Chapter 10
“Iwant kettle corn,” Free said from behind me. I glanced all over the shelf before finding it near the top. I grabbed the box and tossed it in the buggy.
Free wrapped her arm around mine as we made our way down the aisle. “What else, baby?”
“I was wondering if we could do some s’mores too.”
I chuckled. “We can get whatever you want. Just hurry up. I hate grocery shopping, and I’m ready to get back to the crib and cuddle up underneath you.”
She bumped me with her hip. “That’s all you care about, cuddling with me.”
I nodded. “Pretty much.”
She tickled me gently. “That’s what I like to hear. Let’s grab the s’mores stuff, and then we can go.”
As promised, we grabbed the ingredients for s’mores, along with everything else we’d piled in the buggy for our movie night.
Free wanted to have a Step-Up marathon, and I never turned down anything she wanted to do.
We went through the self-checkout line, so Free handed me everything while I rang it up and then bagged it.
When it was all accounted for, I used my phone to pay for it all.
I pushed the buggy with Free on my side as we made our way to the truck. Miles hopped out when he saw us coming. While he went to put the groceries in the trunk, I opened the door for Free, then hopped in behind her.
She lay down on the seat with her head in my lap.
I traced her face while staring lovingly at her beautiful features.
Free could’ve been a model if she had the desire.
Well, I guess she was on her social media.
She tapped away on her phone before turning it so I could see that the food would arrive by the time we made it to my house.
She was adamant about ordering sushi from Sushi King, and it was her world, so if she wanted it, she got it.
“I still can’t believe you got us a driver,” Free said once Miles finished loading all the bags and then climbed in the driver’s seat.
She said that all the time. Katana had said I was a goner once I told her what I did.
She said Free wasn’t coming up off me, and shit, as far as I was concerned, the feeling was mutual. This woman was mine.
“Yeah, I couldn’t handle anymore of you hitting curbs and speeding through red lights like shit is all good.”
She rolled her eyes. “Says the man who has to go to court in the morning for another speeding ticket.”
“Touché. I guess the road is a safer place without either one of us behind the wheel.” I chuckled before placing a kiss on her lips.
She shook her head as I released her lips. “No, just you. I’m a great driver.”
“Okay, baby,” I said in a sympathetic tone because she didn’t have a clue that she was a terrible driver. By definition, at that.
My fingers found their way into her hair, and I began to massage her scalp.
That was how we made the drive back to my crib—her scrolling on social media, showing me whatever videos she came across that she thought were funny or cute.
I was always paying attention to the things she said, even when she thought I wasn’t.
I was obsessed with her voice and would start a conversation about the most random shit just to get her talking.
“Okay, time to get this party started,” Free said excitedly. She had all the food, snacks, and drinks set up the way she wanted them.
We wore matching, white pajamas with red hearts all over them. Free set her camera up on her tripod before forcing us to take pictures. Even though I gave her a hard time, you had to know I was posed up just how she wanted me to be.
A nigga was Wizard Kelly on her page because she refused to post my face, but she made sure everyone knew she had a man.
Because of that, I didn’t mind the pictures or videos she loved to take.
It wasn’t hard for me to understand that Free was a content creator, and getting content was natural for her.
Once she felt we had taken enough photos, she went to grab her phone and shut the lights off. “Finally,” I huffed, pretending to be irritated.
“Oh, hush up, Stanley,” she joked, coming back over to curl up beside me. “Turn the movie on, babe. I got a date with my man, Moose.”
I tensed up with a frown. “Aye, I’ll snatch the whole TV out the wall.
Don’t play with me like that.” She giggled uncontrollably because she loved to get under my skin.
I didn’t play that celebrity crush stuff, especially not with no white man as the competition.
Free had me fucked up, so after turning on the movie, I scooted away from her and folded my arms over my chest.
“Why you all the way over there?” she asked with a frown of her own.
I shrugged. “I figured your man, Moose, would keep you warm and shit since y’all got a date and whatnot.”
She clapped her hands together while laughing like something was funny. Free just didn’t know I had beef with Adam Sevani if I ever happened to run into him. When I dropped that man, it was going to be her fault for being funny.
“Oh, get out of your feelings. I’m just playing.”
I shook my head. “Mhm, that’s why you got small lips for a Black woman.”
She tucked her legs under herself so she was sitting on her knees. She folded her arms over her chest. “Okay, and that’s why your hairline is crooked.”
I jerked my head back. “Who hairline crooked? Can’t be mine, baby.”
She nodded. “And is! The fuck! That goatee starting to get patchy too.”
I burst out laughing. “Now, you going too damn far.”
I picked up some popcorn and tossed it on her.
She scoffed before scooping some of her own and tossing it on me.
When her hand was free, she jumped on me and started fake-fighting me.
I couldn’t stop laughing, because she was so easy to get worked up.
And she loved to argue. I knew the small-lips thing was going to get to her.
She said Tampa had been saying that since they were children.
I loved her thin ass lips though. I couldn’t get enough of them, actually.
I wrapped Free up in a bear hug. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, baby.”
She started laughing uncontrollably. “You’re annoying.” She pushed me off her. “Move. You’re making me miss the movie.” I released her, and we both flopped back on the couch. “Rewind it to the beginning, please.”
I sucked my teeth but picked up the remote to rewind the movie. “You starting your good bullshit already, I see.” Free had a bad habit of rewinding movies and TV shows on scenes that she liked.
“Don’t start with me, ’cause you know that’s why I like to watch TV alone.”
I chuckled because I honestly didn’t care how many times she rewound a scene. My favorite part about Netflix and chillin’ was the chill part. As long as she was next to me, and I could rub on her ass, I was in my happy place.
“You’re cleaning up all this popcorn by yourself too,” she said, reminding me of the mess we made.
I shrugged. “I don’t care. Just get over here already.
” I opened my arms for her, and like the big baby she was, she crawled across the couch and into my lap.
My fingers went to her scalp and began their usual massage while she melted deeper into me.
I released a slow exhale, soaking it all in.
I swear my chest was made just for her. Everything about Free was created perfectly for me, and it was becoming more obvious with each day that passed.