Bliss
Cuba isn’t waiting for me when I get out of my session with Ryan. He has been waiting for me every appointment since a week ago. Now he’s not here, and I don’t have a text or missed call from him. The last thing he said was that he’d meet me. I try not looking thrown off while Ryan walks beside me. He was pretty cool about the whole email thing and told me he saw it coming. I bet he did, but he’s been an awesome client so far, and we actually have a good time. He’s not some dumb jock, he’s really smart and is a history junkie too. So, we sometimes talk off topic about a show we caught on the History channel. I don’t mention this to Cuba because he’s Cuba, and he’ll go crazy. And don’t get me wrong, I love that he’s crazy about me, but I wish he could tone down the jealousy, I made it clear I’m not going anywhere.
Ryan stops once were outside and turns to me, rubbing his neck. “So, should I wait till he gets here?” he asks. “I don’t want to leave you here alone unless you drove today.”
I pull out my phone and see he should be getting out of practice any minute, then he’ll have to shower. Maybe I should drive, but he likes picking me up and I love making him happy. This is the only time it has happened.
“Na, I’ll just walk over to the arena. He’s just getting out of practice.” I wave him off. “No need to hang around.”
Ryan frowns and his dark eyes narrow. “No, it’s dark. Let me drop you off. I live that way anyway.”
The arena is across campus, and it could easily take me fifteen minutes to get to there and it’s getting dark out. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
He quickly shakes his head. “Of course not.”
My phone vibrates in my hand and I see it’s Cuba. I hold a finger up to Ryan before turning away to answer the call.
“Hey,” I answer.
He sounds breathless. “I’m on my way, practice lasted longer than usual.” I can hear his car door open and close. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s not a big deal,” I tell him. “I’ll meet you by the curb.”
Hanging up, I turn back to Ryan. “He’s already on his way, but thanks anyway.”
He almost looks bummed but smiles. “Cool, I’ll just wait with you.”
Nodding, I tuck a loose hair behind my ear. “Okay.”
We walk in silence to the parking lot near the library. A group of giggling girls are walking our direction. I see them sneaking glances over at Ryan and he ignores them. He never talks about a girlfriend or any girl, but it’s not like we talk about our personal life. He already knows I have a boyfriend.
“Isn’t she dating Cuba Knight?” I hear one of them whisper as we walk past them.
“Yeah, I heard she’s a tutor, and let’s say she was busy doing other things to him,” another says.
Heat rises in my cheeks, but I don’t let on that I can hear them. Is that what people think? How do they know I was even tutoring him? Probably Dex or anyone that saw us in the library.
“He’ll be done with her soon,” one whispers. “He doesn’t do serious, never has.”
“She’s not even that pretty.” The other one laughs. “Cuba will definitely get bored. Maybe I should text him to remind him what a good time we had together.”
Their laughter fades the further they walk away and it’s taking a lot for me not to make eye contact. They knew I could hear them. Patrick did say these girls could be savages, but I thought we were old news. I guess just because it’s old doesn’t mean everyone has accepted it. Oh, and I didn’t miss her saying she’ll be texting him. I wonder if he even has the same number. What if he does? Would he respond? Great, now I’m in my head and questioning Cuba’s loyalty.
“Don’t listen to them. Some females are just mad because it’s not them.” Ryan nudges me. I feel the blush spread through my cheeks all over again, he heard them too.
I just nod because I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to voice the same questions in my head to him.
“Seriously, don’t listen to them,” he says again, turning to me once we reach the curb of the parking lot. “You are that pretty.”
I look up at him through my lashes and glance away. “Thank you,” is all I get out before a pair of headlights shine on us.
Ryan grips the straps of his backpack and smiles. “I’ll see you next week.”
I give him a small wave and turn toward where Cuba has pulled up. Even through his dark tint, I know his eyes are narrowed at Ryan, and once I open the door, I catch him.
“Be nice,” I say once I closed the door and click in my seat belt. “He didn’t want me waiting alone since it was getting dark.”
Cuba leans over and presses a quick kiss to my lips. “I didn’t say anything baby.” He smiles innocently.
“You didn’t have to.” I roll my eyes. “How was practice?”
“Long.” He pulls away from the curb. “How was your session?”
I know he doesn’t really want to know but he asks because he knows I enjoy what I do. “It was good. He just needs a refresher.”
He nods. “Cool.”
I shake my head and smile because he does not care about Ryan at all. I bet he would be a lot more interested if I was tutoring a female. Actually, I know he would.
His phone vibrates in the cup holder between us and my mind goes back to that group of girls, wondering if it’s one of them, reminding him what a great time they had once. I hate that I’m even still thinking about it, and I hate that I’m trying to discreetly look at his screen as he picks it up.
He doesn’t look at it until we stop at a red light, and I try my best to act like I’m scrolling through social media. Cuba swipes his phone open and frowns, his eyes narrowing at the screen. The light turns green and he tosses his phone back in the cup holder and reaches over to grab my hand, his fingers lacing through mine. It doesn’t matter, I tell myself. What they said shouldn’t matter, and Ryan telling me I’m pretty shouldn’t make me feel better. Cuba wants me when he could have chosen to be with a different girl every night, he chose to be with me.
“Are you okay, Arrow?” He squeezes my hand.
Looking at him, I smile. “Yeah, just tired.”
He gives me a look but lets it go. No way am I telling him what happened.
“So, you know how we’re supposed to go to your mom’s Saturday?” he asks slowly when he parks outside his townhouse.
“Yeah.”
Is he cancelling? Is this too soon for him? Oh God, it’s too serious.
“I was thinking maybe we could do lunch with her and dinner with my parents,” he says slowly, shocking me.
I haven’t brought up meeting his parents, I don’t want him to feel as if I have to meet his since he met mine. Cuba meeting my dad was not planned at all. He did that all on his own.
He’s waiting for me to say something. “Yeah, I’ll let my mom know.”
Now, not only am I still thinking about earlier, I’m now worried about meeting his parents. I’ve never met a boyfriend’s parents, not even Dex’s, he’s from Washington.
Cuba squeezes my hand again before letting go and getting out. I do the same as he grabs his gym bag and my overnight bag. “I can take my bag, you look kind of ridiculous carrying a glitter Victoria Secrets bag.”
“I don’t care how I look, here.” He hands me a key he pulls out of his pocket. “Open the door.”
I take it from his hand. “You know you should really put this on your key chain or you’ll lose it,” I tell him as I open the front door.
“It’s yours.” He pushes past me and looks back. “You should really put that on a keychain or you’ll lose it.” He winks and keeps walking into the house.
And I’m smiling again. I don’t think I have ever smiled this much in my life, but Cuba does that to me. He turns me into a giggling girl without even trying.
Just like that, those earlier worries are gone, what those girls said is no longer even a thought. Cuba Knight is mine and he never lets me doubt it.
“This is stupid.” I hear Cuba mutter, making me look up from my textbook.
We’re sitting at the table having dinner, spaghetti and salad that I threw together once we got in and doing homework. This is a typical night for us. Either I’m here at his place or he’s at mine. India says we might as well move in together, she might be right. She also says that I’m wasting my college years, that college is all about trying ‘different dick’, her words not mine. I had to remind her that college is about becoming a decent human being to enter the real world. We agree to disagree.
“What’s stupid?” I ask, twirling my fork around my noodles before taking a bite.
“Why do I have to read about that king with the hundreds of wives when they have a show on it?” He pushes his empty plate away.
“You know that’s loosely based on historical facts, right?” I smile. “I only watch it because the guys are hot, and I love tragic love stories.”
“Because you’re sick like that.” He winks at me. “I hope you aren’t disappointed that we aren’t a tragic love story.”
I bite my lip. “Not at all.”
He makes me heart do flips with a single look. I am so gone for him it hurts. Sometimes I still can’t believe we’re here together, especially after how our first meeting went. We are always together. Well, except when we have class or he’s at practice.
He gets up and grabs his plate along with mine. “So, I did something today.” He sets them in the sink, turning to me. “I went to see Jackson.”
My heart stops, I know this is big. The guilt has been eating at him all this time, and I can now see he’s breathing a little lighter.
“It feels good, you know?” He nods like he’s answering himself, he’s still processing it.
“I bet. I feel you needed to do that,” I say. “I’m proud of you baby.” Sliding off the stool, I go to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I breathe him in, I love the scent of him even if it’s just his cologne.
“I’m proud of myself.” He wraps his arm around my waist. “It was touch and go there for a minute, I almost didn’t go.”
“But you did,” I counter quickly. “And that’s what matters.”
He grows quiet and his hazel eyes find mine, lifting my chin with his finger. “What would I do without you?”
My heart swells. “Probably self-implode.” I smile. “You would be fine without me, Bow.”
He shakes his head lightly and frowns. “I highly doubt that, Arrow. I highly doubt that.” Leaning down he brushes his lips softly against mine. “We should get ready for bed.”
I nod, pressing my lips to his. “I think we should.”
My fingers hook into my waistband as I smile up at him. “Or we could just…” I trail off, slowly sliding my black leggings down my legs. I barely get them off before I’m up in the air, my bare legs locking around his hips.
He nips the base of my neck with his teeth. “I’m definitely about to self-implode.”
I can’t help but squirm and giggle against him, and he nips and sucks my neck, walking us up the stairs to his room.
His kisses make my heart beat. His touch caresses my mind. The orgasm’s he gives are life. Being with Cuba is living.