Trey
I bring the last box of Kiara's belongings from the moving truck into her apartment. She hasn't spoken much apart from telling me where to put the boxes like she's too far gone in her head. I wish she would just talk to me, she's not alone anymore...she has me.
Although she hasn't told me she loves me back yet, I know she feels the same way. She's just scared. I don't know if it's because of her ex, or it's entirely because of my sister, but she's still afraid to move forward with me. It seems like her punishment from the other night didn't fix anything. Good thing I brought the wooden spoon with me, it's not like I was going to use it in the kitchen ever again after what we did.

After Kiara goes to the rental office, I try to call my sister again. If she ever answers her damn phone, I would tell her myself about me and Kiara, but she's still MIA. I'm actually starting to get worried about her. Like she can't send one fucking text to let us know she's alright? Over a month with no contact is unacceptable!
"Candice Sharice Thompson, what the fuck is going on with you? This is like my fiftieth voicemail, get your ass off Instagram and call me back!" I snarl through the phone. I decide to call again, getting sent to voicemail after the second ring. I grow more and more frustrated with each unanswered call and text. Her last picture on Instagram was from two days ago, a picture with two cups of ice cream captioned, "Me and my baby on an ice cream date". She turned off commenting on her posts and never responds to my DMs. "Candice, I understand being pissed at Mom, but I'm your brother. Pick up your goddamn phone and stop sending me to voicemail!"
I sigh, slipping my phone into my pocket as Kiara comes back into the apartment. She stands in the doorway. "Well, maintenance should be here tomorrow to fix that outlet in the kitchen, but otherwise, I'm all set." Her gaze shifts toward the door, a subtle signal that she might be ready for me to leave. The unspoken tension hangs in the air, and I wonder if this is a temporary goodbye or she's really going to end this for good.
I wasn't kidding at all when I told her that I would do anything to make this work. So why is she still trying to distance herself from me?
I cock an eyebrow. "So that's it? I move your furniture in and you're ready to get rid of me?" I ask teasingly.
She holds up her hands in defense. "It's not like that, I swear. I would invite you to stay, but your place is so much nicer than mine," she rambles nervously. I chuckle, silencing her with a kiss.

That's what she's worried about? She could literally live in a hole in the ground and I'd still eagerly come see her.
"No worries, Cupcake. I'm comfortable wherever you are," I murmur against her lips.
"What do you want to do?"
"Let's have a night in. I'll order some Chinese food and we can watch whatever you wanna watch."

She smiles warmly. "That sounds nice."
I order our food and while we eat, I ask her some questions about her family since we haven't really delve in that topic yet. Her Dad never really spent time with her due to his busy work schedule and her mom is a professionalist who demands the same from her, but she loves both her parents dearly. As we talk about her sister, my thoughts drift back to Candice, and a nagging worry settles in my chest. What if she ends up going down a worse road than I did or even Kiara's sister during her rebellion?
After we're done eating, she puts on this show Love Is Blind on Netflix, and we watch in silence for a while. As she lays on my chest, listening intently to whatever the hell is going on, I find solace in the simple act of stroking her back. Her presence, the warmth, and the way she's relaxing and finding peace in me is everything.
"So...with what happened with Alex...are things weird between you guys now?" she asks suddenly, still looking at the TV. Her question triggers a cascade of thoughts about that night. I wonder if she's been dwelling on it, and I can't help but hope she doesn't carry any shame or uncertainty about what occurred. There's nothing wrong with a little exhibitionism between consenting adults and all of us were obviously very much into it.
My little freak.
"No. Why would it be weird?"
She looks up at me, frowning. "I don't know, just the fact that we had sex in front of him."
I shrug. "I mean we've had threesomes before so the only difference this time was that you're completely off limits to him or anyone else."
She blushes. "And that didn't make you...jealous? You know, that he was looking at me."
"No. As long as you were into it and he respected my boundaries, I didn't mind giving him a show," I reply confidently.
She laughs to herself, as if she can't believe my response. "I was just... surprised. You seem way too possessive to do stuff like that," she mumbles.
"Before you I wasn't," I admit, "I would've asked him to leave if I didn't notice how wet you got when I claimed you in front of him."
A deeper flush envelopes Kiara's cheeks, intensifying the already rich hues of her complexion. I brush a strand of her hair behind her ear, giving her a reassuring smile. "I hope you know, Cupcake, that what matters most to me is your comfort and consent. If there's ever something you're not okay with, we can always discuss. Communication is key in this relationship, and I want you to feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with me."
She returns with a small smile, "Okay."
Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. "Who is that?" she groans, getting up from the couch. The loss of contact creates a hole inside my chest. "Stay right here and don't move."
The concern etched on her face puts me on edge because if she isn't expecting visitors, who could that be?
I stay motionless lying on the couch as she throws the door open. I can't see who she's speaking with, but I listen closely to their conversation. The tension in the air is palpable. "What the hell are you doing here, Jordan?" Kiara asks angrily.
"Can I come in for a minute? We need to talk," the male voice pleads.
"How did you even get my address? I literally just finished moving in today."
"Your mom gave it to me, but that's besides the point. Your sister is fucking crazy!"
"Oh, you just realized that? After two years of fucking her behind my back?" she shouts, sounding even more upset.
"Okay, I admit it, I picked the wrong sister. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he retorts in a harsher tone than he should be using with my woman. Without a word, I come into the kitchen and sit at one of the barstools facing the door. Both of them pause to look at me. The man child in the doorway scowls. "Seriously, Kiara? You already have another dude living with you?" he asks in disgust.
Says the one who had an affair with her sister in her apartment.
I could see Kiara's irritation growing. Her voice tightens as she replies, "That's none of your business. Now why are you here?"
He turns his attention back to Kiara as if I'm not even here. "Lavender told my parents that we're getting married, and you know how excited they are about shit like that. You gotta talk to her, tell her to slow down," he insists.
She laughs incredulously. "You want me to talk to my sister? The fucking audacity. You're the reason I had to move here in the first place when I was perfectly comfortable in my old apartment. I wasted two years of my life with you, and here you are asking me for favors! I don't want you here, leave!"
"Stop being so fucking over-dramatic, Kiara. All I asked you was a question," he says, sounding annoyed.
Alright, this conversation is over. I won't allow this asshole to keep disrespecting her like that. I stand up and walk towards them to kick him out. Jordan and I may be around the same height, but I can see the fear in his eyes that he quickly tries to hide. "Who the fuck are you?" He asks, swallowing so hard I see the Adam's apple bob in his throat.
"The person that's going to beat your ass if I ever see you here again," I deadpan.
He puffs out his chest as if it's meant to intimidate me and I almost laugh in his face. "You're not going to do shit," he scoffs.
I grab him by his throat and pin him against the door. His eyes widen in fear as i squeeze my hand around his pathetic, little neck. "You wanna bet?"
Kiara grabs my arm, concern clouding her features. "Don't waste your energy on him," she pleads softly.
I reluctantly let him go and he scrambles to the door. I don't think I've ever seen a grown man move that fast, but we've already concluded that he's anything but that. "You know, you deserve each other. She's crazy, just wait until she's pointing a gun at you!" he yells as he retreats down the hallway.
I turn to Kiara, raising an eyebrow at her guilty countenance. "You tried to shoot him?" I ask, not being able to contain the shock and amusement in my tone.
She averts her gaze to the floor. "Yeah, I kind of let my emotions get the best of me when I found him in my bed with my sister," she admits in a low voice. "Y-You're not scared of me now are you?"
I laugh out loud, the sound echoing through the room. "Scared? Nah, I like my woman a little hot blooded."
How do I keep finding more and more reasons to be in love with her? The thought of her handling a gun has me hard as steel right now. "Why don't we go break in your new bed?" I suggest, smirking down at her.
There's a hesitant look in her brown eyes, and it makes me wonder if she's fearing having to ever throw her bed out because of me. But then, she takes my hand and leads me to her bedroom. She kisses me, nipping and sucking at my bottom lip. The sweet taste of her fills my mouth and I need more.
"You brought that spoon with you?" she asks, pulling away, her eyes hooded with lust.
I pull it from my back pocket, grinning. "Of course, wasn't sure if you were going to need a spanking today or not."
She walks over to the bed bending over with his face down and ass up. She looks back at me and with a seductive voice says, "Well, what are you waiting for, Chef? I'm ready for a punishment."
Damn. I've really met my soulmate!