Page 45 of Arris, Jayme & Dyani
I wokeup slightly hungover and feeling like I needed to just go back to sleep. The little bit of light coming through my blinds was enough to make me feel like I was dying. I groaned, rolled onto my side, and yanked my blanket over my head. A yawn pushed out of me and I snuggled further into my pillow.
If my aching body and headache said anything, it was that my birthday had started with a mothafuckin’ bang.
Memories of the night before slowly came back to me. I remembered going to the club with my sisters and all the liquor I’d taken down. I even remembered coming home with Arris and Dyani. I rolled from my side to my back and ripped my covers off. I sat up and looked around my room.
I’d gone to sleep with two other bodies in my bed and now I had none. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes.
On cue, Arris nudged the door open. “Good morning.”
He held two mugs and a napkin with a Gatorade tucked beneath his arm. He gave me an award-winning smile as he walked further in. He sat beside me on the bed.
“You want the coffee or the Gatorade?” he asked.
“Gatorade.”
“Good choice.” He set the mugs on my bedside table and handed me the Gatorade. He set the little napkin he had on the bed and unfolded it. Two pills rested in the center. “This is for the incoming headache,” he offered.
“Thank you.” I leaned in and kissed his check. “You’re an angel.”
“I do what I can when I can.”
I cracked the Gatorade open and took both pills.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
I shrugged, handed him the bottle, and collapsed back into my pillows.
“Tired,” I admitted.
“I mean I was more so talking about the fact that we just slept together after years and years of not even kissing, and there was a third.”
“Yeah. That was kind of zero to one hundred, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Best birthday ever.” I yawned and stretched.
Arris chuckled. “I’m glad you were satisfied.”
“I definitely was.” I blinked up at him. “Now, stop beating around the bush and ask me what you want to ask me, Arris.”
“Alright. What’s up with us and where do we go from here?”
“What?”
It wasn’t a deep or misleading question but it caught me off guard all the same.
“Last night was nice. It was amazing,” he corrected, “But now the sun is up and Dyani is back to caring what Darryl thinks. I want to know where your head is now.”
“I’m not having any regrets if that’s what you’re asking, Arris.”
“Good.” He exhaled and fell across the bed, letting his head rest sideways on my upper stomach while his feet still rested on the ground.
“Did you think I was going to have regrets?”
“Shit. Maybe.” He looked at me. “And shit is a little complicated when you factor in Dyani and navigating what shit could look like with the three of us and if we’re going to open the floodgates with Blake and our families.”
I knew what he meant immediately. The last thing either of us wanted to do was confuse Blake.
