𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐍𝐓 |𝟏𝟖+

𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 |

CHAPTER 04
ZAHRA ARIEL SIMPSON
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Dinner is uncomfortable.

For me, especially having to answer all these questions being thrown at me about who I am, and what I'm planning to do in the future. God, it was exhausting. She wouldn't stop and I didn't plan to be outwardly rude to this woman giving her the ammunition to cause me more trouble in the future.

At some point, I left the table after gathering all the empty plates, and Gabriel helped by gathering the bowls. The storage containers are filled with small servings of leftover food left from dinner. Stacking them on top of each other, I place them at one end of the kitchen island. I feel his hands bracket my hip and I immediately relax.

"I'm sorry about her, she's..." he trails off slowly shaking his head from side to side in wonder of the correct word to use.

"A bitch. Condescending. Agitating." I say with a huff.

"Yeah, all those things." He chuckles.

For a man who urged me to keep away from him, he sure does love touching or holding me close. I'm not complaining that he finds comfort in doing this, in fact, I appreciate it because it's enough to hold me over until I have him exactly where I want him.

"It's fine Gabriel, really. She's trying to stake her claim to you. But she doesn't have any, does she?" I ask, pushing my ass against him to create a bit more space between me and the island enough to turn and look at him fully to take in his reaction. He's shocked by my question but the soft grin on his features tells me he somewhat enjoys me asking.

"What you jealous?"

"No, I'm the one that lives with you and usually has your undivided attention." A smirk spreads across his face, one that I mirror. My hands push at his chest before I move behind him to grab at the sliced strawberry tarts. I hear the freezer being pulled open and closed. The tub of vanilla ice cream is placed beside me, next are the plates.

We work together, me placing the tarts on the plates, and him scooping ice cream on top. "You do have my undivided attention. No, she doesn't have a claim to me. I'm all..." He trails off and my smiling face turns to face him. He's close, our shoulders brushing against each other. I can smell his cologne engulfing the space around me.

"You're all what?" I tease. His grunt splutters a laugh out of me. I handed him two plates of the desert, a knowing smile on my lips. "I'll talk to you later Gabriel."

Eating dessert was the most uneventful part of the evening. Jackson, his wife, and his kids had just left a few moments ago and I was now in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and storing leftovers in the fridge.

The clearing of a throat frightens me a bit causing me to jump. Julien is standing in the square arch of the kitchen, her right leg placed over the other and her arms crossed. Her eyes size me up and down. "You say you're twenty-three, right?"

"Twenty-two." I amend. Pressing the start button on the dishwasher, I turn to wipe the counters down one more time, the last step in my cleaning of the kitchen. I hear her stressed sigh as the clicks of her heels carry her across the room. You would think this woman would stand on the opposite side of the kitchen island – no, she stands right in front of me.

"You like him." She states this as fact, which she is correct to do. However, I sense the patronizing tone sparks fire up my spine in annoyance.

"I wasn't trying to hide it. Especially from you." Leaning to the left, I place the folded dish rag on the counter before I cross my arms to stare at her. My eyes look at her perfectly trimmed and shaped eyebrows, her pointed nose, and nude lips. Her makeup is natural and accentuates her high cheekbones covered in a pinkish-reddish blush, with minimal foundation. The tired bags under her eyes are the only thing contributing to her age along with her smile lines.