“They’re going to break us up again.” She buried her head in her hands as she slouched against the railing of the stairs.
Boogie rushed over to her. “Nah, they aren’t like that. They just want to get to know you. They ain’t never met a woman I’ve dated before.”
Sweetie filed that information to talk about later. She wanted to know why he never introduced a girlfriend to his family, but for now, she needed to get her anxiety under control.
She’d known this was too good to be true. She knew she should have cut ties after night one with Boogie. Now, he had painted this picture of them having a future together, and it was about to be snatched from her. She wasn’t sure she could survive that. Since she was young, all she wanted was to belong somewhere. With Boogie, she belonged, even if their families disagreed.
“I can’t go to this dinner,” she said into his chest.
Boogie didn’t respond, but he did pull away and grab her hand. Sweetie reluctantly followed him into the living room as she felt herself disconnect from everything. It was a defense mechanism. Knowing that she wouldn’t have this home or Boogie anymore made her detach.
With weary eyes, she watched as he clicked on the TV and went to YouTube. An upbeat song blasted through the speakers, and Boogie grinned as he turned to her.
“Dance with me.”
“What?” She frowned. Now wasn’t the time for a damn dance party.
Boogie spun smoothly on his heels in a full circle and then grabbed her hands. “Dance with me.”
“Boogie,” she whined, but the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Boogie could be infectious like that.
“I don’t wanna hear nothin’. I just want to see that fat ass twerk on somethin’.”
A giggle spilled through her lips. Boogie grabbed her hips and swayed them for her. She reluctantly moved them on her own accord, and before she knew it, she was in a full-blown dance battle with Boogie.
They laughed as they took turns dancing and tapping each other in. For three songs, they went on like that until they were winded.
In a heap, they plopped down on the couch, breathing heavily.
After a second, Boogie looked over at her with a grin. “Dinner tonight? It’s gonna be all good. I promise.”
Sweetie gazed into his eyes. How could she give up so easily when all she wanted was him? After a deep sigh, she nodded slightly and whispered, “Okay.”
Nerves bounced around Sweetie’s body as they walked into the DeLuca home, which was even more extravagant than Boogie’s.
“Relax, baby,” Boogie reminded her as they walked through the foyer.
She didn’t respond because she wasn’t about to relax. Let her father tell it, she was in enemy territory. She knew Boogie wouldn’t do anything to harm her, but she didn’t know about his family.
“Sweetie!” Chloe exclaimed.
All Sweetie saw was a blur of yellow from Chloe’s shirt and toffee-colored skin before she was wrapped up in a hug. Relief filled Sweetie. For some reason, she’d forgotten that Chloe was a part of the DeLuca family. The last thing she expected was to see a familiar, friendly place.
“Hey,” Sweetie said as she hugged Chloe back.
When they pulled apart, Sweetie saw three other people sitting at the table. They all looked at her with curiosity. Sheremembered Denzel from the strip club and, before that, from school. He and Audra were in the same grade. He’d grown up nicely, just like Boogie. When Chloe took her spot next to him, Sweetie could see the love between them.
Tandy and Zander sat on each side of the table. Tandy smiled at her while Zander watched her carefully.
“Go ahead and take your seats, you two, so we can eat while the food is hot,” Tandy said as she gestured to the two empty seats at the table across from Denzel and Chloe.
Sweetie nervously sat. After they blessed the food, they dug in. Well, they did. Sweetie kind of just sat there nervously while Boogie filled her plate when he noticed she wasn’t doing it herself.
“Chloe, Sweetie, how do you two know each other?” Tandy asked after a long stretch of tense silence.
Sweetie sat there like a deer in the headlights. Chloe glanced at her while Denzel cleared his throat.
Another uncomfortable silence stretched between them before her phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. It was loud enough for everyone to hear.
