My finger was hurting from the cut, and my hand was throbbing from the impact of hitting Shad’s hard ass jaw.
Massaging his jaw, Shad finally stepped back, and that’s when it happened. The electricity went out. We were in absolute blackness, minus the fireplace in the living room still casting a flickering, dancing glow down the hallway.
“Fuck,” he gritted. “Fuck!” He let out a long, slow breath, the sound barely audible over the wind. It grew louder. Limbs crackled outside as they broke. I was scared to even look outside. I was scared to move from the wall.
He headed back to his room, and once he was away from me, keeping one hand on the cool, textured wall, I started to move toward the living room. My phone was somewhere on the couch. I needed that for light.
Finally, my hand left the wall when I could make out the sofa thanks to the fire. I patted it down, searching for the smooth, cool surface of my phone. My fingers brushed against the remote, an unopened bag of chips, and then my phone. My fingers closed around it, and then I groaned when I saw that the battery was at fifteen percent.
I sat on the sofa, pulling my legs up, and covered myself up with the blanket. I had no idea what Shad was doing, but I was glad to be away from him for a moment. I didn’t know what Iwanted to do with the last fifteen percent. Call my mama? Get on TikTok? Scroll on Instagram?
It was late, and I was sure my parents were asleep. I sent my mama a message letting her know the power had gone out and my phone might be dead by the morning, but I was alright and for them not to worry. I was in… good hands? Was I? Was I still in good hands?
Shad appeared still shirtless, his shorts hanging off his hips, showing the band of his boxer-briefs. He handed me a towel. I looked down at my finger. It was still bleeding some, and now I felt bad that I may have gotten it all over his carpet and maybe his wall too.
Shad strolled over to the fireplace, throwing in more wood.
“This is all we have to keep warm. I’m not sure how long we gon’ be without electricity. There’s food we can eat on that doesn’t need heating up. We’ll be aight,” he assured. “How’s yo’ finger and fist?”
“How’s your jaw?”
He snickered. “Yo’ fist ain’t do shit, Daee. Don’t hit me again.”
“Don’t call me names,” I countered angrily.
Shad nodded. “Aight.”
He kicked his slides off and sat on the couch by my foot with his phone in his hand. Next thing I know, he’s pulling the same blanket that’s over me, on him.
“We gotta stay warm. Don’t kick me in my face.”
“What battery percentage do you have? You know, just in case of an emergency?” I quizzed.
“A hunnid.”
I smacked my lips. “Lucky you. I’m on fifteen.”
“You don’t need it anyway. Go to sleep. Know that pussy still throbbin’,” Shad laughed, getting comfortable, one hand holding one of my feet as if it was comforting.
I didn’t respond because he was right. It was still throbbing. Still sore.
Still longing for more.
I wasn’t sure when Shad moved from the other side of the couch to behind me, but when I woke up in the middle of the night because of something hitting the roof, he was there. One of Shad’s arms was draped around me, holding me close to him, my ass pressed into him. His breath was tickling the back of my neck.
My first instinct was to stiffen, but his hold wasn’t demanding. It was secure. Protective. Like he was keeping me safe, anchoring me. The sound on the roof came again. A loud thump, followed by a scraping noise.
“It’s just a damn branch,” he mumbled against my skin, his voice thick with sleep. “Go back to sleep, Daee.”
Shad’s arm tightened around me, pulling me even closer. I should have pushed away. I should have gotten up and moved to the other side of the couch. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. In this moment, it was like I needed Shad…and Shad needed me. Not on no scary shit, but from earlier…when he was triggered.
I closed my eyes, trying to will myself back to sleep, but my mind was racing.
“Shad,” I whispered, swallowing a lump in my throat. It had formed when I thought about asking him this question.
“Mmm?” he mumbled.
“Who was she?”
