I crashed my lips into hers. Our tongues wrestled for a bit, both of us trying to control the kiss. I didn’t mind when she did that shit, because the only thing it did was make my dick hard.
“Wait. Don’t let your food get cold,” Maverick said when she pulled away.
I pecked her lips but kept my hand on her neck. “The only reason why I won’t say fuck this food is because you cooked it, and it smells too good not to eat.” On cue, my stomach growled, causing Maverick to giggle and slide off my lap.
I looked up at her when she sat across from me. “I really am thankful for you stepping in today. I know you aren’t a fan of crowds. Can you tell me why that is?” I asked as I cut into my steak.
I watchedOnyx eat for a second before I told him the story that changed my life and the reason for my anxiety. I could tell he’d taken a shower when he got home because his bodywash filled the air.
“I was maybe six or seven, and it was black Friday. For some reason, my mom wanted to go, even though we had never gone before. My father was at work, so he couldn’t tell her how bad an idea it was with a child so small. We were at the store, but I can’t remember which one it was. All I remember is a bunch of people pushing and shoving each other to get something. One minute, I was holding my mom’s hand; the next minute, someone pushed me hard, and I was forced to let go of her hand. Before I knew it, I couldn’t find my mom, and I was terrified. Then, I got pushedmore and ended up falling. Luckily, someone saw me and helped me up before I got trampled, but I couldn’t find my mom in the large crowd. The lady who helped me took me to the front of the store, but it was pandemonium getting up there. I was able to tell them my name and my mom’s name. I wasn’t sure how long it took for her to come to the front, but to me, it felt like forever. Ever since, I’d been afraid of large crowds.”
Onyx put his fork down on the plate and reached across the table to grab my hand. Once they were intertwined, he looked into my eyes.
“I’m sure that was traumatizing. I can’t imagine going through that, but also how your mother probably felt in that moment. I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost Turquoise, especially in such a big crowd.”
Onyx’s thumb caressed the back of my hand soothingly.
“My mom felt so bad once she found me. She even took me to get ice cream afterwards, even though I hadn’t eaten.” I smiled at the memory. “She even gave me one of my Christmas gifts early to make up for it. I think she got me more gifts than she planned that year. It was the worst holiday season that I could remember.”
“So you’ve avoided crowds since then?”
“As much as I possibly can. It sucks sometimes when I can’t go with my friends to certain places.”
Even though my friends knew how I felt about crowds, they would still ask me if I wanted to go, just in case I changed my mind one day. My answer was always no though. They always made sure to record plenty of footage for me to watch. I had gotten better over the years, because I’d missed out on some good shows. I was still a work in progress. I promised myself that if Queen B went on tour again, I would be there no matter what. I refused to miss her again.
“I’ll help you overcome your fears if you allow me to,” Onyx suggested.
He’d push his plate to the side and reached for my other hand.
“How are you going to do that?”
“I have my ways.” He winked. “Nah, but I have an idea. No pressure though.”
I wasn’t sure if he would be able to help me, but it was worth a shot. I trusted Onyx enough to know he wouldn’t put me in any situations that would cause me any harm.
“We’ll see. How was your day?”
Onyx told me about a couple of the calls he went on during the day. People called the fire department for some of the simplest things. I would have never thought to call about anything other than a fire or an animal stuck in a tree. Someone called because they thought they had a dead raccoon under their porch. I cracked up when he told me about a guy who called because he had a nightmare. A nightmare. I couldn’t imagine calling anyone for that. I didn’t even call my daddy for a nightmare.
“Enough about me. How was the ice cream social? Did you guys have any issues?”
“Surprisingly, it was good. Turquoise stayed with me the whole time, and she introduced me to some of her friends. She also made sure she had gluten-free ice cream.”
I didn’t want to tell him about the mini freak out I almost had in my car when I first arrived at the school. I never wanted my issue to become his, especially because I knew he didn’t have many people to help with his daughter. She was also such a sweetheart, so I didn’t mind.
“That’s good. Even though I told them, I was still worried something would happen. I know sometimes there’s cross-contamination. We’re still learning the ins and outs of thedisease.” He cringed a little when he said disease. “I hate using that word. It makes it sound so . . . bad.”
“Say disorder instead. It doesn’t make it sound so bad.”
The term disease held a negative connotation, so I often tried to use disorder when I talked to my patients, even though it was technically a disease. Hearing that word was so jarring. Patients’ lives were already going to change because of their diagnoses, so I tried to ease the tension each time I had to deliver the news.
“You’re right. Can you stay the night?”
“I can, and I’ll even make breakfast. I just need you to take the eggs out of the carton for me.”
“What? Why?” Onyx looked at me with a confused expression.
I cringed when I spotted the egg carton in his fridge.
