Page 85 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“Why don’t you guys seem more shocked about this?”

I’m not prepared when our hands shoot up between.

The smug grin on Jalen’s tells me all I need to know.

“Well we were pretty worried when we didn’t see you on the couch when we got home last night.” Ivy’s eyes fly from mine to Byron’s. “Then some pretty interesting noises were coming from the guest bedroom.”

After a second Jalen is using his index finger and thumb to form a circle and then pokes the index finger on his right hand through it.

Ivy pushes his hand down and shoots him a look. Jalen shrugs.

“Looks like you guys had some time to talk too last night?” Ivy adds hopefully.

“Yeah we’re going to try and give this thing a go for real this time,” I tell them.

Both Ivy and Jalen sport grins that take up their entire face.

“It’s about damn time,” Jalen’s voice takes on a childish glee.

Well that was easier than I thought it was going to be. Tension I didn’t realize I was holding leaves my body. For the first time I’m putting myself first and it’s freeing.

“Well I have breakfast with my parents to get to. I will see you guys in a little while.”

I’m not expecting the chaste kiss Byron plants on my lips. I want nothing more than to pull him in and guide him back to bed, but breakfast with his parents is important. There is a lot less anxiety pulsing through me knowing Byron isn’t going anywhere.

“If you need an excuse to leave, send me a text and I’ll call you with some kind of fake emergency.”

“Love the way that brain of yours works, Pipsqueak.”

He waves bye as he opens up the apartment door and once he vanishes I hold up my finger to tell Ivy not to speak.

“Let me get coffee then you can ask me whatever you want.”

The two tenants of this apartment watch my every move and I’ve never felt more pressure to not spill my coffee than I do at this moment. Wanting to ruffle their feathers a little I take my time. I’m stringing my cream when I hear a loud huff.

When I look up, laughter breaks, turning my stern straight face into a full blown smile.

“Okay what do you guys want to know?”

Ivy is about to say something and Jalen holds out his hand to stop her.

“Don’t worry I got this, babe.”

“How the fuck did this happen?”

“I can see we are as eloquent as ever, Jalen,” I joke. My mind starts running through last night’s events. The only way I can explain them is as a whirlwind.

“I went out to the balcony last night as you guys were leaving. It was originally to avoid having to go out, but then I found myself thinking of the last couple of days. Kicking myself for how much of an idiot I was to not see all the red flags Dalton laid out before me.” There were a lot.

Ivy forehead creases. “It’s not your fault Lo, you should be able to trust your partner.”

She lays her hand on top of Jalen’s that is resting on the counter. Their love for each other is written in the way they look at each other.

“I guess but he was everything my parents told me I should always want. For once I listened to them and what does that get me? A viral sextape of my boyfriend banging another girl.” I shake my head and continue. “Then Byron came out and I tried to kiss him. He made me perform a field sobriety test to make sure it wasn’t going to be a drunk mistake. He told me he loved me and then well,” I shrug, “You guys heard the rest.”

“He really made you perform a field sobriety test?” Jalen asks.

“He did. When he tried to get me to say the alphabet backwards I was done with that game.”

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