Page 23 of Lyric Squared

“Bet. When are you heading back this way?”

“You miss me?”

“Nah. Not really. Enjoying my own company, actually. Just trying to keep up with you.”

“Around midnight.”

“Aight.”

“Okay.”

I ended the call and dialed Luca’s line. He was the first to call, so I figured he deserved the return. I wouldn’t hear the end of the shit when I saw Laike, but I’d deal with his shit later.

“My nigga,” Luca answered on the second ring.

“What’s good?”

“Shit. You’re sounding very fucking free right now. I prefer that,” he shared.

His lack of enthusiasm as he was clearly excited was classic Luca behavior. He was by far the least bothered nigga I’d ever met in life – aside from his father. According to the streets, I was next in line. Laike was right after. There was a fine line between unbothered and not giving a fuck when it came to us both. I doubt that either of us gave a fuck about much if it didn’t involve the ones that we shared blood with or loved unconditionally.

“Tell that nigga I see how he’s moving,” Laike’s voice erupted in the background.

Chuckling, I requested, “Tell him I miss him, too.”

“That’s probably what his soft ass wants to hear. I think he wants a kiss or some shit,” Luca teased.

“Fuck you,” Laike boasted.

“Ever does it and does it well, my nigga. She needs no help. But he said he misses you, too.”

Tonight I asked Ever if she thought it was possible to be utterly in love with someone that you haven’t had the pleasure of loving on. She told me she loved Luca from the moment she saw his face.Her words resurfaced. Closing my eyes, I shoved the message from my thoughts as I tried regaining control of them.

“Y’all definitely on the level I’m trying to be on. Where you niggas at and where are y’all headed?”

“We’re at Laike’s crib about to head to Oat + Olive in the next thirty minutes.”

“Sounds like a bet. I’ll see you niggas in about an hour.”

“Say less.”

No more words were exchanged. We both ended the call just as I stood from my bed and stretched my limbs to the limit. Oat + Olive was a vibe. I’d only been about three times but every time, I’d enjoyed the few minutes I stayed. Tonight would bedifferent, though. I had nowhere to be and not a single piece of pussy lined up that would chop away at my time in the spot. I was free in every sense of the word. Tonight, it was whatever.

TWO

This hoop or the triangle?I gazed in the full-length mirror in my bedroom, trying to decide which earring suited the black, long- sleeved romper that was painted onto my skin. My face was flawless, covered in mostly Fenty along with the rest of my favorite beauty lines. Aside from the earring situation, I was pretty much ready to walk out of the door.

Triangle,I decided. There was just something about it that gave me uber sexiness and that’s exactly what I was aiming for. It had been almost four weeks since Collin and I had been dating and tonight was feeling like the night I’d finally give him a piece of the cake he’d been waiting to devour.

Luca was adamant about me entering the dating scene, so much so that he’d taken it upon himself to find me a therapistto work out whatever issues I’d had with dating seriously. The eight-week, twenty-four session program did wonders for me. The guilt that I carried for Luca’s imprisonment was still intact, but it was no longer hindering me from finding the love of my life.

My date for the night would be arriving at any minute, and I wanted to be ready. In my Valentino platform booties that were the perfect match for the chilly February winds in Channing, I trekked across the room and back into my closet. I needed to grab my other earring and return the LV hoops. They simply didn’t match the vibe I was aiming for tonight.

Just as I slid the second earring into my ear, my phone pinged. That could only mean that Collin had arrived. His timing was impeccable, always was. I respected his time just as he respected mine which is why I hated to keep him waiting. He was always prompt.

Perfect timing. I grabbed my clutch and headed straight for the door, but not before pumping a few more puffs of my perfume on my chest and arms. When I exited my home, Collin was outside of the gate waiting for me. Outside of his pearly white ride, he stood awaiting my arrival.

“Good evening,” he greeted as I approached, extending his arms for me to snuggle between.