Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

I keep my back to her, but this is something that should be said face-to-face. I try to stay busy so I don’t seem rude, grabbing the sugar and spoons to prep our coffee. “I’ll take you to get it. I don’t have to be at work until four this afternoon. And we didn’t do much, Opal. It’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any one of my friends or family.”

“That must be nice,” she whispers. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

Finally, the pot is half full, and I’m unable to resist the urge to pour the first two cups. It’ll be stronger than normal, but on a morning like this, it’s needed. “I can’t imagine not having people, but you’ve got people now, Opal.”

“I do?”

I carry the mugs in one hand, looping my index finger through the two handles, and try to avoid spilling them as I hold the sugar and cream in my other hand. “You have us,” I tell her as I set her mug on the table in front of her.

She stays silent, staring at me without giving any attention to the coffee.

I slide into the seat next to her, my normal spot where I drink my coffee every morning and check out what’s happening in the world on my phone. “If you want us, I mean. No one should be alone.”

“Why?”

“Why?” I repeat her question back to her, confused.

“Yeah,” she says with a slight nod as she grabs on to her hair with her fingers, pulling at the ends. “Why do you want me?”

Fuck. That’s a loaded question.

I don’t want her to be alone, but if I’m honest, I’d love for Opal to be more than a friend. I’m not talking wife, but a girlfriend isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. She’s beautiful with her long hair, curvy figure, and an ass that is more than a handful.

“You can never have too many friends, and right now, it sounds like I’m your only one, if you don’t count Bear and Fran.”

She smiles at me for a moment before she reaches for the sugar and spoon I’d set down next to her coffee mug. “You guys are way too kind.”

“I think we’re normal. Maybe you’ve spent most of your life being surrounded by assholes.”

She laughs quietly. “That’s no lie.”

“What are you going to do now?” I ask her, genuinely curious, but also concerned.

“Drink my coffee.” She smirks against the rim of her mug.

I take a minute, studying her face as she takes a sip of her coffee and closes her eyes. Her skin is flawless even without makeup. Her dark brown eyebrows are perfectly groomed and arched to a point. Her lips are full and look as soft as silk. I can’t help but stare at her mouth as she licks the remnants of coffee from her lips.

“And after that?” I ask, trying to talk about something so I can get my mind off her mouth and the way her tongue moves.

Opal shrugs. “I’ll rent a hotel room for a few days until I find an apartment.”

“You can stay here,” I blurt out, clearly not fully awake or thinking straight.

Why did I say that? I haven’t lived with anyone since I moved out of my parents’ place. I never even have the women I’m sleeping with stay at my house.

“Until you find a place,” I add, not wanting her to think I want her to stay here forever.

“A hotel is okay. You’ve done enough.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Do you always have this much trouble taking help from people?”

Opal holds her coffee mug in two hands as she leans back in her chair and stares at me. “I guess so.”

“But you took Jeff’s help.” It’s a low blow, but I said it. I know as soon as the words leave my mouth that I shouldn’t have mentioned his name. Now, I’ll have to backpedal and hope to God she doesn’t walk out the door immediately.

“Not at first,” she says without an ounce of anger or agitation in her voice. “We dated casually for a long time. I didn’t live with him until we moved here a few months ago. I wouldn’t say he even helped me after that. I’ve always had my own money and learned not to rely on people.”

“I misspoke. I’m sorry.”

I’m an asshole. I don’t know why I thought maybe she leaned on him, letting him control all aspects of her life.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.”

She takes another sip and closes her eyes again, savoring the taste. “I don’t know what kind of coffee this is, but it’s the best I’ve ever had.”

“It’s the chicory. It’s smooth and strong, right?”

“It’s like a little sip of heaven.” She sets down her coffee, pulling her knee up against her body.

I glance down, catching a glimpse of her glitter-covered toenails. They’re cute. Not what I was expecting or usually like, but somehow, they work.

“Anyway, in the beginning, Jeff was nice, but then he changed.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“Have you ever been alone? Like, really alone?”

I sit there, thinking about the question. I’ve never been alone. Not a moment in my life. If I wasn’t with my parents, I was with my cousins or grandparents. Sometimes I wished I had some alone time, but now she’s making me question everything.

“No. I haven’t. Not a moment.”