Priest gives a full laugh as she starts putting the ingredients for her what looks like her mother's Bajan Curry Beef, one of the many staples of our childhood.
“You were so excited to see me, you forgot he existed, huh?” Priest laughter continues for a few moment and Angel just watches her, a soft on her lips. But I know Angel, know how good her ability to pick up on things is, so I’m not surprised when she asks, “You all good Priest?”
Priest wipes her eyes, “Oh god, I didn't realize how badly I needed that. Bones is doing his workout.”
Angel perspective as all ways, nods understandably, “Take it was a long night in at the ‘office’?”
Priest deliberately turns back into the fridge, and I note the way her spine stiffens, “You have no fucking clue. You okay with Curry Beef?” she asks, as she gestures at the ingredients she’s pulled out of the fridge, “I know it’s probably weird as shit to be cooking it at 9 in the morning, but neither Bones and I got to eat dinner, and I’m not really feeling breakfast.”
Angel starts heading out of the kitchen as she answers, “Of course. All food tastes better when someone else is Cooking. I'm gonna hop in the shower.”
Angel heads to our master bedroom that she and I have shared for years now, and haphazardly throws her clothes about the room like it's her intention to mess up the neat and ordered room, which I know for a fact is indeed her intention.
Her underwear and bra remain, giving me the visual of pale cream skin stark against the burgundy of her matching bra and panty set, and I fight hard against the attraction I have for her to keep my hold on my bar bell, when all I really want to do is chuck the damn thing to the floor and go to her.
But I don’t.
I pull my focus back to my work out, trying not to think about the fact that the two women who hold my heart are in the same house and one of them is wearing next to nothing.
Instead I focus on the newest thing to fall on our plate. Fucking Mafiosos. I have a feeling that this isn’t going to be an easy transition, or acquiring of more responsibilities for Priest, no. They are going to try to uproot her from us, and there is no fucking way I am going to just let that happen.
The rage that thought brings makes lifting the bars all the more easier, I don’t even notice the sweat dripping from my brow until it’s hitting me in the eye.
And damn does it burn. But I push through, and keep pushing through until I’ve finished my last rep.
Wiping the sweat from my face, I quickly clean the epiptment, because while it might be my gym, I’m the clean freak in Angel and I’s relationship. Lene had always kept a clean house, and would say things like, “Clean home leads to a clean and clear mind.”
So I am surprised that when I walk through the newly disordered bedroom and open the bathroom door I’m releasing steam from Angle's shower, her petite frame stands before me, one of the ridiculous lime green towels she’d bought to drive me crazy wrapped around her.
She sees me and smiles large, before grabbing me around my waist, or what she can reach around at least, and tries to pull me close. She is much shorted than my 6’5”, and her pale skin is stark against my skin, but in that high art way.
I wrap her up in my arms, not giving a shit if I am making her stink again, I’m just too happy to see her to do anything else.
“Hey honey,” I say, a smile not only on my face but in my voice. I kiss her forehead and cheeks before planting a zinger on her mouth. Kissing Angel is like kissing a battery, it fills me with this electrifying energy.
She signs in content and presses herself even closer to my chest. I look behind me at her mess.
“I see you have made your usual trail of chaos in your wake.”
Angel can’t stop the giggle that escapes her, and I love the sound causing me to chuckle, the rumble of it bouncing around in my chest.
“Isn't that what I'm here for?” she asks, a twinkle in her eye before she starts grilling me, “Why didn't you text me to let me know that Priest was gonna be here. A heads up would have been appreciated as I smell like sweat and overpriced cigars.”
I shrug, “Didn't really have time and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have you thrown off your game.”
She chuckles at that before smacking me on the chest. She’s a sweetheart. It drives me a little crazy when I think about all the shit she’s been put through, all the pain she’s had to overcome.
“She knows, you know.” I say, because I can’t hold it in longer. If I do I might not ever say anything and that’s not fair.
Angel stills before racking her hand through her raven black hair.
“huh?”
I don’t hide my eye roll, because Angel is anything but dumb, so I continue.
“I kissed her today.”
Angel looks up, an incredulous look on her face, but no betrayal. I hadn’t lied to Priest when I said she’s been telling me to grow a set for years. She’s been my biggest cheerleader, the second best friend I’ve ever had.
“You finally did?” her voice holds a bit of wonder and fascination in it that makes me want to smirk, but because we both love the same girl, I hold it in and just nod.
“Wow...so you told her?” she asks.
I shrug, like it’s no big deal, but then say, “Kinda had to when the first though to come out of her mouth was about what you were going to think.”
Angel fights a smile at that, because it’s just like Priest to think about someone else first. It’s always been her nature to look out for others, not just after their physical selves, but for their emotional wellbeing too.
“So that's what she wants to talk about. She feels guilty,” she says in a resigned way, that’s so unlike the woman I love.
“No,” I say, “or at least I don't think so. I didn't just tell her about being in love with her for years. She knows about how YOU feel.”
Angel looks even paper than her usual porcelain, “Oh Jesus, tell me you're joking, please?”
I shake my head.
“I can't handle rejection today, just not today Bones. God I hope it IS one of those ‘let’s still be friends after I’ve found out you love me’ talks and not one of those, ‘You know how I found you in a gutter being beaten by your pimp after him watching some of his friends hurt you in the worst way a man can hurt a woman, like you know how I saw all of that, ans damn near killed your sleazy pimp? Well I just can’t get your broken body out of my head and find you and your past life as a prostitute utterly repulsive!’”
I Grab her shoulders and give her a slight shake. I hate when she lets her last effect her future. She is not the little girl stolen in the middle of the night sold into human trafficking. She is not her past any more than I am.
“Do you really think Priest gives a shit about your past? Do you really think after going through all of that you would fall in love with someone like that. Come on Angel, take a deep breath and think about the woman you’ve admired, been friends with, and loved in one capacity or another for the last 4 years. Does that really sound like Priest?”
She releases a long breath before relying, “God I fucking hate when you logic my fear, but damn do I fucking love you.”
She hugs me hard for a long moment. And I take a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.