The Choice Of Us

Taking Chances

LUIS

Standing here on the pavement thoughts once tightly packed away unfolding. I stuffed my hands into my pockets second guessing this. Once again I fell into the thoughts that as of late made me distraught.

May be we plunged ourselves too soon into the lust into the passion?

To lead us into this phase of awkwardness. Anytime I went to see her mother and she happened to be there she'd vacate the room so fast I secretly wondered if she did track in high school. In as much as I kept the details to a minimum with her mother, she was an observant person. And the way her eyes lit up in question at the way Tiana and I acted; I knew she had an idea. But she wouldn't say anything and if I'm honest her company had slowly become another comfort for me.

The first few days I was patient and understanding. But with each tick on the clock, I found myself lying in the dark facing the torturous heat of that passionate memory. I avoided my car along with Uncle Logan's calls like the plague.

And as of late another thought of fear erupted inside me with the texts I began to receive once again. This time filled with specific details that only my father would know which made me, often in the late hours of the night wonder around in the dark at the endless possibilities that he wasn't in jail anymore. But it just wasn't making sense.

All the things in my life weren't making that much sense except for what I felt for Tiana and yet she wasn't allowing me to be in close proximity to her. She was denying me the chance to express my feelings. That's why with the little sleep I got, I moved on wobbly legs into her path hoping to collide into her and be near her. I stood willingly outside her workplace out of fear of getting into another altercation with the security guard.

May be if I left now, got tipsy and showed up at her doorstep, it'll force her to finally face-

"I thought you said you'd give me space."

I looked up, words involuntarily as if it were upon instinct twisting right down into my gut, making the very act of breathing harder at the sway in her hips. My reaction towards her was always like that and despite having a taste of her the need only intensified.

She came and stood before me, hostility in her eyes. Despite the bags around them they still possessed enough momentum to make anyone scared. But the fire simmering only lured me in further.

And without a thought I yanked her by the arm. Caught off guard by my actions I wrapped my arms around her waist keeping her close enough I could feel her breathe.

"So beautiful. . ." I mumbled lowly into her ear," beauty seductive enough to leave me willing to get on my knees and worship you."

She shuddered at the light peck on her ear and cleared her throat," You think saying sweet nothings in my ear will make me overlook the promise you broke," she breathlessly muttered shifting her head further to the side to grant my hungry lips more access across her neck.

"I never made any promises to you that day Tiana. And now that I think about it. . . I'm glad I didn't."

As if a light switch went off in her head, she moved away to look up at me, making me nearly glower at the reduction in contact." I'm being serious here, Luis."

"So am I. The last time we spoke was days ago- more than enough time for us to get our thoughts in order, don't you think?"

"No," she replied firmly placing her hands on the frame of my chest applying pressure. I knew she wanted me to let her go and given the fact I hadn't bothered to remove my arms from her waist, she frowned.

I had prepared myself for the anger from her. If there's one thing I learnt about Tiana- it was this, she used her anger as a defence mechanism. And I wasn't going to stand for it, not now- not ever. Not when it seemed someone was out there terrorizing me. And I felt now more than ever to say something to her and just be near her.