“Yes, okay. Are you happy now?”
“Very.”
“You look full of yourself,” he mutters, and I can’t bite back a laugh.
“I always am.”
It’s quiet between us for a few moments, and I relish in the sound of our mutual breathing in what I wish was a shared space between us.
“Cedrick…” The silence feels tense for some reason.
“Madison…” I whisper.
“I’ll come back to Mayhem for you.”
My entire world stops spinning. “What?”
“I will. I just… gimme a little time. But I will, okay?”
“Darlin’, are you sure?” I ask because as much as I want this, and even though we agreed on it, I… I don’t want to lose him.
“Yes.” He sounds breathless, and I feel over the moon.
“Anything you need,” I reassure him.
“Thank you. Good-goodnight, Cedrick.”
“Goodnight, my treat.” And with a smile, I watch Madison’s face disappear, feeling lighter than I have in so long.
I’m finally going to have both pieces of myself back in one place, and I absolutely cannot wait… except I can because I have no other choice but to.
Madison needs time and space, and I will give that to him…
I just hope he doesn’t take too long because I am gettin’ antsy already.
“Damn, what took you so long?”Booker asks when I finally step inside. It smells like booze and cigarettes, and I roll my eyes into the back of my head.
“None ya business.”
“Oooh,” Wesley chimes from somewhere to my right, and without looking in his direction, I flip him the bird.
“Someone’s feisty tonight,” Kaser drawls thickly, and I shrug as I walk up beside them and grab myself a beer.
“Not,” I disagree. “Just not in the mood.”
“Ricky? Not in the mood to party?” Graves chimes in on my left, and I raise my brow when he waggles his.
“No, G. Not tonight.”
“Damn,” he mutters, and I laugh quietly before taking a long pull of my beer.
It’s gonna be a long night because I do have a question to ask Kierra, but it’s gonna have to wait ‘til they’re all a little more fucked up and possibly won’t remember why I’m asking to begin with.
“You look like you’re thinking hard about something,” Kaser says after a minute, and I shrug the suggestive words off.
“No more than the usual.”
“It’s Kian’s birthday, man, and you’re in a totally different world.”
