Chapter Three Solae Diamond Santiago
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Shooting up out of my sleep, I hadn't even realized I'd dozed off.
What the fuck was it with people beating on my goddamn door like they bought this damn house?
This mortgage was in my name, and I was about tired of folks acting like it wasn't. Yeah, Marcus helped pay toward it, but that's all the fuck he did.
Swinging my blanket off my body like the checkered flag at the finish line, I barely made it off the couch before Crown rounded the corner and opened the door.
I almost laughed when I realized Marcus's ass looked so small standing next to Crown. It had to be that short-man complex.
Jumping to my feet, I already knew Crown was about to tell Marcus about himself. He slid his Glock from the holster on his hip, and I knew shit was about to get real.
I stepped between them like a damn referee.
“What the fuck is you doing here, my boy?”
Crown looked Marcus up and down like he was sizing him up.
Can't compete where you don't compare, or whatever that rapper said, echoed in my head.
“Solae, this what you do? As soon as we break up, you call your best friend over?” Marcus asked in a mocking tone.
“Yup,” Crown answered before I could. “What you gone do bout it, champ?”
Crown was from the streets. Shit, the trenches of Memphis. But he never walked around advertising it. Turning his life over was the best thing he ever could've done, and I'd stood beside him through every ugly part of that journey.
Now he owned ten detailing shops, stayed in shape, ate healthy, and refused to let anybody stress him out.
Both men's voices started raising, and I already knew, just like Crown always said, when ego and pride got involved, men would have to fight it out.
Crown pulled his white shirt over his head, and the sight of all that muscle almost made me drool. My eyes lingered a second longer than they should have before darting back to Marcus.
“Solae, I came to talk to you, not your boyfriend bodyguard.”
Marcus snickered.
“What you need to talk to me for, Marcus? You said everything you needed to say, and in public at that.”
Marcus opened his mouth like he had one more smart comment to make.
He never got the chance.
The second he took the slightest step back, Crown slammed the door in his face so damn hard I couldn't help but giggle.
One thing about Crown, he never let anybody take him out of character unless it had something to do with the people he loved.
A few minutes later, after pretending Marcus never existed, he leaned against my kitchen counter with the cockiest grin on his face.
“Solae, you know you’re more worthy than these men you be entertaining. Shit, get you a stud. I bet you'd be happy.”
He laughed.
“Yeah,” I shot back. “Says the guy that's afraid of commitment.”
The words left my mouth, and I regretted them as soon as they left my lips.
He shot me a look.
“Look, Crown, I did not ask for your counseling session about my love life.”
“All I'm saying is explore other options, Lae.”
“I did. Look how that turned out.”
“That ain't exploring. That's settling.”
I rolled my eyes so damn hard.
“You always got something to say Lae.”
“And you think you know every damn thing Crown.”
“I know enough.” He grinned.
“Crown, man or woman, you gone run 'em off anyway.”
He let out a dry laugh.
“Good.”
I blinked.
“You need therapy.”
“I got therapy.”
“Oh yeah?”
He looked me dead in my eyes.
“You.”
I rolled my eyes so hard they damn near got stuck.
“Boy, if you don't get the hell out of my face.”
His laugh echoed through my house, and as much as I hated to admit it, it was the first time I'd smiled since Marcus broke up with me.
“Anyway, you going to Mama house with me tomorrow or what? You know she been telling all the sugar mama’s at bingo about you.”
I giggled uncontrollably.
“Man, Mrs. Sherline is something else.”
We laughed in unison.
“Before you ask, yeah, you can crash here.”
I flashed him a friendly smile.
“Appreciate it, Lae.”
“Don't make it weird.”
“I ain't the weird one.”
We both laughed before saying our goodnight.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I knew I was going to sleep like a baby with Crown under the same roof.