XX | Apple Season

"Are you sure you don't wanna come? A ton of Brez's guy friends will be there, and I could use a homegirl of my own to chat up while the men are babbling about sports."

The crunch of Sage biting a dill pickle transferred through the line, and Halle's nose crinkled.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks though."

She had almost a full week until Rowan came back from his trip in Nevada, and she intended to use it particularly.

"Fine." Sage sighed. "Well, I gotta get going then."

"Bye, girl." Halle chuckled, and ended the call.

Before she could set her phone down, a ding from a new notification sounded through the master bedroom.

Chiko

Do you need me to carry your stuff down?

No, lol.

I've only packed enough for a few days.

Chiko

Cool. Hurry up then.

Before I come inside and get you myself.

The playful threat made her insides leap, and she stuffed an extra pair of panties into a silver duffle bag before taking one last glance around the penthouse. The cleaners had just left, so the place smelled of a cashmere and lavender blend. Where most people would probably feel comforted by the gray and white unit she had called home for years, Halle felt like a caged bird being released from her cold confines as she skipped through the corridor.

For the next few days, she would be in her version of paradise, filled with constant orgasms, and an intoxicating tension that she couldn't find anywhere else. This weekend, she would milk her affair for all that it was worth, uncertain of how things would shift when Rowan returned.

The tune in her head ceased, and her pace quickened when she saw an eager Vaughn in the lobby. He was sporting a freshly shaved upper lip that exposed more of his face than she was used to seeing. It was almost unsettling.

"Ms. Prescott, how're you this lovely afternoon?"

"I'm doing fine, Vaughn. You?" She stroked the soft baby hairs just above her right ear.

"Mr. Belliair wanted me to remind you that I am always at your service. Being as how you haven't ridden with me in a while."

"Aww, that is very thoughtful of him."

Halle never broke her stride, zigzagging past a few other residents to keep some distance between herself and the driver. It was nothing for Vaughn to catch up with her, though the pain in his left leg caused him to clench his teeth.

Why is he limping?

"You appear to be rushing, Ms. Prescott. I am more than happy to take you wherever you need to go."

Vaughn's voice seemed to become more strained, and Halle's phony grin almost melted off of her face. She understood what was happening. It wasn't that he wanted to remind her.

He had to.

"Vaughn, don't worry. I will tell Rowan that you did everything in your power to keep me safe and serviced. And I will do my part to stay in one piece while I'm out." Halle's gulp was imperceptible to all but herself as she adjusted the silver strap on her shoulder. "But I don't need you to drive me today. Have a good one!"

She pushed through the glass doors, and inhaled the August air. It was almost noon, and her decision to forgo breakfast was making itself known with a rumble of her abdomen.

Halle slinked to the side of the building, her knight in shining armor waiting with his back pressed against the passenger window, his eyes watching the parking lot like a hawk.

She broke into a light jog, and grabbed the side of Chiko's face to secure his mouth against hers. The kiss was short and yet not missing a once of its usual passion.

"I'm starving," she said in between kisses.

"Good." He pulled away and tapped the seat of her pants, creating a light ripple underneath the denim fabric behind her. "We gon' have an early dinner at my folk's house tonight."

"Oh... a-are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's apple season."

ꨄꨄꨄꨄꨄ

They traveled through the noise of car horns and loud radios blasting from apartment windows until they reached the countryside of California. The sky was endless, and nature's tunes were much more serene than the city's incessant buzz.

Halle thought the rural property was breathtaking. Elegant landscaping extended for miles with trees bearing ripe fruit casting shade on the freshly cut grass.

Chiko led the way to the front door of the two-story home, his hand in Halle's and surprisingly, she wasn't as high sprung as before. It's like the warmth from his palm shut out any perturbation that would normally settle into her. With him, she felt anew, like fear had let go of the control panel in her mind.

Using a silver key, Chiko unlocked the door, and the smell of pot roast and caramelized carrots greeted their noses. The interior of the home was cozy, with childhood photos plastered along the beige walls, and a multitude of glass knickknacks nestled comfortably beside novels on every bookshelf.

Frankie's head whipped around, an apron tied around his waist, and a steaming pie in his mittened grasp.

"Well, it's about damn time! Me and Iz were thinking about getting started without you two." He hurriedly transferred the baked dessert to the stovetop to cool.

Turns out, their relationship wasn't as top secret as she'd guessed.

Halle shot Chiko a look, and it was like he read her mind, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"So maybe I mentioned you a little."

"A lot," Frankie emphasized, degloving his hand and extending it towards the new-comer. "Frankie Fontaine, charmed to finally meet you, darling."

His accent was a mixture of Los Angeles and New Orleans, while his appearance was more similar to the younger twin than Chiko.

"Halle Prescott." She shook his hand. "Thank you for having me."

"Yeah, yeah, we're all acquainted." Izzy rounded the corner and entered the kitchen from the hallway. "Let's eat."

With dishes spread nicely around the table, the four adults sat down. Halle found the conversation rather easy to engage in, courtesy of Frankie's kind natured approach and Chiko's thumb caressing her thigh.

"No way, you're from Biloxi, Mississippi!" Izzy jerked his head back. "You seem like a Cali girl."

"Well, I've been here for a long time so I'm sure it has rubbed off on me." She shrugged, taking a polite sip of her water.

She didn't talk about her hometown much, finding it difficult to stir up old emotions, so she kept the details of her childhood minimal.

Today was an exception.

"By the way, this pie is delicious, Mr. Fontaine."

"Much obliged." Frankie patted his mouth. "I've got two more where that came from and one of em's got your name on it. Take it home."

Chiko's cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and his expression frosted over when he looked at the caller ID. He raised the device to his ear, his hand removed from her leg to agitatedly tap the table top.

"Hello?" his voice was stern, and the rest of the diners quieted down out of respect.

"The same car circled the parking lot again. This time, three times in row," the male on the other line relayed. "I didn't really get a good look at the driver. Windows way too tinted."

Chiko blew his breath. "That settles it then, I'm moving. I haven't been back to the spot since that fake ass arrest, and yet these motherfuckers are still stalking me."

"You want me to tail 'em?"

"Nah, last time my brother did that..." Chiko's voice trailed off as anger rose in his chest. "They tried to blow his car up in the desert."

"What?" Frankie slammed his palm on the table top. "Neither of you told me that! First, these people abduct one of my grandsons, and then they attempt to kill the other for rescuing his brother!"

"Calm down, grandad. This is why we kept quiet about it." Izzy shushed the older man. "We still have a lot to figure out."

"Just like I told those fake ass cops, I didn't know Cesar and I for damn sure didn't kill him! There is zero proof of us ever interacting."

Halle placed her fork down, her mind racing so rapidly that she had to remind herself to breathe.

So, there it was. All of this was over Cesar's death. Did she believe Chiko's denial? She studied his tense shoulders and flexing temples, the way his exasperation bled through his eyes.

"I know, I know. None of this makes sense, I would've thought they'd be here for —"

"Relax," Chiko warned, and the line fell silent.

Saying Taz's name out loud was risky enough. Saying his name on the phone, in front of Halle, would be flat out stupid. He didn't want to make the block hotter by bringing up something that he'd actually been involved in. And he didn't want to risk her safety.

"Look, just keep me updated." Chiko signed before hanging up. He scooted his chair backwards and stood, his dinner no longer appetizing. "I need to go for a ride."

"I'm coming with you." Halle threw a napkin on her plate, offering an apologetic smile to Frankie.

He nodded stiffly, and power walked to the large garage. The lights came on in the modern space and Halle's eyes widened at all the polished motorbikes. Chiko handed her a helmet, and she grabbed his forearm to slow his actions.

"I believe you," she told him, her eyes darting across his handsome face.

Wordlessly, he bent down and firmly kissed her lips. With each helmet secured, they climbed onto the Harley, and sped out of the four-door garage, Halle's smile hidden.

The feel of Chiko's strong body between her arms, and the growl of the motor was all too exhilarating. A feeling that she wished she could bottle up and save for later. It was in this moment that Halle decided that she no longer wanted their relationship to be a fling.

She wanted it to last forever.

~

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