Page 206 of When a Soul Cries

My jaw tightened at the thought.

I hated that shit.

But what I wanted couldn’t become another cage for Sol.

She needed something of her own. She needed to earn her own money, make her own decisions, and prove to herself that she could take care of herself and Halo again.

If she stayed with me one day, I wanted it to be because she chose me when she had every opportunity not to.

So if she chose Eastview, I’d help her move. I’d smile. I’d congratulate her.

Then I’d go back to my big-ass empty house and be mad as hell.

I shook my head, letting out a quiet laugh.

Yeah.

I was falling in love with Soleia Monroe.

Fast. Hard.

But she didn’t need all of that dumped into her lap right now.

For now, most of it could stay inside my head.

Sugga had her front door open before I even killed the engine.

I stared through the windshield as she stepped onto the porch with one hand already planted on her hip, peering toward my SUV like she’d been standing at the window waiting for us to pull up.

“How the hell she—”

Then I remembered who was sitting behind me.

“Oh.”

I had brought her new favorite person.

I climbed out and had barely rounded the front of the SUV before Sugga started down the walkway.

“Give me my baby,” she demanded, already holding out her hands.

I stopped beside Halo’s door and looked at her. “Your baby?”

“Yes, mine.” Sugga waved impatiently toward the back seat. “Why are you standing there asking questions? Get her out.”

A grin tugged at my mouth as I opened the door. “You met her one time.”

“And?”

“And that don’t make her yours.”

Sugga sucked her teeth so hard I heard it from inside the car. “Roman, move.”

Laughing, I leaned inside and unbuckled Halo. The second I lifted her from the seat, she spotted Sugga over my shoulder.

Sugga’s entire face softened.

“Hey, pretty girl.” Her voice immediately jumped about three octaves as she stretched both arms toward her. “Come to Sugga.”