Free Black and White (Storm's Soldiers MC Book 1) by Paige Notaro Page B

decent company.
    “So that’s why you going the opposite way with your new man,” Marissa said, as we sat over our empty plates, mouths sticky with syrup. “I get it.”
    “I’m not going anywhere with any man,” I said, even then smiling at the memories. “It’s just a fun little thing.”
    “Yeah, whatever you wanna call it baby. You got the nice boy who turned out to be a bad guy. Now you trying out a bad boy who knows how to treat you good.”
    My mouth opened, but my brain had no words to occupy it. Was she right? She wasn’t wrong. I had been drawn to him at the first sight of leather and ink. What did it matter? He wasn’t my man, just a friend to fool around with. Hell, friend was really pushing it. Other than sex and a little flirting, all he’d done with me was watch me play piano – maybe not even on purpose.
    Careful girl, his silky voice rolled through my head. You don’t know me.
    “You’re right,” I said. “He’s the opposite of Rico, but what I’ve got with him is the opposite of what I had with Rico too. It’s no relationship. We’re not going anywhere.”
    “I’ve tried things like that,” Kiara said. “They never last.”
    “They aren’t supposed to.”
    “OK, so when do you want to stop seeing him?” She peeked in at me, her light eyes like a laser point on my brain.
    “When it’s not working anymore?”
    She wagged her head, disappointed. “So it’s over when it’s over? Yeah, expect trouble.”
    “Whatever, girl.”
    Her words lingered as I lay in bed that night though. Of course he was trouble. I’d seen that the moment he walked in. So why would I be sad to let him go later?
    Then again, the thought that came immediately after was the memory of him lying here in the moonlight with me. I remembered the practiced graze of his finger up my damp stomach and the soft warmth of him at my side. It hadn’t felt wrong with the two of us lying there, doing nothing. It didn’t seem like such a bad thing that the memory made me ache for it again.
    I eyed my phone. No texts from anyone. I flicked to the most recent call, and hovered over the number, consigning it to memory.
    ‘New Text to this number?’ my phone suggested on screen.
    Expect trouble.
    I slammed the phone down and rolled over to sleep.
    ******
    School passed slow as molasses the next day. Even after I hid my phone screen, I had phantom vibrations from it in my purse. There were a couple of girls I was kinda getting cozy with in classes, but at lunch I was too antsy to do more than listen to them talk.
    “You waiting for test results or something?” Faith asked finally.
    “What test?” I murmured, not quite looking up. “We’re in the same classes.”
    She and Aubrey cracked up. “I was gonna say lab results, but now I’m thinking you have no reason to get checked out.”
    “Haha,” I said – and then before I could catch myself. “For you information, this is about a guy.”
    They clustered in, waiting for the gossip, but thankfully, the clock rang noon and we hustled to class.
    My school day ended at four, and I’d just sulked out, debating between spaghetti or Campbell’s for dinner, when my purse started to rattle. I yanked out my phone.
    It was just Darryl.
    “Hey, Meg,” he said, when I picked up. “What’s happening?”
    “Nothing special.” It was odd, him checking up on me again so soon. Maybe his surrogate dad-instincts were kicking in.
    “You’re still downtown right? Wanna eat before you head back out?”
    “Can’t say no to that.” It did solve at least one of my problems.
    We met up at the Waffle House right by the MARTA station. Darryl had already found a seat. He still had on clothes from the gym - track pants and a well-worn white tee.
    “Phe-ew, you stink,” I said, making a show as I sat down.
    “It’s called giving back to the community.”
    “The community is not in need of that odor.”
    A waitress rushed by and dropped off a coffee and a glass of apple juice