Severing Ties (Book 2. Ties)

16. My Oh My

I walked out of my class and went to the subway that took me closer to the area I lived in. Every Thursday I rode the subway, something I had never done before in my life. It was kind of novelty for me to be surrounded by so many people and not having to worry about driving or parking. I just hopped on the subway and sometimes got lucky with a seat, but most times I stood and held on to one of the metal bars to maintain balance. I either stood or sat and people watched until my stop. Stephanie stayed longer than me on Thursdays, so she couldn't take me home, and my mom worked until 6:00, so that was out of the question.

When I was about to turn to descend the stairs to the subway station, someone grabbed my elbow. I was about to start yelling when I realized who it was holding on to my arm. I broke into a smile and threw my arms around his waist. "You're back," I told Tamonash with elation.

He chuckled at my reaction and wrapped his long and toned arms around me. Why did I do that? I'm not an affectionate person.

"Apparently," he said.

I let go of him and looked up into his gray eyes. "What are you doing here though? You're not one of those stalker types of guys that track phones, right?"

He threw his head back in humor. "No, I'm sorry to say I'm not. I did what other people who are not technology savvy do; I asked your friend—Stephanie. She told me where to find you."

"But why didn't you just call?"

He traced the side of my cheek with his finger. "I wanted to surprise you." I shivered at his touch.

I looked around to observe the people around us, but no one paid us any mind. "What if someone sees you," I whispered.

"The sun is out, so it's a cap kind of day. My hair is extra shaggy, and it helps hide these facial features." He moved his hand in front of his face to bring emphasis to his point.

I looked at him thoroughly. He was dressed in ripped jeans with a white T-shirt and a Lakers cap. "Your hair really is shaggy," I said as I wrapped a finger around one of his dark curls. "Why?"

"I want cornrows," he said seriously.

I gaped at him speechless. Did I really want to date someone with that hairstyle? Doesn't that hurt your hair roots? "Are you serious?"

Tamonash began to nod his head before he broke into a fit of laughter. "You should have seen your face, Mackenzie. No, I'm not getting cornrows. The length is just for a character I'm going to be playing soon."

"What character?"

"I'm a medieval lord that gets to order peasants around." He smirked.

I felt my eyebrow lift in response. "Really?"

He chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I'm not kidding about that one."

I felt my cheekbones rise when I smiled at him. "I don't judge."

"Anyways. Do you want to go get lunch?" I bit my lip and then nodded my head.

When we got to his car, he opened the door for me like he always did. His physique really was admirable, and his personality was amazing. I liked him, to say the least. "Where do you want to go," he asked.

"Mm, we can go to Amsterdam Restaurant and Tapas Lounge. If you want."

"What do they have there," he questioned.

I pursed my lips before answering. "Everything?" I began to laugh.

"Would I like it?"

I tilted my head to the side. "I get the feeling that you could eat almost anything."