"You won't believe what just happened," I whispered to Nia the moment I shut the door behind me. My chest burned, my stomach felt heavy. I couldn't even meet her eyes.
Nia sat up quickly, curiosity blazing in her gaze. "What just happened? Why are you breathing like you ran a marathon?"
I swallowed hard. "I saw a message on Adrian's phone." My lips trembled as the words slipped out. "It said… baby."
Her eyes widened instantly. "Wait what? Baby? As in, he has a girlfriend?"
I shrugged, running a hand through my hair, avoiding her stare. "I don't know. But it was there. The text was there. He asked me to be his… cool friend, whatever that means, and then I saw that message. So what am I supposed to think?"
Nia groaned, flopping back against her pillow. "Girl, that man is too fine not to have women around him. Of course somebody out there is calling him baby. You should have expected that."
"Expected it?" I almost snapped. "So what if he's a player then?"
"Most likely," she replied, unbothered, twirling her braids around her finger. "I mean, did you see his jawline? His smile? He screams playboy. But you" she pointed at me like she was about to lecture "you don't do playboys. You don't do casual. You're a lover girl."
I winced at the nickname. "Stop calling me that."
"But it's true," she pressed. "You fall too easily. And this whole 'cool friends' thing? I don't know if you can handle it."
I sat down on the bed, hugging my knees. "Maybe I just want to try something different. Maybe I don't want to fall in love this time. I need a break from all that… from men who promise love and end up tearing me apart. Maybe a no-strings thing is easier."
Nia eyed me carefully, then smirked. "If it was me, I could handle it. But you? Serena, you have the most fragile heart I know. It cracks at the slightest pressure. I'm just scared this whole 'cool friend' thing is going to hurt you."
I laughed bitterly. "I already told him I'm not into relationships. So why should I care who texts him baby?"
"Then why are you talking about it, hmm?" She nudged me with her elbow.
I exhaled deeply. "Because it shocked me, that's all. We ended the night so abruptly… I couldn't even think straight."
Nia grabbed her phone. "Whatever, girl. Come see this meme I saved. You need to laugh before you drown yourself in overthinking."
I forced a smile, leaning into her, but my phone buzzed just then.
Adrian.
Why did you just send me off like that?
My pulse jumped. I stared at the screen too long, typing then erasing. Finally, I replied: Nothing. I just needed to pee and get back inside. Don't overthink it.
A pause. Then his reply came: Okay, I understand. Would you love to come say hi to me tomorrow? At my place?
Nia snatched the phone before I could hide it. She squealed. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, go! Don't even think twice."
"Are you crazy?" I whispered, trying to grab it back.
"You're going." She shoved it back into my hand, her grin wide. "Text him now."
My fingers hovered, then tapped quickly before I lost my nerve: Okay. I'll come.
The next day came faster than I wanted. My heart was a mess as I stood in front of his house. It wasn't too flashy modern, simple, but tidy. He opened the door before I could even knock properly.
"Serena." His smile stretched wide, warm. God, why did he have to look that good in just a black t-shirt and jeans?
"Hey," I muttered, forcing my voice steady.
Inside, he'd already laid out food and drinks. He even handed me a controller. "I'm a gamer," he said with a shrug, "thought we could play for a while."
I laughed nervously. "I'm terrible at games."
"That's the fun part."
We played, we ate, we laughed, and for a while I forgot the heaviness inside me. But then, his voice shifted, low and honest. "I should tell you something. I like sex. A lot. I'm… addicted, I guess."
I froze, the controller heavy in my hands. "Addicted?"
"Yeah. It's a big part of me. And I don't want to hide that from you."
My lips pressed thin. "Well, I don't like sex. At least not in the past. It's… always been uncomfortable for me. I have a tight body and honestly, sex hasn't been fun."
He leaned closer, his tone smooth. "Maybe you just haven't had the right experience. I could make it better."
Heat shot through me. "Why are we talking about sex out of nowhere?"
"Because it'll come up at some point," he said simply. "Might as well not pretend."
I looked away, sipping my drink. My chest ached. Why was this man making everything so confusing?
Finally, I blurted it out. "About last night the text. I saw it. The one that said baby."
His brows lifted. "So that's why you rushed inside." He chuckled softly. "That's just a neighbor. She calls me baby all the time, has a crush on me. But I'm not interested in her."
I nodded, pretending to believe him. But deep down, I didn't.
"I should go," I whispered, standing up.
He stood too, gently catching my hand. And just like that, my whole body betrayed me. My chest pounded. My breath caught. My skin burned where his fingers touched mine.
"Your hands are so soft," he murmured, sliding his palm slowly down from my shoulder to my wrist. "And you're beautiful up close."
My lips parted. "Really? I am?"
"Yes," he breathed, his nose brushing against mine. His eyes dropped to my lips. "And your lips… they're wet again."
My chest rose and fell rapidly. "They're always like that. Please, stop pointing it out."
"Okay," he whispered. "I won't bring it up again."
But he didn't move back. Neither did I. His face inched closer, my eyes fluttered shut. Our lips hovered, a breath away. My heart screamed to close the gap, but my mind screamed louder.
And then he pulled back suddenly, hand still gripping mine. He walked toward the door, voice even. "Come. Let me walk you out."
I blinked, my breath shallow, my emotions wrecked.
Were we about to kiss? Or was I just imagining the tension?
My fragile heart didn't know the difference anymore.