Hotline Bling

Chapter 22

Essence's mouth fell open and she stared at Roman wide eyed. "I'm not no little girl! I'm grown!" She snapped. She might as well be. She had been fending for herself since she was ten years old. The foster system had dealt her a bad hand and she had been trying to survive before she could even make sense of the world around her.

"Prove it," He snapped back.

Her heart pounded against her chest and she felt heat rush up her neck and explode onto her cheeks. She bit into her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from punching him in the face. How dare he?

"Fuck you, Roman! I don't have to prove nothing to you!"

She moved to walk past him but suddenly she was locked in his arms, one of his hands cupping the back of her neck and holding her upright. She pushed at his chest, struggling slightly in his arms.

"Get off of me, Roman!" She screamed just as he nearly pulled her off her feet, her mouth crashing into his.

She pounded on his chest but froze up when he mumbled something against her lips. She didn't know what he said but it caught her attention enough to realize that he wasn't being rough with her. His lips were tentatively touching hers. His hold on her wasn't nearly as tight as her panic made it seem. He pulled away for split second, his eyes landing on the crowd, making sure that people were watching before kissing her again. She protested but her voice was muffled by the pressure of his lips on hers and the sudden urgency in his kiss. It went from soft to needy, aggressive and she gasped, his tongue dipping into her, tasting her.

Roman kissed her hard, peering underneath his lashes to make sure people were watching. He was trying to keep it together, trying to remember that he had a reason for kissing her other than for pleasure.

Once all eyes were seemingly on them, it took everything in him, he pulled away, running his tongue along the entrance of her lips before pulling back. He spotted Dante and Tonya moving toward them and he leaned down, his lips brushing her ear, "Call me, baby. You know how to reach me."

He released her and walked passed her, meeting Dante halfway.

Dante grinned, "She let you get away that? Bruh, I was expecting some more fight outta her...shits disappointing."

Roman laughed as they headed back toward the bleachers, "Forget you, Dante. Did you tell her what she needed to know?"

"It's all good. I told a few thangs, got her number. Life's good homes."

Roman shook his head. Only Dante would think that potentially being murdered was dust underneath his shoe when it came down to getting a girl's phone number.

Tonya fidgeted in her the driver's seat, her knuckles turning slightly pink as she held the steering wheel.

Essence sighed, it was obvious that she was upset about something. "Tonya? What's wrong with you?"

Tonya jumped, almost as if her soul had left her body. "Huh? Nothing...Are you sure you don't want to spend the night at my place again? My mom really doesn't mind. She loves you and you know my dad is waiting on you before he starts up another game of spades."

"Naw, I'm tired...besides, Mona's been bitchin' about me coming home earlier."

Tonya tsked, "Mona? And since when do you listen to anything that heifer has to say."

Essence shrugged, "Since now I guess."

The car stopped in front of Essence's house and she sighed before reaching for the door handle. The door clicked as it opened and just as Essence went to get out Tonya grabbed her wrist. "Are you positively sure?"