Page 99 of Be My Compass

We tease each couple for their cheesiness—Elizabeth and Brogan. Luc and Ina. Even the elusive Jonas and his girlfriend Nellie.

We hold Kayla’s baby.

We fight over who gets to be the godmother.

Amina wins the bet.

I demand a rematch.

Tierra and Chandra jump on my side and agree.

We all vote Cobie the kid’s official hairdresser. After all, she knows natural hair the best.

We hug.

We cheer.

We laugh.

I’ve never met these women. But their faces look like mine. My skin and their skin are filled with melanin. Lighter and darker tones, but the same. And so we share the same experiences, the same heart, the same hurts. We’re sisters.

Kastle gets me tea.

He hands me a napkin.

He pays attention to me even when he’s chatting with the guys.

He rubs my thigh under the table.

He laughs a lot.

And it feels good.

It’s perfect.

But I have a secret.

I hurt him.

And it’s there, in the background, pounding away the longer I keep it in.

Twenty-Two

Kastle

“I can’t believe you know the owner of Make It Marriage personally.” I shake my head at Ollie as we stand in the corner. “A little heads-up would have been nice.”

He lifts burly shoulders. “How was I supposed to know you were a prospective client once?”

“You think they knew I almost signed up?”

“Probably just Kayla.” He nods to the woman sitting at the head of the table. She’s got her hair in a ponytail and a smile on her lips. Brown eyes sparkle at something Amina said.

“Kayla hasn’t mentioned anything.”

“Then you’re set.” Ollie studies me. “I want to ask you a question.”

“Scary.”

---