“Moolah, what are you doing here? How did you?—”
“Let me ask you somethin’, Sky. You think I deserved that shit you just pulled?”
Moolah wasn’t in the mood for a whole lot of conversation. He was still tired as hell from the night before, and the day had gotten away from him completely after he packed all his things and contacted the Airbnb host and threatened them not to allow anyone else to stay there until he reached back out. By the time the jet landed, it was already dipping into evening time. He washungry, tired, and frustrated, and all he needed at the moment were answers from Iskyiah.
“Oop. I’ll leave y’all to it.”
“Really, Sophie?”
Sophie looked at her friend sympathetically. “Really, girl. You ain’t tell me the man was that fine. You fucked up.”
Moolah decided he liked the woman. When she disappeared inside the house, he asked, “Friend?”
“Best friend,” she muttered as she looked at her feet.
“Look at me.” Once her eyes were on his, he continued. “Why you leave me, Sky? I thought I asked you not to run. You know how that shit made me feel?”
“I tried to explain it the best I could,” she muttered.
Moolah pulled the letter out of his hoodie pocket. “With this bullshit?”
“It’s not bullshit,” she argued.
“It ain’t nothin’ but bullshit.” He grabbed her waist and pulled her into him. “You ain’t broken. And I’m not gonna hurt you, so what’s your excuse, my baby?”
As mad as Moolah had been, he couldn’t really get in her ass like he wanted with her looking at him like she lost her favorite teddy bear.
“What if I hurt you? All I’ve ever known is toxicity.”
Moolah considered it. Finally, he shook his head. “You ain’t gonna hurt me unless you keep running from me.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know, my baby. You gonna trust me, or you gonna keep makin’ me chase you?”
“How can I trust you when the last time I opened myself up to you, you shut me out?”
That stung. He didn’t realize that one decision would cause so much pain, but he saw it in her eyes as he looked down at her.
“Because I’m grown now, and I ain’t stupid enough to make the same mistake twice, especially not when it comes to you.”
Iskyiah peered up at him and then sighed. “You aren’t going to let up, are you?”
“You want me to?”
“I’m scared,” she said instead of responding to his question.
He pulled her closer. When her head hit his chest, he rubbed her back. “You ain’t gotta be scared of me. Let me handle everything, okay? You ain’t gotta do shit but be a good mother and look pretty. I’ll handle everything else.”
“Okay.” Her voice was so faint, if Moolah wasn’t so in tune with her, he wouldn’t have heard it.
“Gimme a kiss. Least you can do,” he grumbled, which pulled a slight giggle from her. His heart did a lil dancey dance.
She gazed up at him. “I’m sorry.”
And then she pressed her lips to his. He sank into the kiss. This woman drove him absolutely insane, but that was okay with him. If he had it his way, he would never be sane again.
“Ohhh, Mama! You got a boyfriend!” a small voice squealed.
