“Yeah. I got you. Anybody else?”
“I’ll take more milk,” Joss stated.
I nodded, walked to the fridge, got their drinks, and brought them back. Then I plucked Junie up so Leann could eat uninterrupted.
Baby Junie wasn’t a morning person and never had been one, so she wrapped her little arms around me and buried her face into my chest. I rubbed her back while I nursed my coffee, having already eaten my breakfast.
When everyone finished breakfast, Drake headed out for the day while Joss and Xy got to work cleaning the kitchen. Leann took Junie from me and I made sure everybody was good before I headed out to the mechanic shop. I’d already taken Selle’s carapart. I just needed to put the new gasket in and put it back together. I’d gotten the shop where I worked to reserve space in the garage, so I was good to go as soon as Kiano showed up with the part. It had been on backorder but it was supposed to be delivered sometime today.
I did a few oil changes, swapped tires out, and changed a starter while I killed time. Kiano showed after more than half of my shift had gone by. I wiped my hands on my uniform pants and held one up to block the sunlight pouring in as I closed the distance between us.
“What’s up?” I dapped him once he was close and accepted the box.
“What’s up?” His eyes trailed over me and for a brief second it made me nervous.
Over the past week we’d texted back and forth every day, sometimes mentioning what we’d seen on the cameras in Selle’s house and others just to talk about what she’d posted on her cam site since I wasn’t subscribed. He was funny, and honestly, I liked talking to him. Every once in a while I thought about the night he, Selle, and I had shared but I didn’t bring it up and didn’t let myself think about it for too long either.
I couldn’t lie. The more I got to know Kiano, the better he looked to me. At least that was what I thought now, face to face with him. We hadn’t seen each other in nearly a week, and for some reason, looking at him today wasn’t the same thing as looking at him several days ago.
He took half a step back then another.
“You can stick around,” I blurted.
A smile crossed his face. “Can I?”
“Yeah. If you want to.”
“That could be fun. I’m down.”
“Alright. Come on.”
I rattled off instructions he would have to abide by in the garage and he readily agreed. Then I led him toward Selle’s car and immediately got to work. I was about twenty minutes in when I realized I’d zoned into my work and neither of us was speaking.
“You going to help or stand there and look pretty all day?” I asked.
“So you think I’m pretty?” Kiano teased.
“You a’ight.”
Kiano laughed immediately.
“You know it’s not illegal to like men as a man anymore, right?” he asked.
“Yeah?” I set the tool I was using down and rubbed my hands on my pants before turning toward him.
“What are you so afraid of, Stone?” he asked.
“I’m not scared of shit. If I liked men I’d say I liked men. I don’t.” I exhaled. “I just… kind of like you, I guess.”
“Well that’s something to unpack, huh?”
“Not really.” I crossed my arms and leaned against Selle’s car. “I want to be with Jiselle and we both know that. Just because I think you’re attractive and you sucked my soul out through my dick that one time doesn’t mean I’d ever throw that away.”
“Let’s be serious, Stone. Why would I ask you to throw that away?”
That question sat with me. He was right. He wanted Selle almost as much as me. There was no way he would give her up, whether he liked me or not.
“So, what are you saying, Kiano?”