Chapter 7 Ava
AVA
Sunday morning
The last couple of days I’d been in a funk.
Justin had me feeling some type of way. This past week, he spent more time at Tate’s house than he did at home with me.
I was trying to be understanding because I knew they were close and liked to play the PlayStation and watch sports TV together so they could compete and talk smack.
They hadn’t got to see each other after the wedding because Justin and I were honeymooning and spending as much time together as possible.
Now that we were married, I thought that he was going to chill on hanging out with Tate so much.
He promised me before we got engaged that he would do better with that, but now he was starting to fall back into the old patterns that he used to have.
Wednesday, I didn’t feel a way about him coming home late because I kind of expected that being that he and Tate hadn’t hung out for a lil’ minute, but when Justin didn’t get home ‘til late Thursday night too, I was pissed off.
He and I were supposed to Netflix and chill, especially since we weren’t going to see each other until today.
Thankfully, Shane and my sister came over last night, and I got the chance to get my mind off Justin.
I told them about the honeymoon and painted this picture to them both that things were never better between us because I didn’t want to come off as selfish.
The same way I made it a point to take the time to hang with Shane and Dawn, I knew I had to give Justin his time with his friends as well.
“Well, boo, I’ma head out before the man of the house gets home. Shouldn’t he be here soon?” Shane asked as he finished helping me clean the kitchen.
I had just cooked up some breakfast for the three of us. We all got stupid drunk off of the Sangria that I made.
“Yeah, I probably should be heading out too. I have a date tonight,” Dawn said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Y’all don’t have to rush to leave. You know Justin don’t care bout you guys being here.”
“I know, but you know how long it takes for me to get ready, and Ion want to be late.”
“Yeah, your ass is notoriously always running late.” I chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re going out on a date with Tate. He’s a cutie and all I just didn’t think he was your type.”
“You know I love me some dark chocolate men and normally stay away from light skins like the plague, but Tate is a sweetheart. Well, from what I can see and from what you told me. Plus, he’s super sexy…I wouldn’t mind sipping from that tall ass glass of milk.”
“He is very sexy, but glass of milk is insane,” I laughed.
“He aight,” Shane interrupted. “He ain’t all that. I’ve seen much sexier white boys than him.”
“I bet you have. And he biracial he not white,” Dawn laughed.
“I’m excited to see where things go with me and Tate.
I know he is crazy busy like Justin with his work schedule.
So far, all we’ve done is talk on the phone because he’s always working.
But I’m cool with it. Ion like guys that are clingy anyway. ”
“How long have y’all been talking again?” Shane asked with a disgusted look on his face. For some reason, Shane never really cared for Tate. “How did y’all even start talking in the first place?”
“Ever since the wedding actually. As much as I’ve seen him over here, we never really hung out before like we did that night.
Usually, he and Justin would be in the basement playing the game and me and you,” Dawn said referring to me, “would always be doing our own thing upstairs. But the night of the wedding, we exchanged numbers and have been talking ever since.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think y’all make a cute couple. The only thing that concerns me is that for as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been able to keep a steady girlfriend.”
“Mmmmm-hmmmm,” Shane snickered, causing me to giggle as Dawn looked at him.
“What was that for? Why you don’t like Tate?” Dawn asked, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“It’s just something about him I don’t vibe with. He probably can’t keep a relationship with a woman going because he’s on the DL,” Shane snickered.
“Why would you say that? Maybe it’s because he’s a manly man and he makes you feel uncomfortable.
Tate being on the DL is highly unlikely.
You know his people are anti-gay and so is he.
I’ve heard him make a comment once or twice, but I ain’t never seen him say or do anything to you to make you feel like you do,” Dawn said trying to defend Tate.
It was no secret that Tate was a true jock and loved him some women.
“I don’t know what it is. Just ignore me, chile, you know how I am.” Shane chuckled trying to make light of the conversation.
“Let you tell it, all men are on the DL,” Dawn retorted, not easing up on Shane.
“That’s not true, for the most part. Y’all both would be surprised by how many men are on the DL. I’m saying, if anyone knows I know.”
“I bet you do,” Dawn remarked, giving Shane a dirty look.
Things were starting to get a little heated between them, so I interjected. The last thing I wanted was for my sister and bestie to be beefing when I knew my sister didn’t really care for Shane in the first place.
“If anything, I would be more concerned with why he can’t keep a girl, especially now that ya’ll are talking. I’ve always considered Tate to be a player, so I’d feel some type of way if he wound up doing you wrong,” I said to Dawn, letting her know what she was up against.
“I hear you, but we not talking about gettin’ married, sissy. We’ve just been having good conversations and tonight, we’re having dinner together. Like I said, we enjoy each other’s company so I guess we’re just seeing where things could go. It’s nothing serious.”
“Well, just be careful cause I would hate to have to hurt my husband’s bestie for hurting my sister.”
“Why would you have to hurt my bestie for your sister?” Justin asked, walking into the kitchen startling the three of us.
Looking over at Dawn, I didn’t know how she felt about me sharing the news of her and Tate talking.
“Hey, babe, I didn’t hear you come in,” I said, walking up to Justin and giving him a hug and kiss.
“Hey J,” Dawn said, giving Justin a hug.
“How you doin’, Justin?” Shane asked, giving him dap.
There was a weird vibe in the room as we all just stood there.
“Welp, let me get my things so I can get home. Lord knows I have a ton to do,” Dawn said.
“I’m right behind you, D,” Shane said as he and Dawn went into the living room to get their bags. I walked them both out as Justin left the kitchen, headed to our bedroom.
After saying goodbye to Shane and Dawn, I joined Justin in the bedroom. He was taking a shower in the master bathroom. I figured I’d surprise him, so I stripped out of my clothes and joined him in the shower.
“Hey baby, I missed you so much,” I said as I started to rub his back.
He didn’t turn around like he normally would, shocking me.
“I missed you, too, babe. Let’s switch places cause I’m all done.” He stepped to the side, so that I could get in front of him.
When he stepped out of the shower, I continued to wash off as I heard him leave out of the bathroom and go into the bedroom.
I just knew he was going to be all over me being that it had been some days since we last had sex.
We’d gone from fucking literally every day, sometimes more than once in a day, to no sex at all this week.
Once I was done in the shower, I headed back into the bedroom to get dressed.
To my surprise, Justin wasn’t in the room.
I just knew he’d be lying in bed or at least waiting for me.
Deciding to wear a cute pair of black boy shorts with a crop top, my plan was to try to get my husband’s attention.
I heard him stirring around in the kitchen so I stood there for a few minutes trying to decide if I should go in there with him or if I should get in bed and watch TV until he came back into the bedroom.
I decided to wait for him in the room.
Getting in bed, I flipped through the channels and forty-five minutes later, he still hadn’t returned to the bedroom, so I got out of bed and went to see what he was up to. I found him sitting in the family room with the TV on scrolling on his phone.
“Hey, babe, I thought you was coming back to the room?”
“I’m not tired. Those pancakes you made was bomb. Thanks for saving me a plate.”
“Always, babe,” I replied, taking a seat next to him. Out the corner of my eye, I saw that he turned slightly so that I couldn’t see what he was looking at on his phone. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”
“Things just feel a little off between us.”
“Things are fine, babe. You have something on your mind you feel you need to get off your chest or something?”
“Do you?” I asked, finding the question a little weird.
Putting his phone down then turning to face me, he replied, “No, why are you asking me that?”
“Things just feel off.”
“Like I said, things are all good, babe. I know we haven’t been spending a lot of time together, but I didn’t want to wear my welcome out with you. We’ve been stuck to each other like Velcro I was just giving you a little space is all.”
“What you mean by that?” I asked, feeling confused because we were married. I didn’t understand what he was talking about.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together since the engagement and stuff. A little time apart and a little space is not a bad thing. Everyone needs a little me time, don’t you think?”
“We’re married, J. My me time is when I’m at work and you’re away at work. That’s all the time I need apart from you. Lately, I’m not gon’ lie, I’ve been feeling a little neglected.”
“Neglected! Really, Ava? Now you know I haven’t been neglecting you. Maybe I shouldn’t have spent so much time kicking it with Tate this past week, but I hadn’t seen my boy in a minute because I was making you a priority,” he said.
I was his wife, so he should be making me a priority all the time. If he was looking for me to feel guilty about that, he had better look for that shit somewhere else.
“I get that. I just don’t want things to get like they were before. It’s like you prefer to hang out with Tate than to be with me. Then when y’all hang out, it’s always a late night for you, and we don’t get to spend any one-on-one time together.”
“Well, I figured I’d give you a break on the dick. I had been dicking you down so much, I don’t want you to get sick of me.”
“Baby, I could never get sick of you. If things were to go my way, I’d have sex with you every day just like before,” I admitted, and it was true. “The only days off would be when my Aunt Flo comes. Other than that, I can’t get enough of you,” I continued as I straddled his lap. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, baby.”
We started kissing and one thing led to another. Before I knew it, Justin was hitting my kitty from the back on the sofa in the family room.