Page 88 of Too Sweet
Aisha folds her arms over her chest, visibly hurt. “So what? You think I’ll let something happen to her?” she asks, lifting her chin to challenge me. “I have her back. I’d never let anything happen to her.”
I saw Aisha inQandRavea few times during the past few years. Three drinks in, she only pays attention to the guys ogling her from the bar. Maybe she changed now she’s with Toby butmaybeisn’t enough to risk Mia’s safety.
It’s been years since I took care of someone. The need to watch over Kaya wasn’t half as intense as with Mia. Kaya was more like Aisha, not letting me do my thing.
Mia gives me room to breathe. Every little thing she lets me do gives an outlet to my protectiveness. I don’t need to suppress my reflexes around her. She doesn’t mind that I buckle her up in the car or tuck her in at night.
I still need to tone down my paranoia, so I don’t get carried away. It wouldn’t take much inattention to cross a line, considering I want Mia on my lap, curved into my chestnon-stop, but I can’t smother her like that. I’m here to watch over her while she spreads her wings, not pluck them off.
But that doesn’t mean I’ll risk her safety.
Aisha has to prove she’ll be there for Mia if things go south. A few weeks ago, she didn’t want her little sister playing board games with us, so nothing speaks in her favor.
“You don’t even have your back, Aisha,” I say, massaging my temples. “I don’t know your friends, and I sure as fuck don’t trust you with Mia.”
“Please stop arguing,” Mia says, and we all look to her standing where the kitchen morphs seamlessly into an open-plan corridor. “I don’t want to go.”
“That’s not what you said last night,” Aisha clips. “Don’t let him control you! This is wrong, sis. You’re going.”
Mia shakes her head softly. “It’s okay. I don’t feel like dancing, anyway.” She’s wearing a gray, fitted sweater with long sleeves that partially hide her hands, and a dirty pink pinafore dress. “Do I look okay?” she asks me, twirling around on her ankle boot. “Or not fancy enough?”
“Perfect, baby. Come here.”
Now that I’m sitting on the barstool, we’re almost eye level. I grip her chin between my forefinger and thumb, sinking into her mouth, searching for that addictive low. Nothing calms me down the way having her close does.
She’s an antidote to all the rage coursing through me.
The static and clutter clear enough that I can think clearly. Mia’s young. She should have fun. I know she misses her sister and that it means the world to her that Aisha invited her out.
“Did you say you want to go?” I ask her.
Her face blanches, not a trace of a blush. “Yes.”
I turn her around, pressing her back to my chest, and look over her shoulder to Aisha. “Compromise.Q,notRave. I book the booth. One of the bouncers will watch Mia all evening, and she only drinks whathegives her.”
“Abouncer?!” she fumes, growing redder. “So he can report her every move to you? Nah-ah. Not gonna happen,baby boy. You need to trust her!”
“It’s you I don’t trust. If you ditch her, at least I’ll know someone’s looking after her. Take it or leave it, Aisha.”
“I don’t mind the bouncer, sis,” Mia says quietly. “Even if he tells Nico what I’m doing, that’s okay. It’s not like I plan to do anything he won’t approve of.”
God, she fits me so fucking right.
Aisha’s pout slips, morphing into a wide, self-assured grin. “So, if there was someone with us you trust, there’d be no need for the bouncer, right?”
I nod, grinding my teeth. She’s got a plan in place, I can tell. She’ll fight me on this to the bone.
Well, she met her match.
“Okay, fine. This isnotover. You sure you don’t want one?” she chirps, waving a bottle of Corona.
“I’m sure. How about you come with us toThe Olive Treeinstead of drinking beer and eating pizza in front of the TV?”
Her mouth falls open a little. “What? Like a double date?” She glances at Toby and beams wider, slamming her beer on the counter. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes!” She rushes out of the room.
Toby smacks the back of my head as soon as the bedroom door closes behind Aisha. “Thanks, man. We were gonna fuck once you took Mia out.”
“I bet you already did today. Mia’s staying with me all weekend. You’ll have the house to yourselves until Monday. When was the last time you took Aisha out to eat?”
