“What made you cook?” he asked.
I added salt to the water, giving me a second to think.
“Oh, I just didn’t realize all this was in there and thought it would be nice to do.”
I looked back at him, and he smiled.
“Yeah, I know you liked to cook, and I missed your cooking.”
I smirked and looked back at the water.
“Is there anything you want to add to the house?”
I closed my eyes, but he couldn’t see me.
“No, I think that should be your decision.”
He didn’t say anything else.
Once the water started to boil, I dropped the lobster and focused on them while he was listening to something on his phone. Once they were done, I fixed our plates with everything else and slid his to him.
He looked at it, placing his phone down.
“Damn, girl, this looks good.”
I smiled. “Thank you, it’s just something slight.”
He got out the silverware.
“Nah, baby girl. Ain’t nothing slight about it.”
I took a bite of my steak, and that shit was good. I closed my eyes as it melted in my mouth.
We didn’t talk for a few minutes, both of us tearing our plates up.
Finally, we came up for breath. Gio went to the cabinet, pulled out two cups, and fixed us some lemonade. I took a sip of my juice and watched as he did the same before he went back to eating.
“So, Gio, I want to talk,” I said softly.
“Wussup?”
“So I have been thinking about everything, and I want you to know I really did try, but…I don’t want to be with you. I am happy with the life I have in Atlanta for so many reasons, and I want to get back to it.”
Gio chewed and swallowed the food that he had in his mouth.
“No.”
That nigga flat-out said no.
“What do you mean, no?”
He shook his head. “You haven’t tried long enough. You need to try longer.”
I took a deep breath. “Gio, I can’t try any longer. I need to get back home.”
“You are home,” he shot back while looking around. “We have a forever thing.”
“We don’t, Gio. Please, you promised me you wouldn’t turn into that person you were before. Just let me get your phone, and I will get an Uber.”