Page 100 of 4 Corinthians

“I was drunk for longer than a year,” Trey replied. I know he wanted it to sound like a joke, but a part of me knew he was telling the truth. She was trying to prove her loyalty and thought that fucking with Trey would be the way to do it. He said it was just sex; she had other plans. She wanted him to marry her. Her feelings were hurt; he didn’t marry her.

“You alright, Trey?” I asked, knowing he was going to say yes, so I wouldn’t worry. I would do that anyway.

“I don’t know, Four,” he answered.

“What do you need?”

“Purpose and Reason.” The line got quiet, then he chuckled. “But it’s cool, li’l bro. I got this. You good?”

“I’m making it,” I said. I pulled up the search program that Nine had created and started typing. “I’m figuring some shit out. Making moves that I’ve been needing to make for a long ass time.”

“You need my help?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I told him, shaking my head. “I think I got it for now.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…” I said as I typed. “You know what? Nah, I do have a question. I don’t know if you know because you were moving so damn much back then, but it’s worth it to ask.”

“What’s up?”

“Do you know who Corinthians baby daddy is?” I asked him. “It was just random as hell that she popped up pregnant. If Robert was watching her like that, then there has to be something, anything about her baby daddy.” The line grew quiet, and I looked over at the phone to make sure he was still there. The timer showed that he was. “Trey?”

“She didn’t tell you?” he finally asked. His voice was clear, the hesitation obvious as hell. Trey knew how short my temper was, so I chalked up his hesitation to him not wanting me to go off.

“Nah, we just started talking for real,” I told him. “What do you know?”

“Not shit,” he answered.

“Nothing?” I asked, slightly surprised. “He doesn’t have shit on it or the nigga?”

“Not that I know of, but then again he’s kept me in the dark about some shit since I been gone,” he replied. “When I’m back in the fold, I will find out what I can.”

“Alright,” I said, nodding. “Same time next week?” We agreed to check in weekly by phone or text.

“Always,” he said. “Love you li’l bro.” The phone flashed, showing he hung up, and I turned back to the computer.

I was coming up blank on who her baby daddy was, but I’d also never pried before. I always assumed he would be her husband and couldn’t bring myself to look into it. If she was happy, then I would be good. I knew better now, so that meant I needed the information. And I would get it.

***

“Two days in a row?” Corinthians asked me after she opened the door. “You trying to make this a habit?” She smiled at me, and I shrugged. I stepped into the doorway, right into her space, and she looked up at me. Over the last few weeks, I made sure that I was a constant in her life. I showed up to her shop, brought her lunch, and we met at the gate at night for a quick talk once Judah was asleep. Yesterday I’d cooked dinner and stopped by the shop to bring her some. I knew she worked late on Thursdays, so I used that as an excuse to see her. We’d had dinner in her office; no words exchanged the entire time. We just enjoyed each other’s company.

“Is t-t-t-that a p-p-p-problem?” I asked her as I searched her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and smirked. She was just as nervous around me as I was around her.

“No.” She shook her head, then put her hand on my chest to push me back. Once she cleared the doorframe, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. “We need to talk, though.” I nodded, giving her my full attention. “The last time we saw each other, we agreed to be strangers. They couldn’t know we knew each other; our past was wiped clean.”

“I r-r-r-r-remember.”

“You’re making it difficult to be strangers,” she said, and I lifted my brow. “Let’s not pretend that we don’t have chemistry; it's obvious.”

“Okay,” I agreed. I wasn’t ever going to pretend when it came to her and my attraction. I was surprised that no one had pointed it out yet, but I knew it was coming.

“You don’t see a problem with that?”

“No.”

She stared at me, slowly blinking as if she were waiting for me to say something else. I didn’t have shit to say. We were strangers; that was fine, but that wasn’t stopping me from pursuing her.