Page 42 of Two’s Better

I felt my cheeks heat, hoping my blush didn’t show in my expression. I squirmed, hyperaware of the fact that I was completely naked from the waist down underneath my dress.

“Uzi,” I said pointedly.

“Fure,” he returned, playing clueless.

I was not going to smile. Being coy obviously wasn’t going to work, so I decided to be direct, even if it made my cheeks burn. “Are you really not going to give me back my underwear?”

Goddamn him for being able to control his expressions so well; he looked so perfectly nonplussed. “What underwear?”

“Oh my God.” His lips twitched. “You piss me off, do you know that?”

He let his laugh loose, reaching out to tangle our hands together, beginning to lead me out of the house. In the entryway, he got down on one knee to help me put on my boots. My heartbeat, which hadn’t calmed down since our cuddling session, decided to beat out of rhythm, my pussy tingling with memory. When he stood after he’d put his own shoes on, we were both breathless and avoiding each other’s gazes.

The night was cool as we made the short trek to mine. He had his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, while mine were folded over my torso, my purse clutched in my right hand.

Damn, who knew walking around without underwear could be so titillating? I felt so deliciously exposed. Naughty, even though no one but him knew. If he hadn’t been walking me home—if this hadn’t been the official end of our date, I’d have jumped his bones the moment we got my front door open.

When we reached said door, we both hesitated. My heart pounded a staccato rhythm. I wanted him to kiss me goodnight. My lips tingled with it. But that would probably be a bad idea—wouldn’t want to blur the lines any further than they already were.

“Uzi,” I began to complain, a part of me not wanting the night to end just yet. “Seriously? What do you plan on doing with my damn panties?”

“Jerk off, probably.” My mouth fell open. He laughed, shrugging unapologetically. “Hey, you asked.”

“You piss me off so bad.”

He laughed again, taking a step back. “And with that, I bid you a good night, Fure.”

I sighed dramatically, but managed to smile back. “And a good night to you, too, Uzi.”

He blew me a kiss. I grinned and dutifully caught it, then pressed it to my heart. He waited until I’d unlocked the door and stepped inside, then I waited, watching his blurred silhouette through the small, stained-glass window at the top of the door until he’d disappeared from view.

The moment I made it up to my room, all the thoughts I’d been suppressing as I’d cuddled my best friend came bursting forth like an erupting volcano.

Our friend group was queer with a capital Q, Prince—despite being the token straight—included, which meant we all understood that penetration wasn’t the only thing that qualified as sex.

As far as I was concerned—and I was sure my best friend would agree—Uzezi and I had literally just had sex.

Oh my God, we’d actually had sex.

And it had been everything I’d wanted. No, it had been more. I pressed my hands to my burning cheeks. It had been exactly what I’d hoped for while simultaneously going beyond anything I’d ever imagined. Hands down the loveliest and sexiest moments of my entire life. Checked off both boxes of my major Es and Cs: explicit communication and enthusiastic consent, AKA Ofure’s Surefire Guide to an Amazing First Time.

What was going to happen now? Was this it? We’d done it, come to the moment we’d been building since we first kissed—had that perfect first time, which I could happily say without it feeling like a lie or an exaggeration. It had literally been perfect. The bar was now above the fucking heavens.

Was it over now? My chest felt strangely hot.

I took my clothes off and grabbed my towel, heading to the shared bathroom. Uzezi and I had had a cursory clean with some wet wipes before we’d gone out to get our food, but that wasn’t enough for me.

Underneath the hot spray of the shower, I tried to stop thinking.

It didn’t work. I was in full freak out mode as I finished the rest of my nightly routine.

Oh God. Why was I feeling like this? My chest hurt. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to go back to Uzezi’s—hold him tight and never let go.

Which was weird. Wasn’t that fucking weird? Uzezi wasn’t going anywhere. Just because our pact was over didn’t mean anything was going to change.

I didn’t want anything to change. So, why—?

I had only just finished moisturising and was in the plain cotton panties I usually used for sleeping, tucking my braids into my bonnet, when my phone vibrated with a text. My heart leapt into my throat, some part of me already knowing who it was from before I’d even checked.