Page 66 of Buy Back My Love

Van looked over at me. “21 Savage and Summer Walker.”

“What’s the song called?”

“Prove It.”

I nodded and pulled out my phone.

“What you doing?”

“Adding it.”

“Oh, now you like it?”

“I said I liked it when Ryan was playing it.”

“Nah, you liked the beat then.” Van glanced down at me. “You got all quiet once you started listening.”

“You worried about me too much.”

“I’m walking right beside you. Kinda hard not to notice.”

I added the song to my library and put my phone away before he could see the smile trying to creep onto my face.

“Whatever.”

Van let it go, and I was glad he did.

A few houses later, the song ended and something else started playing from his phone. By then we were back to talking shit like we had been before Ryan came riding through, and I didn’t give Prove It another thought.

At least not right then.

Somewhere around the next block, Van glanced over at me. “Y’all doing anything for Thanksgiving?”

“My mama cooking.” I started counting the food off on my fingers. “Mac and cheese, greens, dressing, ham, candied yams, sweet potato pie-”

“See, you lost me at sweet potato pie. Pumpkin pie.”

I stopped and looked at him. “Ew.”

“Ew?” Van stopped too, laughing at my face. “You ever even had pumpkin pie?”

“No, and I don’t need to.”

“So how the hell you know it’s nasty?”

“Because it’s pumpkin.” I started walking again, and he fell into step beside me. “Pumpkins belong on a porch with a candle in ’em. Not on a dessert plate.”

Van laughed. “You judging a whole pie off Halloween.”

“I’m judging it off the fact that it’s a pumpkin.”

“Pumpkin is food, Lee.”

“Not at my house.”

“You missing out.”

“I promise you I’m not. Sweet potato pie is better.”