I rubbed his abs with my hands. The space between us slowly disappeared. Being a virgin didn’t mean that I didn’t find him attractive.

His mouth went from my neck to my lips. The R&B and soul was a bad idea, it only made the situation more heated.  Our wet bodies pressed against each other the moment was heated. His lips touching mine was electric and hypnotizing. His lips were so soft, and they fit mine very well. His tongue slid across my lips and was slowly making its way into my mouth. The eye contact that we had was deep and unwavering. It makes me moan In his mouth and his groan in mine. “Oh, my god!” Valencia screamed. Thank the stars because I was lost in the moment.  She covered her eyes. “Ma, really?” She snapped. “Ooh, I knew it,” Tamera pointed. I tried to cover up, but our clothes were wet and by the pool. I stood there, blushing embarrassed.  Donte wrapped his arms around me and covered as much as he could. “Oh, my god yall naked af!” His nephew yelled out, walking up to us. “What are yall in here doing?” He asked.  “Go in the house yall,” Donte yelled, putting bass into his voice. Everybody ran into the house, laughing. My face was hot that was so embarrassing.

Dinner was the most awkward part of the night. All eyes were on me. “So, ruby, why were you naked?” Tamera blurted out. “Don’t answer that?” Donte said, holding my hand. I just felt Lencia's eyes on me burning holes. After dinner, Lencia had questions. She liked us together; she just wanted me to be happy but safe. She knew nothing happened, but it was still funny, she joked. “So, are yall going to become a thing?” She asked. I told her that I was just riding along.  I hugged her and asked about her night she said to me that she would tell me later. His nephew looked way too much like him a younger version, to be exact. I had some questions. But at the same time, it was none of my business We spent the weekend at Donte's house, and on Monday, we went back to our house and lives. May

I reenrolled in my college classes, but from home, Lencia begged me to retake college classes, so I did, I also used the money to bump up all the surgeries that Monica had that would extend her life. Tamera was growing more into a lady every day she got a job at a retail clothing store up the street. And from time to time, I would catch her crying writing letters to her uncle. I despised the situation, but it wasn’t entirely my place, I got her out of there, and that was all that mattered. I gave Tamera a 2000 gift card for her birthday because I didn’t know what she liked. I opened the door and spoke into my mic. “yall better have my back,” I said. I knew something was going to pop out and kill me. I was live-streaming a horror game, and I was scared as heck.

“hide in the closet something is coming,” one of my party members said in my ear. My character ran for the nearest hiding place. I could hear the creature outside breathing I had full surround sound in my room.

My room vibrated as the creature tore up the place looking for me. I was scared out of my mind in real life. “who is that behind you,” one of my members asked. “don’t joke spikelee565” “that isn’t funny!” “I'm serious somebody behind you” my heart started racing, and I slowly turned around to look behind me. To my relief he was just joking. “haha you funny” “I should block you” I teased. “please my love don’t separate us we are meant to be” he joked “who is he?” the gamrgrl2 asked me? “Oh, now yall being funny today,” I said. “I'm not turning around again,” I said, getting back into the game. The creature had left, so I came out of my place of hiding and began to search the room for rations and weapons. “my party wouldn’t stop laughing.

“what's funny?” I asked. Nobody answered. I walked outside of the building and came face to face with the creature. “oh no,” “help me,” I screamed. My character ran as fast as it could. “run!” my party yelled in my ear. “oh no run sis,” my stamina bar started beeping, and she was slowing down. I had nothing to defend myself with. I paused the game because my heart couldn’t take it. “she's going to die,” I said, freaking out. “what should I do?” I asked my team. “if you can't run, then you need to fight,” spike lee said. “okay, fine,” I said, unpausing the game. I continued the game. My controller started to vibrate, and the creature's breathing was intense. I quickly turned around and stabbed for dear life; my dagger didn’t do much damage, but I was fighting.

“Ummm got you,” I screamed as the creature ran off. “yeah! I got him,” I shouted to the top of my lungs as hands wrapped around my body.“ruby, I got you!” donte screamed from behind me. I swear I peed a little. “told you some dude was behind you,” gamer girl said, laughing. I took off my headset. “excuse me, yall,” I said, getting ready to pause the feed. “wait, let me see him,”gamrgrl requested. “donte say hi,” I said, blushing. “hey yall,” he said into the camera” “that beard tho” “ooh he sexy,” she said disconnecting. I turned around and hit him. “How long were you standing there?” I asked him. “the whole time, even when you turned around,” he chuckled. “ooh, I can't stand you!”I said. “so this is what you do when I'm not around,” he laughed. “that’s why you so scary,” he joked. “This isn’t what I expected when I came over your room looks like mine did when I was 17” he picked at me “I swear your room was gonna be pink with teddy bears and stuff,” he joked.” “Nope, that’s Tamara's room,” I said, shaking my head. “what are you doing here?” I asked him. “well, you gave me your address wanted to see what you were like at home,” he said cheesing. “And I bought you a present,” he explained.

“aww I wasn’t expecting anything,” I told him. “That’s the point of a gift duh,” he said, smiling. “where are all the dolphins?” he asked, looking around my room. “shh, they can still hear us,” I pointed at my computer. “is that so?” he said with a devious look in his eyes. “donte don’t do nothing wild a lot of people can see us,” I explained. “I don’t know what you're talking about. I am not wild,” he said, getting really close to me. “donte!” I screamed. He quickly picked me up and tossed me onto my canopy queen. He straddled me and pinned my arms down . “donte,” I begged. He kissed my chest and all the way up my neck then he stopped at my ear. “where are the dolphins” he asked again. My face was red, and my heart racing. I pointed to the bathroom and walk-in closet, trying to hide from the camera. donte peered into both then looked at me shaking his head. “that’s cute,” he said, laughing. “turn around and close your eyes,” he directed me. “donte we are on camera,” I whispered, and yelled.

“you have a dirty mind ruby,” he said, shaking his head.  I did as I was told he kissed my shoulder, making me jump.  “donte don’t start,” I told him. “okay, I'm sorry,” he said. I felt something cold wrap around my neck. It was neckless of some sort that was so sweet. After he clasped the necklaces, I quickly ran for the nearest mirror. It was a diamond dolphin; I was utterly speechless. The first thing that kept coming to mind was the fact that he remembered my obsession with dolphins. My girls don’t even know about that little secret.

The second thing Is the fact that it was silver, so he spent money on it. He even had my birthstone in the eye of the dolphin, which was roughly the size of two quarters. I didn’t get him a gift, and it was burning deep down in me, truth be told I didn’t really know what he liked. I knew that he was scholarly yet playful and youthful; however, anything else I didn’t know, what do you give a man that has everything?

“a headache,” he said behind me. I laughed to myself because what I was just thinking. “huh donte” I asked him, hugging him. “it was such a headache trying to find one that you may have liked.” He explained. “no matter which one you picked, I would have loved and cherished it,” I told him cheesing. I noticed he too had on a neckless. “what did you get yourself?” I asked him. He pulled out a matching neckless but with a ruby in its eye and a sapphire. I died on the inside. Sapphire and ruby red and blue hot and cold so many combinations went through my mind. “Yup,” he said, trying not to blush. Were we official? I just smiled, but I didn’t want to ask, I know for a fact that we were dating now as far as a relationship we will see how that went later. “you're so cute,” I told him. “I know,” he said, walking over to my bed. “what are you doing?” I asked him. “it's time for you to return the favor,” he said cheesing. My eyes got big! Was he talking about something sexual?

“excuse me, donte,” I said with an attitude.  “I spent all day shopping. I tried just lay with me,” he said, stripping in my bed. I quickly ran to lock the door and covered my computer with my hand. “I will be back yall I had fun” I shut down the feed I was sent a lot of kissy faces hearts and shocked emojis.“oh yeah,” he said, smiling at me. “oh no,” I said, snatching my pillow from under his big ole head. I wasn’t expecting company, so I had on grannies and a sports bra. He looked down at my panties and started laughing. “damn parachutes,” he said, tugging on them. “that’s it; you got to get out now,” I said, laughing.

“well, at least if I fall, I know I won't hit the ground,” he said, continuing about my grannies.“Come lay with me,” he said, pulling me into my bed. When my body touched him, something seemed to continually happen. He wouldn’t stop smiling, and my body wouldn’t stop heating up. I guess I was cold as sapphire and him hot as a ruby. I laid my head on his chest and breathed a relieved breath. The house was silent, and his heartbeat was very loud. I looked over at the time it was only 6 pm why were we in bed? Didn’t it even matter when It felt so right? I closed my eyes just for a second and awoke to warm hands wrapped around me, so I closed my eyes again. When I awoke again, I smiled veggies frying it was the most delicious smell danced into my nose. I got up tossed on a big T-shirt and walked out of my bedroom. I walked down the hall into the kitchen to find a cooking donte.

Fresh-cut veggies were on the counter wines and oils and glass bottles. Meat thinly cut and freshly cut seasoning near it all. I watch amused donte looked like donte was on a cooking show. Pots and pans were in the kitchen that I had never seen before. He cooked the meat in a pan on a low flame pouring wine on it, and the smell that arose from it was appetizing. I sat down quietly, and watched like a fangirl just smiling, he showed concentration as well as enjoyment. I was invisible in his world; the only thing that he saw was his meal. He chopped up the veggies and drop them into another pan.

He turned around, and we made eye contact for the first time in 30 minutes. He pulled out a spoon and held it to my mouth, blowing it. “taste this,” he said. I opened my mouth quickly, my tastebuds lit up with the salty yet sweetest of liquids. He sliced a piece of meat from the pot and mixed it with the veggies. “now try this,” he said, smiling. The bite was indescribable I was in love I thought I ate meat but never before have I ever enjoyed something with so much life yet at the same time obviously be completely dead. He put a small saucer in front of me, on the dish he put the smallest piece of meat slice that I had ever seen, I guess this was a free sample. He decorated the saucer and added little veggies; it was a work out art no doubt, but where was the rest of it?

He handed me a fork and knife, which I couldn’t understand why, because the meat melted into my mouth. I just went along with it; he didn’t make himself a plate; instead, he just watched me it. Which made me nervous. After I finished my plate, I thanked the chief. “I put down in the kitchen, ma,” he yelled, scaring me after all the silence. I was still famished, but I was happy with the experience. I began to clean the kitchen, but he stopped me. “nope,” he said, sitting me back down. I watched as he cleaned everything and set the kitchen back the way it was, he packed his pots and pans into a giant duffel bag. No evidence, but the tube wear of food left behind. “you hungry,” he asked, helping me up. “starving,” I said, shaking my head. “I'm a tease, and I don’t want to spoil you,” he said. “get dressed, and let's go out to eat” I was so confused, didn’t you cook? Why were we going out to eat? “I know you're wondering what was the food for?” he said, helping me look through my closet for something to wear. It was for the girls when they come home he said smiling. I was not happy after what I just tased no restaurant could ever satisfy me again. The next months flew by so quickly we had been doing everything from the beach to restaurants, movies, and museums we went on many road trips around the states. Were we still dating at this point? I didn’t know. But I felt like we were. The girls loved donte; he was loved by just bout everyone he came across people just seemed to like him. Especially women, however, donte never made it an issue he let them know upfront. I wondered what his body count was only because he wasn’t married. Why wasn’t he tied down what was his secret?

Was he abusive? Never…

Is he in the closet? Never…

I couldn’t let it go. I was ready to give donte my all, but at the same time, something kept me feeling guarded. I introduced donte to Monica, and he held me as I cried. We've done everything together, he even came into the bathroom while I was pooping, we had to be official. October “Ruby, you coming?” Donte reached out for me.

 I was finally getting into his water bed. As soon as I touched it, it moved. Whoa, it felt crazy. I laid entirely back.  I was enjoying the constant squishing. “Are you okay? Ruby,” he asked me, staring.  “I’m fine,” I told him, drifting off. When I woke up, he wasn’t in bed. I kept feeling vibrations from something, so I searched for it. When I found it. It happened to be his phone, I didn’t look at his phone. I sat it down. He walked into the room.

“Looking through my phone?” he joked.  “No, I’m not nosey” I quickly defended myself he grabbed his phone. “Here, I don’t have anything to hide; I’m single, and I have a lot of women interested in me.” He said, showing me all his messages. “We aren’t together…” “I mean…” “What you do in your life is up to you,” I said feeling some type of way and  Walking out of the room.  “Ruby!” He called me. “I’m tired of these games,” he shouted. “I’m constantly chasing you.” “If you want to be with me, then say so.” He said. I stopped in my tracks as soon as he finished. “You got a crush on me, Donte?” I said, walking out of the room. He smirked and ran over to me. “You liked me first,” he shouted.  He ran up to me and bear-hugged me.