Heading to my bedroom, I slipped into a pair of leggings and a t-shirt before heading to the backyard. “Good morning, gentlemen.” I greeted them with a wave. I stood to the side with my hands on my hips when they turned to look at me.
Port walked over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Morning, Princess. You sleep well?” he teased, knowing exactly how I’d slept after the way he folded me up.
I nodded. “I did, indeed.” Turning my attention to my father, I said, “Hey, Papa. How’s everything going?”
He smiled and opened his arms for a hug. I stepped into them, feeling completely whole. Somehow, I had not one but two of God’s best guys in my corner. “It’s coming together. I think we’ll be done in a few days.”
My mouth fell open because I wasn’t expecting it to be ready so soon. “That soon?” My eyes bounced from Perfect to my dad, waiting for one of them to respond.
Perfect nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been consistent. It’s really not that much space either.” I’d been doing house calls for the last two weeks, but it was eating so much gas that I knew this was going to be much better for my profit. Tears came to my eyes because I was really about to be a business owner. “What’s wrong, Princess?” Port asked while closing the distance between us.
I shook my head, but before I could wipe the tears away, he beat me to it. “Nothing is wrong. This is perfect.” I looked up at him to find a smile on his face. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how to thank you.”
He stared deeply into my eyes, and I knew his words were sincere before he even spoke them. “You don’t have to thank me. You opened your home to me when I had nowhere else to go. We’re even, as far as I’m concerned.”
I pushed him playfully. “Yeah, I guess we are.” I turned back to the shed and did a happy dance. “OMG, this is really happening. I have so much to do, but anyways, I came out here to see if you two needed anything before I head out. I have an appointment in an hour.”
Perfect turned to look at my dad, who shook his head. “Nah, we’re good. Go get ready.”
“Alright. I’ll speak before I leave.” I backed away slowly, then turned to head inside. I stopped when my dad called after me. “What’s up, Papa?”
He fell in step beside me as we walked toward the house. “I just wanted to tell you I really like that young man. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I’m not against it.”
“What? Really?” I was kind of surprised by this revelation. “You know he’s just coming home from prison?” I had to make sure he had all the facts before he jumped to conclusions.
He nodded. “Oh yeah, we’ve talked about it, and I don’t judge him for the life he’s lived. He never had real guidance, but he’s turned out just fine if you ask me. He’s cut from a different cloth, but his heart is pure, and he’s smart. The way he’s been spearheading this for you shows me the kind of man he is.” He stopped outside the back steps, then lifted his hands in surrender. “Just wanted to insert my two cents if they matter. Go get ready, baby girl.”
I released a sigh, allowing my eyes to find Perfect already back to work. Seeing the muscles flex in his arms made my heart race. Almost as if he felt my eyes on him, he turned to look at me over his shoulder. He smirked then winked, and my body yearned for him. My father wasn’t wrong at all about the kind of man Perfect was. Hell, I liked his ass too, but I wasn’t sure what to do with that at that moment.
Even though myfunds were running low, I couldn’t help but find myself in the grocery store buying a bouquet of roses for El. She’d officially started taking clients at The Beauty Barber. It was slow for now, but I had faith that her business would take off in no time. Walking to the wine aisle, I looked for the Stella Rosa flavor I knew she enjoyed the most. When I saw the black bottle, I grabbed it off the shelf and turned to head to checkout. I paused when a familiar voice spoke behind me.
“Hey, Perfect.” I could’ve lived the rest of my life without hearing her voice, so I kept walking. I heard her scurrying behind me. “Really, Port? You’re not going to say anything to me?”
I spun around so fast, she crashed right into my chest. “What the fuck you want me to say to you, Star?” I looked down my nose at her and felt disgust when she backed away, exposing her rounded belly. I chuckled dryly because she really played with my feelings. “Yeah, . . . I’m not doing this.”
Again, I walked away from her, and she followed. “I don’t know why you’re acting like that when, clearly, you had your own thing going on.” I frowned, confused by her accusation, but then remembered the bouquet in my hands.
I paused my retreat to give her the attention she so desperately wanted. “Man, watch out. Whatever I have going on right now didn’t start until after you had me fucked up. I came home, ready to start a life with you.” I pointed at her for emphasis. “But you’re a lying, conniving, manipulative bitch, and I’m good on you. We don’t have nothing to say to each other. So, if you see me around town, just give me the courtesy of staying the fuck out of my face.”
The phone I’d gone out and gotten began ringing on cue. I smiled when I removed it from my pocket to see it was a call from El. “What’s up, Princess?”
Star’s mouth fell open in shock, and her eyes flashed with tears, but I ignored her.
“Are you still out? We’re out of rice.”
“Oh yeah, I’m in the store. I got you.”
I could hear her smile through the phone. “Thank you, Port. Oh, and something sweet too!”
I chuckled. This girl always needed a dessert after dinner. “Butter pecan ice cream sandwiches?”
“Ooh, yes! Please.”
“Coming right up. See you in a bit.”
I hung up the phone, wondering why the fuck Star was still in my face. She was acting like she hadn’t been the one in the wrong—as if I owed her something. A nigga was far from perfect,but I loved her, and I was loyal through it all. What she’d done was unforgivable. I could never look at her the way I used to. The version of her I thought I knew was dead to me. All I was left to see was the ugly truth.
I walked around her to grab the things El asked for, and thankfully, this time, she allowed me to. I wasn’t sure if I could keep my cool for much longer. It was only a month ago that I was coming home, thinking I was about to start a life with her. But I trusted that everything happened the way it was supposed to, even if it fucking hurt to think about. And sometimes, it still made my heart ache, but then El would come plop down beside me, start rambling, and all I could do was focus on the future.
