Chapter 19: Chapter 19

: Invited

→Narrator: Asa

"I want to stay in bed with you, all day." Kam whispered softly into my hair, stroking gently.

He had been so gentle and sweet after I had royally embarrassed myself in front of him, cleaning me up and holding me close. He had been so loving and caring, leading me back to his bed, so we could cuddle, basking in each other's warmth and just talk about mundane things.

He wouldn't stop stroking my hair, kissing my forehead, staring into my eyes with that adorable, concerned look in his eyes. That beautiful smile that was uniquely his, never left his lips and I was grateful to have this big ball of sunshine fall in love with someone as fucked up as me.

I burrowed into his chest, liking the feel of his arms around me. "We can't. The others will know what's up."

"Let them know," He said stubbornly.

"Kam!" I extracted myself from him. "Let's go downstairs. I'm hungry."

"I'm hungry, too."

And I squeaked, hiding my face when I saw the hungry look in his eyes. He was looking at me that way. That way that made me want to crawl back into bed with him...

And do stuff.

"But they don't have what I want on the menu, downstairs." He took his lower lip between his teeth, a sexy grin on his face as he crept closer towards where I sat at the edge of the bed. I noticed how red and swollen his lips were. Lips I had kissed and sucked and nibbled on.

Oh God.

"In fact. What I want is right here with me."

I gulped, jumping away from the bed and smoothing my skirt. "Kam! Stop misbehaving."

"Will you give me a kiss for being naughty?" He pouted his lips at me.

"No."

"Two kisses?"

"I'll leave you here, Kam."

"And I'll pull you back."

"Kam!"

"Fine. Fine. Geez! I'm coming, woman."

I chucked a pillow at him now, which he caught expertly. Guffawing all the way as he shrugged on a shirt, coming to stand in front of me.

He placed his hands around my waist, pulling me to him. His honey coloured eyes, suddenly serious.

"How are you, Asa? Are you okay with everything?"

I frowned at the worried expression on his face. "What do mean? Of course I'm okay, Kam."

Pulling down the sleeve of my shirt, he touched the skin on my shoulder where he had bitten too hard. "I think I was too rough last night." A slight scowl, marring his forehead. "I just can't control myself with you."

"It's okay, Kam." I took his beautiful face in my hands, reassuringly, thumbs, stroking his cheekbones. "I'm okay."

"It's just that-" he ran his hand through his hair. "I wasn't thinking. Was it because of what happened between us that triggered the nightmare? Your stepbrother."

I took a step back, as if I just got shot in the heart.

I didn't want Kam to think I had thought of my stepbrother before the nightmare. That he triggered something... because he didn't.

To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even thought about my stepbrother at all, while Kam made love to me.

He had seemed like a distant figure, far back in the past.

Had it been a year already?

I had placed a mental block and suppressed all my emotions and memories from my time in Abuja... But that nightmare made them all come flooding back.

C'mon, Selene. Be a good girl.

You love me, don't you?

If you talk, I'll slit your fucking throat.

You're mine, you hear me? Mine!

I'll come for you, Selene. I swear, I'll pay you back for everything you've done to me.

That promise still sent chills down my spine. I remembered everything.

His cold, diabolical eyes that lit up his devilishly handsome looks. That sharp, calculated, almost maniacal smile. The strength of his arms, the leathery feel of his fingers stroking my skin. He preferred calling me 'Selene' to 'Asa'. And I hated that name because of him.

Come to me, Selene.

I gasped, turning away from Kam, not wanting him to sense my mood change...

"Asa, what's wrong?"

But I just couldn't hide anything from him... He saw through my soul.

"It's nothing." I avoided his probing gaze.

I felt sick.

I was an abomination.

My own brother.

I suddenly felt like throwing up again, bile, rising to my throat.

"Fuck! Asa, please, talk to me!" Strong hands, cupping my face, causing me to drown in seas of honey. "Don't fucking hide from me. Please."

I looked up into those concerned honey orbs, love and trust, swirling in their depths and tried to steady my breathing.... For him... Only for him.

"I'm fine now, Kam." I whispered when I got my breathing under control. "Thank you."

Kam pulled me to him and I grew calmer, his strong heartbeat, resonating through my ears. "I swear to you, Asa, if that demon ever shows his slimy face back into your life, I won't sit back and watch him lay a finger on you. No one will hurt you as long as I'm with you. I'll break every bone in my body before I see you get hurt again. I swear it, Asa."

And I believed him. The force at which he said it, the way his arms tightened possessively around me, the way his heart sped up rapidly, his breathing harsh, that determined tone his voice took.

I love him... And he loves me... How on earth did I get this lucky?

Because, I was sure this boy had the face of God. I had fallen in love with a Celestial being and nobody could convince me otherwise.

"Kam." I struggled out of his embrace and looked into those strong, determined eyes, darkened with concern and worry. I touched his face, so he'd look at me. " You're mine and I'm yours." I recited our promise. "Forever and ever."

He looked at me, his eyes softening with renewed hope, dimples, punctuating his cheeks. "Amen."

*

"We're all going to pretend like we don't know what went on between you two last night." Kosi chirped, grinning into her coffee mug as we walked into the large kitchen area, complete with an island for dining.

"Probably runs along the lines of shmakeup shmex." Jordan hollered, guffawing loudly until Dave smacked him upside the head.

"Thanks, Dave."

"Anytime, Baby doll."

"Hey! No fair!" Jordan pouted, disgruntled. "Kam, are you going to let him call her that?"

"Don't see the problem." Kam shrugged, pulling me to him, grinning as he kissed me.

Like, really kissed me.

The way he kisses me when no one is watching. Hungry, wild and passionate, hands, grabbing my hips, pulling me into him until we're fitting into each other's crevices and spaces like jigsaw puzzles.

And then he brought his lips to my ears, whispering, so that only I could hear. "As long as you make love, only to me."

He pulled back, a slight smirk on his perfect lips, leaving me panting and lightheaded.

I suddenly became aware of the loud cheers and applause, coming from my annoying friends. Jordan, grinning with an okey dokey sign at us, muttering, "classic. Classic." And Lola and Kosi screaming and cooing at us.

Suddenly, Amir swore loudly, standing up so suddenly, his chair fell back as he stormed out of the kitchen like a freaking tornado.

He had been sitting so quietly, I hadn't even realized he was there.

"Oops. Ya nasties have disgusted Amir into a mood again." Jordan whistled jokingly.

My mood suddenly dampened as i remembered I hadn't told Kam about our kiss.

I didn't want to hide things from him, but I didn't want to bring unnecessary drama into the gang either.

The others paid no attention to him, storming off, taking it as one of Amir's typical moody behaviours... Except Kosi and Lola, of course, who avoided my gaze, knowingly.

"Where's breakfast?" Kam suddenly asked.

"Sorry, I ate it all." Jordan confessed, peeling a banana and cutting it up into a bowl of cereal. "I was coming from the gym 'bout to get granola then I saw the food Lola prepared this morning, sitting here, all nice and warm and I ate it."

"You ate it all."

"That and four boxes of pizza. He's a beast." Jemi drawled from where he was sprawled lazily between Kosi's legs at the window seat. He was sitting on the floor at her feet, between her legs, hands, nestled on her laps as she played with his full black hair, twisting it into tiny shiny dreads.

"Chill. There's still pizza left." Jordan said, gesturing towards the pile of pizza boxes.

I poked at the lid. "All this pizza and junk is unhealthy, you know?"

Osahon walked into the kitchen, in black sweatpants and a white tanktop, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn. "Morning guys." He grunted.

"Dude, it's two in the afternoon." Dave said.

"Oh." Osahon blinked, unfocused. "Whatever." And he just crumpled to the floor, slumping against the wall.

Within moments, he was fast asleep again.

"Okay, is that normal?" I asked.

Lola laughed, bouncing up from where she sat at the kitchen island. "Yeah. He's usually numb and confused like a little kid when he wakes up. He's not himself until he's had his coffee. I'll fix him a cup."

"I want to cook something for you, Asa."

"Don't worry. You can do that later. I'm in the mood for pizza."

Kam pouted adorably and I pinched his cheeks.

"Y'all, Devontae invited us to a party tonight." Dave said suddenly, looking up from his phone. "Are we turning up or what?"

Everyone nodded their approval.

Kam looked at me, concern etched in the honey brownness of his eyes. "Are you okay with that, Asa?"

I shrugged. I didn't care about the party at all, but if my friends were going, then I would too.

I didn't want to be the odd one.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." Kam persisted. "We could stay home and Netflix and chill."

I gave him a cheeky grin. "And we both know 'Netflix and chill' to you is code for 'cuddle and make out.'"

"Guilty." He grinned. "But seriously, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

"Kam, it's cool. I want to." I gestured to the pile of pizza boxes, grabbing a plate. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

I pretended not to hear his reply, my cheeks heating up from his words; I'm starving too. Starving For you.

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