“Bright and early,” he stated. “Don’t worry ‘bout that. I can open the shop and take a nap if I want to.”
“Oh, right. You’re the boss.”
Zyro smiled, and that’s when I saw the diamond fangs again. “Exactly.” He leaned back. “What were you ‘bout to do before I evaded your space?”
I chuckled. “Get in bed and read. I’m off tomorrow, no kid, I want to relax,” I answered, sitting down on the other couch. I pulled my legs up to my chin and quickly reached for the throw blanket to cover my legs and my exposed cheeks.
It was weird having Zyro here. It was usually just me and Ermias, and sometimes Mahlia when she stopped by. Myparents rarely left home. They were so glad when Instashop was invented. They prefer someone to shop for them and deliver it to their home. I was hardly at their home, and they were never here at mine. They’ll keep Ermias from time to time. He loved his grandparents on both sides.
With Zyro sitting across the way from me, it was very awkward, so I darted my eyes over to the TV, where I had left it on the A&E channel. I’d been binge-watching First 48.
“You watch niggas gettin’ killed before bed?” He half laughed, his deep voice carrying playfulness.
“It’s interesting,” I defended, hugging my knees tighter. “Somebody always snitches in the first forty-eight hours. I love to see the family of the deceased get justice.”
I tried not to smile, but the corners of my lips betrayed me. Zyro was too calm, too comfortable in my space.
His throat cleared, jarring me to glance at him.
“If I get to asking personal questions you don’t want to answer, stop me,” he stated.
All I could do was nod. I wasn’t sure what he was about to ask.
“You and your baby daddy… Y’all still fool around?” Zyro licked his lips, distracting me for a moment.
“Hell no. He’s tried before, but I would never let him think he can have access to me when he wants to anymore. That’s dead. Next question,” I answered honestly.
“Do you two have a good co-parenting relationship?” was his next question.
“It’s really non-existent. He just has him now because he saw you.”
“And how does that make you feel…me around your son?”
I blinked a few times and moved strands of loose hair from my face.
“Were you planning on being around him again?” I questioned.
Zyro grinned, and I squeezed my legs together. His smile. Those diamond fangs. Those dimples. He was a problem. A handsome ass problem.
“I kinda like being ‘round his mama, so it’s a possibility.”
Zyro was so blunt and smooth with it, it felt like my heart had stopped. Not in a bad way, he just caught me by surprise. Zyro was also a man. Men tend to say anything because it sounds good in that moment. Zyro though…I wasn’t sure about him. He seemed like he was a really good man. To drive after work over an hour away just tocheckon me and my son was something I’ve never experienced. Ermias’ dad lives fifteen minutes away and doesn’t check on shit unless he feels like someone is a threat to him…someone like Zyro.
Last night, when Zyro had driven off, Delion called himself, trying to grill me about Zyro. And this was a man who was still with the woman he was cheating on me with and got pregnant. When I kicked him out, he tucked his tail in and went to her house, and of course, she let him in. She thought she’dwon. If I wanted Delion, he would still be here. He begged…even cried for me to forgive him and let him stay…said we could work it out. I didn’t want the nigga. She could keep him. I just wanted him to do right by our son.
“You like being around me?” I found myself asking out loud.
Zyro chuckled, scratching the side of his face and then under his chin. “Why’d you say that as if it’s hard to believe?”
“Because…because we haven’t been around each other but three times. We don’t know each other and…”
“Sounds like excuses to me.” There was a long pregnant pause before he added, “That nigga hurt you bad, huh?”
I released a breath of air. “Had a baby on me, but…”
“So, you gon hold that shit against me?”
“I…I thought you said you weren’t looking for a relationship?” I shot out.
