“Amaya,” he scolded, covering his mouth to mask the chuckle that escaped his lips. “You can’t be out here fighting with the kids unless you wanna end up on national TV by the time you get home,” he said, gesturing to the various local news reporters that stopped by to get a shot of the festivities.
There was even Lita Valentine—a popular sportscaster covering everything. She had a camera crew with footage that would be aired on the news later and was also streaming the entire thing. She was just as bad as the moms when it came to Chase and had made so many inappropriate jokes that I was so close to telling her that as his attorney, she was highly inappropriate, and I would smack the fuck out of her if she kept playing.
“I don’t care,” I said indignantly.
“How bout you take a break?” he suggested with a raised brow.
“I’m good,” I snapped.
“Amaya,” he said as he discreetly grabbed my wrist. “It’s hot, you been on your feet all day, you’re hungry, and irritated. We have more than enough people to cover everything. Come sit down, eat something, and talk to me for a minute,” he pleaded, holding up a bag from a restaurant that I had grown to love since I had been spending more time in the city. I sucked my teeth and followed him over to a secluded bench, cursing him out the whole time because who the fuck did he think he was to be worrying about my wellbeing?
We sat down on the bench and he started handing me things from the bag. My favorite salad—made just how I liked it—a cupof sweet tea, and a bowl of mixed fruit. I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering how he had my order down to a tee, but I remembered that Niko usually put in the orders, so he probably had it saved to his phone.
“Thank you,” I whispered defiantly because my mouth was already watering at the smell of the chicken on the salad.
“You ain’t ever gotta thank me for making sure you’re good,” he assured me, and I had to tell my pussy that we were done with that and she needed to simmer her ass down.
I stayed silent as I opened my food and started eating. He was right about my need to eat, because I could feel the attitude drifting away with each bite I took. I looked at him and scowled when I noticed him sitting there watching me eat in silence.
“What?” I asked abruptly with a mouth stuffed full of greens.
“Nothing, just eat,” he said, leaning back on the bench and getting more comfortable. He literally didn’t move until I finished the salad and half of the fruit, got full, and closed the lid.
“Amaya,” he started softly. “That shit with Chanel wasnotwhat you think.”
“I didn’t think anything. It was a bad look for the case, that’s why I’m upset. You could have been charged with witness tampering,” I said flatly before wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“She reached out to me,” he argued, defending himself.
“I don’t care, Chase,” I said, unable to sit there and listen to him tell me why he ran back to his ex after me.
“So you’re not mad at all at the fact that I linked up with her?” he asked.
“Oh, ‘linked up’? That’s what you callin’ it?” My brow shot up. “You fucked her, didn’t you?” I knew how crazy I sounded but I couldn’t help it. Memories of all the times Malcom’s bitch ass lied to my face played on repeat, which was crazy, because Chase was never even my man to be insecure about.
“What?” he snapped like I offended him. “Hell no! You really think I’m dumb enough to fuck that girl after all the shit she’s still putting me through?” Something in his voice made me believehim, but the sting of his betrayal wouldn’t let me give in that easily, so I kept my mouth shut.
“It was not like that. After the last stunt she pulled, I’d rather stick my dick in a pencil sharpener than even entertain the thought of dealing with her again.”
“Your dick couldneverfit in a pencil sharpener,” I scoffed without thinking. That caused him to break out into a smirk.
“I’m glad you know.”
“Whatever! Fuck you.”
“Listen, just hear me out… I thought that if I could just get through to her, she would drop this shit and we could just be together. I know it sounds insane, but I did this for you… For us.”
“Be together? Chase, there is no us.”
“Yet,” he shot back, and I had to press my lips together to keep from smiling. This was so dumb.
“Ever, nigga! I told you that was a one time thing, what part of that didn’t you understand?”
“Definitely the ‘one time’ part, Toni. Once this is over, I promise I’m making you mine.”
“What makes you so confident that I even want to be yours? Just because we fucked?” I asked, lowering the volume of my voice so I didn’t fuck around and wake up as breaking news tomorrow.
“We fucked, again and again, but then you stayed, snoring in a nigga’s ear and shit. You stayed all weekend Amaya. You can’t sit here and say it was just sex.”
