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Narrowing her eyes, she folded her arms over her chest. “James Luck, I’d like to know what possessed you to even mention me during a conversation with your father.”

“You actively avoiding my question lets me know everything I need to know,” I mumbled, pulling myself to my feet. “And as much as I’d love to finish this conversation with you, I have somewhere to be.”

“And just where are you going?”

“To support a friend.”

I immediately realized my mistake when she released a very audible gasp.

“Is this friend a woman?”

“Maybe,” I threw over my shoulder, searching for my keys. “And I can’t be late.”

“What kind of friend is she?”

“Ma,” I groaned. “Don’t start.”

“Well, Jamie, I’m just saying,” she began her tirade, following me around the house as I continued my search. “You just got out of a relationship, and I’m not too sure that you should jump into anything new anytime soon.”

“What did I just say?” I asked, locating my keys. “We’re friends. She’s cool, and I like kickin’ it with her. Nothing more or less.”

“Don’t talk to me as if I’m getting on your nerves,” she fussed.

Grinning, I jokingly replied, “Even when you are?”

“It’s not too late for me to disown you, you know?”

“Hmm, taking a page out of your husband’s book, huh?”

As we’d just made it back to the living room, she reached for a pillow, launching it at me. “I’ve had enough of you for the day. I’m going home. Don’t stop past my house tomorrow, either.”

“I will. You owe me dinner.”

She packed up her things, grumbling, “I bet you starve before you get it.”

As much shit as she talked, it still took an extra five minutes for me to escape her clutches and get out of the house. A nigga was nervous as fuck that I’d be late and end up missing Nyx’s segment, but traffic was on my side. I arrived just before the show started, luckily able to grab a seat in the front.

I wasn’t sure of the order of events but was looking forward to seeing how it unfolded.

“Hey, hey,” a cinnamon-skinned woman with a thick fro called into the mic after taking the stage. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” She smiled, waiting for the crowd to settle down. “I’m the owner, Yessica—” there was a pause as a round of applause thundered around the room. “Thank you. Thank you,” a grin covered her face. “First things first, I’d like to thank everyone for supporting tonight’s first spoken word. This is something I’ve wanted to put together for a while, and after months of self-doubt, finally threw myself into making it happen.

“There are some amazing artists lined up and ready to share their souls with you but before they do so, I’d like to give the reminder that art is subjective and very personal. Please remain respectful, or we’ll unfortunately have to have you escorted out. Thank you all again and enjoy.”

With a wave, she exited the stage, and the first act of the night came out. The lights dimmed, creating a fairly relaxing and romantic ambiance. I’d never experienced anything like it before but could easily see it becoming a regular thing if Nyx chose to make spoken words part of her regular routine.

It didn’t go over my head that I was already making plans to be part of her future, either. I’d have to really take a minute to sort out what was going on between us, and soon. But for the night, I’d lock all my confusion away and focus on her.

The first poet finished, and I found myself anxious since Nyx was next. I could tell she was nervous when it was her turn to take the stage. Gripping the mic, she released a deep breath and did a quick scan of the crowd. Following her line of vision, I noticed her demeanor shift, and a wide smile crossed her face when her eyes landed on someone in the crowd. An annoyed twinge shot through me when I realized it wasn’t a woman, but I again pushed it aside.

Continuing her scan, she then noticed me and if I wasn’t familiar with the reason why, the surprise on her face would have annoyed me. I hated having to continuously assure her that I was a man of my word, but understood she’d been through a traumatic experience with someone who wasn’t and tried not to take it personally.

We locked eyes, and I watched her transform into a completely different being as she opened her mouth and began speaking. Nyx went through an entire metamorphosis, allowing me to view a side of her I could easily see anyone falling in love with.

“How much more tired can I get?

I’m beginning to think it may be me.

Something in my aura,