Page 73 of Invisible Bars
“She’ll be screaming my name, damn near crying while I hit that arch just right,” he continued. “Stroking deep. Slow. I’ll be hitting angles like I’m a NASCAR driver. She won’t know if I’m rearranging her guts or herpersonality. And the best part? She’llwantit. She’ll beg for it… because she won’t tell meno.”
Oh God.
Suddenly, I was picturing it; not just him standing there with that deep voice and that permanent scowl, but behindme, above me, and inside me.
That kind of pressure. That kind of stretch. That kind of trouble. Whew.
“But hey,” he said without emotion, “if it ain’t you, it’ll be someone else. Either way, needs get fed.”
My shoulder jerked hard, and my head tilted before my mouth launched without permission.
“Cheater cheater… bed heater!” I shouted, voice high and panicked.
Imanio smirked.“Thatsounded like jealousy to me.”
“N-Not!” I lied, way too fast, eyes wide. “Which br-brings me to say… n-no falling in love!”
My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated how real it sounded.
Another tic fired off.
“Abort mission! Love bomb! Abort!”
I swallowed, steadied myself, and added more quietly, “Please. Ju-Just keep your heart, and I’ll keep mine.” My tone was shaky but firm — like a door held closed by a single lock on rusted hinges.
Imanio leaned back, took a slow pull from his blunt, and let the smoke trail up into the air. His eyes stayed fixed on the water in the pool, like it had more of his attention than I ever did.
“I think that’s one thing we can definitely agree on. Love don’t live here, Naji. Never has—for any female that ain’t family. And hell, I barely show it to some of them.”
Imanio paused just long enough to ash his blunt, flicking the ember off like the conversation was nothing.
“So trust me…thatrule?” He finally turned his head and looked at me. His eyes were steady, serious—sincere even. “Easiest one to keep.”
And that look?It didn’t come with warmth; it came with finality. Like whatever flicker of softness I might’ve imagined in him earlier had just been snuffed out for good.
Something in my chest shifted. I didn’t let it show, but the words hit harder than I expected. I should’ve been relieved. That was the deal, right?
No mess, no feelings, no strings; just safety and strategy.
A tic snuck out, quick—“Cold heart, tight locks. Don’t melt. Don’t melt.”
I stared down at my tea like it might offer comfort, answers, or just something to ground me.
I shouldn’t have expected anything; not from a man who took me and could switch emotions on and off like a hallway light.
But still... hearing it out loud—“Love don’t live here.”It sounded like he didn’t care at all. And maybe that’s what stung. It’s not that I wanted him to fall for me… not so soon anyway. Just that… maybe part of me hoped I’d mattered alittlemore than a transaction.
I took another sip of tea.
Imanio didn’t say anything else. He just smoked slow and watched the sky like we hadn’t just drawn a line in the sand between us.
Maybe it was better that way.
Maybe.
Chapter Eleven
IMANIO “GATEZ”
