Page 216 of Prickly Romance

My heart rams against my ribs.

Stupid tears start piling in my eyes.

Ridiculous.

I miss him so much, but I’m not going to cry at the sight of him.

Don’t be a child, Dejonae.

Sazuki dips his head closer to the woman sitting beside him. The sensation of a thousand sharp needles stabbing my skin hits me. I wish I could go numb, but there’s no relief from the pain. No shelter. No life raft to save me from drowning in my own stupidity.

Ashanti tilts her face up to Sazuki. Whatever he says makes her laugh.

My stomach clenches.

I press a hand over my mouth, fighting back the urge to run right out of the auditorium.

“Deej?” Vanya calls.

“Deej, you okay?” Hadyn asks.

Groaning, I fight to keep my composure. “I’ll, uh, I’ll go find Niko and give these to her.”

Vanya says something else to me, but I don’t hear her over the rushing of my own heart.

Sazuki and Ashanti are together again as parents. Is that the reason he hasn’t bothered to fight for me? To chase me? Did Ashanti get her way? Has he just not found the right time to tell me he chose to be a family for Niko?

My heart sinks fast.

I want to throw my hands high and yell ‘screw this!’

But I promised Niko that I’d stay for her performance and I never break my word.

The crowd backstage is thick with parents, teachers and children preparing for the show. Bright lights illuminate the kids’ wide grins and heavily made-up faces. Two little girls in tutus hurry past me.

I stop in place and glance around, looking for Niko.

“Dejonae?” Kenya appears in front of me, wearing a curly afro, jeans and a fancy blouse. “Hey.”

“Hi.” I glance behind her and see Alistair walking in holding Belle’s hand. Their adorable little girl is also wearing a tutu. “Is Belle dancing tonight?”

“Yeah, the older girls asked her to be in their performance.” Kenya blinks steadily at me. “Who are you looking for?”

“Niko.”

“She’s over there!” Belle points. Excitedly, the adorable ballerina breaks away from her parents and joins Niko, Beth, Bailey and Micheal, who seem to have formed something of a ‘cool kid’ table at the center of the room.

Sunny and Darrel’s boys are dressed in karate uniforms, hinting of what their performance will be.

“I’ll deliver this prop to her teacher,” Alistair says. I focus on him and realize he’s wearing a pair of sparkly pink fairy wings on his back.

My eyelashes bounce as I struggle to make sense of the tall, intimidating man wearing a fairy costume.

“Don’t say a word,” Alistair warns me.

Kenya’s mouth trembles. She bursts out laughing when her husband walks away. “Poor thing. He had to wear that the entire drive. He can’t say no to Belle.”

My smile turns pained. “Good fathers will do anything for their kids. I understand.”

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