“For what? Why? What do you want?” I sighed, crossing my arms and glaring at him.
His expression never changed though. He sighed in pure irritation. Rem had the patience of a saint when it came to certain things, but I wasn’t certain things, and I knew that. “You ask me that shit too often to not know what the fuck I want. I want your difficult, hard of hearing ass, but it’s like you either hear what you wanna hear or I’m not saying it loud enough.”
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t believe him. Never had.
“Oh, yeen got shit to say now, huh? You deaf and mute now?” He moved in front of me so fast a wind of his amber musk cologne invaded my nostrils again.
He was right. I was mute and deaf every single time he went here.
“I ain’t perfect. I’ve been through some shit. But I know one thing for sure that ain’t changing. One fucking constant no matter how much I feel like you got me begging. I want you.”
“Prove it.” I shocked the hell out of myself with my response, but I didn’t miss the smile on his face.
“You sure you want me to prove it, Rim? Because I promise to God once I g?—”
“You keep telling me you want me and going missing, doing the opposite of your word. Prove that you want me, Reminisce. Prove that you want more than to climb between my legs and go missing days after.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I got you.”
Before I could say anything, he turned his ass around and walked toward the living room. “Where are you going?” I asked, almost whining because the anticipation of him between my legs had me ready to eat my words.
“To wait for you to get your ass dressed. Ain’t shit in your fridge but probably some eggs and cranberry juice. Go put your clothes on so we can go eat.”
I laughed, because this nigga swore he knew me. “Reminisce. We can just order in.”
“Nah, because when I bend your ass over don’t be telling me my words don’t match my actions. Now get dressed. I’m fucking starving. I’ve been surviving off dino nuggets and grocery store ravioli.” He tossed the blanket he’d snatched from me onto the couch and pulled his phone out. “Hurry your ass up.”
Without another word I started moving toward my bedroom to do as he asked. Tonight I didn’t feel like fighting him. I was indeed hungry. It didn’t take me long, as I was only throwing on a pair of pants and a hoodie. I didn’t give one shit that I probably looked like a little boy.Hell, I fought like one too.
When I reentered my living room, he had taken a seat on my sofa and was talking to who I assumed to be Romance.
“You gotta be sleep, lil ma. Don’t be over there giving your auntie and uncle the flux.”
“I not, Daddy. I not tired.” She sounded as though she was pouting through the phone.
He shook his head before looking up at me. “Well, get tired. Turn that singing shit on your tablet.”
She sucked her teeth. “Daddy, wheah you at?”
“Out being grown, shorty. Now go to sleep and I’ll come get you in the morning.”
“And we get donuts with the white sauce?” she asked, almost as if she was bartering with him. It was cute, because even atsuch a young age, I could see her personality was just as strong as his.
“Yeah, Romance. Glazed donuts. Good night, baby.”
“Night, Daddy. I love you.”
I couldn’t help but smile at their exchange. It was so cute and extremely strange seeing him as a father. He was still his rock headed self, but seemingly softer with his baby. It made me think about his sudden declaration of wanting me.
“Yo, what you over there smiling about? You like hearing her give me hell?” His voice snapped me from my thoughts.
“No, y’all are cute.”
“What’s cute about the way I gotta bargain with my own toddler ’bout sleep?”
I shrugged. “She’s cute and you’re just you. Now, are you coming or are you gonna stand there and look disgruntled?” I did all that talking about my brother but here I was, completely enthralled by this rude, grumpy ass fool. Reminisce and Aroyal were two totally different men, but they were so similar that it irked me. Maybe I gave Rem a hard time because I didn’t give my brother that much of a hard time growing up. I was way too easygoing to be here like this with him. I always told Kaydence she was crazy for being with my brother. While she was laid back and went with the flow, he was a ruler in mud. Not only was he stiff, but he had thorns too.
“How long do you intend to stay here?” I asked, reaching for the straw our waitress had set down for us a few seconds ago.
