48. Everly
The mini-orgasm intensified as I pressed my thighs together, greedily holding on to the dream of Real and me in the middle of a particularly filthy session. I murmured his name, my hands gripping the sheets. But I was rudely awakened as my bedspread was yanked off and the hero—or villain, at this point—of my dreams spoke.
“Nah, shorty. I’m not making you cum in real-time or in your dreams right now. Wake that wet ass up!” Real teased.
My eyes flew open as I felt my face flame with anger and embarrassment. Reaching out, I tried to grab my covers from him, but his grip was too strong.
“What the hell are you doing in my room, Montréal?” I hissed.
“I was walking to the kitchen, and I heard you moaning my name. I had to nip that shit in the bud. Keep your nasty thoughts and dreams off me until you learn some respect for what I’m saying,” he taunted.
I wanted to stand up and slap fire from him. I was part pissed off and part confused.Real refused to give up. I was supposed to believe that he wanted to turn our situation into something more, despite the fact that he’d sworn differently more than once. The situations with Pip and Jag, Theory and Targen, and even Granny and PawPaw must have gone to his head. I kept trying to get his mind and his body back into the right place – a familiar, sexual one. He wasn’t going.
“Stay out of my room, Real,” I mumbled.
“I’m trying, but this needy little pussy won’t let me.”
His words made me realize just how far my nightshirt had risen. My stomach, upper thighs, and pussy were visible to him. The only thing that kept me from sinking through the mattress in mortification was the prominent tent in the front of his pajama pants. Real followed my gaze and dropped the covers long enough to try to adjust himself. Satisfied, I smirked at him.
Before I could mouth off, my phone rang. I grabbed it off the nightstand and stared at the unfamiliar number. I almost didn’t answer it, but I figured what the hell.
“Hello?” I greeted my unknown caller, surprised to see that it was after nine AM. How had I slept that late?
“You woke?”
I smiled as I recognized the voice.
“I am. What’s up, Danny?”
Real frowned at me. “Hang up before I do,” he demanded.
I held up a hand as Danny spoke again.
“Get dressed. I got something to show you. Be there in an hour,” he said.
“Okay, I?—”
I stopped as Real snatched the phone and disconnected the call. Anger flooded me at his audacity.
“Montréal Hamilton, don’t you ever do that shit—” I started.
He leaned down, the seriousness on his face momentarily robbing me of words.
“Keep playing with me, Love. You not gon’ like the prize you win from this stupid game,” he said calmly, his eyes boring into mine.
For a few seconds, I remained speechless, thrown off by his warning. Then, my bravado returned. I stared back at him, holding my hand out for my phone.
“Why can’t you accept that the arrangement we had is over? You’re fine as hell, Real, and I’m still willing to fuck you occasionally. But that’s all that you can have?—”
I stopped as he practically growled at me before pulling me out of the bed and yoking me up.
“That’s not all I want from you, Love. I’m getting tired of trying to show you that! It’s not like that with you?—”
His words ran me hot. I pushed against his rock-hard chest.
“I don’t wanna hear that!” I hissed. “Those are the same words you said to that LaChelle woman when you?—”
Oh, my God. I’m actually yelling. Doing way too much . I shook my head abruptly and tried to break free from his hold. Real frowned as he reluctantly released me. I took a few steps back and glared at him before sucking in a deep breath. By the time I exhaled, my nonchalant mask was back in place.
“Love… that thing with Chelle… I didn’t m?—”
Eyes rolling, I waved whatever he’d been about to explain away. I’d heard it all before.
“It doesn’t matter. See, that’s the point, Real. You don’t owe me explanations. And you don’t get to hang up on the people I love,” I snapped, before heading toward my dresser.
Or at least, I thought I was heading toward my dresser. I let out a shriek as I was suddenly pulled backward against Real’s impossibly hard body. I tried to move away, but one hand looped around me, pinning my back to his front. The other circled my throat, squeezing just a little.
“You way past fucking around and headed toward finding out, Love,” he warned against my ear.
“Let me go!” I demanded, my voice shaky.
I didn’t know if it was fear or lust altering my tone. Surprisingly, he released me. When I turned to face him, his expression was unreadable.
“Get out, Montréal.”
He looked down at me with cold eyes for a moment before finally speaking.“Say less, shorty.”
Without another word, he walked out. I flopped back on the bed and breathed deeply for a couple of minutes before getting ready to ride out with Danny. By the time I was ready to leave, I felt mostly like myself. Grabbing the things that I wanted to take with me, I exited the room. I was a few steps away from the living room when I heard Theory’s heated, loud whisper.
“Give me my phone, Targen. You’ve had it since last night. I do get calls and texts and emails!” she complained.
“You picked the hard way, milaya . First, I don’t have your phone. Markel took it somewhere for me hours ago. Second, all your stuff is rerouted to my phone for now. Drink your coffee,” Targen directed.
“You jackass! I… oohhh!”
My cousin’s frustration was clear. I decided to make my presence known, walking the rest of the way up the hallway and into the living room. They were a few inches apart, Targen holding out a mug to Theory as she glared fire at him.
“You okay, T?” I asked softly.
“Kinda scared she might throw this hot coffee on me, but other than that, I’m good,” Targen said.
I kissed my teeth. “You not the ‘T’ I’m talking to.”
Theory blew out a deep breath.
“I’m cool, Ev,” she mumbled before heading for the stairs.
A few steps away, she turned around, strode back across the room, and snatched the mug from Targen. She sniffed, then stormed back toward the stairs. I stared at Targen.
“What the hell?—”
“Girl, get out these people’s business. We about to be late.”
I was so caught up in the “Targen and Theory Show” that I hadn’t even realized that Real had walked up on me.
“We?!” I squawked, following him as he strolled farther into the room.
“You find out anything yet?”
Ignoring me, he shot the question at a suddenly grim looking Targen who shook his head.
“Waiting. Meanwhile, she ain’t talking and Prime is gone for a couple of days,” Targen said.
“We gon’ find him and I’ma enjoy helping you take care of the problem,” Real vowed.
Targen nodded once. Frowning, I looked from one handsome face to another.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
I was ignored again as Real made his way to the door and out onto the porch. I hated the feeling of scrambling behind him, but I had to see what he was up to. I turned to give Targen a threatening look.
“Don’t hurt her,” I warned.
Stormy eyes clashed with mine. He looked offended, almost like I had insulted him.
“Never,” he vowed.
I walked outside and closed the door.
Danny was pulling up as Real neared the steps. I hurried behind him, then almost screamed my head off when I heard a voice from the right of me.
“Good morning, sunshine. Young nigga like me feeling like it’s gon’ be a great day!” Juvie greeted from his seat, rocking slowly on one of the porch swings.
“Young nigga like you ‘bout to get shot, fucking around,” I snapped, my hand on my heaving chest where my heart raced.
“Don’t shoot me, love ?—”
“Don’t fucking call her that, Julien,” Real said, his eyes never moving from where Danny was climbing out of an F-250.
“My bad. Don’t shoot me, Ev. I’m looking forward to the li’l ride Real and I about to take,” Juvie said.
His smile remained, but his body language was a lot less relaxed, and he stood suddenly, his eyes glued on Real and Danny.
“Look at you, all timely and shit. We didn’t even have to wait. Love, you ready?” Real taunted.
Sighing, I rubbed my forehead. Danny smirked at Real as the passenger door opened and my brother stepped out. He glared at Real and Juvie before looking at me.
“Morning, Ev. You can have the front,” he offered.
I nodded once. “Thanks, Everett.”
Real clapped his hands once, the sound loud and annoying. “Glad that’s settled. We can go now.”
“I’on recall inviting you anywhere,” Danny said casually.
Real laughed. “You slow, cowboy? I thought I made things clear this weekend, but if you need more clarification?—”
I was across the porch and down the steps like I had a touch of Usain Bolt in my blood. At this point, I definitely had some fire in it.
“Okay, Montréal, that’s enough, for real. I don’t know if you getting a kick out of this shit or what, but this is my life! I’m going with Danny and Everett. You are not.”
He turned around as I spoke. I stood one step above him and still had to look up into his scowling face.
He was mad, but I didn’t give a damn. This had gone on too long. Montréal Hamilton was not going to keep toying with me because he thought he’d changed his mind!
“Seriously, Real. I ain’t for these games! I don’t… I mean… who the fuck even are you right now?” I demanded, exasperated.
“The fuck you talking to, Everly? Who am I? I’m that nigga you got fucked up, that nigga you ‘bout to stop tryna handle, Love,” he growled atme.
Oh, shit. The menace in his voice, especially when he said my first name, let me know that he was serious, but I’ll be damned if I understood why he thought he had the right. I made a clean break when my rules became blurred. I didn’t intend to see him again, and he should have accepted that.
It wasn’t like he knew how badly I needed to keep my distance.
It wasn’t like he knew that he made me feel shit that I didn’t want to feel.
It wasn’t like he knew that I left because I was starting to understand what all those singers and authors meant by a “soul tie.”
Nah, I broke that scary thing with no room for misunderstanding. That had taken a lot out of me, something that I hadn’t gotten back. Now, here his ass was, fucking with me. I was exhausted and didn’t have time for this.
“Back the fuck up off her. C’mon, Everly,” my brother growled.
Glancing over, I saw him standing beside the open passenger door. I stepped down then attempted to move around the glowering man next to me.
It didn’t go at all like I planned.
“So, fuck what I been tryna tell you, huh?” Grabbing the back of my dress, Real leaned down and whispered words that sent a chill down my spine. “Go ahead, get in that muhfucking truck. I’m tryna help that nigga out but do what the fuck you wanna do.”
I pulled away before spinning to glare at him. But the Real who was staring down at me was the one I’d only seen a few times, the one who’d used his hands on grown ass men to get a point across. While he wouldn’t touch me, I couldn’t say the same for my brother and Danny. I swallowed, my brain racing to figure out how to calm what had suddenly become a “situation.”
Out of the blue, Danny chuckled lightly, as if he didn’t realize the threat in Real’s words.
“Danny—"
“Ev, I don’t think this is a game to this nigga,” he said before turning to Real. “Look, just to keep me from having to pull this thirty-aught-six on ya, city boy , let me put you out yo’ misery. I'm gon’ explain this to you one time and one time only. Ev and I are just friends. Thick as thieves, as Granny Nette would say, but nothing more. You ain't gotta puff your chest out every time I come around. You the only nigga getting in your way of having her.”
Kissing my teeth, I rolled my eyes at my friend, refusing to acknowledge the suspicious look on Real’s face.
“Our relationship is none of his business, Daniyas,” I muttered.
Unbothered, Danny grinned at me. “My government, huh? You mad, mad. Come get in this truck, girl. He still ain’t riding with us.”