Angel POV

I barely close the door before my knees give up. Slipping the floor, the calm mask cracks; I don't need to look down at my hands to know they're shaking.

She’s here. 

Hearing her cute, drunk karaoke-worthy rendition of Unwritten, my heart nearly bursts. I purse my lips to hold back my amazed laughter, only to taste the faint traces of her still there. Just the thought of it makes me want to run up and down the hallway like a teenager. 

We…were intimate.  

This can't be real. 

I rush down to the room, hoping that the evidence remains and this isn’t so fucked up lucid dreaming. I pinch myself as I stand in the doorway. No, it’s real. 

I would’ve never let the settee be skewed at such an angle, left the pillows smashed, or the picture lights on. No, if I were by myself, I'd be sitting quietly beside the chair with my phone in hand, trying to fill the space with the sounds of her voice notes so it could feel like she was there. I'd have closed my eyes, letting myself get carried away, only to open them to still empty room that mocked me with what I thought was impossible.

Before I get my disinfectant, I have to relive it: kneeling before her, tasting her, making her come undone. I sink my nose in the little damp spot we made, eyes rolling back as the scent of her cum washes over me. 

“She trusted me with her body,” I whisper out loud, trying to make of the strange reality I'm in. 

She wants me back. Gave me an invitation for more. 

Yet, here I am, stripping the settee's cushions, spraying my solution, and straightening the chair because I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I absolutely can't. If I let go of my control now…no, I can’t afford that.

For so long, I didn’t think this would be possible. I knew that even with the home renovations, learning her favorite dishes, and stocking up on her staple snacks, products, and craft supplies, she could hate me. I know taking her wasn’t right, and by all means, she should be pissed at me. But I couldn’t let her die like that, be buried in a graveyard, spirit still so full of life unspent.  

When I first saw Keisha at Lakan’s booth, she looked exhausted. She’d come in a unicorn onesie, an inside joke for the comic, a jumbo-sized coffee thermal, and bags under her eyes. She had what I now know were baby locs--right at the beginning when they haven’t puffed up yet. Keisha didn’t wander around or let herself be deterred by the noise, going straight for Clear Closets, Opal Stones amidst the more popular booths. 

A handful of people did stop by for a few seconds but hadn’t purchased anything. Keisha, however, was my cousin's first real fan and customer to visit that day, and the way she spoke so animatedly with Lakan melted away any doubt that had begun to build in him. I'd set the coffee and snacks I offered to get, settling next to my cousin. Unlike others who would switch their focus to me--usually because of my looks--she only acknowledged me with a nod, never pausing in her talking.  

She was so passionate and sure that he’d become something big that she offered to manage his forum channel once he created one. It’s one of the reasons my cousin continued. She hadn’t even known it, but Keisha changed the course of his career with one smile, and I was enamored. 

Being one of the few people in our family who supports his work, it didn’t seem weird for me to ask to be an admin, too. I vetted the other three for beta reading while personally inviting Trina.

We started a separate thread, and I couldn’t stop myself from talking to her every chance I had. Sometimes, knowing she’d left a message for me gave me the courage to face a new day. We'd talk about any and everything. I realized earlier just how smart she is. In fact, Keisha's too bright not to be in school like she’s always dreamt of. 

I feel the muscles in my jaw tick as I take the laundry upstairs. The only things holding Keisha back were financial aid and her family. I can give her both. I’d finally saved enough to get her through the last two years she needed to complete her bachelor's.

Knowing how much she suffered as I mustered the courage to meet her gave me no small amount of guilt. They took so much advantage of her financially, emotionally, and mentally. They tried to break that light in her. The more I stew on it, the more challenging it is to do my final chores.

“She doesn’t need them now,” I try to remind myself out loud as I start the dishes. Nor should she want them after Junior’s stunt. 

What kind of fucking brother would do that? Just remembering how he talked to her made my blood boil! If I didn’t sense how fragile she was, I would go back and show him how it feels to be ambushed. 

Knowing how much my plans went awry scared me because of what could've happened to Keisha.

My contract ended on the 31st. We planned to meet the next day, and I planned to convince her to hang out with me during my break between contracts. If she hadn’t, I might’ve still brought her along, but I intended, for the most part, to secure a promise for her to come visit me and stay if things got worse.

Instead, her manager made her work a double. My poor baby was clearly not feeling well, and that witch didn’t care. The next thing I knew, she was hurt, and I almost didn’t make it in time to reach her. None of it was fair to her, but I hope she understands that her family and old life had nothing to offer her. 

I just want her to be happy, and I selfishly wish that she could find it with me.

As I make my way back to the bathroom, I see she's opened the door, and I can smell the oil in the air. Nothing prepares me for seeing Keisha in one of the sleeping shirts. My knees get a little weak as I take in how oversized it is on her, but not enough for the hem to go past her cheeks. But what really threatens to steal my breath is the fluttering in my stomach when she faces me. I'd left out a bunny-eared head and wristband set on the counter because I know how much she dislikes the water rolling down her arm. But I didn't think she used it, let alone look so damn cute and comfortable. I wish I had a camera to catch this moment. Her being here…it’s so damn right, I have to blink the stinging away.

Not trying to ruin the moment, I nonchalantly grab my facial cleanser without disturbing her. Unfortunately, Keisha’s too used to conceding and accommodating others; I instantly pick up on her hurrying to get out of my way. I lay a hand on her hip, delicately squeezing her into my side until she stops. 

“No need to rush, Princess,” I reassured her. None at all because with her next to me…she is right where she belongs. 

"O-okay."

Both of us watch the other in the mirror as we wash our faces, lips twitching, but neither of us wants to be the first to smile. 

We finish at the same time, the sink counter wet all over from the two of us taking turns rinsing off, but I couldn’t care less. Keisha finishes quickly, only needing to put on her night-time lotion, and I mourn the fact that she'll finish and leave without me.

However, she seems not to be done surprising me today. Keisha preps both of our toothbrushes as I do my extra steps. She doesn’t have to, but she waits for me to finish so we can brush at the same time. 

I know something as simple as this shouldn’t make me emotional, but I have to close my eyes to savor it for a few seconds. 

Please let this be real when I wake up tomorrow. 

Opening them now, Keisha is still indeed here, one arm braced across her chest as she bumps our hips together. A silent question.

Unable to hold back any longer, I grin, paste foam coating my lips and all. 

It seems that’s all she needs to let out a peal of laughter. As we spit out the paste and make our way to her bedroom, I vow to make her just as joyful for the rest of our lives.