I sighed and looked across the room, instinctively making sure Reek wasn’t too close to hear. He was across the space talking to Icon and Big A.
I lowered my voice anyway. “I have to move on. I still have attraction and feelings for my baby’s father, who is fine, rich, but doesn’t want to be in a relationship with me.”
Rhythm and Zahra quieted because they both knew I was telling the truth.
“Sleeping with him while his fine ass is around being a good father now is a recipe for toxicity and a broken heart. So yes, I need Kam around.”
Rhythm leaned in a little. “I get that.”
“If I keep letting Reek be the only man in my face, then I’m going to end up doing something stupid…again.”
“That’s fair,” Zahra admitted. Then she looked over toward the bar where Kam was talking to the bartender. “But you’re still crazy for letting him come around the guys.”
I snorted. “Kam can handle himself.”
“Can he, though?” Rhythm asked with a raised brow. “You better be glad Saint is at home with Czar. Your brother-in-law is a psychopath—”
“Who wants the best for me,” I finished.
Zahra stared at me, shaking her head. “Having them in the same room is crazy.”
“Since Reek doesn’t want to be in a relationship, he’s going to have to be in the same room with me and my man at some point, so he might as well get used to it.”
That made both of them go quiet for a second.
Kam looked over from the bar and lifted his drink slightly in my direction, and I smiled back before I could stop myself.
“Oh, you’re actually cheesing. That’s crazy,” Rhythm teased.
“Shut up,” I giggled.
“I would be too. He’s fine as hell.”
I looked around my event one more time, at the business I built with my own hands, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe my life didn’t have to be just one hard choice after another. Maybe I could still build something loving for myself, even if it looked different than everyone else’s story.
TARIQ “REEK” HORTON
“So, we not gon’ kill this nigga?” Big A was serious, standing there with a drink in his hand while watching Kam laugh at something the bartender said.
I let out a short laugh and shook my head. “No. It’s all good.”
Icon looked at me with his brows touching. “How?”
I took a sip from my glass while keeping my eyes on the room. Ava’s pop-up was full and giving her the additional exposure she was looking for. “Because it ain’t fair for me to hold Ava back knowing I don’t want the same things she does.”
Big A frowned. “But you came around when it came to the baby. Maybe you could come around to wanting to be in a relationship too.”
“Listen to how that sounds.”
He lifted a brow.
So, I explained, “Do you really think it’s fair for her to be with a nigga that has to ‘come around’ to being with her?”
Then Icon nodded once. “That’s fair.”
Big A let out a breath. “It still don’t feel right that that nigga around.” Big A stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You have him checked out?”
“Yeah.”
