hooked. a valentine’s day super short.

Just a little somethin’ somethin’ for the week dedicated to love and stuff 🙂

Please enjoy ❤

(note: this was something super quick, and fun, and free for me to do that is only lightly edited, so please don’t hold grammatical errors against me lol.)

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His lips tasted like me.

It made sense considering the fact that he’d devoured my pussy like it was a platter of his favorite breakfast foods not even an hour ago. But admittedly, I was a little aroused by the fact that he was leaving my apartment wearing my flavor proudly even though I wasn’t supposed to care.

I mean, we were just hooking up.

No titles, no strings attached, no real expectations. 

Just good sex whenever one of us was in need – which felt like all the time – and the conversations that surrounded the exchange; both things I could easily give even though my roommate thought it was all an act according to the amused expression on her face after I’d finally sent Jayson on his way. 

“So y’all go together now, right?” she asked, a question that came up whenever she caught even a glimpse of a moment like this. The moments where Jayson looked less like a casual hook-up and more like the boyfriend I didn’t want to see go.

Because I kinda didn’t want to see him go.

Thoughts like that were what kept me planted at the crossroads of continuing to go with the flow or nipping things in the bud before I got my feelings too involved and furthermore, hurt. But of course, I couldn’t admit any of that to my roomie, doing my best to play it off when I replied, “Ashli, you know what it is. We’re…”

“Just hooking up,” she finished for me annoyedly. “I remember you saying that in the beginning. But now the nigga is sleeping over on the regular. Is my boyfriend’s bestie and my bestie’s soon-to-be boyfriend without a home?”

Even through her slightly confusing wordplay and her nod at what was simply untrue when it came to the whole “bestie’s soon-to-be boyfriend” thing, I was somehow still able to chuckle and respond, “He has a home.” 

“I mean like, one that doesn’t exist between your thighs.”

That only made me giggle again as I defended, “How many times do we have to go over this, Ash? Jayson and I are just friends with benefits; heavy on the benefits.”

At least, that was what it was supposed to be. 

But lately, things had been changing in ways I don’t think either of us had anticipated.

In the beginning, it was simple. We were both single, both attractive, both not looking for anything serious. And it wasn’t like we were even hooking up with any sort of regularity, just enough to soothe the occasional itch that needed to be scratched. But somehow, one itchy weekend had turned into two in a row, and then two itchy weekends in a row had turned into every weekend plus the occasional weeknight. 

Now we were on some every other night shit. And not only that, but there was also the fact that the sensual energy we shared in private was starting to bleed over into our public interactions, Ashli being quick to point that out when she responded, “Well the way y’all were all up in each other’s faces at my birthday dinner a few nights ago and that adorable ass goodbye kiss y’all just shared at the door looked a little heavy on some relationship stuff.”

“Speaking of birthday dinners, we definitely need to put that restaurant into our regular rotation cause that chicken parm was fire,” I mentioned, lowkey thinking about placing a to-go order for lunch until Ashli rudely interrupted my foodie thoughts with a stern, “Don’t try and change the subject, Raine.”

I wasn’t. 

The chicken parm was honestly just delicious to the point of distraction. 

But I could see why she felt that way, being especially attentive as I let my roommate speak her peace.

“All I’m saying is, there’s nothin’ wrong with you changing your mind about this whole just hooking up thing. Be a big girl and tell Jayson how you really feel.” 

Telling Jayson that my feelings were beginning to evolve meant potentially ruining a good thing. And since the good thing was the only thing I was supposed to be thinking about when it came to him, it was easy for me to joke, “I feel like I could go for another round. You think I should tell him to come back right quick?”

Giggling, Ashli insisted, “Your smitten ass ain’t foolin’ nobody. Cause I’m pretty sure you would’ve done the whole, back against the door, closed eyes, dreamy sigh thing when he left if I wasn’t standing right here.”

The only part she’d missed was the fact that I would’ve definitely been biting my bottom lip to savor the memory for just a little while longer. But since telling her that would’ve only given more ammunition towards her theory, I opted out in favor of asking, “Why are you standing right here?”

With a shrug and a grin, Ashli explained, “I traded shifts at the store with ol’ girl so I could spend tomorrow’s holiday with my boyfriend. You know, the guy I talk to everyday, and think about all the time, and have mindblowing sex with. Sound familiar?”

Her sarcasm made me roll my eyes amusedly before I defended, “Look, Ash. I know you want Jayson and I to be a thing since he’s your boyfriend’s best friend and we’d all be cute as a little party pack or whatever, but that’s just not what we’re on right now. We’re good where we’re at.”

And that was a fact.

Would I be open to more if more was on the table?

In a heartbeat.

But I wasn’t exactly upset about where Jayson and I currently stood no matter how much it annoyed Ashli according to the frown on her face when she responded, “Not sure what twelve crunchy tacos from Taco Bell has to do with this, but whatever watts your yacht, chica.”

With that, she left for work and I went back to bed since I had no reason to be up this early on a Saturday morning. And I suppose after being up with Jayson all night, the residual exhaustion made it easy for me to sleep most of the day away, only to be woken up by an early evening text from the culprit himself. 

“What you doin’ tonight?” – J-Sin

“Not you lol.” – Raine

“LOL. Damn, it’s like that?” – J-Sin

Grinning at the phone, I responded, “I literally slept all day today because of you. I need a break.” Only to follow up with, “Tomorrow tho?” – Raine

“Nah, I already have plans.” – J-Sin

That particular reply made me sit up as I thought about what he was actually saying, frowning a bit as I typed out exactly what was on my mind. 

“You have plans tomorrow? On Valentine’s Day?” – Raine

“Yeah, I have a date.” – J-Sin

“You have a date?” I asked out loud, my frown tightening as I typed and deleted what was essentially nonsense since… why do you care so much, Rai?

I mean, it wasn’t like we were dating, or exclusive, or anything like that. And Jayson was fine as fuck with his hickory brown skin, pretty white teeth and gym-regular muscles, so why wouldn’t he have a date on Valentine’s Day? 

Of course, there was an immediate sense of jealousy towards whoever he was going out with tomorrow. But with our dynamic considered, I was keeping that to myself in favor of playing the girl who’d just claimed she was good with this dumbass arrangement. 

“Sounds like fun. I hope you have a good time.” – Raine

“Maybe you’ll even get lucky enough to not need me anymore.” – Raine

“I’ll always need you, Rai.” – J-Sin

“Then why are you going out on Valentine’s Day with someone else?” was what I wanted to text back. But instead, I just “loved” the message and went on about my night, lowkey tempted to find myself a date for Valentine’s Day so I wouldn’t be stuck on stupid about Jayson’s.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a worthy mothafucka within a fifty-mile radius, leaving me in the worst of moods by the time Valentine’s night actually rolled around. And while I was trying to be a good sport as I helped Ashli get ready for her hot date, I couldn’t seem to shake the annoyance that was only amplified after I watched Jayson’s Instagram story that chronicled all the stuff he was doing to prepare for his. 

Picking up the flowers and the specialty chocolates, doing a little extra grooming and giving real attention to every detail of his outfit…

He’d even done a poll asking which cologne he should wear; a poll I skipped right on over because I didn’t want him wearing either if it wasn’t for me to smell. But really, I couldn’t even be mad at him since I’d gotten all of what I’d signed up for, more upset with myself than anything since I was the one who’d foolishly tried to suppress the feelings I was having only to have that shit blow up in my face.

“Way to go, Rai,” I thought as Ashli casually asked, “Jayson coming over tonight?”

Just the mention of his name made me frown harder, my expression tight as I zipped her dress and sharply answered, “Actually, Jayson has a date.” 

“And you’re not dressed because…?”

“Because Jayson’s date is not with me,” I replied with a forced smile that only confused Ashli even more.

“Because you turned him down?”

“He didn’t ask me. He already had a date,” I explained, my response turning Ashli’s confusion into anger when she asked, “That man kissed you in the mouth just yesterday morning and is going out with another woman tonight?!”

“I guess so,” I answered with a shrug. “But honestly, it is what it is.”

That and being annoyed with myself were the two things I’d settled on since anything else would’ve had me acting out; though it was clear that that was exactly where Ashli’s mind had gone when she insisted, “You better than me cause I definitely would’ve been calling every restaurant in the city tryna get his dinner reservations canceled.”

I laughed because I needed it and knew she was serious, letting the energy of that fuel me until her man came knocking at our door. But before she went to answer it, Ashli asked, “You sure you gonna be okay tonight?”

“I promise you, I will,” I assured her. “Enjoy your night out with your boo. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

The mention of the good time she was about to have was enough to make her smile before she finally answered the door. And if her man’s reaction to the ensemble we’d put together was any indication, my roomie was about to have a Valentine’s Day to remember, that fact making me feel a little better since I knew at least one of us would be spending the evening the right way.

That feeling didn’t last long though after I caught another one of Jayson’s Instagram stories of him driving to pick up his date. But honestly, the fact that I was even clocking his every move like that only proved just how right Ashli had been. 

We were no longer just hooking up.

I was hooked. 

And now, thanks to social media, I had the pleasure of watching the man I wanted to be with be legitimately excited about the time he was about to spend with someone else.

This was some bullshit.

Since watching it all play out as it happened was only making matters worse, I decided to toss my phone to the end of the bed in exchange for the remote so that I could settle in with a crime documentary on Netflix. But I hadn’t even gotten past what was essentially the trailer when there was a knock at the door; one I assumed belonged to Ashli since it hadn’t been long since she’d left, and she was notorious for forgetting her keys. 

Except, it wasn’t her staring back at me when I pulled the door open.

It was him. 

Looking good as hell and smelling like the cologne I would’ve picked out of the two options he’d posted on Instagram; both things forcing me to swallow hard so that I could ask, “What are you doing here, Jayson?”

“I’m here to pick up my date,” he answered with a grin that only brought back the annoyance from earlier. 

“Really, nigga? All the women in this city and you just had to pick one who lives in the same building as me?!”

“Raine, I’m talking about you,” he laughed, making me feel silly as hell as he continued, “I’m here to pick you up. Or rather, ask you, will you be my Valentine?”

When he pushed the flowers and chocolates I’d seen on his Instagram story forward, I knew he was for real, the sight flattering the hell out of me as I sighed, “Jayson…”

“Look, I know we’ve just been keeping it casual or whatever, but I like you, Rai. A lot. And if you feel the same way, then I’m hoping we can get more acquainted outside of just all the sex we’ve been having. Not that I want the sex to go away, but…”

Before he could say anything more, I admitted, “I like you too, Jayson,” feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as I continued, “And I’m open to seeing where things go between us, but only under one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t you ever play with my fuckin’ emotions like that again.”

The End.

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