He bites his lip, and I burst out laughing. “It’s the ‘know how fi tek shame’ for me,” I laugh, and he lifts his glass of Cîroc, sipping while hiding his smile.
“I loved you early, enuh,” I admit with a shy laugh, covering my face with my palm. Why am I even saying this?
He looks at me with his eyebrows raised, grinning. “Eeeh?”
“Call me crazy,” I say, lowering my hand, “but mi did just come out of a messy relationship. One weh mi try and try fi fix and mi still couldn’t feel happy. And then boom, this mysterious man come from outta nowhere, always popping up everywhere mi go, and him just… make mi feel happy again.”
I blush. Hard. “At first you did irk mi spirit enuh but then mi start admire you.”
He grins wider. “At the school?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“You did love me that time?” he asks, clearly surprised.
“No,” I say, laughing. “During the time when you started ask mi fi deh wid you. That’s when it start creep up.” I pause, grinning like a proper idiot. Nickoi really have me smiling like fool, eeeh.
“So how you did know it was love and not just… something else?” he asks, tilting his head, genuinely curious.
“I mean, yeah, mi did have a crush but then the feelings just get intense. Like mi couldn’t stop thinking ‘bout you. You were all up inna mi mind. That’s how mi know it was different. Itwasn’t surface-level,” I say honestly and somehow, it don’t even feel awkward telling him this.
“When was the first time yuh realize say yuh like mi?” he asks, his smile still tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Umm… I think the first time mi really start liking you was the day mi give yuh Jordane’s report,” I say, sipping my juice.
Nickoi chuckles. “Facts. Mi did notice say yuh did shake up.”
I burst out laughing. “Whatever,” I grin, rolling my eyes. Then I glance at him. “When didyouknow you liked me?”
He leans back slightly, thinking. “Well… the first time mi see you, mi like yuh. But mi figure out say mi love yuh from the moment mi cut off Talia. Mi did know it deep, but mi never wah admit it.” His voice is calm, honest, and the second I hearTaliafollowed bycut off, I’m blushing. Whole swarm of butterflies in my chest.
“Awwww,” I say, smiling so hard it hurts. Nickoi lifts his glass and downs the rest of his Cîroc, eyes still on me.
We’d finished eating now—just sitting there, talking and laughing. The conversation drifted toCreepin’ Closet, that popular baby boutique in California. We thought about stopping there but—
“We can always go back another time,” I tell him. “I think it’s still kinda early—and plus, mommy going back abroad, and miknowshe a go buy out the whole baby section.” Nickoi nods, then reaches over and gently holds my hand, helping me up from the chair. My legs had started cramping from sitting too long.
“Mi a go fly out soon,” he says casually.
I glance at him quickly, catching something in his tone. “Eh?” He notices my curiosity right away.
“Mi a go deal with some business… link up with a few family members too,” he explains. I keep my eyes on him for a second longer than usual, but I nod.
He chuckles. “Yuh know mi nah stay more than two days.”
I nod, smiling. “Okay… I can stay at Mama’s.”
“Mi nuh sure when mi a go yet, but yuh will know,” he says. I nod again, quietly soaking in the moment.
He turns to speak with the team for a bit. They wave us off with wide smiles. “Take care and come again!” one of them calls out.
We step outside into the night, the air warm and soft around us as we walk through the parking lot. When we reach the Jaguar, I pause and glance up at Nickoi. He looks down at me with a soft smile, and I step in closer, reaching my arms around him on tiptoe. He bends slightly so I can reach his lips.
See wah happen when yuh short?
I kiss him—slow, deep, with my eyes closed. He moves with me, gently pressing my back against the Jaguar. I let the kiss linger, then finally pull away, breath shaky, heart doing somersaults.
“I love you,” I whisper, smiling up at him before I slip into the car.
