Page 11 of In Another Time

He nodded again, this time with a small, almost resigned smile. I hesitated for a moment, guilt gnawing at the edges of my resolve. But then he stood and crossed the room, his movements unhurried. “Let me walk you out,” he said, his tone polite but distant.

I followed him, the air between us thick with unspoken words. When we reached the door, he turned to me, his expression unreadable. Before I could fully step past him, he reached out, his hand lightly brushing my arm.

“Lennox,” he said, his voice lower now, almost a whisper.

I turned back, and in an instant, his lips were on mine. The kiss was intense, raw, and full of all the things we hadn’t said. It stole the air from my lungs, leaving me reeling and questioning everything I thought I’d decided. When he pulled back, his gaze locked with mine, daring me to say something.

“Take care of yourself,” he said simply, his voice steady but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place.

I nodded, swallowing hard before stepping out the door. As I slid into the backseat of the Uber, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Omir kissed me. It was like he was trying to leave a mark, to make sure I didn’t forget him as easily as I wanted to.

I leaned my head back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment before pulling my phone out of my purse. If there was anyone who could help me make sense of the swirl of emotions in my chest, it was Sherelle.

She picked up on the second ring. “Girl, I know you didn’t call me before my alarm went off.”

“Relle,” I said, ignoring her groggy tone, “you were right.”

There was a pause, followed by the sound of rustling sheets. “Hold up. Let me sit up. What was I right about this time?”

“Omir,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” she said, and I could hear the grin in her voice. “Start from the beginning.”

I sighed, glancing out the window as the city blurred past. “We spent the night together.”

A loud, dramatic gasp filled my ear. “Lennox! You didnotjust casually drop that on me like it’s nothing!”

“I mean, technically, I just did,” I said, smirking despite myself.

“Don’t try to deflect. Spill the tea, girl. Was the dick everything you imagined? Because I know you were imagining it last night.”

“Sherelle!” I hissed, glancing at the driver to make sure he wasn’t paying attention.

“What? You’re the one who stayed at the man’s place. Don’t act all shy now,” she teased. “So? Details.”

I bit my lip, trying to figure out how much to tell her. “It was. . . deliriously amazing,” I admitted. “Like the best. Nothing better. But that’s not the point.”

“Oh, there’s apointnow?” she asked, her tone dripping with amusement.

“I’m serious, Sherelle. He’s… different. He’s thoughtful and charming and?—”

“And fine as hell.” She interjected.

“Yes, that too,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But I can’t do this. I told him it was a one-time thing.”

“What?” she demanded, her tone shifting from playful to serious. “Why are you so quick to shut it down?”

“Because I have a plan,” I said, frustration creeping into my voice. “A career. Goals. I can’t let some. . . ridiculously attractive jazz club owner throw me off course.”

“Lennox,” she said, her voice softer now, “sometimes the best things in life happen when you’re not planning for them. Maybe Omir is one of those things.”

“I don’t have time for distractions,” I argued. “And what if this is just a game to him? I know you mentioned me before last night. Iknowyou. So, what if this was him just ‘getting me’ and there’s others lined up?”

“And yet, he spent the night withyou,” she pointed out. “Doesn’t that tell you something?”

I sighed, rubbing my temple as the driver made a turn. “It doesn’t matter. I told him it was just fun, and he agreed. That’s that.”

Sherelle let out a long sigh. “You’re gonna die alone, you know that?”

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