“But why would she keep doing it if it bothered her so much?”
She sits back and disengages Elijah’s fingers from her hair. “Because I think she really cares for him. Sometimes we hurt the ones we love when we know the alternative is a lot worse.”
Her words hit me hard, because that’s exactly what Aziah did when we were children. He let his father force him to have sex with me because if he didn’t, his father would have done it himself. And yes, that would have been a thousand times worse.
“Do you….” I glance down at my fingers and realize I’ve picked the cuticles so much they’re bleeding. I lift my head. “Do you think she loves him?”
Remi’s expression softens, and a knowing look enters her eyes. “I do, or at least I think she thinks she does.” My expression drops. “But I don’t believe he feels the same way about her. I’m sure he cares about her, but only as much as a friend cares about another friend.”
A huge weight lifts off my chest. I don’t want Aziah to love another woman. At least not in a romantic way. Deep down inside, I want that only reserved for me.
Remi gets up and carries Elijah over to his walker. After she settles him in it, she stops by the fridge, grabs a couple bottles of water, and brings them back to the table. She slides one to me.
“Now it’s my turn to ask you a question. Is there something going on between you and Emo?”
I grab the bottle of water, twist the cap, and take a long swallow, giving myself time to think about her question.
Would the kiss last night in the shower constitute something going on between Aziah and me? It felt like it to me, but I’m not sure about him. He said he enjoyed it, but that doesn’t mean he enjoyed it enough to do it again. Or enough to form a relationship.
I set the bottle down on the table. “I don’t know, to be honest. We kissed last night, and for the first time, I felt something strange happen inside me. The feeling was good.”
“Do you want something to happen between you?”
“I think so.” I nod. “Yes, I do. But I don’t know if he does.”
A small smile appears on her face. “I think he does.”
My eyes widen. “You do?”
She inclines her head. “I do. Emo’s an intense person, but the way he looks at you, the way his eyes follow you everywhere… it goes beyond that. He may not realize it yet, but he loves you. And not just as a friend or his best friend’s little sister.”
Her words lift my spirits. “I hope you’re right. Do you think Trouble will be okay with it?”
“I think he’ll be thrilled. He knows Emo would do anything and everything to protect you.”
I think my brother will be okay with it too, but it’s reassuring to hear someone else feels the same way.
Just then, we hear the front door opening, and Remi and I both jump up from our seats. The thud of boots sounds across the floor and it matches my heartbeat. A moment later, Aziah and Trouble walk into the kitchen. Remi immediately races across the room and throws her arms around his neck, and he leans down for a kiss.
I slide my eyes to Aziah, and immense relief fills me at the sight of him. I wish I had the nerve to do the same thing Remi did with Trouble. Instead, I walk over to him at a slower pace with my heart still pounding. Once I’m in front of him, I grab his hand and bring it to my cheek, loving the warmth of his touch. Something calm passes over his face as he gazes down at me.
“I’m glad you’re home,” I whisper.
His fingers curl against my skin as he rumbles thickly, “So am I.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
RELLA
The Past
WITH BOO TUCKED UNDER my arm, I skip down the hall toward Trouble’s bedroom and push the door open without knocking.
“You’re supposta knock before you come in,” my brother says from the floor, where he, Aziah, JW, and Judge are building a race track.
“But why?”
He shrugs, placing two of the plastic pieces together like a puzzle. “Just cuz. When the door’s shut, you knock.”