She jumped, damn near dropped her drink.
She whipped around, eyes wide. “Roman?”
Charlee’s eyes went even bigger. “Ohhh, this ‘bout to be good.”
April bit her lip, hid her smile in her cup. “Hey, Roman.”
The nigga looked from me to Melissa. “You know him?”
I kept my eyes on her. “You good?”
She blinked. “Yes, I’m good. What are you doin’ here?”
“Vibes,” I said. “Same as you, right?”
The nigga scoffed. “Nigga, we talkin’. You slidin’ in kinda rude.”
I finally looked at him. “You Ray or somethin’?”
He frowned. “Do I look like a Ray?”
“I don’t care what you look like,” I said, bored. “I’m just lettin’ you know conversation over.”
“Roman, chill,” Melissa snapped. “You really doin’ too much.”
“Am I?” I asked, eyes never leavin’ homie. “You tryna keep talkin’ to my woman like I’m not standin’ right here.”
Her head snapped toward me. “I am not your woman.”
Ray’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “Yeah, nah. I’m not gettin’ in the middle of all that.” He looked at her. “No disrespect.”
“None taken,” she mumbled, glaring at me.
He slid off into the crowd quick.
Soon as he was gone, she turned on me fully.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” she hissed. “You really lost your mind.”
I stared down at her, feelin’ my temper hum just under my skin. “You answer your phone?”
“I told you I was gettin’ ready,” she snapped. “We drove over here. I didn’t see it.”
“You saw my text, though,” I said. “You just ain’t answer.”
“Because I knew you was gon’ be on this crazy shit,” she shot back. “Poppin’ up like I told you to pull up. You not my man, Roman. You don’t run where I go.”
I leaned in a little, voice low. “I don’t run where you go. I just decide where I show up. Two different things.”
She sucked her teeth. “That don’t even make sense.”
“It make all the sense,” I said. “You want your control? Keep it. Go out. Laugh. Dance. Do your thing. But understand, if I feel like bein’ where you at, I’ma be there. You gon’ have to learn how to move with that instead of actin’ brand-new every time.”
“Y’all need a room?” Charlee cut in, smirkin’. “‘Cause the tension is loud as fuck.”
“Charlee, shut up,” Melissa snapped.
April snickered. “I’m just sayin’… he here, so.”
