Guarded Love

Chapter 16

Essence

"Es." It's been a few days since the dinner and that kiss. Unsurprisingly, I barely slept a wink that night. Worse than usual. "Es." When I did fall asleep I forgot to set my alarm and almost overslept for court. "Es!" After the way that night ended I expected Demetrius to become intolerable. But I haven't heard anything from him. "Essence!"

"Huh?" I looked up at Rhi who was standing in my office. "Rhi? When did you get here?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "I swear we've had this same conversation at least ten times already."

"We have?"

"You would know if you weren't in lala land planning your wedding with Demetrius."

"What?"

"You've been weird ever since that dinner. Constantly checking your phone and stalking him online."

"I'm not-"

"You're on his page right now." I blushed when I realized I was in fact scrolling through his social media. "Something happened between you two. Wait! Did you fuck?!"

"No," I glared at her. "Not all of us fuck on the first date."

"Oh so it was a date?" She wiggled her eyebrows. 

"You know what I meant."

"I know what you said," she sang. "And FYI, we didn't fuck. I just gave him a taste and bounced before he could get anything else."

"I'm sure that pissed him off."

"Yup. He has yet to stop texting me about it. I told him he'd have to work for this hunty." 

"Wow." I didn't know how I felt about Bryson, the biggest man-whore of the bunch, texting Rhi nonstop and I'm not getting a single thing from Demetrius. I just know it doesn't feel good. 

"Now spill," she whined. "Tell me what happened."

"It was nothing," I said. "Just a stupid kiss. Didn't mean anything."

"You kissed?!" She squealed. 

"We're not in high school you know? It's just a kiss. Nothing exciting."

"Considering you haven't dated anyone since Watson let alone have some form of meaningful contact with a human being shows a kiss is a big deal. And I know it didn't mean 'nothing'. Or you wouldn't be here too distracted to carry on a conversation. Or constantly checking your phone and social media accounts."

"The kiss is not why I've been doing all those things," I said. 

She crossed her arms. "Then please, explain why."

"Well uh...he's popped up and annoyed me for a lot less and it's just weird he hasn't latched himself onto me like I thought."

"Awe! So you're worried about your boo?"

"No," I said too quickly and a bit loud. I cleared my throat. "I'm just...on edge about what'll happen next."

"The wedding of course."

"Not even," I mugged her. "I'm sure kissing me was just one of his childish pranks. He knew it would get me riled up that's all."

"I don't think he's the type to do something like that Es."

"Well it's not like you two know each other," I mumbled. 

"Es, he likes you."

"If he did he'd at least text me," I muttered without thinking.