“I don’t hate him,” I muttered.
“You don’t even dislike him. You like him, like him.”
I sighed dramatically. “What are we? Twelve? I tolerate him.”
She laughed so hard she almost choked on her sweet tea. When she finally calmed down, she said, “Well, he always liked you, you know.”
My head snapped up. “Girl, what? No, he didn’t.”
“Yes, he did. Remember one time in undergrad, you came home and Seth had that party where it was hot as hell? Mekhi gave you a bottle of water.”
“That was not flirting!”
“He said, ‘Here.’”
I scowled at her. “So?”
“He said it with emotion.”
I burst out laughing. “You insane.”
“Maybe so, but I got eyes. And the way that man look at you? Girl, please.”
I pushed my food around the plate, feeling warm and stupid and caught. Hyacinth watched me, grinning.
“You really got…Mekhi Venzantlosing sleep.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Yes! Girl, the man let you sleep in his bed. Brae says Mekhi don’t even let people know where he lives. Now you in there cuddled up in his jacket like y’all newlyweds.”
I covered my face again. “Hyacinth?—”
“No, I want the truth. What’s going on with y’all?”
I peeked at her through my fingers. “Everything and nothing at the same time.”
“Oh. I think that’s called foreplay?”
I threw a beignet at her. “Stop.”
She dodged it and laughed. “I will not stop!”
We ate and teased each other until my cheeks hurt from laughing. When we stood up to leave, Hyacinth bumped my shoulder. “Cuz?”
“Yeah?”
“If this turns into something real… I’m here for it.”
I rolled my eyes, but I smiled. “We not going there.”
