Page 58 of Just Like Summer

She returned an excited smile. “Steal the moon.”

Inside the section with Ekho, Fahaad, and Nate and Dania, Cairo sat, taking in the space, letting Kamilla’s thumb caress his hand. While Dania danced, Ekho bobbed, Fahaad pecked away on his phone and Nate enjoyed the drinks, Cairo absorbed this moment. Every snapshot just in case tomorrow, it was snatched away.

He was still in the streets and he knew how a nigga could be on top the world one minute, a hater sniffed it out and it was gone. When the deejay finally spun the record, Cairo’s eyes floated closed and he ingested every melody. When he opened his eyes, he saw the glee, the bodies just as hype as his girl and his friends.

Ekho moved from the railing to Cairo. “Nigga, you got to do the whole album. What you say?”

“On Azul?” Cairo posed.

Ekho pointed over his shoulder. “You don’t see this shit? Nigga, we up. On Azul. I’ll be back at the studio tomorrow night. Take this in, life is about to change. For all of us.”

Cairo caught Nate and Fahaad shaking each other’s shoulders.

Nate leaned in to Fahaad, patted his shoulder and stated. “Welcome back, nigga. Welcome back.”

Cairo turned to Kamilla who’s eyes almost disappeared behind her smile. “We stealing the moon.”

twenty-one

Sprawled out in the bed, hair covering her face, the slight ache between her thighs all felt like the remnants of a goodnight. The cherry on top – Cairo’s flutter of kisses to the exposed parts of her skin as he settled against her on the bed. Tiredly, Kamilla let her hands find the root of his hair and massage his scalp.

“Tell me we don’t have anywhere to go,” she muttered.

The rasp of his voice matched hers and he accompanied his comment with a kiss. “We don’t have anywhere to go. Fahaad wants me at the studio by seven.”

“Do you need me?” Kamilla quizzed, eyes still closed.

“I always need you, K. That ain’t a question.”

A small smile pierced her lips. “What time is it?”

“Noon. I’ve been out already so I’m laying here with you until we hit up Pepe’s. In the meantime, I slid by Gary’s and got your morning special,” he spoke with a groan, wrapping his arms around her waist and rolling her on top of him.

“And your morning special?” Kamilla asked, readjusting.

“You know that’s you. Morning special, midday, evening, night. All day. Every fuckin’ day,” he muttered, rubbing her skin and allowing her to melt back into her state of rest.

“Be careful, you might be forming an addiction. Don’t want you selling beats to mediocre artists to afford you next hit,” she joked.

“I’m finna be them niggas dressed in leather singing in the desert,” Cairo added, before his raspy voice let off an off key melody. “Kamilla, I will cry for you toniigghttt.”

A snort of laughter fell from her lips as she attempted to roll off him. “Cairo, please!”

“An hour is just too damn long,” he continued, holding her close. Her body in a fit a giggles felt like home to him.

“Mind you, they were on cocaine,” Kamilla laughed. “There’s no excuse to be in the desert in full leather.”

“Niggas be in love and begging with no shame,” Cairo spoke, settling his laughter. “I get it. You better know if you try and leave, I’m begging, snatch and grabbing, and something might blow up.”

“Might?” Kamilla asked with a brow raised, opening her tired eyes. “There’s already one building gone.”

“Mhmm. It’ll be a whole block fuck around,” he shared, pulling her thigh over him. “You special to me, K. And I can’t fully describe it. Not in words. The shit comes in like fuckin’ music. Melodies all the time.”

“I’ll take all the parts,” Kamilla stated, nuzzling into his side more, ears tuned to hear whatever he had to say.

Cairo pulled in a deep breath and hummed as he pushed it out. His hands in the curls he freed at some point while they were sleeping. “Is it too soon to say this shit was meant to happen?”

She rocked her head against his side. “The constant waves of death taught me that it’s never too soon. I wish there were things I told my parents but I thought I had time. I didn’t.”