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I run my tongue over my lips, blushing and feeling special that it’s only openfor me.I play with the splintered wood of the bar, now feeling shy. “Thank you. I need to get my stuff from Devin’s.”
“I can do that for you.”
“Horrible idea. He hates you.”
“And I hate the little asshole. If we didn’t share a common interest, I wouldn’t give a shit about him.”
I snort. “And what common interest could you two possibly share?”
“You.” The word slips from his lips in seconds—confident and strong.
My eyes shoot to his face, our contact locking, and I swear to God, I almost fall off my stool as he stares at me with hooded eyes.
“Oh …” I frown when our eye contact slips, him doing the pulling away—again.“Ellie offered to help, but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea. She’s also on the list of people who want to kick Devin’s ass.”
“That’s probably a pretty fucking long list.”
Mikey turns up the volume on the TV when a boxing match starts, and I look around the bar, noticing how busy it is now. It’s always packed on fight nights.
Maliki flashes a smile. “Come on. I’ll help you upstairs, and you can make yourself at home.”
I yawn, shaking my head. “No. I promised to help you tonight.”
“You’ll be no help, trust me. We can resume our closing parties tomorrow.”
He helps me off the stool and claims my hand in his. Dizziness rushes through me as he walks me upstairs to his apartment. It smells of fresh lemon cleaning products and him—a delectable scent. It’s clean, like last time. He doesn’t drop my hand until he shuts the door behind us.
He strolls down a hall, opens a door, and does a ta-da gesture. “This is your new bedroom.”
It’s smaller than what I’m used to, and the bed is only a full, but it’s either this or sleeping in my car. The biggest benefit of staying here is Maliki’s company. That compensates for the lack of space.
I point to the bed that’s complete with a blue plaid comforter and matching pillows. “That thing had better be comfortable,” I joke.
“Babe, anything is more comfortable than sleeping next to cheating slime.”
Truth.
He moves to the side, allowing me entry into the room. “I’ll grab you something to sleep in.”
I look down when he leaves the room and pull at the hem of my silk blouse that I paired with black leather-like leggings and studded gold sandals. I collapse onto the bed and kick off my shoes, exhausted. I need a decent night’s sleep, so I can figure out where I’m going from here.
Maliki returns with a change of clothes, but I’ve already slipped underneath the blankets.
“I’m too lazy to change,” I say around a yawn.
He chuckles, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “That’s the best kind of drunk. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything. Call. Text. Come down.”
I nod, giving him a shy smile. “Thank you.”
My breath knocks against my lungs when he reaches forward, clips a fallen strand of hair away from my face, and tilts his head to the side. “I don’t get it.”
I blink, shuddering at his touch. “Get what?”
“How a man could cheat on you.”
8
Maliki
