I trained my eyes to the table and willed the courage to tell him the truth.
“Stent,” I whispered. “When you dropped me off, it was early and I thought to drive home and check on my parents’ house. I got the mail and saw another foreclosure letter amongst other bills. I stayed there for a few hours, trying to decide if I should call them while they were away at a prayer conference, likely petitioning this very thing. Then there was a knock at the door. It was a certified delivery of the foreclosure notification. I stayed there that night, not wanting the house to be unoccupied. Then the next day my phone was cut off. I forgot that I wasn’t able to cover the entire bill this month. Then the following week my laptop broke down. I don’t have the money yet to fix it, so I’ve been coming here a lot.” I shook my head, exhausted by it all. “It’s just been crazy.”
I tried to suppress the tears to the point of developing a burning sensation in the back of my throat. I didn’t want to initiate a pity party.
“I guess that splendid idea of graduating and landing a lucrative job isn’t working out too fluidly,” I choked out wryly.
Stent didn’t smile. Instead, his head leaned in and he studied me for seconds long. He then pressed play on my iPod and lifted one of the earbuds to his ear. I heard Ledisi’s powerful and soulful voice rip through the tiny pores of the other earbud still on the table. I felt my eyes close again at the longing of her vocals, begging to be found because she needs to love again. Her pleas of needing to be rescued echoed those of my recent prayers. This moment also was shared by the feeling of betrayal. Stenton was getting a glimpse at the side I fought to keep from him.
When she sang the line about wanting to live, Stenton’s eyes jumped to mine. I watched as his jaw clenched almost to the point of popping. There was no mistaking the plea in the song that was on repeat. It’s all I listened to; one of the two tracks I’d been meditating to for weeks. A part of my soul had been revealed.
“Ewwwwww…that’s depressing.” I jerked my head toward a grimacing Paul. Stent was shooting him daggers, too. “I’m just saying!” he rustled before turning back to his phone.
Stent’s gaze returned to me. “Friends keep in touch with friends so when friends need love or to give it, friends can do just that,” his deep baritone rolled over me, caressing my skin like velvet. “Look at me, Zoey!” he rumbled. I did and felt my nose trembling. “Maybe I needed a friend to tell me about my defense, or lack thereof.” His full lips quirked up into a smile.
I sputtered a laugh. He knew I had no clue of his game. “No. You need prayer to help with keeping that ball,” I continued with his joke.
“Do you even know what position he plays?” Paul’s tone wasn’t shy of a sneer.
I peered over at him. “Of course I do, silly! Stenton Rogers is a quarterback. Duh!” I doled out while looking straight into Stenton’s amused eyes.
I heard Paul gasp, but didn’t acknowledge him. I was too caught up in Stent’s enthralling smile.
“Paul,” Stent called over his shoulder and reached behind him to retrieve something from Paul without removing his penetrative gaze from me.
“Oh, shit,” Paul cried, patting himself down. “I’ll be right back.” He dashed out of the room.
In spite of that weird exchange between the two, I was still caught up in Stenton’s presence. My humor died down, smile was fading, and so was his. I’d experienced more happiness in those short five minutes than I had since leaving him that day, weeks ago. He moved toward me, and I leaped from my chair. The heat emanating from his lanky and incredibly delicious countenance was unbearable. I’d spent weeks wondering if I was somehow being punished for what I did with him. To him.
“What the fuck, Zoey?” Stent groaned. His face twisted with confusion.
I was against the wall, panting hard. Ridiculously aroused.