Chinny's POV
They're chanting for me to dance. I was frozen in place while Angelo sat before me, grinning.
We had agreed beforehand that there would be a dare, but this was ridiculous. They must be joking.
"Can't it be something else?" I asked, but Ailrey and Francel shook their heads.
"Come on, Chinny, it's not a big deal. Promise," Lucifer teased with a laugh. It felt like everyone had ganged up on me.
"Don't force Chinny if she doesn't want to," Angelo said, his face serious. I looked at him carefully.
"No way, Angelo. We all agreed on this. And besides, we know you'll enjoy it," Tinnie said with a laugh, turning to me. "C'mon, Chinny." I sighed deeply—what else could I do?
"Fine," I said, and Francel burst out laughing. Rhysand's guitar strumming caught my attention, and I glanced at Dagger before shifting my gaze to Farley, who was grinning. This wasn't going to end well.
"Work" by Fifth Harmony
I ain't worried about nothin'
I ain't wearin' na-nada
I'm sittin' pretty, impatient, but I know you gotta
I couldn't even look at Farley. What the heck!? Farley was singing "Work" by Fifth Harmony. I thought it would be some random song, but why does this sound so sensual? My legs nearly gave out from nervousness as I stood up.
"Go on..." Karma whispered to me. I closed my eyes and slowly approached Angelo, who was sitting down.
I started to dance awkwardly in front of him. This was beyond embarrassing. I attempted a clumsy lap dance.
You don't gotta go to work, work, work, work
Work, work, work
But you gotta put in work, work, work, work
Work, work, work
I tried to immerse myself in the music from Farley's voice and Rhysand's guitar.
Before I knew it, I was already sitting on Angelo's lap. My eyes widened, and I cursed under my breath. "Shit."
What just happened?
The song had ended, but I was still seated on his lap.
"Chinny, you accidentally sat on my crotch," he groaned, his voice pained. I felt my face flush with heat.
I couldn't move. "Sorry," I mumbled. Yet, I still couldn't bring myself to get up.
The others shrieked and teased us about our position. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of his body. "Get up," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
Angelo's POV
I froze as Farley started singing "Work" by Fifth Harmony, and Chinny awkwardly danced her way over to me. I couldn't believe this was happening.
Half of my brain screamed, "No," while the other half was all in. I was completely torn.
Then she ended up on my lap, and I couldn't help the reaction from down there. Damn it.
"Angelo?" she whispered. She seemed to ignore our friends, who were now busy doing body shots.
"Please don't leave me, Angelo," she murmured, her voice trembling. "Don't abandon me." She held my arm, and I felt a pang of pain in my chest at her words.
Did that jerk Kilorn hurt her? Damn it, Kilorn.
"Why would I leave you? You were the star in my dark world." I stood up, helping her to sit correctly. Instead of returning to my seat, I knelt beside her. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Is something wrong? Do you want to tell me?" She suddenly hugged me tightly.
"My parents sent me here... then Kil—" She stopped herself mid-sentence. I hated hearing that jerk's name.
"Chinny, listen to me. They didn't send you to me because they wanted to abandon you. They entrusted you to me. Your mom always asks about your condition and whether you eat properly." I smiled at her.
"You're all I have left, Angelo. Don't leave me, please." Her shoulders shook as she began to sob. "You're the only one I can rely on. You understand me. Please don't leave. Stay with me." I gently pushed her back to look at her, wiping her tears away.
Leaving her was never an option for me. Even with the way she sometimes treats me, I can never bring myself to abandon her. I hold her face in my hands and look into her eyes.
I was always willing to take the risk.
"You know I love you, right?" She nodded. "Remember this: no matter how much pain I go through, I could never leave you. I love you so much, Shieneva Monasterio."