43. DON'T SAY ANYTHING
"ELIJAH PUT YOU up to this, didn't he?" Aliyah stumbles out of the bathroom, pulling her shower cap from her head, roughly.
Toni was flopped on the bed, short of breath as she had to run some errands while Aliyah was in the shower. Luckily, the wedding planner had taken her time ━ shaving everything, Toni assumed.
That gave Toni enough time to grab a suit from Elijah's closet and drive it to the hospital to give to him. He thanked her, profusely, for helping him out to which she replied:
"Y'all better get married or I'm busting the windows out yo damn car like my good sis Jazmine Sullivan once said."
Now, she's back at his place, waiting for Aliyah to put on the outfit she'd also pulled from the closet.
"Maybe," Toni trails off, her arms spread as if she's making a snow angel in Elijah perfect silky sheets, "Damn, you take forever."
"I just got out of the shower, Toni," Aliyah laughs, making her way over to her bag with her lotions and things. As she begins to lather her Jergens Shea Butter lotion on her fresh skin, she can't help but feel Toni stare into the side of her face. "Yes, ma'am?"
A wide, happy smile unfolds on Toni's face, "I'm happy for you."
"Huh?" Of course, Aliyah heard her but that was her way of asking her to elaborate.
Toni's grin widens, "He makes you happy and you make him happy. And that makes me happy. You deserve it."
Tears prick at Aliyah's eyes as a wide smile stretches across her beautiful face. She gets to work on doing her makeup with a conversation being held by Toni who was plucking at the sheets.
"Do y'all fuck in these sheets?"
Aliyah was thrown all the way off guard at her best friend's question. A weird sound escapes her, "Uhhhhhh, no."
"Is it strictly the shower? 'Cause y'all know I be sleeping in this bed too ━"
"Toni." Aliyah grinds out her name, "Please stop."
WITH NARROWED EYES, Toni scoffs as she stares her best friend down.
"Y'all haven't fucked yet?"
Aliyah's eyes widen as she turns to face Toni. She pauses, a tube of lipgloss in her grasp as her eyes widen in confusion, "How did you even ━"
Toni holds a finger up to stop her from continuing, "I'm just that good." She shrugs, "What's up with that? I mean, it's not like y'all haven't already." Toni raises a teasing eyebrow.
Aliyah jumps up from her seat and heads over to the knob on the door of the closet where her dress hangs. She doesn't need a bra ━ hence her thongs basically flossing her ass. It's not like she wanted to wear it ━ it's that she had to or there would be a large print and she wasn't with that tonight.
"That's none of your business, T," Aliyah tells her, dropping her towel to the floor. With her back facing Toni, she steps into the dress and slides it up her smooth legs. When the dress is covering her bare breasts, she turns back and tilts her head only to see Toni already looking at her.
Aliyah huffs, "I'm just not ready."
Not even a second passes before Toni nods, sympathetically, "I understand."
Toni is an amazing friend. It's like she was the second half to Aliyah's baggage of trust issues and sexual frustration. Aliyah knows that she doesn't have to explain herself any further when it comes to Toni Rothford.
She's just amazing.
"Thank you." Finally, after a bit of shuffling, Aliyah slips her arms into the sleeves and fixes the dress, twisting it to fit on her body perfectly, "Alright. How do I look?"
Aliyah's breasts pop as the dress accentuates her curves. With both shoulders and legs on display, Aliyah couldn't help but feel a little exposed, but as she caught herself in the mirror, she also couldn't help the confidence that washed over her.
Toni whistles, lowly, "Damn, you fine. Yes, bih, fuck it up!" She takes a moment more to look her best friend up and down. Then, finally, "Alright, put on your shoes and grab your purse and stuff. We gotta leave ASAP."
"YOU GONNA TELL ME where we're going?" Aliyah questions for the sixteenth time in the entire car ride.
It's been twenty minutes.
Toni spares her a deadly glare, "Ask me that one more time and I'm kicking yo ass out my damn car."
While many people would take her threat seriously, Aliyah knew that Toni wouldn't do shit. At least not to her. Definitely to other people.
"You didn't do all this just to kick me out of the car, Toni." Aliyah tells her, resting her head against the headrest, careful not to mess up her pineapple that she spent minutes on to perfect. "Where are we going?"
"Oh my God, Liyah, stop questioning me!" Toni bursts out laughing at her best friend's annoying nature. Suddenly, she makes a right turn into a valet lane, "We're here anyway."
The first thing Aliyah took notice of was the man standing right at the entrance of whatever building the valet lane belonged to. There Elijah stands, looking handsome as ever. His blue eyes sparkle under the fluorescent lighting of the restaurant sign.
He stands there in a white button up shirt, a blazer thrown over it, dressed to the nines. Toni almost awes out loud as she pulls into the spot.
Then, Aliyah notices the restaurant behind him. Morton's Steakhouse is probably one of, if not the most expensive restaurant in Charlotte.
"Well, bye." Toni rushes out, sending Aliyah an eager stare, "I hope you have a great date. Tell me all about it when you get home."
Aliyah turns to look at her best friend, "Thank you." She says, her words dripping with gratitude.
Toni is having none of it. She reaches over Aliyah's lap and opens the door. "Go."
In a matter of seconds, Aliyah takes a step out of the car, her heel meeting the pavement. Her eyes remain on Elijah's as she approaches him.
"You look amazing," He shakes his head in disbelief, "I don't even know what to say."
Aliyah smirks, a wave of confidence washing over her,. She snakes her arms around his neck, "Then, don't say anything."
Elijah wastes no time in wrapping his arms around her waist, "Oh?"
Not even a second passes before Aliyah leans forward and presses her lips against Elijah's. He reciprocates, immediately, pulling her closer to him until there is no space to be spared between them.
Their lips fit together like two pieces that had been missing and searching for each other their entire lives. When they kiss, it's like they're molded into one ━ one mind, one soul, one body.
The kiss screams passion, adoration, and so much love that it can't fit in one single moment.
It would have gone further if reality hadn't set in and the two hadn't realized just where they were ━ pretty much in the middle of the street.
The two pull away from the sweet kiss, Elijah taking his bottom lip into his mouth in order to savor in the taste of her strawberry lipgloss.
"You are perfect," Aliyah whispers, pecking his lips once more.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THEM ALSO ITS 2AM SO I AM AB TO KNOCK TF OUT OKAY BYE NOW