Page 23 of Senior

I shook my head. “Nah. We ain’t done. You think I’m letting you leave me?”

She scoffed. “Excuse me? You don’t let me do shit.”

I raised my hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then don’t say it like that. I left you for years before and I promise, I can do it again.”

She got up from the bed and tried to leave the room, but I gently grabbed her arm and pulled her into my chest.

“Let me go, Stanley.”

“Listen to me. I love you. I hear you, Steph. I know I’ve been saying shit, but I just need a little more time⁠—”

She laughed. “Take all the time you need. But you’ll do it without me.”

That night, I slept in the guest room and by the time I woke up, she was gone. I had decisions to make and none of them were easy. It took me six months to finally step down. For those six months, she didn’t talk to me if it wasn’t about the kids.

I had to earn her back and I feel like I’d been trying to do that ever since. I just couldn’t seem to get shit right at the right time. As I stood here looking at her now, I wished more than anything that I could get it right one last time.

“Stanley?” she said, waving a hand in my face. “You okay?”

I blinked. “Yeah. I uh… I need to take a walk. Excuse me.”

I bypassed her and headed toward the side gate. By the time I made it out, she was right behind me. She didn’t say anything as she followed me into the maze off to the side.

“You don’t have to follow me,” I said, looking back at her.

“Something’s wrong.”

“Nah, love. I just needed some fresh air.”

“We were outside.”

“I mean away from everybody.”

As we rounded the first corner of the maze, she grabbed my arm. I sighed as I turned to face her.

She crossed her arms. “You know I hate lying, Stanley.”

“I’d never lie to you, Steph. I just… I’m trying to remain respectful. I don’t ever want you to feel like I’m using your vulnerability against you.”

“But you haven’t done that at all. You’ve been nothing but respectful and a great friend⁠—”

“I don’t wanna be a fucking friend, Stephanie. I still love you. That shit ain’t going anywhere. If you knew how deeply I was feeling what I feel, you wouldn’t be in here with me. It’s taking everything in me not to act on my feelings. To not push you up against this wall and feel your lips on mine again.”

I stepped closer to her, but she didn’t step back. Her gaze never left mine as I did exactly what I said I wanted to do and pushed her up against the wall. Her breathing labored as my hands cupped her delicate face and I pressed my forehead against hers. Closing my eyes, I inhaled her sweet scent.

“Stanley,” she whispered, gripping my wrists.

My lips brushed against hers. When she didn’t pull away, I seized the opportunity to take it further and kissed her deeper. A moan escaped her as I slipped my tongue into her mouth. I pulled her into my chest and gripped the back of her neck with one hand and her ass with the other. The slow, sensual kissing quickly migrated into something lustful.

We were going at it hot and heavy until we heard voices outside the maze.

“Stanley, where the hell are you going?” Salima asked, sounding frustrated.

“Looking for my mama and daddy. I know I saw them come out here.”

“So what? It’s not a crime for them to be alone with each other, Deucy, damn. Leave them grown ass people alone.”