For the past week, she’s been blissed out. She’s glowing. Thriving. Healthier. Apparently, great sex and even better conversation does that to a person. There’s a loud energy that seems to thrum around her when she’s sharing the same space as him and they meet each other’s eyes. The first day back in class was … disastrous. She bumbled her way through the lecture, making mistakes to the point that several students had to ask if she was feeling okay.
All because of him.
Later that night, they laid out even more ground rules that resulted in her being pressed into the kitchen island. She moves around the room as students take notes. The loud chime of her phone receiving a text message sends a thrill through her.
Ro
Come over.
Her body burns and she can’t stop her lips from turning upward.
Jahlani
Don’t text me. I’m working.
Ro
Okay.
Ro
I’ll stop if you agree to come over tonight.
Ro
I have perfected the craft of cinnamon rolls.
She snorts at this, getting ready to type a reply when a student calls her.
“Uh, Miss … your messages are showing up on the screen.”
Jahlani looks up and she reaches forward to rip the HDMI cord from her MacBook. She lowers her head, cheeks flaming, before looking at her phone.
“Would you look at the time—I’m late for an appointment.”
“We still have forty-five minutes?—”
“Class is over,” she says in a rush, typing on her phone as students filter out, not looking up.
Jahlani
We’ll talk later.
“New rule,” Jahlani says in the entryway, slipping off her shoes. “You can’t text me anymore.”
She stops when she rounds the corner, unable to fight the curve of her mouth when Lucy stumbles to her. She lifts her up, placing her on her hip as she walks toward Roman.
“What’s all this?” she breathes out, stepping toward the dining room table that’s laid out with food. He shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck.
“My way of apologizing. I tried to get all your favorites. I even”—he lifts the box to reveal pineapple pizza—“got this monstrosity.”
She scoffs. “This isn’t going to work.”
He sighs, dragging a hand down his face. “I know.”
“That could’ve been way worse.”
“I know.”
