I don’t know what it is about the middle of the week, but it has become a bit of a pattern for us as a group to hook up in the courtyard to figure out what the weekend looks like. With the upcoming yacht party Ian has going this weekend, at least we don’t have to worry about where we’ll all be going. The unfortunate part is that Zahra and I aren’t sure if we’re still going or not.
We sit on the benches nearest to the gym, staying as far away from prying ears as possible. Zahra chooses to sit in my lap, a confusing move for me considering what was said the last time we talked. I notice a subtle wink between her and Kendyl, and I have a funny feeling they had a whole other convo that has her making this move. I don’t wanna push her off because, well, she knows where I stand, and I can’t ignore what my heart wants anymore.
What started out as a simple conversation over when to arrive to board the yacht turns into a whole debate over whether any of us are going at all.
Kyle scowls like the mere thought of being on the boat with Ian will knock his status down a few notches. “So we’re gonna forget about the grandstanding at my party, right? Or what about the subtle shots at my ace at every given opportunity? He’s flexing, and I’m not going for it like he’s on my level.”
Zahra chimes in, and I hear every drop of bias in her tone. “Ky, you’re right, but he might just be trying to keep the spotlight on him more than anything. It’s on brand for him, you know?”
“Yeah, but something’s still not feeling right about any of this.” Kyle takes a sip of his water bottle. Kendyl sits next to him, rubbing his shoulders. I can sense the tension in him, too, and I wonder if something else is going on that we don’t know about. “If we do go,” Kyle says, “I’m staying in the open areas on the boat. Rumors are already rocking about others who are supposed to be there that aren’t from Oakwood Grove.”
I nod. “I get that, but you’re sounding paranoid. There’s nothing happening at the party, just like no drama went down at yours.”
“We kept the guest list tight and away from random folks, bestie,” Kyle scoffs. “The wild part about all this is he’s been real loose with the invites. He’s trying to play himself like he’s got reach.”
Zahra goes silent for a moment, and I focus on her to make sure she’s okay. She returns my gaze with a nod and a half smile, then whispers in my ear, “I need to talk to you when we’re done with the crew.”
I mouth, “I do, too,” before I turn back to the debate. “Aye, look, a lot of this is still out of my depth, so I’m not gonna pretend that I know the best move to make here. Kyle’s got a point, though—Ian’s been a bit more hyper than usual. Maybe he’s angling for something, maybe he’s just trying to top what Kyle did for his birthday party, but it’s obvi to me that he’s intent on keeping the spotlight focused on him.”
Kendyl turns to Kyle. “I get what you’re saying, and we can still find a way to get what we want while keeping out of the drama. As long as we stay tight and among ourselves, we could survive this and have a whole reason to people watch and be nosy for the hell of it.” She kisses Kyle across each cheek and his forehead, and I legit watch him soften up fast. “If one of us leaves the group while at the party, then a wingman goes with them. It will keep what happened to Yasir at your party from happening this weekend.”
“I’m feeling that,” I co-sign. “Although I know if any of the girls go, y’all are all going together. We’re not that naive.”
Kyle and I get a good chuckle out of that quip, but it’s not like I’m wrong. Kyle taps my fist, dropping a peck on Kendyl’s lips before he shifts back to the rest of us. “All right, let’s run with that plan. I’m still not with going, but we can at least stay insulated and protected while we’re there.”
Zahra kisses me, then rises from my lap. “I need to talk to my girl for a minute. I’ll meet up with you later?”
“Yeah, I need to drop by Unk’s shop to see if there’s anything he needs. Meet me there so we can talk?”
“I’ll meet you there.”
…
Zahra opts to leave Raiden in the parking lot in front of Unk’s store, then jumps into Storm and settles in the passenger seat, directing me to a secluded spot so we can be alone. I don’t want to sound nervous while we ride, but I can’t stop trembling in anticipation of the conversation.
We stop at Prentiss Park, a location she says she uses whenever she wants to be alone to create music. We get out of the car and walk to one of the empty pavilions to sit and talk. I’m carrying one of my parkas with us, since we’re in a wooded area in the park and the weather has turned cooler than expected.
She wraps herself inside the fabric and inhales, closing her eyes like she’s being transported. She sighs as she exhales, turning her gaze to my curious stare.
“Look,” she says. “After what happened last weekend, and before we go to Ian’s party, we should be a united front, you know? I’m just gonna come out and say it before I lose my nerve—I’m ready to be your girlfriend, if you still want me to be.”
Okay, so I was not prepared for that to come out of her mouth.
She takes my hand, and I know she can feel my heartbeat pulsing through my grip, which seems to sync with her own pulse’s rapid pace. I’m trying to get the words to come out, but they’re stuck in my throat.
“I—I mean, are you—yes, of course I want you to be my girlfriend.” The way I stammer out the words before I finally smooth out my tone, by Nyati, I swear I sound like a whole sappy greeting card. “I’m serious. Are you sure, no cap?”
“No cap, cuteness.” She leans in and kisses me deep and slow. “I want us to be together.”
“Now I feel like what I needed to talk about kinda pales by comparison.” I lick my lips to moisten them, pausing for a moment as I continue to stare into her eyes. “My nana wants to see me this weekend, and she’s asked if you could come with me to visit.”
She blinks more than a few times, and I almost wanna take back what I said. “Well, that was sudden. Why this weekend? What’s the rush? Wait a minute, is she ready to have that talk about where you come from?”
“I understand if it’s too soon. I can tell her we’ll come up another time if you want.” Yeah, I need to backtrack, although a little quicker than I wanted, but—yeah, I mean, we’d just solidified our relationship seconds ago. “I know you said you wanted to go when we were just friends, but this is something completely different now. You’re my girl now.”
She acts like she wants to take off my parka, fanning herself like she’s gotten hot all of a sudden. She adjusts quicker than I expect, too. “I still wanna go, baby. I promised I would help you see this through. What time do you want to head up there?”
“I wanna make it a day trip, get down and back before nightfall so we have enough time to prep for the party on Sunday night,” I tell her. I can’t stop staring at her, making her blush and bury her face inside my coat. “You’re my girl. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to say that.”
“Well, get used to it, pretty boy, because I’m yours.”
I don’t want to sound like I’m all doom and gloom, but this is coming out of nowhere, and as much as I’m happy that we can finally define what we are now, I can’t escape this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I just hope I’m wrong for a change.