Page 168 of Buy Back My Love

“And it can stay yours.”

“Then get the fuck out my office.”

Boone finally stood, smoothing the front of his coat like we hadn’t just been two seconds from having a whole different kind of conversation.

“You got a good life now,” he said. “Company doing well. House. Kids. Just got engaged, from what I seen.”

I stared at him. Of course that nigga had seen it.

“Congratulations, by the way.”

“Fuck you.”

He laughed. “See? That’s that temper.”

I should’ve left it there.

Instead, I asked, “What you want moved?”

The question came out before I could stop it, and Boone’s smile told me he noticed.

“That’s better.”

“I didn’t say I was doing shit. I asked what you want.”

“And somebody will tell you when you need to know.”

“Nah. Fuck that.”

“You wanted out, remember? Out means you don’t need all the details.”

I took another step toward him. “Find somebody else.”

“I got somebody else.”

“Then use them.”

“I am.”

Boone looked toward the yard one more time.

“I’m using you too.”

My hands curled at my sides, and he noticed.

“Don’t do nothing stupid,” he said. “You got too much to lose now.”

That one landed because he was right. I had Hannah and the kids, Lee and the son she was carrying, my company, everything I had spent years building.

Boone walked toward the door while I stood there trying to figure out how the fuck a man I hadn’t seen in years had walked into my office and made all of it feel temporary.

He put his hand on the knob. “Somebody gon’ call you.”

“I ain’t answering.”

Boone glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah, you are.”

Then he opened the door, but before he walked out, he stopped.