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The place was plushly grand: tall walls, high ceilings, beautiful archways, and vivid art and wall décor. My heels clanged against the spotless, black marble flooring. The living room had a contemporary feel even from afar. From the foyer, I identified the dining room, too. I could only see a small portion of the end of what looked to be a lush table set from an end chair.
Hmmmmm…
This layout was totally different than what I’d perceived two weekends ago when I visited for the first time and at night.
“Let me call him,” Juggy mumbled, thumbing through his phone, “see where he at.”
I found myself still sauntering the entryway. The spiral staircase was breathtaking and much taller than it felt when I left that Sunday morning. Then I stopped. It was the room. The one Jas and I christened. It was for sure not the dining room I had assumed that night. It was the family room or den. And now, it was furnished, unlike the empty space filled with mirrors and a bench.
Snickers had my attention going to Jug. With a perceptive sleek grin, he rubbed his chin. “Maybe you can ask chief for a real tour.” Then his eyes shot down to his phone. “Oh. He coming from the kitchen. You can probably catch ‘im down that hall.” He pointed to the left of me.
I glanced over my shoulder then back at Juggy, who’d turned off in the opposite direction. Swallowing hard, I ambled toward the hall he instructed and almost immediately, I saw the outline of his thick frame swaying my way. Jas was striking in just basketball shorts hanging low on his pelvis, ankle socks, and black shower shoes. I fucking hated how my body responded to the mere sight of his thuggery. His chest was bubbled and defined, arms were modestly swollen, and abs hilly with sprouted hair. There was a shirt hanging from his right shoulder and two books clutched in his left hand.
Jas was in the middle of a neckroll when the claps of my heels alerted him to my presence. He peered at me with pinched brows. “Aye…”
“Hey.” I found myself smiling stupidly. I wasn’t happy or in a good place. Why was I smiling? Jas stopped, clearly surprised by my presence, but I continued toward him. “Juggy didn’t tell you I was on my way to you?”
I watched his eyes take me in from my shoes to my head. “Nah. He ain’t even say you were here. He only asked where I was.”
“Oh.”
With hard eyes on me, he parroted, “Oh.”
Here we go…
“I haven’t heard from you. Haven’t seen you since you left my place on Saturday morning.”
“I hit you back after your lil delivery toRizzo’s.”
An unexpected gush of air shot from my nostrils in amusement. I was embarrassed, had briefly forgotten all about my cleverness with the chocolate covered strawberries. Quickly, I got control of myself. “Yeah. You did.” I shook my head, recalling my stupid stance. “Yea—I’m sorry about that.”
“About what?” Jas straightened, crossing his arms, cupping his hardcover books in both hands now.
Taking in a painful breath, I tried looking him in the eye. “I fucked up.I…”
“S’all good, Witherspoon—”
“No. Let me explain. I needed a few days to create a distance from Friday night. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. Having sex with my period on,” I whispered, “was so not cool. I got ahead of myself and felt like I drug you along with me.”
“Drug me with you? So, what am I a child now?” I was confused. “You ain’t think I knew what we were doing—were gonna do?” His forehead lifted, challenging me.
“I—I…uh…”
“Look, Witherspoon, it’s all good. I agree: it was a lot. And I enjoyed you, I really did. But let’s keep it trill, it won’t lead us to where either one of us is trying to go. So, you not hittin’ me back wasn’t a bad thing. The distance was good.”
Damn…
Was it, really? That blow felt similar to the one he dealt, saying he didn’t want to have sex with me anymore.
“There goes that look again.”
I bit back defensively. “What look?”
“The one you had inBrown Baristawhen I said I wouldn’t let it go there again.”
I sucked my teeth, head bouncing back. “There’s no look. I’m not pressed, Jas. It’s just…”
“What?”
