“You ready?” Jovanis disrupted the intense chemistry between the two.
“Yeah.”
Grabbing her hand, he walked to his Range Rover and placed her inside. When he joined her inside the car, he started the engine and drove toward their home.
“I don’t know why you didn’t stay home. All in the club nodding off and shit.”
Snickering, she retorted, “I actually wasn’t that tired when I arrived.”
“Yeah, a’ight.” He glanced at her. “You know you my heart, right?"
“I do.” She smiled.
Jovanis grabbed her hand and placed a tender kiss to the back of it. “I don’t love nobody like you, Irish. You my best friend.”
Her chest warmed at his words. Jovanis had no issue expressing his love for her. He’d placed her on a pedestal for the world to see. Propped her up like a Barbie Doll that he deemed a collector’s item. Nobody could reach the height he had put Irish on. He made her feel that special to him.
“You’re my best friend too, Van. My forever pot’na.”
He smirked. “You’ll never let nobody come between us, right?”
“Never.”
“You promise? ‘Cause can’t nobody break this bond me and you got on my end. This shit started with us during middle school. We know everything about each other. You my nigga, my heart, and my wife for life. Don’t ever forget that.”
Irish’s smile faded as she looked forward. “I won’t.”
After a thirty-minute ride, Jovanis pulled into the driveway of their home. She looked at him when she noticed the engine was still running.
“You’re not coming in?”
He shook his head but didn’t offer a verbal response. Irish gulped and prepared her mouth to utter words that had become a norm for her.
“Will you be spending the night withhim?”
Again, Jovanis nodded, prompting her to release a gush of air. Reaching for her chin, he gripped it gently.
“Don’t be like that.”
“I’m not. I’m cool.”
“No, you not. I know you better than anybody. You’re bothered and I get it. I promise to spend more time with you. It’s just that, you know—it’s complicated.”
A faux smile covered her blush-toned lips. “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t have to do that for me. Enjoy your night, okay?”
“A’ight.”
Jovanis reached over and kissed her cheek before Irish exited the car. Her feet felt as though boulders were attached. Her heart and mind went to battle. Blows were thrown, cuts were made, and, in the end, the match ended in a draw. Conflicted in all areas of her life, Irish wished there was a remedy to gain some sort of contentment. Yet, she felt empty entering a house with no one to call her own.
Two
Cali fingered her small curls before grabbing a bottle of oil sheen and spraying it all over her head. Checking her angles, she made sure her pixie cut was flawless before she emerged from the bathroom.
“What you gotta do today?”
Rio pushed his foot into his Jordans before adjusting his pants leg. He looked up at her with his doe-shaped eyes, awaiting an answer.
“I have to work.”
