Page 76 of Just Listen
I always prided myself on having a mind of my own, so I hated how I had allowed my sister and cousin’s concerns to penetrate my confidence. Even hours after they’d left, I was replaying the conversation in my head. Then the hours seemed to pass slower, making it feel like Malice had been gone forever.
With the way I’d been wrapped into him, I began to feel foolish, as I realized that nothing was guaranteed. Nigga didn’t even have to work for it. Hadn’t even whispered sweet nothings in my ear. He was just present with his child, which was what he was supposed to do, and was granted unlimited access to the pussy. That wasn’t to say that I hadn’t been enjoying myself, but I hadn’t been looking at the entire picture, neither.
I was casually having sex with a man who still had one foot in the door of another woman’s house. With that realization, I told myself that I needed to do more to protect myself, and or at least readjust how I was moving. Me and Malice could do us, but I needed to keep in mind that he wasn’t my man.
“Aye, aye,” he announced his arrival, as he strolled across the living room with a hefty bag of food in tow.
Usually, my greedy ass would already be on my feet, ready to sit at the kitchen’s nook to dig in. However, right then, I had an attitude, so I didn’t acknowledge him, as I gazed down at my phone.
“Big Baby, what’s up, girl?” He questioned, as he placed the bag of food on the kitchen island. “You aint talking, right now?”
I peeled my eyes off my phone, and glared at him. “What?”
“What?” He repeated. “Damn, did I do something? What’s the problem?”
I rolled my eyes, while opting to say nothing.
His eyes traveled to Khari who was napping next to me. “Did she give you a hard time without Ms. Shelia?”
I shook my head.
“Okay. So, what’s the problem? You hungry? You wanna sit down and break bread with me?”
Huffing, I eased off the couch. Without saying a word, I approached the island, before sifting through the bag of food. He’d gotten gourmet seafood from somewhere, including grilled oysters on a half shell, and Caribbean lobster tails. Knowing that this was right up my alley, I wasn’t mad enough not to eat.
So, I unpacked everything and transferred it to the table, before sitting down. Dragging a chair closer, Malice sat directly beside me, before draping his arm over the chair I was sitting in.
Gazing at me, he gripped my chin, before leaning in to kiss my lips. “What’s wrong?” He questioned softly. “Hmm?”
Sitting there…I felt like the lamest broad on the planet. Goosebumps peppered my skin, as I was awakened by his touch. The way something moved through the pit of my stomach, I knew right then that this was different. I felt something for Malice in this short time that I’d never felt for Zae.
Tucking my lips into my mouth, I decided that I wouldn’t hold back. “I feel some type of way,” I admitted.
He locked eyes with me, letting me know that I had his undivided attention. “Why is that?”
“Because—” I got out, before the ringing of his cell interrupted me.
He pulled the phone out of his pocket, and sighed.
Leaning over, I peeked at the screen and saw that Paisley was calling. “Answer it.”
He furrowed a brow.
“We keep it real, right? There’s nothing to hide…so answer it.”
Sighing, he shook his head, before answering the call. “Hello?”
Although the phone wasn’t on speaker, I was sitting close enough to clearly hear the entire conversation.
“Hey, where are you?” Paisley queried.
“Why? What’s up?” He questioned, while stroking his goatee.
“I’m ready to talk,” she claimed. “So, I’d like for you to come by the house tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, huh?”
“Yes.”
