“Alright,” Nana said as I helped her slip it on. “Walk me to Mavis’ unit.”
It was close to midnight when Drea arrived.
At this point, theLaw and Ordermarathon was watching me, not the other way around. After I left Nana’s, Fontaine and I swung past my place so I could grab the rest of my stuff. I handed him the keys to my cars and told him to sell them and put the money in Nana’s account.
Even though I was expecting Drea, my heart still jumped when the headlights swept across the front window.
I cracked the door and waited.
Drea sat in the driver’s seat, staring at the house like she was seriously debating throwing it in reverse and going back home. She fussed with her hair before finally killing the engine and climbed out.
Her sandy brown hair was up in her infamous messy ponytail, a few loose curls framing her face. Her hazel eyes assessed her surroundings, like she knew she was about to walk into some bullshit.
“Why are you all out in the cut?” she asked, peering past me and into the house. “Whose house is this?”
“Come in,” I said and stepped aside.
She crossed the threshold and clocked the bags by the door. Her gaze lingered on them for a moment too long before she turned back to me, folding her arms across her chest.
“So what’s up?” she asked, a scowl already forming. “You going somewhere?”
“Yeah,” I locked the door behind her. “I’m leaving for a bit.”
Something moved across Drea’s face that she quickly tried to shut down before I could catch it.
“You called me here just to tell me that?”
“I shouldn’t even be telling you,” I confessed. “But I needed to see you.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “Melo… what happened?”
My mouth went dry. I’d rather take another round of Nana’s questions than have Drea look at me like this, already bracing for the worst. I ran a hand over my head and blew out a breath.
“I fucked shit up, D. Real bad. Shit’s hot right now and I have to get out of the city.” I looked at her straight on. “I didn’t want you thinking I just disappeared on you.”
Drea’s eyes narrowed, searching my face. “I don’t understand. Fontaine?—”
“Just me. I’m the only one leaving.”
She tipped her head back and I watched her jaw tighten as she fought back a scream. “And you wonder why I never let you talk me into being with you,” she said with a bitter laugh. “This. This is exactly why, Carmelo.”
“No.” I closed the distance before she could put up a wall and shut me out. “Don’t do that.” I brushed a loose curl from her face. “Don’t act like I never tried to give you something real. Like you didn’t always keep me at arm’s length with this back-and-forth bullshit.” I stroked her cheek, feeling the warmth of skin under my thumb. “I’m not blaming you for my mess. But if you’d stopped being so stubborn and let me be your man for real, this wouldn’t even be happening. You should already know I’m coming back.”
“Okay,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Nah, not ‘okay,’ Dre,” I pulled her into me, my arms wrapping around her until I could feel her heartbeat knocking against my chest just as hard as mine. “When I get back, we’re doing this for real. No more games.”
She looked up at me. “Doing what?”
“Us.” The word came out simpler than everything I felt behind it. “You love me and I love you. That’s all it has to be.”
“Melo—”
“Drea,” I cut her off. “When I get back, we’re going to be together. I’m not asking anymore.”
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth and her eyes went glassy. “You really leaving?”
“Yes, baby,” I kissed her softly, hoping she could feel the promise in it. “But I’m coming back. That’s on everything.”
