Chapter 7 #2
Cashmere’s eyes snapped to him, and her face screwed up slightly.
She hadn’t seen too much of Twizz. This was the first time she got to see Ivoree and Twizz together, and she wasn’t sure she liked it.
He seemed to constantly be in her business, and Ivoree seemed to soak that shit up.
The last thing Cashmere needed was Ivoree to be distracted by some nigga who called himself playing bodyguard.
Ivoree giggled and showed Twizz the bracelet while Cashmere watched them with a frown.
“Fix ya face.” Savio slid behind her and whispered in her ear.
Cashmere didn’t even flinch. Somehow, she had gotten used to him sneaking up on her.
She scoffed as she turned to face him. “My face is just fine, thank you.”
“Sure is fine.” He pinched her chin, and she tried to hide her automatic grin.
There was something about this man that had her acting all out of sorts.
“I think we’re done after this. I’m ready to go home and cook,” Cashmere said to change the subject.
Savio’s brows rose. “You cookin’ tonight?”
“Sure am. You can join us if you want.”
“I was supposed to kick it wit’ Twizz tonight.” Savio nudged his bearded chin in Twizz’s direction.
Cashmere’s face instantly soured again. She low-key wanted to share the meal with Savio, so on a whim, she said, “He can join us too. It was supposed to be just me and Vee, but you guys can eat with us.”
“You sure? Don’t seem like you really like my lil nigga,” Savio joked.
Cashmere shook her head. “I’m just protective of my sister. You trust him?”
“With my life.”
“Then I’ll try to trust him too.”
Savio looked shocked. “You tryna say you trust me, Precious?”
There went that shit eating grin again. She rolled her eyes and pushed his chest gently. “Don’t you gotta secure the area since we’re about to get out of here?”
He chuckled as he walked backward for a few steps. “You ain’t gettin’ off that easy. Trust that.”
Cashmere watched with a schoolgirl grin as he turned and walked out of the store.
She watched him scan the area and disappear around the corner.
To his credit, as soon as Savio left the store, Twizz became alert and made sure nothing popped off inside.
Cashmere respected that, at least. It seemed like he knew how to be on his job.
As she waited, Cashmere continued to look at the jewelry in the glass cases.
“You’re absolutely beautiful,” a deep voice said to the left of her.
Instantly, her resting bitch face came into play. Her nose scrunched as she turned to look at the man. He was actually very handsome with long locs and pretty brown eyes. Her face softened, but only slightly.
“Thanks.”
“My name is John,” he said as he extended his hand toward her.
She stood there trying to figure out how she was going to let him down easy. He seemed nice enough, so she didn’t feel the need to be a bitch, but she didn’t want to entertain him either. Her mind wandered briefly to Savio, but she snapped out of it when she heard, “Aye, potnah. Keep it movin’.”
Twizz put his hand on John’s broad chest and forced him back a few steps.
John frowned. “This yo’ girl?”
“Nah, but she’s my responsibility, so I’ma need you to get the fuck back.” Twizz’s voice was deadly calm, and Cashmere felt the need to step in.
She slid between them and looked up at John. “It was nice to meet you, John, but I’m—”
“Fuck goin’ on?”
Cashmere’s heart dropped when she spotted Savio re-entering the store. The look on his face let her know it was about to be trouble.
“Nothing, Sav,” Cashmere said as she turned back to John. “I think you better go.”
She whispered that last part with a tone of warning, but Cashmere could instantly tell that John was not the type of nigga to get pushed around.
“For what? I ain’t only come in here to talk to you. I came to buy some shit,” John protested.
Cashmere shook her head. By the look on Savio’s face, she knew this shit was out of her hands at this point. She spotted Ivoree at the checkout counter and gestured for her to bring her ass on.
“You came in here to talk to her?” Savio asked John.
“And to buy some shit.”
Savio nodded before he flicked his nose. When he lifted his hoodie, Cashmere knew John got a good look at Savio’s gun. Twizz stood behind Savio with a mean mug on his face.
“Find another store,” Savio said calmly.
John backpedaled as he shot a glance at Cashmere. “You ain’t worth all this.”
“Nigga, what you say?” Savio asked. He took a step forward to go after John, who had turned and run from the store.
Twizz put a hand on Savio’s shoulder. “Chill, man. He’s gone.”
Savio watched John until he disappeared, with his jaw clenched. He finally turned to look at Cashmere. “Don’t let any nigga ever tell you that you ain’t worth somethin’.” His eyes found Ivoree before he looked back at Cashmere. “Both of y’all. You hear me?”
Cashmere’s heart pounded in her chest as she quickly nodded her head.
“You got yo’ shit?” Twizz asked Ivoree, who added a new bag to her collection. She nodded with wide eyes. “Aight. Let’s go. We already done caused a scene.”
Savio casually threw his arm around Cashmere’s shoulders as he led her out of the store. She automatically leaned into him, hoping it comforted him. Cashmere had seen some scary shit in her life, but Savio mad was something she could go without again.
A chill ran through her. Savio must have felt it because he rubbed her arm as they walked through the mall and back to the car, most likely never to return to that mall after that incident.