He placed his hands on my shoulders. “It is.”
“Thank you. I really love presents; I don’t get them often.”
“I see.”
I played with the pendant, the sparkly butterfly representing how fast my stomach was dancing and how wide my chest was swelling, as I secretly swooned, loving this gesture more than I should.
He got me a freaking present…
Wow…
I kept staring at him while he made do with his promise to style my hair; I couldn’t think straight at this point because something just clicked into place inside me.
He got me a present…
I smiled, but it slowly faded, my chest tightening with guilt.
Fuck.
The event was, well, massive. Golden light spilled from crystal chandeliers, catching on the rims of champagne flutes. The air smelled of sugar and money, a mix of expensive champagne and rich chocolate cake that clung to the back of my throat and my tongue. Laughter rolled through the room like static under music, the kind that made everyone sound a little wealthier than they were.
We’d been there for over three hours now. As predicted, Elio had caught the eyes of many, especially Kareem, who was surprised and was talking at the top of his lungs, going into a monologue about how much Elio needed to start embracing other habits and life being too short to be so routine oriented.
Street and I had gotten our chance to speak with Kareem, and he had—as expected—taken a liking to Milk.
I spent half the time with Street while Elio had been with Casmiro, Angelo, and some other men I did not care to acquaint myself with.
Milk had gushed about the necklace, and I’d tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal, but it was—it meant a lot to me that he’d given me something so pretty—I felt special, and the gesture went to my head, toying with my emotions.
Another hour passed, and I observed my surroundings; people were everywhere, and familiar faces were scarce.
Another hour passed, and I asked Milk what the time said; it was almost midnight, and I stretched the stiff muscles in my neck—excusing myself from Street before seeking Elio.
I found him alone in a secluded area. It was quiet, the night sky directly showing in the open space behind him. He was sitting there, observing, bored, probably irritated. I almost felt guilty for leaving him to himself, but Street and I had engaged in our usual rating-people game, and it got rowdy when some group of guys and girls joined our table, and I lost myself in the sheer youthfulness of it all—mostly bracing myself for tonight.
He raised his gaze in my direction.
“Hey there, stranger.” I grinned, settling beside him on the soft white couch, pressing my body against his and breathing him in. His arm came around my shoulder.
“You left me alone,” he said.
“Sorry.” I kissed his jawline. “We had a full table, and I couldn’t leave because we had this game with some real cool-ass people, and Milk had been feeling sad about us not making enough girlfriends, and it was just fun… liberty night fun.” I grinned.
“What do I have to do to become a priority? One that comes before your friends.”
I laughed softly, wrapping my arm aroundhisshoulders.“We have a long way to go till then, buddy. Where’s Cassie and Angie?”
“Gone. Around. I have no idea. But Casmiro told me he would be retiring early.”
“And your security detail?” I looked around.
“Liberty night. I do not like them following me around. Besides, not many people recognize me like this. I like it.”
I grinned at his admission. “I told you, and you’re in good hands; Kareem’s security detail is pretty strong.”
“Hm,” he said, his hand caressing my naked shoulder as he pressed a light kiss there. “When do we leave?” he asked quietly.
“Soon,” I told him. “I was hoping to talk to you about something now that we’re partially alone.”
