My stomach flipped a little. Blushing, I looked away, but he lightly nudged me. “You ain’t about to sit over here drowning in your feelings all day.”
“I’m not drowning.”
Reek’s eyes dragged over me again, slow enough to make it feel intentional, then he leaned back with that same half-smile.
“You close,” he said. “And, like I said, I prefer to see that pretty smile.”
It felt like he was flirting, but I couldn’t tell if he meant it that way or if he was just being Reek, who was always smooth without trying.
Before I could respond, the den erupted.
Legend and Saint were wrestling in the middle of the floor like children. Legend had Saint in a headlock. Saint was laughing through it and talking trash.
Truth and Sire started backing up their father.
“Get him, Daddy!” Truth shouted with his tiny fists swinging at Saint like he was actually doing damage.
Sire jumped in, throwing toddler punches with his whole body.
Saint pretended to struggle, then scooped both boys up and tossed them onto the couch.
Aria popped up instantly. “Saint! Do not hurt my babies!”
“I’m training them to be real niggas. If you let them be soft little luxury babies, somebody else gonna make ’em tough.”
Aria pointed at him. “Leave them alone. And you bet’ not act like this when Rhythm gets here.”
Saint paused mid-laugh. “Who the hell is Rhythm?”
“A new artist I’ve been working with. I invited her because she didn’t have plans for Thanksgiving.”
Saint frowned. “Why you care that a stranger didn’t have plans?”
“Because my heart goes out to her. She’s young. She has kids. She works her ass off for her children and her dreams. She does not complain. She just does it. And I admire that. I struggle with my own kids, and I have a rich husband and a lot of help.”
Saint paused, then looked around the room like he was offended by the concept of manners. “So, we gotta front because we got company coming? It’s Thanksgiving. I’m trying to be the nigga I am. I’m trying to say what I wanna say.”
Zahra shook her head shamefully at her husband. “Saint…”
“What? I’m being honest. I’m not about to be in here acting like I’m on a Hallmark card just because somebody pulling up.”
Legend waved him off. “You don’t have to front. Rhythm from the hood.”
Aria’s head snapped toward Legend. “Don’t say that.”
Legend playfully smirked. “Say what? The truth?”
Saint clapped his hands once. “See? We’re good. She from the hood.”
Reek sucked his teeth. “Nigga, you ain’t even from the hood. Wasn’t you raised in this house?”
Saint lifted his brow and a finger. “Technically,no. Side babies aren’t raised in the main chick’s house.”
The room erupted in hollers and laughter.
Then Livia leaned forward on the couch, asking Aria, “Where is she from?”
Aria sighed, saying, “She’s from the same neighborhood the development is being built in.”
