“Their shrimp and grits are good too, but those pancakes are good as hell.”
“I do like lemon,” I said, looking up at him. That was when I saw Reek coming through the front entrance behind Kam.
Reek easily saw me walking with Kam in the empty lobby. His eyes went from me to Kam and then back to me, and I saw a murderous glint flash in his eyes.
I stopped walking and sighed internally.
Kam noticed it too because his eyes roamed between us once, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Reek came closer glaring at Kam.
I cut in and stood between them before Reek could say anything to embarrass me. “I asked you not to come over unannounced.”
Reek’s eyes finally came to me. “I’m not at your place yet.”
“That isn’t the point.”
Kam slightly cleared his throat, and Reek’s glare slid right back to him.
Kam looked at me instead, saying, “It was nice meeting you, Ava.”
“You too,” I forced through the tension.
Then he gave me a small nod and went back towards the gym.
Reek watched him go like he wanted to follow him and beat him over the head with a weight until Kam’s brains were all over the floor.
“Reek.”
He didn’t stop staring.
“Reek.”
His attention snapped back to me. “What?”
“Why are you here?”
“I came to finish putting the nursery furniture together for you.”
“You still should’ve called first.”
In response, he just walked towards the elevators. I followed, hating how touched I was that he came to do anything involving the baby. I hated more that I felt so safe when he was near me. No matter how mad I got, no matter how much I told myself I needed firmer boundaries, the second he was close, some part of me always settled.
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. The ride up was quiet for a few seconds. Then Reek looked down at my gym clothes. His eyes dragged over the sports bra and leggings, and my stomach poking out in-between. That look lingered long enough to make heat crawl over my skin.
Then he reached out and lightly dapped my stomach, saying, “What’s up, lil man?”
My eyes darted up at him so fast that I almost broke my damn neck.
That tiny acknowledgment meant the world to me. But I forced myself not to overreact because I didn’t want to make it awkward for him.
“Lil’man?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just came out.”
I nodded through the awkward silence.
“When are you going to find out what the sex is? Or are you going to do a big reveal like Zahra and Saint?”
