“How much longer to the food is done?”
“Just gotta finish the potatoes, why what’s up?”
“I’m hungry,” I answered, and I felt him nod.
“Let me finish them up, and then we can eat, and I can study.” He kissed the top of my head again, then let me go. I reluctantly moved my arms from around him, then watched as he went back to cooking.
“You know you spoil me, right?” I asked, and he looked over his shoulder with a confused expression. “Nobody looks out for me like you do.”
“That nigga Grant probably just tripped and doesn’t even know why,” he laughed and shook his head.
“It’s different with him,” I said, shrugging. “We love each other, so he doesn’t count.”
“Damn, we don’t love each other?” he asked with a pout before turning back to the stove. “I swear I’ve been telling you I love you for the last three years.”
I picked up the towel from the counter and popped him in the back with it. “Again, it’s different,” I said. “You love me as your friend; Grant loves me as his woman.”
“Oh, is that what it is?” he asked, nodding.
“Yes, sir,” I answered with a nod. “Friendship love is different than romantic love, and you know it.”
“I do,” he agreed. “Way different.”
“Exactly, so stop playing.” I hopped off the counter and stretched my arms over my head. “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be back.”
“Cool,” Amethyst said, even though his attention was on the potatoes.
I went to the bathroom, did what I had to do, washed my hands, and came back to Amethyst, making our plates. He nodded to the fridge, and I grabbed our drinks and followed him to the living room. After we got comfortable and said a quick prayer, we ate.
“What do you have planned for tomorrow?” I asked in between bites of food.
“Nothing, why?”
“After I have dinner with Grant’s family, you want to go meet up to study?”
“Yeah, that’s cool,” he answered, then picked up the remote from the table and turned on the TV to a WNBA game. “Oh shit, I thought this was earlier.” He set the remote down between us. I knew he was doing that in case I didn’t want to watch what he’d turned on, but I was good with it. “I’ve been wanting to see if she’s any good.”
“Who?” I asked as I ate.
“Vine Carter,” he said, pointing to the TV. “She’s the shooting guard. Good as fuck.”
“Is your brother thinking of getting a WNBA team?” Even though was starting out with the NBA team, I knew that he wasn’t just going to stop with them.
“Who knows with Pyrite,” he answered, shrugging. His attention was entirely on the game. “If he does, he needs Vine.”
“Make sure you tell him,” I laughed. “I’m sure he’ll take your advice.
“I will,” he nodded.
While Amethyst watched the game, I watched him. He was so calm and at peace, while I was struggling. Not only was I not sleeping, but I was also struggling to catch my breath almost every day. The only time I was at peace was when I was with him. Amethyst calmed me down by just being there. When I said he was the only person who had ever looked out for me earlier, I meant it. Before meeting him and Consonance, I was on my own. I wasn’t close to my family, and I kept my friends at such a far distance that they eventually walked away, but not him and Consonance. When I tried to pull away, they pulled harder to keep me there. It took me a while to get used to having them in my corner, but I’m glad they were there. With them by my side and supporting me, I was good.
When I started dating Grant, they were surprised but supportive. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but I knew that he loved me, and I loved him too. Quincy, bringing up the fact thatGrant was planning to propose, came as a shock because we had never discussed it, but the signs were all there. He’d started to bring up life after graduation and where he wanted to live. He asked me my opinion on areas to buy a house and even jobs he could apply for. Life wasn’t exciting with him, but that was something I could deal with, because it meant Amethyst was safe. I’d sacrifice that for him because I was the reason his life was in danger.
Chapter five
Amethyst
“You said you would call me when I graduated,” I said to Luther as my brothers and I approached him. We’d taken our pops' words to heart and agreed to never move without each other.
