“Oh yeah, Lock and I ran into each other a few weeks ago,” Harmonie said with a sly smirk in my direction. “He told me Harbor actually sold you this house. Amazing.”
Alba tucked her arms across her chest. She was one for reading people, and her suspicious gaze fixed on me first. I’d been keeping a lot of late nights with Harmonie. We were fucking up headboards just about anywhere we could the last few months, and Alba and I still hadn’t touched one another since she had Auri.
“Is that right?” Alba questioned.
“Yeah, you know people kind of bond over things.” Harmonie scoped out the house, and both of my eyes narrowed in warning.
She didn’t seem to be catching my drift, so I stood with my daughter in my arms, and she hawked my every move.
“Hmm, yeah, I guess they do.” Alba cut her eyes in my direction. “Why don’t you tell me all about it? I just made lunch; you care to join me?”
“That would be great. It smells good in here.” She took off her jacket, and Alba led her through the living room and back to the kitchen.
A nigga felt like he was about to shit a brick watching them walk off together. The last thing I needed was these two talking. Harmonie was becoming like another nagging ass woman in my life, and that shit was rubbing me wrong. I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking carrying on with her the way that I was. The laughter and chatter coming from them left me on edge, like a nigga was dangling off a cliff while I thought of ways to get rid of her ass. After about an hour and a half, I had my daughter downfor a nap, and Alba was leading Harmonie back to the living room.
“Oh, look at her. Out like a light. Daddy has the best touch,” Alba cooed, coming to grab Auri from me.
“Hmm, I bet he does.” I caught the seduction lingering in Harmonie’s words, but Alba seemed to be oblivious as she scooped up our little girl and kissed her chubby cheeks.
“I am going to take her up to her room,” she concluded. “It was cool catching up with you, Harmonie,” she said, stepping slowly out of the room.
Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I turned my wrath on Harmonie.
“What the fuck are you doing here!” My voice rattled the walls like thunder.
Her eyes widened, and she inched backward so that she could ease out of the door, but she wasn’t paying attention and backed into the accent table near it instead.
“I… was just coming to talk. I miss you. It’s been days, and you aren’t responding to my texts.” Desperation cloaked her voice as her eyes darted around like she was waiting on someone to pop out. “My calls are going right to voicemail. How am I supposed to talk to you?”
“That’s the fucking point, Harmonie! I got a woman and a child. They are my priority.” The sharpness in my tone alarmed her, and she jerked back.
She was forcing the waterworks. I wanted her gone and out of my face. My feelings for her were about as shallow as a fucking rain puddle. Harbor being taken set off a chain of events in my life that I never expected. I loved that girl, very deeply, and imagined a future with us. All of that was snatched away, leaving me spiraling and feeling like I had no control. Harmonie was about as close to her as I could get, and I took advantage of that. This, her adamance about us being together, was now theresult of me thinking with my dick only. Reaching for me, her fingers gripped my button-up shirt, and she pressed her warm, soft frame against mine while trying to assault me with a kiss. Shoving her back, I kept a firm grip on both shoulders
“Lock… I miss you.” She continued to throw herself at me.
The adrenaline coursing through me reminded me of being on a roller coaster. My stomach was in knots. She was aggressive in her attempts, and then suddenly, Alba’s voice was clear as a fucking bell.
“What is going on?” Her shoulders drew back and her spine straightened when she confronted me.
Releasing Harmonie like she was the carrier of a mutant virus, I drew back and dropped my hands at my sides.
“Nothing. Harmonie was leaving.” I marked her with a cold stare, and she flinched, tears stinging her big, rounded espresso eyes.
“Is that what I was doing?” she fired back, using a carefully controlled tone that spoke volumes. “Why don’t you just tell her what’s really going on? It would make things so much easier, baby.” She reached out as if she could comfort me with a gentle hand to the cheek, and I dodged her efforts.
“Stay the fuck away from me,” I warned, gritting my teeth.
“Hmm, oh, baby, that’s not what you were saying a few nights ago. In fact, you couldn’t stop touching me.” A wicked snicker escaped her full lips, and she popped them together before doing a slight turn so that she could face Alba.
“So is this why you haven’t touched me in months?” she queried, tears already staining her mocha skin. Sniffling she held me under a stare so cold it could freeze any room. “You really fucking her?”
“Alba—”
“No.” She threw her hands up, exasperated.
That malicious glare that filled her eyes as she charged for Harmonie caught me off guard. Harmonie made a dash for the door, and I did my best to intercept Alba coming for her, but it was no use. She had her by the back of her hair in an instant, digging her fingers in for a tight grip as she yanked her back toward her.
“Bitch, you actually brought your ass here and smiled in my face while yo’ hoe ass is fucking my nigga!” Alba growled in her ear.
