Page 77 of Dare You to See Me
He spins around and walks away from our table and I finally breathe.
“Do you want me to tell Mal about this?” Danté’s face suddenly cools and it’s a contrast to what he normally presents.
I shake my head. “No. It’s okay, I'll tell him. I actually think I’m ready to go.” I look at Kyle who nods.
“I don’t want you ladies driving alone. I think I’ll go with you and Mal can bring me back to my bike.”
“That’s not–” He arches his brow and his black eyes are intense. “We’ll wait for you.”
The argument dies on my tongue and I send a quick text to Malik before getting in the backseat of Kyle’s car while she sits in the passenger seat and Danté drives. He must be angry on Malik’s behalf because he drives Kyle’s little Mercedes like he’s an F1 racer
If this is how he reacts, I can’t begin to imagine what Malik will do.
THIRTY-TWO
MALIK
I peelout of the parking lot of Truth and Dare after dropping D at his car and speed off.
I’m fucking fuming. I’ve had enough of that asshole, Wesley Collier, and his insistence on pushing himself on Soleil. I wanted to punch a hole in the wall when she told me what happened, even though she played it off like it wasn’t a big deal.
Danté told me he thinks this guy is going to be a problem for me at school and with Soleil. I want to hunt him down, take him in a back alley, and beat the shit out of him. I know that isn’t the answer and I would one hundred percent lose my job, but it doesn’t make me want to destroy him any less. I just don’t know how.
I pull up to a red light and pull out my phone.
Me: Are you okay baby? Is Dahlia still asleep.
I left Soleil at home with Kyle and a sleeping Dahlia. I hadn’t planned on leaving her, but she told me not to worry about going back after dropping off Danté. She said Kyle was going to stay the night and she would call me in the morning.
I did not like that idea, but I didn’t want to make Kyle uncomfortable and she had already reminded me that it was a girls night, no dicks allowed. With a hard kiss and a sigh, I left her there.
SunnyGirl: I’m good. I had a hot shower, Kyle made us a cup of tea, and now we’re going to bed. Dahlia is still sawing wood. Thank you so much for tonight. And please thank Danté, again. I know nothing bad happened, but Wesley just creeps me out.
Me: The bad thing is that guy not taking no for an answer and always seems to pop up where you are. I don’t have a good feeling about him and I wish you would just stay with me for a few days.
SunnyGirl: Don’t be silly. I’m fine. Just get home and rest. Are you still coming over for dinner tomorrow?
Me: Wouldn’t miss it for the world. G’night, doll face.
SunnyGirl: Goodnight, handsome.
The light turns green and instead of turning right, I go straight.
One-oh-one. The lights have been off for over an hour, and it’s so late that they’re bound to be fast asleep by now. I can’t imagine they’d be up talking and laughing.
I start up my truck and throw it in reverse, slowly moving it out of direct eyesight of Soleil’s house. I slip off my shoes, setting them on the passenger seat, and reach into my glove compartment, grabbing my black gloves and slipping them on. I’ve already got on my usual black on black on black, and the gloves will hide my hands away.
I step up to the dark porch and dig into the flower pot, pulling out the painted rock and removing the key. She has yet to get an alarm –which I plan to fix– so I’m able to slip in without making any noise.
My socked feet make no sound and I walk down the hall without so much as a squeak. Her door is open, as always, and I step inside. Soleil has a fear of not being able to hear Dahlia if she needs something in the middle of the night, so she never closes her door despite Dahlia’s door being closed.
I stand, pressed against the wall, for a few minutes, just watching her sleep. She looks so comfortable wrapped up in her blankets, warm and cozy. Her chest rises and falls with each breath, slumbering in a deep sleep.
When I’m sure she won’t wake, I slink up to her bed and lean over her. My hands ghost over her body, from her neck to her toes and back up again. I’ve held her in my arms so many times that I have every curve memorized so even though my hands don’t touch her, I can still feel her smooth skin.
I know what these sheets feel like on my naked body, and I can still smell the hints of her fabric softener and perfume on the pillow. Her hair is freshly washed so I hunch down and breathe her in. It will be just enough to carry me on until tomorrow when I can hold her in my arms again.
“I love you, my Sunny girl,” I whisper and straighten my spine.
