Temporary Fix | 18+

19

Lamp post: Come see me tomorrow.

The message came through almost immediately after I'd unblocked Niccolò. Though I didn't respond, I almost felt like he knew what my answer would be without it. It felt too soon, though; the image of him between my thighs was seared into my brain, and I feared that's all I'd be able to think about if I saw the man.

My eyes found the framed lake, soft blues, grays, and green calming my mind as my heart raced. A knock jumped me from my thoughts, and I rushed to the front door, banishing all thoughts related to Niccolò from my mind.

Coming face to face with Antony reinforced the thought as I greeted him with a smile. "Hey, you."

Warm amber eyes gazed down at me, and I laughed as I was scooped into a bear hug. He hugged me so tight I couldn't lift my arms to reciprocate.

"I'd hate to have 'Hugged to Death' on my tombstone." My voice came out with a slight wheeze, emphasizing my point.

His body shook with his laughter, and I breathed air as he released me. "I missed you."

I smiled at him, though curious about why his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "What's up?"

I stepped back, allowing him room to walk into the transformed studio apartment, which only he knew the location of. And Jazmine, of course.

It was my personal escape. I stayed with my parents only because they wanted it. It was their normal since we'd always been together since Jazmine and I were babies. But sometimes, being around people was suffocating.

Sometimes, I wanted silence and time to myself, and so I made the executive decision to get my own place. Initially, I planned to keep it a complete secret, but when I realized I needed help due to my indecisiveness, I let the two people closest to me in on my little secret.

Antony's eyes moved to the space over my couch, seeing the piece that hung in the once-empty spot.

"You finally found something to go there." I nodded, not elaborating in hopes that the conversation didn't delve into how the piece came about. He took a seat and patted the spot beside him, "Come. Let's talk."

I fought the urge to ask questions, taking a seat silently instead. The vibration in the pocket of my shorts had me pulling out my phone to see a message from Jazmine.

Jaz: I woke up and realized I wasn't dreaming. Fucking Niccolò Capello? You slutty slut! Sleeping with the enemyyyyy. Now you HAVE to tell me everything

It was hard to fight the urge to smile. Jazmine gave knowing glances when Niccolò and I found her the night before. She acted calm in front of the man— which I was thankful for, but I knew my reluctance to answer her questions in the car would only bite me in the ass later.

My phone was in my pocket before the man beside me could see the message. I would deal with her later.

"I haven't been seeing much of you." His fingers ran through the coils in my ponytail, a habit he had when he was nervous. He played in my hair to distract himself and to avoid looking at me.

I decided not to point it out. "I mean, I've been busy. It's almost time for finals, and I'm honestly just focused on getting this over with." This also included the marriage, but I didn't say that either.

He hummed at my answer as if mulling over his words. "Maybe then you'll have more time for me."

I grinned, assuming that's why he was in a mood. I kick my legs up across his lap and leaned my body against the pillows thrown on the couch, "I'll always have time for you. You know that."