You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 186

I returned to my seat after Rosaline convinced me she'd arrange a nice platter and bring to our table.

"Everything okay? You took too long," Dominic said. Though it looked like he was asking out of mere curiosity, not because he was offended.

"My...aunties own this place. So, I was just talking to them."

He gave a subtle nod.

Not long after, Rosaline paraded over with two servers. My mouth fell open as the platter landed: peppered chicken, fragrant rice jeweled with vegetables, a bowl of spiced stew sending up steam, grilled fish with lemon, and a fortress of plantains marching along the edge. There was no universe where two people finished this.

I threw her a questioning look but she only winked at me.

She turned on the neon smile as she addressed Dominic. "Hello, customer. We're delighted to have you in our humble restaurant today. I'm Rosaline, Rali's aunt. Now, I trained her to en a good girl. So you let me know if she's being bad."

I bit my lower lip to choke a laugh. Crazy didn't begin to describe her.

"I doubt she could ever be bad," Dominic said, and the way his eyes found mine felt like a vow being sealed in the space between us.

My smile went shy; my gaze dropped. My nail traced an invisible line along my thigh.

"Okay! Then, you two have a good time and let me know if you need more." She winked at me again before scurrying off.

"They seem nice. Your family," he mentioned.

Warmth flared up my neck. "They are. I'm... really lucky to have them."

We ate and let the chatter come in small, harmless threads. I'd rehearsed answers in case he asked about my past, but he didn't go digging. Relief and a strange ache shared the same chair.

The dinner went well, though we couldn't finish the platter. At one point he nodded toward my jaw. "You've got a bit, just there." I wasn't looking at him, but I could feel his gaze hovering at my mouth while I wiped it away.

I dismissed it as nothing anyway.

"I'll meet you outside. Just need to say my goodbyes," I told him before going off to meet Marovelle behind the counter.

"Thank you so much for the meal, Marv. Could your let me know how much it costs?"

She threw me a head to toe glare. "You ask me that again and I'll be hitting this on your head." She waved her spatula at me.

I laughed, surrendering with both hands.

"By the way, that boy's got a brow piercing."

"Marv, he's not a boy."

"Whatever. You all are still kids in my eyes. So, why did he have a brow piercing? That reads 'bad boy' to me."

I rolled my eyes halfway. "Come on, Marv. A piece of jewelry cannot define someone."

"Mhm. You already defending him, huh? Anyway, I'll still keep a close eye on him. You can go on for now."

"Thanks. Bye!"

I hurried off.

He walked me to my doorstep. While he ground the cigarette under his shoe, I fished out that very bill from my pocket and held it out.

He scoffed. "I thought we had a deal, Rali?"

"I didn't pay for dinner."

"Doesn't matter. I'm fed."

"Dominic, please. I insist."

I just felt the need to give him the money. Maybe we could blame it on the part of me that didn't want to feel indebted to a man. This wouldn't cover even a quarter of what he'd spent, but at least it would count as 'me' giving 'him' something.

He looked at me, then at the money with a longer, measuring stare before he shrugged. "If you insist." He took it.

A small smile ghosted the edge of his mouth.

For a beat, we stayed silent, not knowing what was next. Okay...what was next was me going in.

"Goodnight. Thanks for walking me home."

"Yeah." He slid both hands into his pockets.

I managed a small smile as I took a step back, another, then turned around and faced the house.

Inside, I watched him through the window. He moved down the block, the streetlights stitching him smaller and smaller until he turned the corner and was gone.