“When? In between fighting on the ice when you’re sitting there benched?”
I laughed. “Not quite. Maybe over a couple of beers and some wings, or something like that.”
“I’m glad that you have that,” she stated and cupped my face and kissed me.
“You could have it, too, whether it’s with your sister and best friend or some other friends.” I reached out, grabbed her waist, and kissed her forehead. “Or with me.”
She looked into my eyes and smiled again. “Don’t know where this is leading to, sir, but you don’t have to go easy on me because I’m sick. I know that when this week is over, I’ll probably never see you again.”
Something twisted inside of my heart, and it was sharp and unyielding. Although I knew, at the back of my mind, we had no plans on connecting beyond this week, it still didn’t sit well with me to hear those words spoken aloud.
I knew that I shouldn’t challenge the connection and force my way through the little bubble that surrounded us, but I couldn’t help it.
“Remember when we said we would let fate decide if we crossed paths again?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, it seems that fate already made that decision. I mean, I know that it wasn’t off in the future like we thought, but this has to count for something, right?”
She closed her eyes and remained silent for so long that it scared me. Was she trying to shut me out?
“You scare me.”
“Why?”
“Because the way that you take care of me would make it easy for me to fall for you. I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I need to heal.”
“I’m a proponent of that, you know that. I’m not pushing for anything or proposing anything beyond what we’re doing now, one day at a time. Accepting a beautiful friendship and enjoying each other’s space as time permits.”
“I’d have to put boundaries around my heart to protect it from you.”
“Why?”
“Because I could easily fall in love with you, Navy.”
“I’m a patient man, Nyako.”
“Wasn’t it you in the airport who said you weren’t looking for love or relationships, and why couldn’t people just let things be?”
“I did say that, and I still mean that. I stand firm on every word I said, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be in your space, enjoying conversations, connections, bonding, and sexual intimacy along with that.”
She bobbed her head slowly. “You’re right. I guess that I don’t have to be lonely while I’m working on my journey of healing. I just need to travel slowly down that road.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I think that I would like to see you traveling that road alongside of me, Navy.”
I kissed her forehead again. “You’ve got me.”
13
NAVY – BE WHO YOU ARE
Iknew that I was overstepping boundaries that had been put in place, and I had no right to do it, but I had all good intentions. I had called Adrian and asked her for Nyako’s sister’s name and number if she had it.
I hadn’t wanted to, but I had left the condo to meet up with Aoko to discuss the catfish situation. She had pretty much shared the same things with me that Nyako had about the situation but also gave me her perspective on things.
She agreed to meet up with me when I told her that I wanted to do something about the situation. We both knew that Nyako wouldn’t be happy about me butting into her business, but I did want to facilitate the closure that she needed. Aoko agreed that if no one pushed her to do it, she wouldn’t.
