Chapter 26 Dawn
DAWN
“Thank you for walking with me. That was really sweet of you,” I said to Troy as he walked up to my front door.
“Of course, no thanks needed. A pretty lady such as yourself shouldn’t be out walking the streets late at night alone.”
“As you can see, I just live a few houses away from Ava. It’s not like I have to walk far.”
“It doesn’t matter, lil’ mama. What kind of man would I be if I let you walk home alone in the middle of the night?” Troy smiled as I unlocked the door. “Plus, it looked like your sister, and my cousin wanted a little alone time.”
“Didn’t it though? Those two are something else and they aren’t fooling anybody,” I said as I turned to face Troy while I stood in the doorway.
“It’s so obvious that they like each other,” I continued as I tried to ignore the strong vibe between us.
He was standing under the light on my porch looking like a whole meal.
Troy was good looking with a sex appeal that was something serious.
Just from the time we spent together today and the small talk that he and I had made, I could tell that he had the potential to get to me in ways that I had avoided ever since Zoe.
As much as I tried, I couldn’t find one thing wrong with Troy, but today was the first time that we ever met.
Usually, I was able to size a person up upon first meeting them and find at least one thing that I didn’t like about them, but not with Troy and that had me feeling a little concerned.
“Kind of like us, huh?” he asked, catching me off guard.
“That was a little direct.” I giggled as I noticed the headlights of a truck that looked very similar to Justin’s out front of Ava’s house. It was pretty dark out, but I could clearly see the truck. I just couldn’t see who was in it.
“Do you like me, Dawn? ‘Cause I’m liking what I see in you,” Troy continued as I continued to look down the street. Noticing that something had my attention, he turned to look in the direction that I was looking in.
“I mean, Ion know you like that to say whether I like you or not.”
“Would you like to get to know me?”
“I wouldn’t mind it,” I responded as I squinted my eyes trying to get a clear view to see if that was Justin or not down by Ava’s. “I just know that ain’t who I think it is!”
“What has your attention so tight? I’m sitting here trying to mack and you ain’t payin’ me no attention,” Troy said chuckling.
“I’m sorry, but that looks like Justin, my sister’s ex’s truck down at her house. Let me take my ass down there to make sure she’s straight. I might have to whip his ass again!” I spat as I closed my front door then got ready to lock it.
“If that’s her ex you don’t need to go down there getting involved in shit. Kevin is with her. He ain’t gon’ let shit go down, trust and believe that.”
“I hear you and all, but that’s my little sister,” I began, but Troy cut me off before I could say anything else.
“Yeah, but your sister is a grown ass woman. Like I said, my cousin is down there so you don’t have anything to worry about.
It’s cute that you’re so protective of your lil’ sis and all, but you don’t need to involve yourself in all of that.
You’re too pretty of a lady to be out here in these streets tryna put your hands on a man.
Plus, if I were to allow you to go down there and some shit jumps off and dude were to put his hands on you, things wouldn’t turn out good for his ass at all.
It’s late and we all have had a long ass day.
I don’t know about you, but I ain’t tryna be sitting in no jail cell for having to fuck a nigga up. Not tonight.”
“I hear you and all, but I don’t play about Ava.”
“I can tell, but like I said, let Kevin handle that dude. She in good hands with him. If it makes you feel better, I’ll go down there and check things out.
If you give me your number, I’ll call you and let you know what’s going on.
Meanwhile, you go in the house, fix yourself a drink, take a long, hot shower and try to chill. ”
“Okay, give me your phone so I can put my number in it,” I responded, taking his phone from his hand.
I wanted to say move the hell out of my way, so that I could go check for my sister, but Troy had a point.
With Kevin at Ava’s house, I knew she would be straight.
I didn’t need to take myself down there ‘cause nothing good would come from that. After putting my number in his phone, I went to Ava’s number to call her so that I could make sure she was good.
“I’m calling you now. Save my number in your phone as Big Daddy… I’ll hit you back when I get down there,” Troy said, turning to head back down to my sister’s house.
“Big Daddy, huh!” I giggled as I waited for Ava to answer the phone.
Standing out on my porch, I squinted to see if I could see anything.
I had to open my door and turn my porch light off because the glare from the light was making it hard to see.
I went from watching Troy walk down to Ava’s to glancing at her front door.
I saw Kevin standing in her doorway talking to Justin.
I kept trying to call Ava, but she didn’t answer.
Just when I was about to call her again, I saw Justin’s truck pull off.
Having to use the washroom something serious, I went inside my house and headed straight for the bathroom. Once I was done, after washing my hands, I tried calling Ava again, and she finally picked up.
“Girl! I was about to come down there if you hadn’t answered. What the hell was Justin doing there, and how did he know where you moved?” I asked all in one breath.
“He called himself wanting to talk.”
“Talk about what! How he likes to take it in the ass?” I remarked sarcastically.
“Wow D, really!”
“I’m just saying. Did you tell him where you lived?”
“No, one of your neighbors did. I assume it was Mrs. Jones with her nosey ass. She’s the only one that came out and was talking to us earlier when we were loading my car.”
“It probably was her ass. Don’t trip though. I’ma handle that first thing in the morning. I have the nerve to go over there now to tell her to mind her fucking business.”
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to say anything to her even though she was bogus.”
“Fuck that! I’m so sick of her ass. So, what happened? I wanted to come down there, but Troy convinced me to say home.”
“Troy’s a smart man.” Ava laughed. “But nothing much really, he had been blowing my phone up before he popped up. Kevin answered the door because I was out back getting Bully. I thought it was Troy coming back, but once I had made it back in the house, I heard Justin and Kevin exchanging words.”
“Kevin shoulda beat his ass! Ugh! I can’t stand Justin.”
“Oh, don’t I know.”
“If you want, I can come down there and spend the night with you. Just in case he pops back up. Unless Kevin sleepin’ over.”
“Girl, why would Kevin be sleeping over?” Ava shrieked.
“I’m just saying. Y’all need to stop puttin’ on.”
“No one is putting on.”
“Well, just give me a few minutes and I’ll be on my way.”
“You don’t have to do that. I told Justin that if he came back around here, I was gon’ call the police on him. I don’t think he wants that kind of pressure, so I’m good.”
“Mmmm…hmmm, all you had to say was Kevin is on his way back, and I’d get the picture,” I noted.
“You do too much, sissy! Kevin is not coming back over tonight. You need to focus on you and Troy instead of being all up in my Kool-Aid. Hold on for a second,” Ava said.
I tried to listen to what she and Kevin were talking about, but I couldn’t hear anything.
“Okay, I’m back. Whew that man there!” she said then continued.
“So, what did y’all talk about on the way to your house? ”
“How you just gon’ skip over your tea and ask about mine?”
“What you mean? I ain’t got no tea to spill.”
“What you get back on the phone talkin’ about ‘whew that man there’ for then?”
“Oh, girl it was nothing. For real, I would tell you if there was something to tell. Kevin is just very attractive is all.”
“Yeah, okay, if you say so. Nothing really happened with me and Troy. He let me know that he was interested in getting to know me, and we exchanged numbers. That’s all that happened because when I noticed Justin’s truck down at your house, I wasn’t really trying to hear what he was saying.”
“Lawd, well at least y’all exchanged numbers. I think you two make a cute couple.”
“Woah dere, lil’ sis, he and I are not a couple. Talk about going too far!”
“You need to lighten up a lil’ and give that man a chance.”
“I’ma talk to him and see where things go. But to say we a couple and all is doing too much,” I responded. “You sure you don’t want me to come spend the night?”
“I promise, I’m sure. My other line is ringing, and it’s Kevin. Call me in the morning. Love you, sissy, and thank you for all of your help today.”
“Love you, too, boo-boo. Tell Kevin hey. You know I can see your door from my house, so you won’t be able to hide it if he comes and spends the night.”
“Girl, bye, ain’t nobody coming to spend the night,” Ava responded as she laughed then clicked over to answer Kevin’s call.
Heading up to my bedroom, I stripped out of my clothes and went into the bathroom so that I could take a long, hot shower. Today had been a long day indeed. I couldn’t wait to get into bed and let sleep take over.