“Can I go back to my cousin now?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything, but he did let go of my thighs and take a step back. It wasn’t really enough room for me to get my thick ass down, but I wasn’t about to beg him to move. Instead,I eased off the car, inhaling sharply as the front of my body slid down the front of his. I already knew how solid he was from the day of the drive-by when he’d been on top of me. He gave me a knowing little smile before stepping back a little bit more. I rolled my eyes and walked around him, ignoring the lingering tingles from his touch.
He fell into step beside me as I made my way back into the complex. We headed toward Field Six, and I smiled when I saw Mariah where I left her, Seth sitting in front of her. Mekhi followed me up the bleachers and sat next to him. Seth smirked at him.
“Thought you didn’t have time for the game?” he said.
“Fuck you, nigga,” Mekhi responded.
Mariah pointed at him, then pointed at me. I shook my head hard as hell. She narrowed her eyes and flipped me off.I’ll tell you later, I mouthed. She nodded. I didn’t know what the hell I was going to tell her, though. I hadn’t mentioned to Mariah about the drive-by because I didn’t want my MiMi to hear about it. She’d tell my mother and all of them would be worried.
My eyes cut to Mekhi. He was nodding as Seth talked to him in a low voice. Even his profile was perfect. Damn, I had to remember that I hated him.Pitiful, I thought. I should be aggravated at him but, instead, I was damned near drooling over him.
Kera’s team finally took the field and minutes later, the game started. I watched intently, ready to cheer my girl on. Suddenly, I felt Mariah’s elbow digging into my side.
“Ouch! What, bitch?” I snapped.
She pointed toward the bottom of the stands. My gaze followed her finger, and I saw Lincoln Hays waving at me. I smiled and waved back. Lincoln grew up in my grandparents’ neighborhood, so I’d known him forever. He’d tried to shoot his shot when we were teenagers, but he was too wild for me, tooheavy in the streets. That didn’t mean I couldn’t flirt, though. Lincoln was fine. He crooked his finger at me, telling me to come here. Before I could stand up, Mekhi spoke.
“Nah, you good right there,” he said.
His eyes were on Lincoln, but there was no doubt that he was talking to me. I frowned at him.
“I’m just going to say hi.”
“You already said hi.”
“You can’t be serious!”
He looked at me then and I realized how serious he was.
“Mekhi—”
“I don’t know that nigga,” he cut me off.
I sucked my teeth. “But I do!”
He shrugged and started talking to Seth again. This man was impossible. He really thought his word was law. I didn’t know who had his head so gassed, but he had me all kinds of fucked up. I wasn’t for a repeat of his drama, though, so I looked at Lincoln and waved bye. He had seen the whole exchange with Mekhi, so he just winked at me and walked off.
“What’s up with you and him?” Mariah asked softly, her eyes on Mekhi.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
She sucked her teeth. “Lying ass.”
“Whatever. Watch the game.”
Kera’s team won easily—eight to two. Mariah and I waited near the fence to congratulate her, Seth and Mekhi still close by. Mekhi kept shooting me looks, like he was daring me to walk away from his line of sight. Maybe Ihadasked for more than I could handle. If he thought he was going to dictate my every move, he had another thing coming. I let his ass make it today, but we were going to have a talk ASAP.
I changed my focus as Kera walked off the field. Her shoulder was wrapped up, but she was smiling big as hell. I couldn’t help grinning back at her.
“You saw your girl out there throwing like Shohei Ohtani?” she asked, bumping our fists right quick.
“I’on know about all that, but good ga?—”
My words cut off, and I let out a soft little shriek as a pair of masculine arms slid around me from behind. The inviting scent of Tom Ford’s Noir Extreme teased my nose and the chest behind me was solid.
“Your man not gon’ trip about an old friend getting a hug, is he?” Lincoln whispered near my ear.
