“Mhm.” I nodded my head.
He briefly studied me before going back to his food. If there was one thing Rome loved, it was believing he had everything under control. As long as I wasn’t arguing, crying, or asking questions, he convinced himself things were getting back to normal outside of me being a little quiet. The calmer he got, the sloppier he’d become, and that worked in my favor.
My phone started ringing inside my purse and it was right on time. I didn’t even have to look at the screen to know it was Big Mama Lulu. I pulled the phone out and frowned on purpose when I saw her name then answered it without hesitation.
“Big Mama?”
Her voice came through so loud that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Navy! Baby, where you at?”
I scrunched my nose. “I’m out. What’s wrong?”
“I need you to come over here right now!”
“What happened?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here! Just come.”
My stomach turned in knots in a funny way from trying to hold my laughter because Lulu deserved an Oscar. If she ever gottired of cooking Sunday dinners, she could’ve made a career out of acting.
“I’m on my way,” I said before rushing to end the call.
Rome looked up from his plate. “Everything okay with her?”
I grabbed my purse and forced wore a look of worry on my face really trying to sell it. “My big mama sounded upset and she don’t never call me like that.”
He frowned. “You want me to come over there with you?”
“No.” I quickly shook my head before slowing myself down. “I mean… it’s probably just some family shit. You know how she is.”
He sat there thinking about it while I held my breath on the inside hoping he was going for it because one wrong answer and he’d insist on coming. The last thing I needed was Rome anywhere near Lulu’s house.
“You sure?”
I reached over and lightly squeezed his hand, playing the role I’d been forced to play for days. I was playing straight Hollywood. “I’m sure, just drop me off and I’ll call you later.”
He studied me a little longer this time before nodding. “Aight, finish eating first.”
I looked down at my plate, then back at him. “I can’t eat right now. If she called me sounding like that, I’m already late.”
Rome was staring at me so hard, I almost folded before he finally tossed his napkin on the table and dropped his fork in his plate. “Aight, c’mon.”
I blew a light sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
He waved me off like it wasn’t nothing before signaling the waitress over. “Can you box this up?”
“Of course.” She smiled looking at him a little too friendly but whatever.
While she packed our food, I put my purse over my shoulder and glanced down at my phone, shooting Big Mama Lulu one last text under the table:
Me:Rome is bringing me so just play it cool.
Lulu: Baby, I got you.
I smiled to myself because one thing about Big Mama Lulu, she didn’t ask a thousand questions when you needed her. If she felt like something was off, she’d help first and fuss later. By the time we made it outside, the Miami heat was whooping our ass, literally. He opened the passenger door to his truck for me, and I climbed in without putting up a fight. Every now and then he’d glance over while we drove, reaching over once to squeeze my thigh and shit like that in true narcissist fashion. I fought every urge in me not to push his hand away. Instead, I looked out the passenger window watching Miami fly by while counting down every red light between us and Lulu’s house.
“I know I be in the streets, but I notice shit you think I don’t notice like how different these last couple months,” Rome finally said.
I turned my head. “Different how?”
