{Quîncy}
Î crack an eye open as Î feel a lîght tap on my shoulder.
What the hell?
When dîd Î fall asleep?
"Honey bun?"
My eyes flutter closed as she whîspers în my ear.
Î love ît when she does that.
"What îs ît, sugar?"
Î rasp, turnîng on my stomach reluctantly
Î îgnore her îrrîtated grunts as she trîes to untangle our legs from the sheets.
"A lîttle help here."
She sîghs, restîng her hands on my chest.
Î chuckle quîetly, lîftîng my leg reluctantly.
Yeah, just lîft your leg a lîttle more...."
She whîspers.
All Î do îs smile as Î feel something soft press up agaînst my cheek.
Her cheek.
"God, thîs îs so awkward. Î dîdn't mean to wake you."
Her words go în one ear and out one as she moves to crawl over me.
"Ît's okay."
Î say sîmply, shîftîng a bît.
Î feel her body freeze as Î slowly touch her thîgh.
"Stîll gettîng out or what?"
Î whîsper, my hand raîsîng a bît.
"Quîncy, what are you doîng?"
"Hmm?"
Î hum, my unoccupîed hand searchîng for her cheek.
Î can feel her eyes on me even în the dark when her head turns.
"Quîncy!"
"Î'm not doîng anythîng, what are you doîng?"
Î mutter, pressîng my hand agaînst her warm thîgh.
God, ît's so soft.
So smooth.
"What are you doîng? Can Î get off your lap or what?"
Her voîce îs dîfferent now.
Î absentmîndedly trace her eyebrows, my eyes slowly closîng.
"How about or what?"
My grîn îs permanent.
"You're weîrd, you know that?"
She asks.
"Yeah, you tell me all the tîme."
Î reply, playfully tappîng her nose.
She has a cute lîttle button nose.
"You also tell me you lîke my muscles."
Î remînd her, a smîrk formîng on my face.
"No, Î tell you that Î love your muscles. There's a dîfference between lîke and love, sweetîe."
She sîghs when Î wrap my arms around her.
"Oh, trust me. Î know the dîfference."
Î hum, bîtîng my lîp.
Sîlence.
The însînuatîon îs clear.
Yet she brushes rîght over ît.
"Aww, you just wanted a hug, tough guy?"
She teases, reluctantly huggîng me back.
"Î lîke beîng your tough guy."
Î say awkwardly, causîng her to laugh.
Î breathe slowly as Î just sît there for a few seconds, holdîng her tîghtly.
Î'm pretty sure ît's my favorîte thîng to do în the whole world.
To hold her.
Ît makes me feel safe. Normal. Everybody hugs.
Ît's one thîng Î have în common wîth regular people.
"So. How long îs thîs goîng to last?"
She breaks the sîlence, her mouth close to my ear.
Î thoroughly enjoy ît.
"Î dont know yet. Maybe untîl you feel my boner."
She freezes.
"What the hell!?"
"Shh."
Î shush, my mînd racîng.
Thîs îs ît. Everythîng Î've been leadîng up to sînce the moment Î met her.
"Shhh! Shhh!? You're tellîng me to-"
Î grab her cheek and press my lîps agaînst hers.
.
.
.
{Tiara}
I sit there for a moment in utter shock.
Things like this only happen in my dreams.
He moves away abruptly, cursing under his breath.
"Quin-"
"I'm sorry! Jesus Christ. I shouldn't have..."
His voice cracks.
It hurts my heart how heartbroken he sounds.
There is no sound but his heavy breathing for a few moments.
"Honey?"
I whisper, reaching for his hand in the dark.
"I shouldn't have."
He huffs, pushing me away.
I try not to show how hurt I am by this.
He regrets it.
What the hell was I thinking?
He's too handsome for a girl like me.
I'm just his friend.
A companion.
"You shouldn't have?"
I whisper, my mind slowly wrapping around the idea.
My heart slowly cracks.
So these last couple of months of hugging and cuddling and bonding meant nothing to him?
I'm just a friend.
You dont do those things with a friend.
"Hey. Wait, no-"
I'm already scrambling out of the bed and marching to the door.
"Tiara!"
I'm embarrassed more than anything.
I've been getting my hopes up this whole time.
I can't even blame him.
This is my fault for believing in love.
I ignore him cursing under his breath and lock myself in the bathroom.
God I'm so stupid.
I went ahead and did the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't do.
I got my hopes all up.
.
.
.
{Quîncy}
Î pace în front of my bed, mutterîng to myself.
"Please pîck up, please."
Î've left her 44 voîcemaîls and 57 text messages.
În just one day.
Ît's been 4.
What the hell was Î thînkîng?
Î've already called James. He hasn't seen her în days.
Ruby too.
Ît's bad enough to where they decîded that we'd postpone the trîp for another 2 days.
Î was so excîted to go.
Then Î went ahead and fucked everythîng up.
Î don't deserve a fancy romantîc vîlla and a beach.
Î deserve to be locked up lîke an anîmal.
Î wînce just thînkîng back to how her voîce cracked.
Jesus.
Î started freakîng out and now she doesn't thînk Î lîke her.
Oh my God, what have Î done?
"Î have to go fînd her. Î'm such an îdîot."
Î mutter, already walkîng towards the door.
"Are you out of your mînd? She's workîng, she doesn't want to be bothered."
Jenny îs sayîng.
Î'm too busy reachîng for my jacket.
.
.
.
{Tiara}
"Sugar."
That simple word.
I freeze, my cheeks heating up.
Nonononono.
Who the hell let him in?
"Tiara, I know you hear me."
Everybody is looking now.
I fix my skirt, quickening my pace.
This is not happening.
Why the hell would he show up at my job?
Hasn't he embarrassed me enough?
I ignore him behind me.
"Shall I call security, Miss. Franks?"
The secretary asks as I walk in quickly.
"That won't be necessary, ma'am. Tiara, I just need to talk to you."
He growls behind me, grabbing my arm.
I stop and shut down.
This can't be real.
"I'm not just going to disappear, give me a chance to talk."
He is out of breath.
"Look, I've ran into too many door just for you to not hear me out, angel. Come on."
He breathes.
"Go home, Quincy. I have nothing to say to you."
I say sternly, shaking my head.
"If you send me away I'll just come back tomorrow. And the day after. You can't hide from me forever."
He insists.
"I'm not fucking hiding from you, I'm blocking you out of my life. Go away!"
I snap, slapping his hand away.
"You already embarrassed me enough, why the hell would you come to my job and cause a scene?"
"Baby, I-"
"Baby!? Boy, get the hell out!"
I try to keep my voice down but I can't help but get angry.
Who the hell does he think he is!?
"Look, I just wanted to talk. I'm sorry, I should've thought about your reputation around here. I'll stop by your house around 6."
He says quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Whatever, just leave."
I demand.
Jesus Christ.
I hate him.
Yet as soon as he knocks on the door and I look out the peep hole, my heart leaps.
I hate him.
My hands tremble as I unlock the door.
He stands there, his beautiful eyes twinkling in the sunlight.
"I brought more sticks, sugar."
I hate his stupid velvety voice.
And I hate our stupid inside joke.
He holds up a bouquet of roses.
"I hate roses."
I lie.
His eyes darken.
"Oh."
"What do you even want?"
I question, watching as he rocks on his heels.
"I came to apologize. I miss you dearly. I can't sleep, can't eat. Everything is fucked."
He sighs, rubbing his eyes.
"Can I come in?"
I hesitate.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
He scowls.
"Well why not? Come on, I didn't take the stairs all the way up here for no reason."
He complains.
I frown.
"What's wrong with the elevator? It was just working."
I mutter.
"I don't know, that's not the point. Let me in so we can talk."
He waves it off.
I fold my arms.
"Why should I? You asshole."
I say stubbornly.
He sighs loudly.
"You know I miss you."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Okay and? You did this. Not me."
I emphasize, poking his chest.
"Here, let me take off my shirt-"
"You can't distract me with your muscles anymore, you jerk."
I snap.
He pauses.
"Tiara, please. Let me explain-"
"Explain what? You're the one who kissed me then got mad-"
"Can we so this in private? My lord, everyone on the whole damn floor is going to hear."
He hisses.
I scoff.
"Since when did you start caring about what everybody on the floor thinks?"
"Tia."
He growls.
I ignore the shiver that runs down my spine.
"Look, I just came from the gym and I'm really sore. I'd like to sit down."
He continues.
"Aww, you poor baby. Would you like a massage?"
I open the door reluctantly.
His eyes light up.
"Wait, really? Of course I'd-"
"No. Hurry up and come in before I slam the door in your stupid face."
I grumble, turning.
"You're not very nice to me anymore, sugar."
I hear him comment behind me.
"I can say the same for you."
I insist, plopping down in my chair.
He slowly makes his way to the couch.
Then silence.
I roll my eyes.
"I didn't let you in my apartment just so you could rest."
I remind him.
"You're not even looking at me."
He grumbles, wiping his sweaty brow.
I can't help but drool a little.
He's so flustered and sweaty.
So damn attractive.
"You are now."
He mutters, turning and looking right at me.
It still freaks me out.
"I already told you to stop doing that."
I huff.
He rolls his eyes.
"Hey, I never say anything when you're eye raping me."
I feel my cheeks heat up.
"I don't do that!"
He smirks.
"Yeah you do. I feel your eyes on me all the time."
He insists.
"I'm going to need you to leave, Quincy."
I say seriously, standing up.
Who could sit at a time like this?
I'm too nervous.
What does he even want?