Page 51 of Certified To Handle You 2

He started the car, adjusted himself in the seat and rested one hand on the wheel before pullin’ away from the curb.

For the first few minutes, neither one of us said nothin’. He had some music playin’ low, and he drove through my neighborhood like he wasn’t in no rush to get wherever he was takin’ me. Every once in a while, I would glance over without meanin’ to, and the way he sat behind the wheel was gettin’ on my nerves too.

One hand stayed on the wheel while he leaned back comfortably in the seat, and every time we stopped at a light, his fingers tapped against his thigh with the music. He looked relaxed as hell now that he finally had me in the car.

The fucked up part was, I ain’t even know where the fuck we was goin’.

I had walked out my mama house, got in this nigga car and let him drive off without askin’ a single question about where he was takin’ me. That realization should’ve made me tell him to turn around, but instead, I sat here lookin’ out the window while Greystone City moved past us.

I knew Renza, and that was the problem with all of this shit.

I knew how he loved me when shit was good between us, and I knew how easy it was for me to fall back into bein’ comfortable with him. I also knew that spendin’ time with him wasn’t gon’ magically fix what happened between us, which was why I needed to keep my damn head on straight.

But when I glanced over again and saw him drivin’ with that calm ass look on his face, I already knew I had made this harder on myself.

I shifted in my seat and looked back out the window, feelin’ that familiar nervousness sittin’ in my stomach ‘cause I knew Renza well enough to understand what had just happened.

This nigga had finally worn me down…

I ain’t know what was gon’ happen when we got wherever he was takin’ me, and I damn sure wasn’t ready to admit that a part of me wanted to find out.

All I knew was I had let Renza get close enough to sink his teeth back into me, and now I had to figure out whether I was really strong enough to pull myself away again.

Greystone City

The whole time I drove, Sha’Nelle acted like she had an attitude with a nigga, but I ain’t give a fuck about none of that shit. She could sit over there lookin’ out the window, keep her lips poked out and answer me whenever she felt like it ‘cause the only thing I cared about was finally havin’ her in this car with me.

I had spent four damn days droppin’ flowers off, leavin’ notes on her car like some lovesick ass nigga, and doin’ whatever else I could think of just to wear her stubborn ass down. I hated havin’ to do all that shit, but I already knew I wasn’t leavin’ Greystone City without really gettin’ some time with her.

Every now and then, I glanced over at ‘Nelle while she sat in my passenger seat with her purse in her lap. She was pretty as fuck even when she was irritated with me, and that lil’ attitudeain’t do shit but make me wanna fuck with her more. I could tell she was tryin’ not to look my way too much, but every once in a while, I caught her eyes slidin’ over to me before she looked right back out the window.

I ain’t call her out on it. I just kept drivin’ ‘cause I had finally got her out that house.

Once I got a lil’ further across town, I picked my phone up at a red light and started lookin’ for somewhere good to eat. The part of Greystone where Sha’Nelle mama stayed ain’t have shit around there I wanted to sit down and eat at, and since my Airbnb was all the way across town anyway, I kept drivin’ until the area started lookin’ a lil’ more like what I wanted. I wasn’t takin’ her to no loud ass spot where we had to yell across a table or somewhere with plastic menus stuck to the damn table. I wanted some smooth shit where we could sit down, eat good and enjoy ourselves.

“What you got a taste for?” I asked ‘Nelle while scrollin’ through a few places.

“I don’t care,” she answered without lookin’ at me.

I glanced over at her and nodded. “A’ight. Don’t be complainin’ when I pick then.”

“I’m not gon’ complain, Renza,” she replied, finally lookin’ at me.

“Mmhmm,” I murmured ‘cause I already knew better.

Sha’Nelle rolled her eyes and turned her attention back toward the window, and I smiled to myself before findin’ a breakfast spot about ten minutes from where we was. The pictures looked good, the reviews was straight, and most importantly, it looked like somewhere I could sit down and enjoy my food without a bunch of bullshit goin’ on around me.

When I pulled into the parkin’ lot, Sha’Nelle looked toward the restaurant but ain’t say nothin’. I parked, grabbed my phoneand got out before walkin’ around the front of the rental toward her side.

She already had her hand on the door when I got there. I tapped the window.

She looked up at me, then moved her hand from the handle with another one of those damn eye rolls.

I opened the passenger door and stepped back enough for her to get out. The second she was on her feet, she adjusted her purse on her shoulder and turned toward me, but I ain’t move out her way.

Instead, I stepped closer until she took one step back and her body pressed against the side of the car. I kept movin’ until my chest was against hers, and her eyes immediately went somewhere over my shoulder ‘cause she knew exactly what the fuck it was with me.

“What, Renza?” She asked, tryna sound annoyed.