Nickoi turns slowly, the boys shift uncomfortably. One clears his throat, then points straight at Mark, like it wasn’t all of them talking a while ago. Nickoi’s gaze lands on Mark.
“A you a Mark?” he asks. His tone is flat. Cold.
Mark nods like a coward.
Nickoi doesn’t even blink. “You need some real friends.” Then he turns back to me, the edge of a smirk playing on his lips.
“Why you so wicked?” I ask, low enough that only he hears. He just chuckles.
“Dem probably think seh cause him disrespect yuh, mi woulda’ do him sup’m. Maybe Jordane tell him dat.”
“A the fact say him friends dem give him up so fast,” I say, smiling. My mind drifts—to Gutta. And that girl…Juaqína.
“Weh Gutta?” I ask.
Nickoi looks at me, eyebrows raised. “Mi nuh sure. Why?”
I shrug, suddenly self-conscious.
“I just wanna apologize. For how mi did behave… especially toher.”
He nods. No judgment. “Aight.”
He pays for the groceries and we get in the car. The drive is quiet. I rest my head on his arm and close my eyes until we reach the house.
“Mi have sup’m fi deal with, so mi a go lef,” he says, voice low.
I frown, not ready to let him go. He looks at me briefly. “Mi a try fi nuh stay too long” I nod. But when I step out the car and head to the bedroom, I realize he’s right behind me.
I sit on the bed, confused. Isn’t he leaving?
“What—?”
He doesn’t answer. He just grabs my face, biting my bottom lip. I moan before I can stop myself. He pushes me gently onto the bed, mouth trailing to my neck. Then to my ear.
“Soon fawud come give yuh weh yuh want,” he breathes. His words sink into my skin. I shiver.
“Nickoi…” I moan his name, and he pulls back with a smirk like he didn’t just flip my whole body upside down. “I thought you said you had sum’ to do.”
“Yah. Mi come fi a tees,” he says coolly, like that moment never happened. I roll my eyes and turn away, annoyed. He always does this, teases me just to leave me hot and frustrated.
He grabs what he came for and turns to me. “Mi a go now. If anything, call mi. Or link Joe.”
He pauses. “Come yer.”
I look up. He’s waiting. I climb to the edge of the bed slowly, and he grabs my throat, kissing me again. Deep this time. My stomach tightens. Then he pulls away, smiling like he’s proud of the pooling he made downthere.
“Bye. I love you,” I mutter with an attitude.
He raises a brow. “Who you a talk to so?” He holds my chin, forces me to look up at him, he leans in and bites my lip again, hard this time.
“Ow!” I glare, pulling away as I slide off the bed. He laughs, already at the door. Then he stops. Looks back.
“Mi nah hide nothing from yuh. So mi a mek yuh know, mi a go deal wid Talia.” My heart skips.
I stare at him. “Wah you gonna do?”
“Mi nah put mi hands pon har. But mi a send har back to Mexico. After mi talk to har.”
