the front and jersey number on the back. she also put 'his girl' on the back." she debriefs.
"really?" i question intrigued.
"yea. she also made a shirt for herself. it has the school name, jersey number, blah, blah, blah. she put best friend on the back."
"for real?" i ask again.
"yea. do you think it'll be ok if we wear them tomorrow?" she asks.
"yea. that's cool. i'd love that." i smile.
her face lights up at my words. "really?"
"yea."
she looks away to hide her smile. "cool."
"quick question?"
"uh-huh?"
"when did aliana learn how to do stuff like that?"
"her mom is a fashion designer. she taught aliana when she was little but aliana never really made an effort to make shirts like that until now." she explains.
"that's cool. who's her mom?"
"tracy reese. she used her maiden name instead of her married name." kiara says.
"oh, ok." i reply.
"she also made a few others that say number one fan on the back. rose, isaiah and tobiah were gonna wear those." she adds.
"ok. i'm cool with that." i reply. i yawn and make myself comfortable under the covers.
"one more thing before you go to sleep."
"what's up?"
"my friend, will, has tickets to the hornets game in two days. i told him i wanted to come. are you cool with that?" she asks.
"yes, kiara. you don't have to ask me." i say.
"i just wanted to make sure you were ok with it." she murmured.
"as long as i get to see you after." i say, closing my eyes.
"of course." i feel her smile on the other side of the phone.
"ok. goodnight my love." she says, softening her voice.
"goodnight. i love you, kiara." i say.
"i love you too, mikey."
with that, my eyes shut closed and i was off to sleep within seconds.
♕⚤♔
~TT