Whenever he laughed, it always looked like he had them closed. They were always low, and he didn’t even smoke weed. I loved whenever he laughed, because he had dimples. When I met his mother and cousin yesterday, I realized that his cousin had the same set of dimples as well.
“You better check yourself, Gerald.” I bit back my laugh as I pretended to straighten my clothes.
Recommendation: Listen to Made To Love Ya by Gerald Levert
“Stop fucking playing with me.” He pointed his finger at me, as he rounded the corner. I was quick on my feet because I knew he was coming to snatch me up.
As I tried to slip past him, he snatched me up and kissed me on the neck. “Stooooop, Gerald,” I whined.
His beard nuzzled against my cheek, as he held me against him. “When it comes to you, I’m never playing about you. You built that wall around your heart high, but your man robs niggas for a living. I can clear a wall with ease. I know you stubborn, but I’m breaking that shit down… you see how I’m coming, right?”
His voice was low and comforting as he held me in his arms, speaking directly into my ear. His presence was so calm that it quieted my mind.
Made me feel secure in his arms.
Gerald always made me feel that way. It was whenever I stepped away from him that the white noise returned.
“This could go wrong. Our Goddaughters are cousins… we’ll always be in each other’s lives if this doesn’t work out.”
I’ve always been someone that thought ahead and planned down to the second that things could or would go wrong. My heart and nervous system actually regulated better whenever Iplanned out future failures. I was able to pivot better because I had already preplanned for things to be fucked up, so there was no need to cry because it wasn’t a complete surprise.
“Close your eyes…” he instructed. I didn’t close my eyes. I felt his cheek against mine, as he slowly swayed us back and forth in front of the mirror. “You so fucking beautiful, Boobie… look at us. This shit was supposed to happen. Listen to the song.”
“We do look good together.” I smiled, as he continued to sway us.
The swaying action made me melt deeper into him. “Close your eyes.”
I listened to him this time, while he continued to sway us slowly while kissing my cheek. “I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason and the shit that doesn’t happen wasn’t supposed to happen. My dear, you were supposed to happen.Wewere supposed to happen. I was made to love you, Zoya. You were made to love me… I don’t need anyone else to understand us. I just need you to want this as much as I want it. Baby, this shit only works if we’re both in this.”
“What—”
He quieted me by nibbling my neck and making me snort like a cornball. “Whenever you need me to assure that we’re supposed to happen, tell me.”
“So, just tell you that I need to be assured?” I questioned.
“Are we supposed to?”
“Huh?”
“If yuh can huh yuh can hea,” he said with an accent. “Whenever you need to be assured, ask me that question, and I’m always gonna assure you. Never gonna leave you wondering, Zoya… just need you to do something for me.”
I spun in his arms and peered up into his eyes, as he straightened his posture. “What’s that?”
“Need you to do the same for me.”
I smiled and nodded. “I’m not good at that.”
“Good at what, Boobie.”
“Assuring, I guess.”
“Never need you to be perfect at anything. Love isn’t perfect… shit, I think it’s the most imperfect thing, and that’s the reason why it thrives when two people that aresupposedto be together come together.”
“You believe that?”
He kissed my forehead. “And I plan to make you a believer.”
I smiled, as I held onto him. “Okay.”
