Page 75 of The Plus One

“What if this only feels right because we’re here? We’ve been on vacation, having sex and pretending to be together. Real life isn’t like this.”

“I know.”

“What if we get home and everything changes?”

“It will.” Her face fell. “Not like that.” I laughed. “Shit changing because I’m not going home pretending this ain’t happen.”

She stared at me. “I don’t want to go back to seeing you every now and then. I don’t want to be the nigga you call when you need some dick, and I damn sure don’t want to see you with nobody else.”

“So what do you want?”

“YOU.”

“It can’t be that simple.”

“It is for me.”

She looked toward the water. “I brought you here to make Markel jealous.”

“I know that. And I also don’t care.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know everything, huh?”

“When it comes to you? Most shit.”

She rolled her eyes. “I meant what I said at the rehearsal dinner. Timing was fucked up before. It ain’t now.”

“What about Markel?”

“What about him?”

“He was your best friend.”

“WAS.”

“Ace.”

“Kema, me and Kel ain’t stop being friends because of you. I got tired of watching him hurt you while expecting everybody else to stay loyal to him.”

She got quiet. “I don’t regret choosing you either. Even after that nigga hit me in my mouth.”

She touched my lip. “He did get you good.”

“Watch yourself.”

“I’m just saying.”

“And I still beat his ass.”

“Barely.”

I stared at her. She laughed and tried to walk away, but I caught her around the waist. “You talk too much shit.”

“You love it.”

That shut me up. Because I did. Her smile slowly disappeared. “I’m scared, Ace.”

“I'm scared too.”