“Seriously? This is coming from the same person that spent my whole situationship with Mecca giving me her two cents. Now, your ass wants to go silent?”
“That’s because I watched Mecca’s dumb ass play in your face nonstop. I haven’t witnessed Ocean do that. I’ve just seen him practically body niggas for fucking with you.”
“Wow, just wow.”
I couldn’t believe Nyx. She was supposed to be my voice of reason even when I was acting like I wasn’t going to listen to a damn thing she was saying.
“I’m sorry, but you’re on your own with this one. I suggest you figure out how to stand your ground because if you showeven an ounce of weakness when he gets too close, your ass is going to lose. Trust me, I know.”
“That’s not going to happen. Ocean isn’t Shade. He’s not trying to settle down with one woman.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No.”
“Have you guys even had that conversation?”
“We don’t have to. I’ve seen this song and dance before. I got involved with a man that made it clear with his actions that he wasn’t going to choose me. I’m not doing that this time. Ocean likes what he likes, and it’s not just me. He may handle me differently than Mecca did, but it’s all the same in my book. He could never love only me, and I’m not going to trick myself into thinking otherwise.”
“Fair enough,” Nyx said. “But just remember what I said, stand your ground. You deserve to have peace and true happiness.”
“Yeah, I do, and as soon as everything is all good at my place, I’m going to let Ocean know that we can’t hang out anymore.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Positive.”
8
OCEAN
I let out a slow breath as I drove through the city, Trace’s call still running through my car speakers. He’d clicked over to take another call, leaving nothing but silence and too much time for me to think.
I shouldn’t have cared, but Skye being bothered by Melina’s calls didn’t sit right with me. No matter how much she tried to play it down, I knew it pulled her back to a place she didn’t want to revisit. But unlike Mecca’s bitch ass, I actually gave a damn about how she felt.
“You there?” Trace asked when the line clicked back.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“My bad, man. That was one of the guys I got working on Skye’s security system. He just finished setting everything up.”
“Yeah, about that,” I said. “I need you to keep quiet about the shit being done. In other words, don’t mention it to Shade or Nyx.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I?—”
“Yeah, nigga, I heard you. But I’m trying to figure out why I’m hearing what I’m hearing. I thought the goal was to finish it quickly, so she could get back to her crib.”
“It was, but?—”
“Oh, damn.” Trace laughed. “You’re not ready for her ass to go home yet, huh?”
I cleared my throat, trying to think of an explanation that would keep Trace from talking shit.
There wasn’t one.
“Just do what I asked and shut the hell up.”
