Her Keeper

Chapter 8

--Geovanni Parris--

"Still making trouble when it comes to women huh, Geovanni?" I glanced at Miss Elise, then I ran my hand over my face.

"I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout Miss Elise." I denied.

With a chuckle, she took my now empty beer can from my hand and shook her head at me before she discarded it.

"You know, you couldn't have the best of both worlds, baby." Looking up at her once more, I folded my arms across my chest and shifted my weight to my other leg before I cleared my throat.

"How'd you know?" I asked as I flexed my jaw muscles.

"I've seen the way you look at Julliet and I've also seen the way she looks at you." She paused briefly. "You know who else sees it?" She did another one of her intentional pauses. "Little Miss Skylar does." She smirked. "You're playing a dangerous game, Geovanni." She warned. "You're putting two friends against each other."

"What do you propose I do then, Miss Elise?" I asked in all seriousness. "I mean, I could see how I lead Skylar on, but I killed that before it went anywhere, but she still won't let me be." I huffed.

"You love the good girl—" she started until I cut her off.

"I'on know about all that, Elise." I rejected her claim of me loving Julliet. She chuckled once more as she gave me a knowing look.

"You don't," she walked over to me, then tapped my chest lightly, "but what's beating under there does." She smirked and I could tell that she was certain of herself as she lifted her brows at me.



"Whatchu tryna say?" I rubbed my chin, pulling on the hairs there.

"I'm saying, I didn't even say a name, but you thought of one." She chuckled again. "All I'm saying is, you love the good girl— deeply, madly even. To the point that you're trying to protect her from yourself." She paused and pressed her palm to my cheek. "Isn't that why you intended to screw the other one?" She allowed silence to fill the space between us once more, before she continued. "You were intending on screwing the one that you do not give a damn about, because you'd be damned if you'd allowed yourself to violate the one whom you value." She caressed my cheek in a calming, maternal manner. "But honey, you also knew that you'll  only be adding fuel to a fire you've already lit while trying to call it water. You know that you're playing a dangerous game, Geovanni." And with that, she turned on her heels, leaving me with my thoughts. 

Footsteps approaching the kitchen caused me to look up. I focused on Jules as she made her way over to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle.

"Hey Geo." She smiled at me as she uncapped the bottle and took a few sips.

"What's good?" I replied as I watched her intently. She placed the bottle back into the fridge and let out a refreshed gasp.

"I'm ok. How are you?" I released an exasperated sigh and tucked my bottom lip as I focused on her.

"A little conflicted, but I'd be alright." I admitted. She made her way over to me, stood on her tippy toes and pecked my cheek. She then lowered herself from her toes and smiled up at me.

"There. I hope you feel better." I held her gaze and allowed myself to drown in the mesmerising, chocolate browns of her innocent orbs.

God, she was perfect. So fucking innocent. I want to be the man to corrupt her. The man to make sweet love to her. Love? Was Miss Elise right? Was I capable of love?

I looked up from Julliet's captivating  features as she wrapped her arms around me and I glimpsed Skylar staring at us from across the foyer at the bottom of the staircase. When she noticed me looking back at her, she turned and headed up the stairs.