“I mean…yes? I’m always honest when I’m trying to build a relationship.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I warn. “Never tell men the truth. They can’t be trusted with the truth.”
I can tell by the way their faces fall that I’m losing them.
“Look…you can be honest about some things. But that? That ain’t his business. You should be offended that he even dared to ask you that.”
“Men ask that all the time,” Katrina says.
“Then they aren’t scared enough of losing you,” I say. “Especially in the beginning. He needs to be on his fucking toes. He needs to be walking on eggshells trying to keep from fucking things up with you.”
Tiffany leans a little closer. “I’m listening.”
“If it doesn’t work out with Bron, next time, with the next guy,lie,” I say. “Then ask him what’s in his bank account.”
“I like her,” Katrina says with a giggle.
I shrug as an odd feeling washes over me. It’s foreign, the whole feeling liked thing. Girls have never really liked me. They tolerated me, or amused themselves by picking on me, but liking me?
My TikTok followers like me, I suppose, but only because I entertain them. They don’t count. They aren’t real people. But actual humans that are sitting in close proximity to me?
Interesting.
I focus on Tiffany again. “Be strict with Bron.”
She blinks. “Strict how?”
“Don’t let him get away with anything. Don’t let him think he’s the prize. Make him work for everything.” I lean in closer. “Don’t ever give men anything for free. They’ll accept it, because they like easy, but they’ll never respect it. Make them earn everything.”
Tiffany raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you married?”
“Yes,” I say simply. “And my husband loves it.”
Her eyes shift in the direction of our men, while mine go back to my plate. My ribs are getting cold.
It’s quiet on the way home, with only the hum of the engine in our ears. Streetlights blur past like shooting stars.
Ace reaches across the console and grabs my hand. “Thank you. For what you did.”
“What did I do?”
“Making up with my friends.” He raises my hand and brings it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “I appreciate you.”
“Anything for you,” I say, and I mean it.
He’s quiet for a moment, then says, “Did you see Jovan’s nephew running around?”
Of course I saw that little bastard. I can still hear his shrill laugh and the pitter patter of his little hooves as he darted underfoot. Highly irritating.
“It got me thinking,” Ace continues. “I’vebeenthinking about it, really.”
I turn to look at him, dreading what’s next.
“A baby,” he finishes, his eyes on the road ahead. “We’ve never really talked about it.”
My fingers curl slightly against his.
“I know you have the whole thing with your mom,” he says. “But ever since I saw how you were looking out for that little girl, I knew.”
