28. Aiyana

Chapter twenty-eight

Aiyana

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

I t's my twenty-eighth birthday, and I'm overflowing with nerves. Not about my birthday. Nothing has changed between yesterday and today, and I'm not afraid of getting old and gray.

Actually, it's quite the opposite. I'm terrified of not living a long and fulfilling life. My birthday call with my parents this morning only worked to nestle that fear further into my gut.

But today, that isn't what's got my stomach twisted in knots.

I probably should've thought this through more. Maybe gone to his place instead, but having him come over here gives me an excuse to kick him out, and I need the scapegoat for when my feelings threaten to strangle me tonight.

I pace my room, deciding whether I should cancel, but I hear a light knock at my door before it cracks open, and I see Kat stick her head in. "Hey, happy birthday, gorgeous." She smiles at me.

"Thanks," I tell her. "Come on in."

She takes a seat on my bed, her light-blue shorts contrasting heavily with my dark bedding as she sits with a small box wrapped in pink paper on her lap. "Ready for your present?" she asks me, and I shake my head, laughing at her.

"Always, but you didn't have to get me anything!" I tell her, taking a seat next to her and flicking her on the forehead in the space between her eyebrows. She rolls her eyes at me and pushes the box into my hands.

"Shut up and open it, you miscreant," she says with a chuckle. "Always such a brat."

I smile at that. She's not wrong.

I pull the hot-pink bow off the box and tear the paper, a royal-blue velvet box underneath. I peek up at her from the corner of my eye before lifting the lid, revealing a dainty gold chain with a tiny viper pendant nestled inside. Tears prick my eyes as I toss my arms around her shoulders. "Thank you, Kat, it's perfect," I tell her, my voice threatening to crack.

I end the hug, pulling away to work the small necklace from the box, and she smiles brightly. "Kas actually picked it out."

My eyes widen, but I recover quickly, shaking my head and smiling. "I should've known; you've always been trash at giving gifts," I tease. That's the furthest thing from the truth.

Kat is one of the most thoughtful people I know. She puts a lot of time and thought into every gift she gives, which is why I hate getting her anything. Because I know it'll never be good enough, even though she's loved every last, horrendous fucking gift I've given her.

She smacks my shoulder, getting up to leave the room, but I tug her back to me, dropping her hand the moment she's stopped heading out of the room. "Can I do your hair for your date?"

Her eyes light with excitement. "Yes, please! I'll be right back!" She bounds away, heading to her room. When she gets back, she's got the most stunning emerald-green satin dress on a hanger, and her arms are filled with bobby pins, hair spray, and all sorts of other crap I won't be needing.

"Oh my god, that dress is stunning! You thinking an updo?" I ask her, and she nods. I instruct her to sit and get to work, using a small amount of product to make her smooth hair a little tacky—that way, I'm able to twist it into the perfect bun at the nape of her neck without using bobby pins. I've mastered the art of a beautiful updo, leaving tendrils to frame her face and without a single pin in sight so that at the end of the night, Alessandro can tug on her hair without getting caught in a landmine of pins.

When I'm done, I have her stand, and she takes a look in the long gold full-body mirror. "How? How do you always manage to do that?"

I quirk a brow at her, seeing my own reflection behind her in the mirror. "What? Hair?"

"Not just hair," she says, rolling her eyes as she turns back to face me. "It's like magic. Meanwhile, I could spend an hour on my hair, and it'll look worse than when I started."

"We can't all be good at everything," I tell her with a wink. "Except for me, of course."

"I'm just gonna let that one go," she says as she heads out of my room with her dress in her arms.

Less than thirty minutes later, she's standing in front of me, twirling in the form-fitting dress, her face glowing with the smallest amount of makeup that highlights her honey-colored eyes and high cheekbones.

"You look incredible, Kat," I tell her honestly. My best friend is simply perfection.

In true Kat fashion, she's unable to take a simple compliment without a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Thanks," she says, casting her eyes downward. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay tonight? We can do whatever you want for your birthday, and Ale and I can just reschedule. I'm sure he wouldn't be upset."

"I'll be fine. I've got my new vibrator, my audio daddies, and food on the way to keep me company. I won't be missing out on anything. Plus, I need to hear if the saying is true…" I trail off, deliberately baiting her so she won't stick to the current line of questioning.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what saying?" she says, hands on her hips as if her patience is officially wearing thin with me.

"Big skates, huge cock," I tell her, drawing out the word and putting my palms up, separating them by a solid two feet for emphasis.

Her cheeks flame again, and she turns on her heel. "Has anyone ever told you you're a menace?" she calls out over her shoulder, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"Only every day of my life, babe," I say, heading back to my room once she slips out the door.

Lying in bed, I question many of the life choices that've gotten me to this very moment.

Mostly, they're bad decisions on my part, but who doesn't love a little chaos? If baby Aiyana weren't such a badass bitch as a tween, I'd never have dragged Kat into my life by her frizzy little ponytail.

The Kat and Aiyana of the past were also late bloomers. And I'm not just talking about our tits.

I guess the complicated part is that without Kas, I couldn't have found Kat. And even if I had, I'm not sure this cosmic pull we have toward each other would've quit until I was in his orbit.

A buzzing sound from my nightstand pulls me out of my reeling thoughts.

And, of course, it's Kas.

Kas

All food items have been secured. On my way. Be there in ten.

Okay.

Ten minutes!? I bolt out of bed, running around my room in search of clothes. What the hell do I wear? Pajamas? Something to cover me up so he won't get so handsy? Do I want to show off for him? Should I dress up?

I stop abruptly, hands gripping the edge of my dresser as I look myself in the face. Staring back at my reflection in the mirror, I say, "This is just Kas. Put on what you want to wear, and don't worry about him."

With a steadying breath, I pull out a pair of black spandex bike shorts and a matching sports bra. I open the next drawer and grab an oversized Three Days Grace T-shirt I got at a concert with Kas when we were nineteen. 1 It's one of my favorites.

I change into the clothes and head to the bathroom, pulling my hair out of my haphazard bun. I brush my hair before braiding the strands back and out of my face.

Just as I've finished, I hear Kas at the door, knocking lightly before letting himself in.

"Hey, little viper," he calls to me as I head into the kitchen, watching as he hauls an ungodly amount of food onto the counter. "Happy birthday, princess." He smirks, setting the food down and waltzing over to me. He grips my hips in his hands and pulls me in for a crushing kiss that sends sparks of desire zipping down my spine.

I pull back, shaking my head at him, steeling my nerves, and reminding myself that this is not a date.

Stepping out of his grasp, I head over to the bags, peeking into each one. My stomach growls, and he chuckles at me. "Go take a seat, and I'll make you a plate."

Heading toward the couch, I call over to him, "You good with watching the New York Monsters game?"

"Yeah, that's Luca's team. I actually have it recording at my place. I wasn't sure what you'd wanna watch," he tells me, piling our plates high in the kitchen.

"Recording? What are you, a hundred?" I ask teasingly.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. We're the same age as of today." He laughs as he picks up the plates, heading toward me, and extends one in front of my face.

I grab the edges of the plate, sitting it in my lap, and I'm giddy with excitement. "Fuck yeah!" I give a little fist pump. I've got a street taco with extra cilantro and onion, white rice with panang curry, drunken noodles with extra tofu and egg, four pieces of a spicy salmon roll, and a slice of cheese pizza with cheese-filled crust on the massive plate. My mouth is watering.

Another reason Kas was always so easy to fall in love with. He never treated me like a dainty, fragile piece of glass. I'm not even five feet tall, but as my parents say, I've got the appetite of a seven-foot linebacker.

Kas looks over at me, smiling as he leans forward to grab the remote and turn the game on.

We eat and bicker, nearly spilling food on the couch and in my lap several times as we get up to cheer every time Luca blocks a shot into his net. I haven't actually met him yet, but Kas has mentioned him once or twice, and he's an incredible goalie. Though the team he plays for is pretty trash. With how close he is to his family, I wonder why he isn't playing for the Scarlets.

As if reading my mind, Kas says, "I wish he could come play for us, but the Scarlets don't want to deal with his bad boy reputation. He's a damn good goalie though. Maybe once he settles down, he can make the switch because his team is trash. He's never gonna go anywhere with them, even if he can block every puck."

"That's a shame. I never did understand why people obsess so much over other people's private lives. Sex is just fun. Who cares what he's doing in the comfort of his own bed as long as it's consensual?" I ask, mostly rhetorically.

"Is sex between us just fun, little viper?" Kas smirks at me, setting his now empty plate down on the pecan side table. He reaches over, grabs my empty plate, and tosses it on top of his own before crawling over on top of me, thoughts of the game in front of us officially abandoned.

He slides his hand around to grip the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling my mouth to his in a searing kiss, making my toes curl. His tongue slips into my mouth, teasing and tasting me, and I feel his growing erection pressing against my belly.

I grip the front of his Henley, dragging him into me, fighting for the control I so desperately need, but he runs his hands down my waist and grips my ass, pulling me up and into him as he stands, hauling me off to my room.

He kicks the door closed behind him, and it closes with a loud slam; his lips never leave mine as he nips at my lower lip, sucking me into his mouth. Kas drops me onto the bed, eyes darting to my neck where the tiny viper pendant is now dangling. He wraps his fingers around it, gently rubbing it with his thumb before bending forward and pressing a kiss to it, then releases it. The warm metal rests against my cool skin, and it's like I can feel his fingers there too.

Those gorgeous hazel eyes meet mine as he runs his warm, calloused hands down my arms, sending a tremble through me. He takes my hands in his own, pressing a kiss to each knuckle. I feel any control I had left begin to slip away. I need that control. Because without it, I won't live up to my father's expectations of me.

He must feel me slipping away because he grips my chin, tilts my head back, and says, "What do you need tonight, little viper?"

I give him a grin, pushing him back aggressively enough that he wobbles a bit, stepping away from me as I stand. "Strip and get on the bed," I tell him, pointing to the queen-size mattress as I head to the bedroom door to lock it in case Kat gets home early.

By the time I turn around, he's already down to his briefs, working them over his thick, muscular thighs as I approach. "Now lie on your back so I can ride your face while you eat me out like the good boy I know you are." 2 I smirk as his eyes blaze back at me. "It is my birthday, after all."

He climbs onto the bed, his head at the foot as he lays there naked and waiting. His thick dick stands fully erect, the curved tip resting slightly on his lower abdominal muscles. The sight of him has me wet and ready. He smirks back at me, watching as I take in every muscle and contour of his immaculate body. "You already know I'm a good boy, for you anyway. I'll eat that pussy like it's my last fucking meal for the rest of our lives if you'll let me."

My cheeks heat, but I feign indifference, having to work extra for the eye roll that comes next, tamping down his massive ego. I strip down and climb on the bed, straddling his face and making sure to position myself toward my dresser and not his massive cock.

Tonight is about me and what I want, not about pleasuring him, and if I face that gorgeous dick of his, I'll have it in my mouth in no time.

I settle myself over him, and his rough hands wrap around my thighs, cupping my ass cheeks and squeezing with delicious pressure as he pulls me onto his face. I lean forward, gripping the metal bars at the foot of my bed, and he groans loudly, swiping his nose through my dripping heat, putting pressure on my clit. He runs his tongue along my center, diving in, and the flood of wet arousal rushes through me, my body already on fire for him.

He teases me, stroking slowly, then circling my clit, and when the pressure is just right, he pulls away and laps me up, driving me absolutely wild.

"Stop toying with me and make me come, Kassian," I grind out, my hands white-knuckling the bars in front of me as he chuckles, gripping me further onto him.

I hear him reply, "As you wish," just before enthusiastically wrapping his lips around my needy clit, sucking, and giving me the pressure I need. He moves down to my center but angles his head just right so that I can grind that sensitive bundle of nerves against his nose while he parts me and laps me up.

"Yes," I moan, "just like that. Don't stop," I tell him as I ride his face. My legs are wobbling as I fight to hold myself up. I vaguely feel his hands shift, parting my ass cheeks, and he slips a finger in behind me, pressing down on the tight hole, adding just enough pressure that my body quivers over him, and my orgasm bursts through me. My core clenches, fire searing through me. His moans of approval keep my orgasm quaking through me for so much longer than normal, all of my nerves firing, everything overly sensitive as I come down from the high.

Once I've caught my breath, I climb off of his face and slide down his body, lying on top of his chest, unconcerned about my weight crushing him. He's a big boy. He'll be fine.

I give him a lazy smile, ruffling his hair before I pat his cheek. He smiles back up at me, his eyes glassy and hooded.

"Good boy," I tell him, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek before rolling off of him in search of my clothes.

He sits, shoulders shaking with laughter as I get dressed. "Just gonna ride my face and kick me out, huh?"

I smirk at him over my shoulder. "No one said anything about kicking you out. Though you're free to go—your services have been rendered." I chuckle, and his eyes turn hard for a moment.

He shakes his head, working to get his clothes back on before taking a seat back on the bed, grabbing the remote, and turning the TV on. He pats the space next to him, and I turn off the lights, the glow from the TV illuminating the room.

I'm suddenly exhausted, so I curl into his side after checking my cell, making sure Kat hasn't texted that she needs me for anything. It's just after nine, so the New York game is either over or about to be. He tugs on my braid, looking down at me with a small grin lighting his handsome face. "Anything else you'd hoped to do for your birthday?"

I shake my head. "Nope, my favorite foods and a good orgasm will do. I'm a happy camper." I laugh, but he tugs on my braid more firmly.

"Your orgasm was just good? " he asks with a quirked brow, sounding arrogant in a way that only Kas can pull off.

I roll my eyes. " Really good," I tell him, laughing.

He pinches my arm, tossing me to my back and tickling me, sending me into a fit of giggles as I wrestle him off. "Fine! Fine!" I concede. "Sooo good!" I tell him, laughing as his eyes light, still tickling me until I'm nearly out of breath.

"I don't know that I'd use the word good," he chastises relentlessly.

"Earth-shatteringly amazing!" I shout, trying to wriggle out of his reach.

He stops, grabs my cheeks, and presses one wet kiss to my lips. "That's more like it." He winks, releasing me and sinking back against the headboard, picking up the remote to search for something to watch.

He settles on a Disney movie, and I relax into him, drifting off halfway through it. When I wake up, the screen is still lighting the room, but I hear something at the door. I push up, rolling over Kas and waking him; he grumbles something at me and sits up. "Where's the fire?"

"I think Kat's back, and all your shit is out there!" I tell him, frantically making my way to the door and unlocking it. I bolt out but then turn back around. "Stay put!" I whisper shout at him, closing my bedroom door as I rush to the entryway. I grab his shoes, keys, and coat and scan the room for anything else that might tell Kat someone's here. I rush back to my room with all of his things in my arms, dumping them on the floor before bolting back out to open the door.

I wrench the door open, not even thinking to look through the peephole. "I thought I heard… Oh, oops." My eyes are wide with shock before I quickly recover, and a wide grin lights my face as Kat tumbles toward me, but Alessandro catches her before her ass can meet the ground. "Carry on, don't have to drop, sorry, I meant stop… don't have to stop on my account," I tell them and hurriedly close the door.

I rush back to my room, closing the door and panting a little, my smile so wide my cheeks hurt. "What am I missing?" Kas asks, eyeing me speculatively.

"I just interrupted your sister making out with Ale in our doorway." I chuckle as his cheeks go pink with embarrassment.

He's silent as we hear the door open, and he groans. "God, I hope they don't stay here," he says, and I send up a silent prayer for the same.

"I'm sure she wouldn't stay here when he's got his own apartment across the hall, and keep your damn voice down!" I whisper, and he chuckles.

"Well, if they do stay, I guess we'll just have to tell them about our little arrangement." He chuckles, and anger shoots through me momentarily.

"Kas, we've talked about this," I say as I hear a knock on the door.

"Just stopped in to change. I'll see you in the morning!" Kat calls into the room, and my breath is caught in my throat.

My wide eyes shoot to Kas, and he smirks, opening his mouth to call out to Kat, but I smack my hand over his mouth and shout back at her in an overly cheerful voice that makes me cringe as it leaves my mouth. "Tata, love you, bye!"

"Tata, love you, bye!" she calls back to me, and a moment later, I hear the front door slam shut. My shoulders sag with relief, and before I can drop my hand from Kas's mouth, he licks my palm. I pull it back, wiping my wet hand against my biker shorts, rolling my eyes at him.

"You should probably head out," I tell him, suddenly overwhelmed, wishing I could just tell him why we can't be together so I don't have to bear the weight of that disappointment alone. But he loves my dad, and I just couldn't do that to him. The thought of him resenting him for anything sends a sour feeling to my gut.

"I'll leave if you really want me to, but I promise to keep my hands to myself if you want me to stay." He gives me a shy smile, the one he knows I can't seem to say no to. Not that I truly can't, but that I don't want to.

"Fine, stay, but you've gotta go before Kat gets back in the morning," I tell him, voice stern and my eyes squinted.

He salutes me playfully. "Yes, ma'am," he says, then plops back down on the bed.

I head to the bathroom with Kas trailing behind me. He rummages around under the sink as if he's done this a hundred times before.

"What are you looking for?"

He straightens, a hand fisted around a toothbrush. "This." He smiles, grabbing the toothpaste out of my hand and placing a dollop on both of our brushes.

Once we're ready for bed, I can't wait to climb beneath the covers. I'm suddenly exhausted despite my nap.

Kas wraps his arms around me, tugging me to his warm body, and I rest my head on his chest as he pulls the comforter and the blanket he bought me a few weeks ago over us, reaching for the remote to turn the TV off. He kisses the top of my head, mumbling, "Goodnight, my little viper."

I doze off, my dreams filled with Kas.

1. Pain – Three Days Grace

2. Baddie – Honey B