For a second, nothing moved. Not me, not him, not even the air between us as my eyes ran over him from head to toe.
Booda was the same height and same build, maybe a little leaner, but still filled out in all the ways that used to make it hard for me to think straight. His skin was still that same deep brown, holding its smoothness even under lights that had no business being that harsh.
He wore the same face that I had longed for and at the same time tried to forget.
He was still handsome as ever, and the gray growing in his beard only made it worse.
“…What the fuck?” I whispered, not knowing what else to say.
Of all the places. Of all the times. Why had I run into him? This didn’t make sense. I was told he had a lot of time, so how was he standing here?
This couldn’t be real.
“Damn, Ko,” Booda drawled, his eyes filled wyd admiration as they roamed over every inch of me. “That’s how you greet the love of your life?”
“When you get out?” I asked, still trying to make sense of things.
“Fix your face. I’m starting to think you not happy to see a nigga.” He chuckled softly.
I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. “Just answer my question—please.”
“Nah. Not until you get some act right and show me some love. I know you missed me,” he replied, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, losing what little patience I had.
“I don’t wanna play games. If you can’t answer one simple question, then you wasting my time,” I spat, my next breath coming out ragged.
Nearby, a woman stopped mid-reach to look at us, and the pharmacy tech leaned over the counter, glancing my way.
“You okay?” The tech asked.
His eyes followed my line of sight, then swept across the store, and came back to me.
“I’m good. You can get the next customer. I can handle him,” I said, waving him off.
“You sure? Do you need me to call someone for you? You look a little—”
“He’s right. You look a lil’ pale in the face,” Booda added before the pharmacist could finish his sentence.
“I said I’m fine,” I repeated harshly.
The tech flinched and went back to what he was doing, but I could feel him watching me out of the corner of his eye.
“That shit wasn’t even necessary. Nigga was just checking on you,” Booda said, shaking his head.
Returning my attention to Booda, I snapped, “Fuck what you talking ’bout. Are you gon’ keep wasting my time or answer my damn question?”
Booda stepped closer until there was barely any space left between us. Heat rolled off him, wrapping around me in waves so thick it even made my irritation feel crowded.
“Ko,” he said quietly, “I know you mad, but this shit you doing ain’t even about us no more. I ain’t never played with you in public, and you not finna do it to me.” He tilted his head toward the front of the store. “Come walk with me.”
His hand moved toward mine, and I stepped off before he could make contact. I wasn’t about to give the people in the store anything else to watch, but I damn sure wasn’t about to let him touch me. So, I turned around and walked out with him following close on my heels.
The second we were out of the store and away from the other customers, I turned on him, fists balled at my sides. “Your momma said you were locked up out of state. She said you didn’t want to see or talk to me, and that you even told her to tell me to move on with my life.”
Standing there looking at him, I felt the same heartbreak that tore me to pieces back then come rushing back, like all those months I spent trying to close myself back up hadn’t meant a damn thing.
“Never mind. Fuck that.” I held my hand up between us. “I took heed and moved the fuck on like you suggested, so help me understand why you’re talking to me now.”
That was a lie, and judging by the look Booda gave me, he knew it too.
