It took five days.
I groaned into my pillow when I heard rapid knocks at my front door, waking me from my good ass sleep. Glancing at my clock, it read three am which made me even more mad. Who the hell..
Raising up, I trudged to my front door and pulled it open to see who was on the other side and it suddenly made sense.
Aniya was playing with her fingers, her eyes sad but hopeful that I'd let her in. I ran my eyes down her body that was clad in sweats and my hoodie, then back up to the dark circles under her red eyes. I simply backed away from the open door and walked back to my bedroom, hearing the door close behind me.
Sliding into my bed, I held the covers up when she walked into my room and she quickly kicked off her shoes before getting in. Her arms wrapped around me instantly when her body cuddled up to mine, her head falling into the crook of my neck.
"I'm sorry," I heard her mumbled against my skin. "I.. I don't know what I did to make you so angry, or so mean to me that day." I raised my hand to her hair and lightly scratched her scalp when I felt something wet touch my skin. "I just wish you'd talk to me."
I sighed and lifted her head up to see tears steaming down her face. Jesus Christ.. "Stop crying." I whispered, brushing her tears away with my thumbs. "Please?" She closed her eyes and nodded before using the sleeve of the hoodie to wipe her own face. "Ni I.." I clenched my jaw and exhaled through my nose sharply. "I don't talk about my feelings, that's not something we do."
She silently laid her head back on my chest while I talked. "You're.. different, okay? I should have been left you alone but I can't and I don't know why."
"It's because you don't know what love is, Y/n." She sat up and I watched her now sit next to me, her hand resting in my cheek. "Let me give you love.. I can change that for you."
I raised my hand and held hers that was on my face, a somber smile crossing my lips. "You can't change me, Aniya.. it's not possible-"
"Sh-no." She pressed her finger to my lips and shook her head. "Don't say it, anything's possible." Her eyes started to well up with tears again but she quickly blinked them away, giving me a forced smile. "We'll be fine.. just let me try."
"I-" Before I could mutter another word, her lips were in mine and her body straddling me.
"Have you been with any other girls?" She whispered against my lips and I shook my head, making her smile against my lips. "See?" She sniffed and pecked my forehead. "We're already on a good track."
I stared up at her silently, not feeling nearly an ounce of the emotion she was trying to evoke. Yes, I cared about her.. but not in the way she wanted me to. I could tell by how my heart wasn't aching at the sight of her tears eyes. Maybe that did make me an asshole.. but I felt nothing.
Pulling her off of my lap, I rolled onto my stomach with a sigh, closing my eyes and trying to will myself that she wasn't here. Because the more I heard her sniff, the more I could feel her sadness penetrate me. And I didn't want that.
-
"Y/ln." I looked up at my coach as I pulled off my helmet with a nod. "You were late today." I pursed my lips and looked behind me, making him sigh. "Something going on? It's the third time in a row."
"Um.." My eyes raised and I saw Dante untying his cleats while looking in our direction. "I just had to get some extra work done." He nodded me to continue. "For class."
"Okay I understand that. Do you need a tutor?"
I hummed and shook my head. "No it's um.. it's dancing class." His eyebrows furrowed at my words and I realized the hole I was digging. "Like, an elective."
"Oh okay. Will this elective be taking up much of your time? If so, I can always have another starter."
I quickly shook my head. "No, not needed. I'll be on time." He clapped my back and walked off, leaving Dante to come up to me. "I thought you said you covered for me?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I told him you have the runs." I smacked my lip and looked out at the field as he laughed. "Hey, it's not my fault you stay in that damn studio trying to mack up Rihanna."
"I don't try to mack her up. I just really enjoy this shit man.. dancing it's just.. it gives me a rush." He sighed and I saw him look away. "What?"
"I don't want to sound like that guy but you have to remember that this is all temporary." He placed his hand on my shoulder as I huffed. "After these three shows, it's back to reality. School.. football. What we're really supposed to be focused on."
I nodded and sat down on the bench. "I know man. I'm just enjoying it, alright?"
He nodded. "Yeah I feel you. But let's focus on getting this dub Friday, okay? You coming out to the group dinner?" I nodded. "Come on, we can carpool."
"Uh.. I'll meet you there. I have to go drop off an assignment for my professor." I mean.. it wasn't a complete lie. I did have to drop off an essay, but it wasn't all that I was doing..
After making a detour to my professors office, I slid my essays folder into the homework tray and was turning to leave when I heard her call me. I peeped through her office door before pushing it open with a smile. "Hey Doctor Williams." She motioned me to come in.
"I want to talk to you about something, Y/n." I sat down on the chair across from her and she raised up a stack of papers, putting each down. "These are your past tests from the start of August to now. Nothing below a ninety five percent."
I smiled. "Cool-"
"This is from the last three weeks." I looked at the papers, my eyes widening when I saw the large red C marks. "This isn't like you, Y/n. I've had you for three years now and you've never gotten below a B... something going on?"
I shook my head and picked up my research paper. I could've sworn I killed this shit. "I've had a lot on my mind recently but I'll get better. Swear."
She gave me a smile. "You're a hard worker, harder than a lot of the students here. Because I know you're trying hard for Cum Laude, I will allow you to retake this test and I'll bump this essay up to a B since it's only a few percents away." I breathed out a relief as she put my papers back away. "How's next Friday? That's my conference days."
Next Friday was the last rehearsal.. then the game.. and then we flew out that night to Philadelphia for the Made in America festival. "Miss Y/ln?" I raised my head and nodded with a wide smile. "Will Friday be okay?"
"I actually um.." The look she gave me was definitely a 'you're most definitely not getting another date' so, I'd have to find a way. "It's perfect, thank you again, Doctor Williams."
"Of course. Have a great day, Y/n."
With that done, I drove thirty minutes out from campus to the familiar rehearsal studio. "Yo yo." Rih said with a smile once I walked in. "You late, ATL."
"I know, my bad. I had to speak with my professor." She nodded in understanding as I dropped my bag before moving with the other dancers who all greeted me. I stretched out with them, even though my body was already warmed up from football.
"Okay, we're gonna start from Numb." James said and I stood next to him, Rih between us as the music started to play. I followed his lead. She was a few feet in front of us as she sung into her mic but I couldn't focus too much on her.
I was trying to nail this choreography and I knew I did good from James's encouraging comments. "There you go now throw your- yes!"
We stopped when the beat turned to an interlude while facing each other, hands interlaced in front of us while Rih turned slowly and started to strut back, winking at me as she walked between us.
"That was perfect. One more from the top." James said and that was the start of a long, long ass rehearsal. But I didn't blame him. The show was next week so everything had to be super tight.
"You know what I like?" I hummed at Rihanna as we closed the rehearsal with a quick bite at Negril's, the Caribbean restaurant I took her to the night of the party. Apparently she took a liking because it was all she ate when she was here now. Literally.
"Them ox tails you demolishing shawty? Lookin' like you might choke over there." I said with a smirk, chuckling when she flipped me off and dropped the clean bone onto the plate. "Okay, what do you like?"
"I like how you talk." My eyebrows furrowed and she elaborated. "Your accent. It's a little rough bite to it but real smooth too, I like it." I smacked my lips and grabbed my cup.
"Hell you talkin bout? I ain't got no accent." She let out a hard laugh, covering her mouth as I pulled the cap of my styrofoam cup off and drank the sprite.
"Really?" I continued to stare at her as she cleared her throat. "Hell you talm bout, shawty. Hell ya talm bout!" She said with an overdramatic accent that sounded nothing like how I talked. "Shawtaaayyy!"
"Rih, stop." I said, shaking my head as she continued to laugh. "What's in this coffee huh?" I grabbed her cup and pulled the lid off, immediately getting the whiff of alcohol. "I fuckin knew it. You get mad goofy when you lit."
"For true?" I slid her coffee back as she titled her head, speaking quickly in her own thick ass Barbadian tongue. "I no know.. about."
I bit my lip and snorted, not understanding a single word she said between know and about. "Yeah I don't know what the fuck you just said." She smacked her lips and took a sip, or should I say swig, of her coffee. "I like how you talk though."
"Oh boy. You and every other person I meet. 'You so sexy when you talk like-' I don't even hear it." Her eyes rolled, hand waving.
I smiled in amusement as she grabbed my plate and started to eat my curried chicken. "I wasn't talking about your accent, Rih." She looked at me silently, still chowing down on my food. "I meant in how carefree you talk and shit. Like you don't give a fuck 'bout who's listening. That is where the sexy comes from."
She looked down at my food and made a face. "You stop that.. you have a girlfriend."
"I'm just complimenting you." She groaned and grabbed her cup, sipping out of the straw as she shook her head. "I can't compliment you?"
She shook her head again. "Not like that no. You have a meaning under that.. I know your type, you know?" I raised my hands when she squinted her eyes at me. "I knew it the second I saw you with those two girls that night."
I waved my hand, leaning back in my seat. "That was just.. I don't know." She remained silent, looking me to continue and oddly.. I did. "I care about Aniya a lot but I know we're not gonna work out. It's inevitable and I'm just trying to figure out how to break up with her nicely. It's been two years of her taking my shit, no cap. I feel like a headass right now."
"You are a headass, Y/n." I gave her a look as she clean her mouth with a wet wipe, teasing in her eyes. "But you're less headass for taking initiative so.. that's a step." I nodded with a huff and she tapped the table. "Just think. Once you let her go, you can have sex freely with all the girls without the guilt."
I raised my eyes with a smirk. "All the girls huh?" Her eyes rolled at my innuendo. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to hear you say that-"
"Nah Nah Nah, I am off limits, ya hear? I got standards." I chuckled and watched her throw her napkin onto my empty plate. "I don't sleep with hoe niggas."
I hummed sarcastically, watching her stand up and sling her purse over her shoulder. "You coming to my game next Friday?" Her head tilted as she gave me a look. "Come on.. you're almost through the college life. You gotta see a home football game."
"I didn't sign up for this shit." Her eyes rolled. "But fine, I ain't paying for no tickets though."
"I got you. I'll have your name put down at the gate. Where you like to sit at?"
She pursed her lips. "If I'm asked for a picture more than five times, I'm leaving."
I blinked slowly and nodded. "Box seats it is." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and started to walk out. "Bye Robyn."
"You not special enough to call me that!" She called over her shoulder, continuing to walk out of the food spot.
Ah.. but I would be. Soon.
____
Now that the base is set.. time to unfold my friends 😈