Page 96 of Moros

The weather was humid as hell—a different kind of heat than Jamaica. Still, we wandered off the plane and across the hanger to where Pasha awaited us, dressed like a movie star with designer shades over her brown eyes.

We hugged.

“Phi, what you brung meh?” Pasha question like a teenager.

“Me.” I replied.

“Ugh…I don’t want it, Phi.” She pouted. “Take it back.”

Ryanne laughed. “The audacity, right?”

“See? This is why I like her.” Pasha wrapped an arm across Ryanne’s shoulder.

Shaking my head, I waited until Pasha hugged Ryanne.

I opened the door and accepted a chaste kiss of thanks from Ryanne then climbed into the passenger side of the car.

“Is this new?” I asked Pasha.

“Oh!” Pasha chortled. “This old thing?”

“That’s code for yes, right?” Ryanne asked from the backseat.

“Um.” Pasha giggled. “It’s an early Christmas present.”

“Christmas is like six months away.” I told her.

“Five. But who’s counting.” Ryanne muttered.

I grunted.

It seemed Ryanne is a Christmas person too.

“Fine—It’s an early, early, Christmas present.” Pasha amended.

I knew her and Pasha were going to be the best of friends. And that was going to be great and bad all at the same time.

We rolled out the gates of the private hanger and turned left at the fork in the road. While I didn’t like being driven around, I relaxed in the leather seat, adjusted the A/C and shifted in my seat to look at Ryanne.

She hadn’t once complained but I could tell by the way she lounged in the seat that she was exhausted. Going to Jamaica for most people was supposed to be fun and restful. The only thing she did was run for her life, worried about me, got a sunburn on chest and developed more questions.

Reaching back between the seats, I tapped her knee.

“When we go home, you can get a nice long bath.” I promised.

She moaned.

Retrieving my hand, I noticed Pasha kept glancing at me.

I said nothing about that.

“Did you get the stuff I asked you to?” I asked her instead.

“Every, single thing.” She cheered. “I was surprised when you messaged me. But I made sure everything was picked up and ready to go.”

“Good.”

By the time we made it through lunch traffic and arrived at the house, I felt as if a million moons were sitting on my shoulders. That weight caused a tightness in them that burned instead of hurting. Still, I kissed Pasha’s cheek and escorted Ryanne into the house, dropped our bags in the laundry room then led her up the stairs.