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Silence.

Willow’s mouth fell open. “Oh, my.”

Lakelyn blinked repeatedly. “Yonas…”

I looked at Yonas and smirked. “You know, I could take this shit a whole lot further, right? I could tell Lakelyn exactly what I caught yo’ ass doing in that bedroom with her picture pulled up and let you explain that one for yourself.”

“What the fuck yo’ creepy ass was watching for anyway? Is there something you need to be telling Lakelyn?”

“Nigga, don’t get shit twisted. I wasn’t watching for pleasure. Another nigga’s dick can’t do a damn thing for me. If anything, I was offended on principle. You were the one in my guest room damn near giving yourself carpal tunnel over a picture of my woman… a woman who don’t even want yo’ ass anymore.”

His face tightened.

I pointed toward the door. “Now, for the last fuckin’ time, get yo’ ass outta my house before I stop giving you the option to walk out on your own. You have officially overstayed a welcome you barely had in the first place.”

“Gladly! I’ve been put out of better fuckin’ places, nigga.”

Yonas started toward the door, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for me.

The front door swung wide before he could reach it. I sent a hard push of energy straight into his back, and Yonas stumbled forward, fighting to catch his balance as the force carried him right across the threshold and onto the porch.

He managed to stop himself before going down, then spun around with pure disbelief on his face. “My keys!”

I remembered seeing them on the dresser upstairs beside his phone charger. Before Yonas could even think about going back for them, I lifted them from the guest room and sent them floating out into the hallway, down the staircase, and straight through the foyer.

Yonas watched them coming the entire way, his mouth hanging open as they drifted toward him like they had somewhere to be.

The keys dropped directly into his palm.

I smiled. “Courtesy of the house.”

“Now I know y’all seen that! That nigga just threw my fuckin’ keys at me!”

I folded my arms. “Nah, that’s what I call helping a guest check out. You welcome, nigga.”

Lakelyn stepped onto the porch. “Yonas, please calm down!”

Yonas pointed at her. “No! What y’all need to do is get out of this damn house and call someone!”

Willow leaned against the doorframe. “Who? Ghostbusters?”

I laughed.

Willow lifted both hands. “I’m only asking because apparently we need somebody with experience!”

“Because there’s a fuckin’ ghost in there!” Yonas shouted. “His name might be Caspian, but he sure as hell ain’t friendly! The nigga is petty!”

I smirked.

“Accurate,” I agreed, then stepped outside. “But look, it’s time for you to bounce, nigga. I’ve entertained you long enough… far longer than I would’ve if I was still alive. Back then, the closest you would’ve gotten to spending a night under my roof was driving past it wondering if she was in here with me.”

I pointed toward his car.

“And when you leave here, make sure to cut off all communication with Lakelyn. Don’t call her, don’t text her, don’t slide in her DM, don’t ask mutual friends how she’s doing, and don’t sit somewhere scrolling through old pictures convincing yourself that y’all got unfinished business. It’s finished.”

Yonas stared at me for a long second, jaw tight, looking like he was mentally running through every possible way a living man might beat a ghost’s ass and coming up empty each time.

“Yeah, I know. Frustrating as hell when you can’t swing on the nigga threatening you, ain’t it?” I chuckled then continued. “But back to what I was saying. Matter of fact, don’t even let loneliness have you getting creative. Don’t try sending no flowers, no apology texts, no ‘I was just checking on you’ bullshit three months from now. Find you somebody else to miss, somebody else to lust over, somebody else to damn near develop arthritis in your hands from beating off to, because Lakelyn is off-limits, and ain’t no room for another nigga in the life I built for my woman.”