SWING MY WAY :: ORIGINAL

"stop staring at me, negra."

~•~

"Shorty, if you wanted me you could a' just said som' freshman year," Ryan leaned against the doorway and licked his bottom lip, "ain't have to come to my door like this."

Aliya rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Stop it, dummy. Where's Mekhi?"

"You know I'm playin' Liya," he laughed, standing up straight, "he's in his room. Last door on the left."

"Thank you," she quickly walked past him into the unfamiliar apartment. Tonight, Aliya and Mekhi went on a pretty fancy date at some Mediterranean restaurant downtown, and to say she had a blast was an understatement. It was so romantic and pretty, beautiful scenery, and it wasn't even cold enough to where she was uncomfortable, but she did say yes to taking his jacket.

Ryan was playfully referring to her dress. A short, blood red, off-the-shoulders dress that Mekhi couldn't stop staring at. Her dreadlocks were freely swinging behind her as she had walked to the apartment in slippers that looked like little pigs and even oinked with every step.

See, Mekhi dropped her off at her place and it was cute because Aliya was yet again giggling when he tried kissing her, and of course he rolled his eyes, but it was all in good fun. After he left, she almost had a breakdown. She beat herself up for three whole minutes because at some point they needed to take this seriously. Not that drunk kissing or the short small kisses. Like a fullblown kiss. A kiss that got a little too steamy but just enough to feel like something more than just a date. She wanted that, but she was holding herself back.

Newly freed Tiffany and Manny had been watching Aliya pace before they gave her the best thirty second pep talk of her life, causing her to put on whatever shoes were at the door and leave the apartment to run to Mekhi's. It was raining just a smidge, but it had quickly gotten cold.

She made it to the last door in their apartment and knocked three times.

The door swung open and...wow. She was amazed. He was just there...shirtless...looking like how he always looked; flawless. His brows were furrowed in confusion. "Liya?"

"Um, yes?" she said it like a question, because now her scary ass forgot what she came here for. She suddenly turned chicken. "Um....I'm trying to think," she squinted, biting her lip, "I forgot, I'm gonna just leave—"

"Come here," he chuckled, pulling her into his room and closing the door, "Are...wait—you walked over here in that?"

"I know, I kinda ran I was scared," she said nervously, "I know you don't like me out here—"

"I do not," he confirmed with crossed arms. Amazing. "What are these slippers?"

"Cute right?" she poked her leg out.

"No, put your foot down," he laughed and slapped her leg away.

"Rude."

"So you ran over here just to forget," Mekhi stated with a raised brow.

"Yeah, gimme a minute," Aliya lied, squinting again and swinging her feet as she sat on the bed.

"Okay then," he shook his head and went into the bathroom. He...he was putting on a sheet mask. Omg. She stanned him so hard. "Stop staring at me, negra."

"I can't, this is so fascinating," she giggled, watching him put his things away, "is this the secret to flawless skin?"

"On the low," he chuckled. She lied on his bed face down for a few minutes, maybe getting makeup on his dark sheets, but he wouldn't notice...maybe. "Liya, you good, sis?" he asked, she didn't reply for a few seconds. "Ma'am."