“Always,” Blain said.
Meadow didn’t miss that little protective edge in Blain’s voice, neither did Zaire.
Zaire leaned his hip against the counter, watching Meadow while he ate his fruit, eyes dragging along her face like he wanted to memorize every mood she was in.
Meadow took a breath and tapped his arm. “Com’ere. I got you something.”
His brow lifted. “For what?”
“Just c’mon.”
He followed her up the steps, down the hallway, and to the guest room. She reached into her shopping bag and pulled out the socks nervously.
Zaire stared at them for a second, his face unreadable.
Meadow’s stomach tightened. “You don’t gotta like it. I just saw it and thought…”
He moved before she finished, taking it from her hands gently. He rubbed his thumb along the custom stitching.
“This hella fire.”
Meadow smiled. “You’re hella fire.”
He looked down at her. “You ain’t have to get me nothing.”
“I wanted to.”
He opened it, checking the inside, the quality, the stitching. “This the third best thing anyone has ever given me.”
She screwed her face up. “What are the first two?”
“My Mama gave me life…and my Unc gave me an old golf club when I was about eight.”
“Makes sense,” she beamed, loving the way he seemed to cherish his Mom. This was the first time she really heard anything about his Mom. That made her think long and hard. How was she in love with a man and never met his family?
He lifted her chin, calming those wild thoughts in her head. “Thank you.”
She nodded. “You’re welcome.”
He kissed her. “I love you, girl…so fuckin’ much.”
He didn’t wait to hear it back, just reached for his duffel bag. “Let me shower and change. We got a full day.”
Butterflies attackedMeadow as she rode in the back of the blacked out SUV limousine with Zaire sitting beside her, as cool as a cucumber. This felt real, like a life she never imagined to be a part of.
Earlier in the day, they all went back to the mall and with Zaire there, the shopping experience was like night and day compared to the day she went with Tia. He picked out dresses he wanted to see her in, kissed her in the dressing room, and felt her up every time she was within arm’s reach. He even went as far as buying her thongs which she felt cost too much even if they felt like the best cotton she’d ever touched in her life.
It was truly a fairytale that she never wanted the clock to strike twelve on.
Tia and Blain rode in a separate car that was equally as nice and she loved that for her and her girl. Tia’s makeup took a little longer than expected so they were running behind.
“You good?” Zaire asked, pulling his face from his phone. He’d been texting True about being out in public. He always wanted to be his authentic self but didn’t need another stain on his name so soon after a win that shook the league.
Of course, True told him to show up in his full Blackness.
Meadow nodded.
“Talk to me,” his hand landed on her exposed thigh.
