Islands by the XX "I am yours now, so now I don't ever have to leave"

For the past two weeks Sage recognized the amount of time she and East were spending together and she didn't even know his biological name. She felt he knew all of her,down to the music she listened to and the way she liked her food. Food was a big one since she was the biggest female foodie he had ever met. It didn't matter that she had to sneak out or skip school to hang out with him, the fact that he was 31 years old or disappeared at random times because she was having fun. She didn't see any of his behavior as strange but she saw a lot of her dad in him, hardworking and protective of her.

She was currently straddling his body while he slept peacefully. His breath going in and out at a steady pace and his lips in a pout. One of her favorite things about him was his tattoos as she would always trace and stare at them. His tattoos hardened his exterior and made him come across as rugged and crass and maybe that was true for other people but to her he was patient, gentle and soft. His usually harsh voice was mushy when he would speak to her, giving her all the pet names in the world most consisting of baby though.

Sage took his face into her palms and bent down to kiss his lips over and over and over again, each time letting her lips linger on his a little longer. Dave tiredly wrapped his arm around her frame and whispered, "Gimme more," and she did just that kissing his cheek all the way down to his lips then his neck and back up to his lips again.

Kissing was all they did since Dave knew she wasn't ready for anything more yet. He could read her whenever things got too heated intimately, she would stop off her own principle. In her eyes, he was gorgeous but she didn't want to have sex for the first time on impulse, especially because they were yet to be in a relationship. They go out on dates and he doesn't allude to talking to other girls, but that didn't mean anything to Sage and she knew that from experience. She planned to wait until he straight out asked her or mentioned it, until then, she's remained with her innocence.

"You can't sleep, mama?" His voice was groggy and deeper than usual because he was still half asleep and it made her hot.

"No." She let out breathlessly. All that kissing on him exhausted her though. After a few moments passed Sage spoke up again. "I've been thinking."

"Uh oh," East joked. His arm was over his eyes at this point not wanting to open them completely yet. Sage picked her head up from his chest and peered down at him, "What's your real name? Like your government?"

"David Brewster Jr." He figured she had to know at some point if she's wifey. She already asked him for his age last week and he was more open to let her know than he initially thought.

"So where does East come from?"

"My bros started calling me that when I was a youngin.' Just a nickname." She nodded at his response feeling better about how much easier it was for him to answer personal questions lately. "I gotta better question for you though, mami. Who that nigga always around you?"

"You mean Jay?" She could barely lie because she knew he was keeping tabs on her, he told her so and being around each other all the time and knowing her location didn't help. She didn't mind because she didn't lie but now he's mistaken this one lame who wanted her as someone she was pursuing. "Just a high school friend. That's it." She didn't want to expand on the fact that he constantly tried sleeping with her. She brushed it off because they're just friends, if she had any say in it. She turned her head and took her bottom lip between her teeth, something she did when she was lying and Dave knew it.

"You fuckin' lyin.' It's fine cause when I find him and kill him it'll be your fault," he said seriously.

"You're acting crazy."

"And you actin' like a liar. Who is that lil nigga?" He pressed.

"A high school friend! Like what the fuck else am I supposed to say?" She blurted defensively.

"Listen shordy, don't play me like I'm one of them lil niggas you fuckin with," Dave warned. His voice was firm and he was looking at her dead in her eyes. He didn't know where his temper came from sometimes but he does know she was pushing it.

"So maybe I should fucking sleep somewhere else since I'm a liar." She snapped back.

Before she could even move to leave he grabbed her wrists and flipped her over and positioned his body on top of hers while she was on her back. "Nigga let go of me!" Sage struggled underneath him as he pinned her arms above her, making it very difficult.

"Stop struggling and I'mma let you go." Dave laughed. He was amused at her anger and how fast his disippitated. He secured her body down as she squirmed underneath him. "Oh you mad mad?" She was so fine to him, he just wanted to fuck her right then and there.

Sage pouted underneath him, "You suck. Can I fucking go?"

Dave pretended to think before he shook his head and bent down, "No. Just gimme what I want."

"Which is what?"

"Gimme yo heart. Undivided." And that's all she's been waiting for, so she said yes.

***

Jay was your typical teenage boy if you count the millionaire parents and powerful name Critch. So you can imagine he was used to receiving anything he has ever wanted and when he didn't he felt all hell should break loose. The anxiety of working for something and not being able to foresee if he'll get it irked him to no end. He usually didn't have to work much for anything but when it came to Sage he felt like he was working too hard.

He always thought maybe his approach was too straightforward and brash because it couldn't possibly be that he wasn't cute or rich enough. Attending a small private school with her didn't help matters as he got to see her five days out of the week. Nothing bruised Mr. Critch's ego more than a girl rejecting him, which rarely happened. But not just any girl. Sage. Deep down inside he knew she was smart and independent enough to make her own judgements and decisions so his status and looks didn't particularly matter. It takes a special kind of person to get into her heart.

"Jay? Are you listening? Hellooo?" Sage snapped her fingers in his face to grab his attention again. "This paper isn't going to write itself."

Jay climbed out of his deep pondering and peered up at her. "And these lips ain't gonna kiss itself," he fired back. He puckered out his pink lips waiting for her to peck them.

"Can we go one day without you coming on to me?" She rolled her eyes and picked up the paper with the essay rubric on it.

"Fine, but you still owe me a visit to one of my kickbacks. I did a deed sharing my top secret hangover remedy with you," he reasoned. Technically he was right because when Sage got drunk that one weekend she desperately needed a fix to survive being home with her nagging parents all day. She simply called her alcoholic friend which happened to be Jay and pulled the recipe out of him with promises of paying him back. Fortunately it worked, but she just didn't have the energy to head to a kickback this weekend. Although it would be perfect seeing as both of her parents are out of town, she wanted to be cuddled up with her man.

"Uh--"

"Please," Jay reached out and placed his hands on top of hers and pleaded with his brown eyes. "I wanna see you there."

"I guess since I owe you--" She started but Jay interrupted her with kisses to her cheek screaming with joy.

"Nigga, get the fuck off of me." She found herself saying that a lot recently.

***

Undoubtedly, Ella was down with it all after hearing Sage propose they attend the function. Knowing Jay's kickbacks were a big thing in their community of high school peers, which meant they had to pop out.

"You think Dave and Aubrey finna care?" Sage asked her. She was worried he would become suspicious about her attendance largely because of the fight they had earlier that week about Jay.

"Girl, you're the only one official. I'm single, therefore I can do what I want." Ella replied as she held up her baby blue con dress. It was sticking out her closet like a sore thumb so she took it as a sign to wear it tonight.

"You right, but I'm grown though." She was trying to convince herself more than anyone.

"He's actually grown, you're 17." Ella laughed pointing her index finger at her. Sage just shook her head as she put on her own tight fitting dress. It was beige with a white hem so she paired it with some white lace up heels.

"I don't know, I just feel weird 'cause I never felt the need to run shit by none of the niggas I dated before. Maybe I just like him a lot." Which was true, she barely even considered her dad for a lot of stuff she probably should have.

"Maybe this dude just got good judgement on Jay. Jay's obnoxious, bro." She tried to reason with her best friend but she was more focused on the bottle they were supposed to finish.

"You right, or maybe I'm getting soft. Whatever it is, let's take some more shots and get outta here." And that's just what they did.

Endnote: You think anything big will happen at the kickback or y'all think things will be pretty chill?