Bear

Chapter 16: Birdie

Dionne sits quietly, her hands moving methodically as she parts my hair, applies gel, and proceeds to deftly weave the strands into flawless knotless braids. She hums her interest, as I explain everything that led to where we are now.

"So your life is basically The Bodyguard, except you aren't a celebrity and he's protecting you because he's responsible for you being in danger.." She trails off with a thoughtful quality to her voice. She methodically makes another part, clipping my free curls before weaving a neat braid.

Dionne is quiet for a moment, as if mulling over my words. That alone is enough to send a reg flag up in my brain.

My cousin is the kind of woman who knows exactly what she thinks, and rarely is she ever at loss for words. Now I knew Bear would raise a few eyebrows, but contemplative silence?

Honestly I'm not too sure what to think. Not that anyone's opinion on the complicated situation between Bear and I really matters. Let's be real, it's not as if either of us are looking at one another in the long term.

Sure, Bear makes me feel some kind of way that I've never really felt before, but realistically I don't see any way that we can work.

We're just so different, and Bear... Well, he's already made it clear that I don't 'belong in his world.'

Even though I want a chance to see if that's true for myself, deep down I fear that he's right. There's no harm in just enjoying the fun while it lasts.

I frown at the thought, a lingering dissatisfaction already lingering in my chest at the thought. I'm glad Dionne can't see my face because there's no way she wouldn't call me out on it.

"Damn...Well at least tell me the sex is good."

Her voice distracts me again, taking me away from my thoughts and more importantly my alarming reaction to said thoughts.

"Better than good..." I murmur, unable to stop the way my face began to heat up with an invisible blush.

I grin, thinking of the way Bear bargained his way into a quickie in the bathroom before we left this morning. It meant having to skip breakfast, but Bear had more than made up for it with the mind numbing orgasm and a very large cup of coffee from the closest available source.

Dionne hums, and I know her well enough to know she's wearing the look of a man checking out an impressive new car.

"I saw those hands; I just know that man is packing." She adds with conspiratorial indignation.

"I don't kiss and tell but..." I let my voice trail off suggestively. I'd never share specific intimate details with anyone about what happens behind my bedroom door, but Dionne is my cousin and the closest thing I have to a best friend. We took baths together as babies; she helped me get through all the shit that happened with my dad; even now, she's part of the reason I moved to this small town in the first place, because she's the only person I'd trust with my hair.

"He always has me walking a little funny afterwards." I try not to sound too shy, we've gone past the age where sex is an embarrassing thing to make us squeamish. Then again, I've never been one for one night stands, or regular hookups.

The last time I'd really had sex was as a teenager with my boyfriend at the time, before all the shit with my dad went down and before I'd thrown myself into becoming an academic overachiever.

I hold out the comb to her as she finishes up the section she's working on. I shift my position on the chair, having been sitting in the same position for what's felt like years, but it's really only been 6 hours.

"Ain't nothing like some good ol' vitamin D!" Dionne jokes letting me stretch for a moment before she moves to start the final section of my hair.

"Much and often!" I laugh, my eyes watering with the effort to keep my body still as the laughter wracks my body. Then as if to prove my point, I can't help but to add: "And I'm a nurse, I'd know."