Niq - New Adult

Chapter 8

I sleep off most of my hangover and leave for my meeting with Onrhi.  My nerves buzz with excitement.  I need to see him.  He needs to know the truth. 

The world around me shines with hope as I extricate myself from the trunk of Yames’ car.  Safe on the road, I spill to Sheb my intention to reveal my identity to Onrhi.  Sheb looks at me, his face slack with disbelief.  “Girl, you gotta be fooling me.  This is a joke, right?”

“Nope,” I say, hugging myself with happiness.  “I’m going to tell Onrhi everything.”

 “Um-hmm…” Sheb uses the same noise he makes when Vix asks him to procure some impossible item at a moment’s notice.  I ignore him.  He’ll see.

At the park, I gallop with unbridled zeal to the fountain, where Onrhi leans against a far tree.  As I spot him and wave, he turns and vanishes into the shadows cast by the dense thicket.  Puzzled, I pull up short, then follow him into the darkness.

“Onrhi?” I call, searching for him, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the lower light.  I think I can see him, a silhouette against the branches.  Moving forward, I shriek in panic when my arm is grabbed from behind.

Onrhi pulls me backwards and presses me to a trunk.  Before I can speak or explain, he reaches up and yanks the cap and wig from my head and throws them to the ground.  My red tresses fall loosely around my shoulders, their seeming delight in being released only adding to the betrayal etched on Onrhi’s face.

“Good evening, your Majesty.”  He speaks in a guttural tone, spitting the words at me.

“Onrhi, please-”

“Don’t, Janique,” he says, the hurt just under the surface.  “What was this?  A cruel game you bitchy Queens play?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

He clenches his eyes shut.  “I’m straight.  You remember that, right?  I’ve been losing my mind since meeting Wred.”  Embarrassment streaks across his features.  “I’ve only ever been attracted to women before, and yet, here’s this guy who looks like a girl, who turns out to be actually be a girl…”  Trailing off, he pounds the bark above my head. 

“I’m so sorry, I never meant-”

“For me to find out?  Do you think I’m stupid?”  He wraps his hand in my hair and draws our foreheads together.  “I went to the coronation because your words moved me.  The second I saw your big brown eyes staring out at the crowd, I knew.  I knew it was you.”

I lift a shaking hand to his cheek and he presses into me, the stubble grazing my palm.  “I wanted to tell you.  I tried.”

“You should have tried harder,” are his last words before he brings his lips down to join mine. 

I’m expecting him to be rough, to vent his frustrations using passion, but he is incredibly tender.  Our kiss is soft, as we taste each other for the first time.  He’s like sweet sunshine on my lips, and I open my mouth in hopeless submission to him.

Onrhi groans with the same helplessness I feel and runs his hands over my face, tracing the lines of my nose and eyes.  I let my fingers drop to his sculpted chest, exploring his pecs through his shirt.  He lets my hands roam, but keeps his own chastely high and away from dangerous zones. 

My body has other ideas, every nerve crying out for his touch.  I grab his hands and press them to my breasts.  He takes a sharp intake of air, our lips breaking as he pulls in extra oxygen to cope.

Both of us are shaking as we hold onto each other for balance.  “Don’t stop,” I murmur, trailing my fingers around his defined abs, hungry for more.

Onrhi reaches for my wrists and restrains me.  His face swirls with lust, hurt and anger.  The anger wins and he shakes his head.  “It’s not that easy, Niq.”

He stalks away and I crumple to the ground.  “Onrhi… please…”

He doesn’t look back.