Wrapping my arms around her, I hugged her, taking the comfort she provided. It hadn’t been two months, but she’d given me more during this short time than I’d received in five years of marriage.
We stayed in the rest of the day. Alaiya stayed true to her word, making the entire day about me. She’d cooked my favorite dinner and two pans of cornbread. Then, we ate together while we binged the entireJohn Wickseries. After the first movie, she took my dick in her mouth. When the second movie ended, I fucked her against the cool tile while we showered. During part three, we made love while John killed off the High Table enforcers. Finally, once the final duel ended in the last movie, Alaiya climbed on my dick and rode me until we fell over together.
I nuzzled her hair. “Baby?”
“Hm?”
“Thanks for making this the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” She kissed my chest. “Wait ’til next year. I already have plans.”
The room descended into silence for a moment. Her breathing slowed down, and I knew she would soon drift off to sleep. “Remember when I told you I had another item on my list?”
She glanced at me with hooded eyes. “Yes.”
Reaching over to the nightstand, I grabbed my wallet and pulled out a Post-it note. I handed it to her. “This is my list.”
Laiya sat up, not bothering to cover her naked skin. She pushed her hair back from in front of her eyes and read it aloud. “Number six. Tell Alaiya I …” Gasping, she turned to me. “When did you write this?”
“I added it on the day you took that edible. And I knew for sure after the first time we made love.”
She bit down on her bottom lip. “But, how?”
I dragged a finger down her cheek, then tugged her to me. “It is what it is,” I murmured against her mouth. “What it probably has always been.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Then say it.”
While she was sleeping off her high, I realized that my desire for her was more than simple attraction. It was more than sex. It had everything to do with the connection we’d always shared. That was the day I knew that I loved her.
“I love you, Laiya,” I whispered.
A slow smile spread over her lips. “Uncle Linc told me he fell in love with Aunt Layla the first day he met her. To some it might seem preposterous. But to me … it felt like a confirmation. You told me we could go slow, but I think it was already too late. Because I was enamored with you from the moment you ignored the fact that I had on a hot-ass Wonder Woman costume in the middle of the summer.”
I laughed, even as my heart pounded in my ears.
“And that feeling never really went away. No matter how much I ran from it. Even when both of us tried to ignore it.” The tips of her fingers drifted across my cheek, and she kissed me. “Spencer, I love you, too.”
Those three words, coupled with the emotion in her eyes, nearly wrecked me. In the best way. Nothing had ever felt like this. I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve her, but I would make sure I spent the rest of my life showing her how much she meant to me.
I turned us over, resting my body on top of hers. “I want to always be like this with you.”
She wrapped her legs around my waist. “I’m good with that.”
Later, as we laid in each other’s arms, after I made her come on my tongue, I thought back to the end of last year. If I hadn’t been sitting with Yolanda at that speed dating event, Laiya wouldn’t have felt the need to intervene with Taylar. If she hadn’t intervened, I probably wouldn’t have seen her move-on plan. Circumstances brought us together, but that list changed everything. Now, I was here with her, looking forward to building a life together. The way it was always meant to be.
Epilogue
4EVERMORE
Spencer
Four20, One Year Later
The intoxicating scent of roses and weed surrounded us as we stared up at the stars. The Leaf Lodge had officially expanded to Wellspring, Michigan. Hosting the opening on National Weed Day was a no brainer and we decided to make it a weekend event. Currently, our family and friends were enjoying the inauguralHiyVibe Event.
The best part? I didn’t have to do anything. Des and Taylar handled the planning, the décor, the food, and the itinerary for the weekend. Tonight, guests dressed to impress in all black while they sampled cannabis-infused dishes, danced to old school R&B and hip hop, and enjoyed the grounds. Scattered around the room were DIY stations that offered everything from pre-rolls and joint rolling demonstrations to bong carts and CBD mocktails.
“Do you think they’ll miss us?”
