Chapter 12
W e p u l l e d u p to the Taj’s grandmother’s house, and I already knew it was about to be a whole scene.
Cars lined both sides of the street as folding chairs were set up on porches.
Badass kids ran wild with juice pouches in one hand and sticky candy in the other.
On top of that, someone was blasting Frankie Beverly and Maze down the block as if it were required by law.
The house sat at the center of the neighborhood. Brick. Wide porch. A wreath with little gold leaves glued to it. The type of house you’d pull up to and immediately smell turkey, greens, and gossip.
“Damn,” Taj said, putting the car in park and turning the music down. “Look at all these damn people. Why everybody act like we ain’t got assigned holiday parkin’ spots?”
The kids were in the back, fighting over who would carry what.
“I get the macaroni!”
“No, I said I was gettin’ the macaroni!”
“AHT! Neither one of y’all carryin’ that precious mac.
Grab them juice boxes and march that ass in the house,” Taj snapped.
I cracked the door open, stepped out into the warm air, smoothed my dress down, and adjusted my gold hoops.
Taj climbed out, walked to the back of the car, and popped the trunk. “Autumn, you good?”
“Yep,” I said, grabbing one of the foil pans and the store-bought sugar cookies we picked up earlier. “Who’s all coming again?”
She grinned. “Girl, my brother and some random he probably just met. Uncles, aunties, and of course my fine ass cousin I was tellin’ you about yesterday. Don’t be actin’ all bougie and miss your blessin’ thinkin’ ‘bout Mr. Toilet Man.”
I laughed. “Ain't nobody acting bougie.”
She burst out laughing. “Bitch, please!”
I just smirked and started toward the house. The door opened. We stepped into heat, voices, music, and the overwhelming smell of soul food made with real wrists. It was loud. It was love. It was a true Black Thanksgiving at its finest.
“Put the food down and come speak!” one of the aunties shouted from the living room.
“Not y’all forcin’ it,” Taj muttered as we set the foil pans on the crowded kitchen counter.
I laughed nervously, glancing around the kitchen, and let Taj grab my hand.
She tugged me with her into the living room, crowded with family.
“Alright, alright, don’t start,” she said, leading the way.
“Everybody, this is my ol’ bestie from hair school. Autumn, this is everybody.”
One of the uncles stood up first, arms wide. “I remember you. Come give ya Uncle Tone a hug, girl.”
I smiled and hugged him, catching the warm scent of cologne and barbecue sauce on his shirt.
“Aww, you so pretty,” one of the aunties said, adjusting her wig. “And them brows lookin’ good, baby!”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I replied shyly, and she waved me off.
“Ma’am? Girl, I ain’t but forty-eight. Try that again.”
“She always been polite!” Sherry, Taj’s mother, chimed in from the side, standing with her hand on her hip. “Autumn, baby, we so glad you made it.” She hugged me tight like no time had passed. Then she stepped aside. Taj’s grandmother sat regally in the corner chair.
“Big Mama,” Taj said, nodding toward her. “Look who it is.”
Her eyes lit up as she patted her knee. “I know. Come. Let me look at you, girl.” I walked over and leaned in to hug her gently, careful not to knock over her little glass of dark liquid on the side table.
“Mmm,” she hummed, touching my cheek. “Still got them good manners and them kind eyes. You keep comin’ ‘round now, you hear me?”
“Sounds good,” I said, heart warm and full as the room filled with laughter and overlapping voices.
Taj leaned in close behind me and whispered, “Told you they missed your ass.”
The house felt packed, but I moved through steadily, smiling and nodding, soaking in the warmth. Even in the noise and bodies, I felt a shift in energy. That tingle down my neck, like being watched. For a second, I thought I had imagined it. Then I looked up and locked eyes with Woods.
He stood in the hallway, looking too good. His eyes locked dead on mine. My heart dropped, and my pussy thumped. Taj talked beside me, fussing about her aunt forgetting the deviled eggs. I didn’t hear a word she said.
Suddenly, that airport bathroom stall wasn’t just a memory. Now it was a tatted-up, dark-skinned problem, standing twenty feet away, looking at me like he already knew I’d be one too.
Taj didn’t notice the way my breath hitched. She didn't notice the way I gripped my clutch. She was too busy beelining toward him, grinning big like she was unveiling a damn prize. “Autumn, come here! Lemme introduce you to my cousin I was tellin’ you about.”
Lord.
I followed behind her slowly. Every step felt like moving toward a live wire. My heartbeat thudded in my ears. My mouth was dry. That low heat built between my legs again, as if my body recognized him before my brain caught up.
“This is Quamaine but everybody call him Woods,” Taj said proudly, elbowing him. “Straight from the West Coast with that fire ass Cali weed. He don’t know how to sit still or call people back, but we love him anyway.”
He didn’t even flinch. Woods just eyed me down and back up with his lips curved into that same smirk from the airport. “Nice to meet you,” I said quickly, extending my hand like a liar.
His gaze dropped to it, but he didn’t shake it. Instead, he stepped in just a little closer. Not enough for Taj to clock it, but enough for me to feel it. “Oh, we’re meetin’ now?” he asked in a low voice just above a hum. “That’s what we’re doin’?” My stomach flipped.
Taj laughed, clueless. “Don’t mind him. He always on bullshit.”
“I can tell,” I said, trying to keep my face neutral.
But Woods looked at me like he already knew how fast my heart was beating. Like he was replaying everything he did to me in that airport bathroom while standing inches away in a house full of family. He leaned back just a little and sipped from the rep cup in his hand, still smirking.
“So you just flew in for the food?” he asked, real innocent-like.
“Something like that.”
Taj’s twin brother, Ty, came up behind him, reaching in to give me a hug. “Long time no see. Everything good?”
“Yep. Mmhmm.”
He dapped up Woods. “Aye, did this fool tell y’all he got stuck in at the airport last night?”
Woods didn’t break eye contact. “Yeah, shit got backed up. Unexpected… connection.”
My throat went dry, and my legs damn near buckled.
“Daaaaamn,” Taj said. “That’s crazy. Autumn too.”
Woods' eyebrows furrowed, still looking dead at me. “Word? I’m surprised I didn’t see you. I made the most of the lay... over. Did you?”
I nodded, smile stretched painfully tight, muscles rigid as I held myself together. “Excuse me,” I managed, my voice barely steady as I backed away, knees threatening to give out. “I… need to use the bathroom.”
Taj pointed toward the hall. “First door on the left!”
I nodded, quick steps carrying me down the hallway, heartbeat damn near in my shoes. I slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and pressed both palms to the sink. “Girl.”
My reflection was calm, but beneath the surface, I was in shambles. What are the fucking odds of this happening? My pussy was thumping like it heard the bass drop. My mind raced.
I came in here to look cute, eat good, sip a little, and vibe—not stare down the man who’d had me moaning less than 24 hours ago. I took a deep breath to try to center myself. Then, a knock came at the door. My whole body froze.
“Autumn.” My thighs clenched at the BDE dripping from his voice. He waited a moment, then asked, “You good in there, gorgeous?”