I sat there, lettin’ the music hum in my veins, watchin’ people move.
For a minute, I felt almost… normal.
“Man, I swear this fish always hit,” Truce said, mouth full. “Rich niggas food don’t never taste like this.”
“That’s ‘cause you payin’ for presentation, not flavor,” Trend said, dippin’ his wing.
Royce sipped his drink, side-eyein’ me. “You aight?”
I shrugged. “I’m here.”
“That not what I asked,” he said.
“Let that man breathe,” Truce told him. “He showed up. That’s somethin’.”
I appreciated that. I ain’t feel like dissectin’ myself.
Trend leaned back. “Fee been on my ass heavy,” he said randomly. “She scared as hell about these twins.”
“You scared?” I asked.
He chuckled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hell yeah. Two at once? Shit. I be actin’ like the work grind don’t faze me, but if I’m bein’ real, I don’t know how I’ma juggle it.”
“Jugglin’ don’t matter if she feel like she carryin’ that shit by herself,” I said. “You can’t be a ghost in your own house.”
He nodded slow, lettin’ that sit.
Royce blew out a breath. “April keep askin’ me what’s wrong. I keep sayin’ ‘nothin,’ but she not stupid.”
“Y’all niggas all scared of good women at the same time,” Truce said, shakin’ his head. “Y’all annoying.”
We all laughed a little at that, but there was truth in it, because the fear was loud.
Especially when you had shit to lose.
We’d been there maybe thirty, forty minutes when the door opened and a familiar laugh slid over the music and hit my spine.
I ain’t even have to look to know it was Melissa’s fine ass.
I turned my head anyway.
She walked in lookin’ good as fuck in some jeans and a crop top, hair done, lip gloss shinin’. Right next to her was… some square-ass lookin’ nigga.
Button-up shirt, chain too small, shoes too clean for that block. The type you could tell ain’t belong soon as he stepped in. He had his hand at the small of her back like he thought he had that right.
My jaw locked so hard my teeth hurt.
Royce followed my gaze and sighed. “Damn.”
Truce whistled low. “Well, shit.”
Trend shook his head. “This about to be some shit.”
They spotted us at the same time.
Charlee wasn’t there, Fee wasn’t there, just Melissa and ol’ boy. Her eyes went a little wide when she saw me. He just looked curious.
She hesitated, then started walkin’ toward our table anyway.
