My heart trips over with joy and the words burst out of me. “Rid…move in with me?”
I was going to wait to ask, but right now, with his gray eyes on me, full of light, I can’t remember the reasons.
He turns his face into his arms. “You sure about that, Cupcake? I’m a messy roommate.”
“I don’t mind.”
The side of his mouth curves into a smile. “And I tend to sleep-fuck.”
A laugh escapes me. “You do, huh?”
“Yep. Especially when I have the prettiest girl in the world in my bed. It triggers the syndrome.”
Laughing, I bend to kiss his cheek.
“I love you,” he whispers, and it’s like honey spilling in my thoughts.
“Love you, too,” I whisper back, smiling. “See you in a bit.”
***
“Hey, Bry. How is my cousin?” Jethro, Candy’s dark-eyed boyfriend, sits across from us on an armchair and grabs his drawing pad. “I heard his back was giving him trouble?”
“He’s better.” I sip at my tea, wondering how on earth I will pour my heart out to Candy when her boyfriend is right there, listening in.
“You taking good care of Riddick?” Joel, her other boyfriend, joins us, sitting on the armrest and ruffling Jet’s hair. “Jet was worried.”
“He’s missing work days,” Jet says with a frown. “He can’t afford that, he told me. After his brother pinched his savings, he has had trouble paying the rent.”
“Riddick’s moving in with me,” I say, blowing on my tea.
“Come again?” Candy is staring at me, a hand resting on her still fla
t belly. “You didn’t say anything.”
“It never came up,” I say quickly. “So you shouldn’t worry about his rent.”
“I didn’t know you guys were so serious,” Jet says, but he’s smiling. “But I’m fucking glad. Rid has been in love with you since he first saw you.”
I duck my head to hide my pleasure at hearing that. “He’s great.”
“You love him?” Candy asks, and I thought she knew by now.
I have to clear my throat. “Very much.”
“Well.” Jet’s smile widens.
“And what about your Prince?” Joel asks. “Prince Ryan?”
“Ryan Prince,” I correct him absently. “He’s…not in the picture.”
And my heart hurts as I say the words.
“Oh, girl…” Candy grips my arm and squeezes, her eyes shiny. “I’m so sorry. I know you love him.”
She does? How could she know? I’ve been trying to convince myself it’s not true, and didn’t she always say I should chuck him and date another?
“You know I’m not normally like this,” I confess, my voice choked. “And I’ve been trying to stop, but I can’t. Stop loving Ryan. But I like him too much.” Love him too much. “Like Riddick. I can’t choose between them.”