Chapter 19
“I’m really sorry again about our date on Friday,” I told Lennox as we sat on the patio of a chic restaurant, waiting for the food we’d just ordered.
The Wednesday-night crowd was tame, and the weather was perfect. My date looked great, I looked incredible, but something still felt off.
But maybe I’m just overthinking it.
“Don’t apologize again. We’re here”—he opened his arms wide—“enjoying happy hour together now, so don’t worry about it, okay?” He leaned across the table and touched my hand. “And honestly, I think it’s dope you care so much about your friends.”
“Thank you—”
“Did I tell you about that time…”
He regaled me with the tale of how he didn’t even tell his friends when he went to the hospital and that story turned into another… and another. Just before the food was placed in front of us, my mind started to wander. He was just as interesting and charismatic as he had been last week, but a little voice inside of me noticed how much he talked and how little he asked about me.
Fucking Ahmad.
He’d gotten in my head about how talkative Lennox was, and now it was all I noticed.
Lennox was handsome, funny, smart, and really charismatic—but he didn’t ask many questions about me. I didn’t realize that he didn’t ask me much of anything, because we’d spent days exchanging stories. I was so caught up in our similarities and how charming he was, I didn’t realize that the information that he knew about me was because I offered it up.
It wasn’t because he asked.
“—and then I met the chef over at Cloverleaf…” He continued to talk without my input.
I knew he’d amuse himself, so I didn’t feel too bad that my mind kept drifting. I found myself thinking about my dating journey and what I wanted in a man. I listed all of Lennox’s amazing qualities and the things I enjoyed about him; but I couldn’t stop hearing Ahmad’s critique of him.
Ahmad.
And just like that, the pit in my stomach returned with a vengeance.
I’d spent the last few days in an emotional upheaval. Even though I was still reeling from Ahmad being in the hospital, I had a long conversation with Lennox when I got home. I felt good about it because it was a nice distraction from what had just happened. Once we got off the phone, I realized I still had Ahmad’s jacket on, and the feeling returned. I wanted and planned to give him his jacket back; I just needed to do it while there were other people around.
I cannot be alone with that man.
A mixture of longing and confusion sat in the pit of my stomach. I’d hoped it would be gone by the morning.
It wasn’t.
And until I had a handle on what I was feeling, I didn’t want to see Ahmad or be around him. The energy between us was too powerful. He had me emotionally wide open, telling him things I hadn’t verbalized to anyone else. He had me physically wide open, making myself available to him, showing up for him. And if I’m honest, he had me sexually wide open because I was ready and willing. And as much as our energy seemed to be mutual, what I was seeking and what he was seeking were on two vastly different planes.
So instead of pining, I overbooked my schedule and stayed busy. But for whatever reason, the knot in my belly whenever I thought of Ahmad just continued to grow. It remained through my solo brunch on Sunday, through my Monday-morning meeting at work, and even still when I met up with Nina for a Taco Tuesday meetup. I couldn’t find the words to define my feelings, but it made me ready to distract myself with the company of a fine man like Lennox. So, when he asked me out for Wednesday night, I quickly agreed.
“You don’t like the bruschetta?” Lennox asked, dragging me from my thoughts and back to the present.
“Oh, I haven’t tried it yet. But it looks good.” I picked up the appetizer and took a bite. I nodded as I chewed. “Mmm.”
“Yeah, the first time I had bruschetta was actually on a work trip. Did I tell you about the time I went to…”
Two hours later, I was being driven home. The moon shined bright in the sky, the air-conditioning blew cold air in my face, and Lennox’s incessant talking was grating on my nerves. I told myself I just needed a little break. I convinced myself that I just needed to get home and recenter myself, and then I could look at the situation with Lennox with a clear head. But as he drove me home, I couldn’t help but feel like it was the last time I was going to see Lennox.
My birthday is in three days. Is this who I want to spend it with? This man would probably make the day about him.I closed my eyes momentarily. He’s very sexy, though.
“—and that’s why I think having a pet with someone you’re not married to is risky. You know what I’m saying?”
I had no clue what the fuck he was saying.
Shifting my sights from the downtown traffic to the man next to me, I forced a smile. It didn’t matter what I said, he’d continue with the conversation on his own.
“I have an early morning tomorrow,” I told him as I directed him to stop in front of my building. It was just after ten o’clock, so it wasn’t late. But I was ready to be by myself. I needed to decompress.
“I should at least walk you to your door,” Lennox pointed out. “I want to make sure you get in safely.”
I waved my hand nonchalantly as he turned on the emergency blinkers. “It’s a hassle to park. It’s fine. I’ll be safe, and I’ll text you when I make it inside.”
“Okay,” he relented. “But make sure you let me know as soon as you get in there. I want to make sure you’re good.”
“I will.”
“I had a really nice time with you, Aaliyah. I leave tomorrow, but I should be back on Saturday night. I’d love to take you out for a late dinner when I’m back. There’s this new lounge I found, and I’d love to take you for our third date. I want to show you a good time.”
He doesn’t even remember I told him about my birthday.
It didn’t matter that he was good-looking and an engaging storyteller. Forgetting my birthday killed it for me.
“I have plans on Saturday,” I told him. “You just enjoy your trip, and we’ll have a conversation when you’re back.”
I saw the flash of disappointment in his eyes as he nodded. “Yeah, okay. That’s cool. We’ll talk when I get back in town.”
I forced a bigger smile than I felt. “It was nice to see you today, Lennox. Thank you for dinner.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” He took my hand and kissed it. “Until next time.”
With a final wave, I got out of the car and ran toward my building. The minute I had my back to him, the smile on my face disappeared, the enthusiasm waned, and the upbeat persona retreated. The farther I got away from Lennox, the more I felt like my true state of being came to the forefront. Standing at the elevator, I didn’t have the energy to pretend I was in a good mood anymore.
Maybe Ahmad got in my head by pointing out how much Lennox talked, but Lennox forgetting my birthday was the deal-breaker for me.
I’m three days away from my birthday, and I’m no closer to having a man than I was at the beginning of summer. The only thing I had then that I don’t have now is hope.
I turned on the piping-hot water and stepped into the shower. I tried to wash away the date with Lennox, the incident with Ahmad, and the uncomfortable nagging feeling that had been plaguing me for days. Unfortunately, it all was still waiting for me when I stepped out of the tub. Wrapping myself in my towel, I’d only gotten one foot out of the bathroom when my phone rang.
I flew across the room to get it, hoping it was one of my girls.
It wasn’t.
“Hey, Lennox,” I greeted him with a frown. Trying not to sound annoyed, I continued, “What’s up?”
“Hey. I was just checking on you.” He paused. “You were supposed to let me know you made it.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sorry about that. My mind was somewhere else, and I wasn’t thinking about it. I just hopped in the shower and—”
“Oh, okay, no problem. When you didn’t let me know you made it safely, I had to call and check on you.” He let out a little chuckle. “I wanted to make sure nobody snatched you up on your way in.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I just forgot to give you a call before my shower. But I’m good. Thank you. How are you? You made it home yet?”
“Yeah, I’m not too far from home. I started thinking about that time I went to the…”
I zoned out.
Going through the motions, I moisturized my body and then slipped into a shorts-and-tank-top set. I didn’t even bother to twist my hair. I pulled on my bonnet and then stared at myself in the mirror as the story I was being told went on.
And on and on and on.
I knew I couldn’t do another date with Lennox. I wasn’t sure if it was the current conversation or how Ahmad made me feel about the conversations, but I wasn’t feeling Lennox anymore.
Fucking Ahmad!
“I’m so sorry to cut you off,” I interrupted as I saw Nina’s name flash across my screen. “But my best friend is calling, and I need to take this call.”
“Okay, that’s no problem. Have a good night, Aaliyah.”
“Good night!”
I ended the call with Lennox and connected the call with Nina.
“Nina!” I cried, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. “I’m so happy to hear your voice.”
She laughed. “Well, okay, that either means the date went really right or really wrong!”
I groaned, falling back against my mountain of pillows. “It isn’t funny,” I complained.
“If dating is nothing else, it’s funny,” she replied. “Now, tell me… what happened?”
“Well, I took your advice, and I went on the date with Lennox—”
“No, ma’am,” she interrupted. “I told you to go on a date with the other one—what’s his name? Jerome?”
“Tyrone,” I corrected her.
“I told you to go on the date with Tyrone so you could check out your other options because Lennox isn’t working. You said he only talked about himself.”
“I know. I’m going to let him down after he gets back from his business trip. I can’t take another date with him. I can’t believe I used to think that we had great conversations when it was just this man telling me his life story.”
“Good! You need to see what’s up with someone else and quick. What about one of Ahmad’s friends?”
Just his name coming up unexpectedly made me clench.
“I wouldn’t go there,” I replied.
“Why not? You need to tell the bartender that if he puts you in the friend zone, you’re going to end up in his friend’s phone.”
I laughed so hard. “What is wrong with you?”
“A lot, apparently. I had to tell this man that he needed to enjoy me while he had the chance because I’m a one-link wonder.”
“Yeah, you have lost your mind,” I snickered. “But I admire that about you.”
“What are you going to do about Saturday, though?” Nina asked.
“I’m going to see what Tyrone is talking about, and if it works well, I’ll just ask him if he wants to be my date for Saturday. If that doesn’t work out, I will figure something out.”
“I have no doubt you will. Oh, girl, let me call you back. My insignificant other is beeping in, and we have plans for Thirsty Thursday.”
I love Nina so much!
“Okay, I’m going to bed, so call me tomorrow,” I said.
“I’ll call you nice and early. I want to know more about this Tyrone character, and I want to know the latest with Ahmad.”
We said our goodbyes, and then I immediately went to sleep.
I woke up feeling much better than I had when I went to sleep. After a long, hot shower and a big bowl of cereal, I slipped into my favorite bright pink pantsuit and paired it with a sexy black camisole underneath. I spent an exorbitant amount of time on my hair, and I even glued on some lashes.
“It’s a new day,” I told myself, checking out my reflection in the mirror. “And I look good.”
I took a step back and eyed my shoes. They were sexier than my typical work shoes, but they were comfortable, and I felt like being a little extra today. With a glance at the clock, I realized that I was going to be late.
Opening the front door, I was startled by an envelope sitting on my welcome mat. I looked around, not seeing anyone. Cautiously, I leaned down and picked it up. Opening it carefully, I caught a glimpse of a card. The sound of my heart thumped in my ear as I backed my way into my apartment. My body knew who it was from before my mind even registered it.
I peeked inside enough to see Ahmad’s name at the bottom of the card, and I shut my eyes tight.
I can’t do this,I thought with a shake of my head. Not right now.
I was already a few minutes behind schedule, so instead of reading the note right then and there, I stuffed the envelope in my bag. I wasn’t going to get my emotions all stirred about. Rolling my shoulders back, I marched out of my apartment and to the elevator.
When the door slid open, it was a little crowded. If I hadn’t spent that extra time on my hair, I would’ve just taken the next elevator. But I needed to get to work. I stepped inside and counted five people in there already—including Ahmad.
My eyes widened when I saw him in the back corner, almost directly behind where I was about to stand. Holding in a gasp, I immediately spun around and faced the front.
I’ve never seen Ahmad in my building, and all of a sudden, when I’m trying to avoid him, he’s right here!
Even though there was someone between us, I could feel Ahmad’s eyes boring into the back of my head. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I shifted uncomfortably and stared at the floor numbers as they lit up. Soft jazz music and the gentle buzz of the elevator descending were the only sounds that filled the small space. I shifted my gaze to the metal door that reflected the blank stares of almost everyone in the elevator—except Ahmad’s.
His eyes were trained on me. His gaze swept up and down my body. I knew I was being watched, but I was unnerved as I watched him watching me. I took a deep breath and shifted my eyes to my reflection.
I’ve never gotten upset about a man not wanting me, and I won’t start with this one. He doesn’t want to date, and that’s okay. I respect his decision.
I moved to the side as the elevator opened to the next floor. Two additional people hopped on, so we were packed tight. Somehow in the shuffle to accommodate more people, Ahmad was directly behind me.
I hated that I could feel his breath on my neck.
I hated the way my body reacted to his closeness.
I hated that I could feel him without him even touching me.
When the doors opened, I was the second one out of the elevator. I’d parked close and made a beeline to my car even though I felt a presence on my heels.
“Aaliyah!” Ahmad called out.
I wanted to continue walking and ignore him, but there were too many people around, and I didn’t want to make a scene.
I glanced over my shoulder. “Oh, hey, Ahmad,” I sighed, not even trying to feign surprise as he caught up to me. “I’m sorry. I’m running late.”
“Aaliyah.”
His voice sounded resigned, and I ignored the pit in my stomach that formed at the way he’d said my name.
Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he slowed me to a stop. “Are you avoiding me?”
I inhaled sharply as the heat from his grasp spread through my arm. I hated that his touch made my pulse quicken. His fingers pressing into my skin made my panties wet.
“Of course not,” I lied quietly before lifting my gaze to meet his. “This has been a busy week. Between work, dates, and pre-party duties, I have a lot on my plate.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“And I really can’t be late today…”
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of looking him in his eyes before I opened my car door. Seeing part of the bandage peeking from below his short-sleeved shirt, I felt compelled to speak. “Are you feeling any better?” I gestured to his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied with a short grunt.
I nodded. “Good.”
I hopped in my car, started it up, and drove toward the parking garage exit like I was being chased. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, I saw him waiting for the elevator. I exhaled loudly and then put on my seat belt.
“Okay,” I muttered under my breath.
Just being in the confined space with him felt like it was too much too soon. But overall, I felt like I handled the situation with Ahmad well—and I looked good doing it. I’d hyped myself so much that I walked into my workplace with a renewed energy.
“Good morning,” I greeted Ramona as we approached each other from opposite ends of the hallway. “How are you?”
“Hey!” She grinned, following me into the downstairs ladies’ room. “I’m great! How are you?”
“A little annoyed that I rushed to get here and they pushed the meeting back an hour.”
“Well, you look good! This pink is fierce! Where is this from?”
“Thank you! I ordered it online. I’ll send you the boutique link when I get to my desk.”
“Thank you. And”—she lowered her voice—“fix your eyelash and you’ll be perfect.”
My face fell. “What?”
“Your eyelash is coming off.”
I rushed to the mirror. “No!”
“Yeah, it’s like doing this”—she did a gesture with her hand that resembled a wilted flower—“and it just needs to come down a little. Actually, I think I have some lash glue in my bag if you want me to bring it down. I was on my way up to my office anyway, so I can run upstairs real quick.”
Staring at myself with my left eye looking like a professional makeup artist did one side and a small child did my right side, I was in shock.
Please let this have happened on the drive.
“Is that okay? You want me to get it?” Ramona questioned, taking a step back and pointing over her shoulder.
I shook my head. “No, I’m just…” My words trailed off as I pulled the lash strip from both eyes. “I’m just going to add some liner and call it a day.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded sympathetically. “That’s much better.”
“Thanks,” I muttered under my breath as I dug for my makeup in my bag. It wasn’t her fault that I looked like a clown, so I looked up and flashed a small smile. “But I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” She waved me off and then put her hands on her hips. “But one of the reasons I came down here was because I was looking for you.” She took another step closer. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
I distractedly reapplied some eyeliner to disguise the morning mishap. “What’s up?”
“So… you know how they’ve had me really busy with the new hires?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I haven’t really spent much time catching up with friends, so, um… I just heard about Derrick.”
“Who?”
“My friend… the blind date.”
“Oh.” I made a face as I dropped the eyeliner back into my bag.
“I had no idea he didn’t show up. I figured you didn’t say anything because it didn’t go well, and I hadn’t talked to him, so I had no idea. I’m so sorry!”
I shook my head and shooed the apology off. “It’s fine.”
“He said his car broke down, and he was stranded on the side of the road. By the time roadside assistance came through, he figured you were gone. You weren’t waiting long, were you?”
Not willing to disclose that I ended up being there for a couple of hours, I simply said, “Long enough.”
“He said he didn’t mention it to me sooner because he felt like he blew it with you, and you wouldn’t be open to giving him another chance.”
I nodded, heading toward the exit. “He’s correct.”
She followed me out of the bathroom. “Really? He’s handsome and successful and—”
“I’m not interested. I don’t circle the block anymore,” I explained.
“Are you sure? It was one little misstep, and I wouldn’t want something small to derail what could be a really good pairing.” She gave me a mischievous look and pulled out her phone. “I probably shouldn’t show you his picture, but…” She turned her screen toward me. “I really do think you two would look cute together.”
She showed me a picture of a handsome man who looked like he had common sense.
“He’s cute,” I commented. “But I’m good.”
“For what it’s worth, I believe him about the car issues. He just got a new car a couple weeks ago. You should give him a chance.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Listen…” She lowered her voice. “He’s a good one. He’s good-looking, childless, never been married, and has a good job. That’s a unicorn nowadays.”
“He stood me up. That’s not the type of unicorn I’m looking for.”
“He didn’t have your number to call,” she reasoned as we stood outside of the IT office suite.
I placed my hand on the door handle. “Yeah, but he had yours. When he was waiting for help, he could’ve called you to get you to call me. So, there was a way.” I lifted my shoulders. “But he didn’t do that. It might not mean much to you, but wasting my time is a deal-breaker.”
She held up her hands in defeat. “Understood.” She flashed me a smile. “I had to try.”
“I get it. If it were my friend, I’d go to bat for them, too. But it is what it is. Everything happens for a reason.”
“That’s true.” She gasped. “You have someone now, don’t you?!”
“No—”
“You are looking extra pretty for a random Thursday…”
“Thank you.” I grinned. “But I’m looking good today for me.”
She pursed her lips. “There’s a guy.”
“Ramona, please,” I scoffed.
“He’s your soulmate, and Derrick would’ve just gotten in the way of that,” she continued. Nodding, she took a step back. “It all makes sense now. You’re in love, and that’s why you don’t want my friend. Got it.”
“Goodbye,” I laughed, pushing the door open.
The guys arguing over Steve’s desk drowned out my amusement.
“You already knew him,” she called after me as the door separated us more and more. “Oh, I know who it is! It’s the bartender.”
I froze mid-step, and I felt the color drain from my face. My heart slammed against my chest repeatedly before I realized I wasn’t moving.
What did she say? What is that supposed to mean? Why would she even say that?
When I spun around, the door to the IT office had already closed. Rushing toward it, I swung it open and hurried down the hallway to Ramona.
She turned around, startled. “Jesus, Aaliyah!” She let out a little laugh. “You scared me.”
“Sorry, I just—uh, why did you say that?” I asked in a panicky tone.
She made a face and her lips pulled downward. “What?”
“The thing about already knowing—what did you mean when you said… that?”
“When I said what?” She jerked her thumb back toward the office. “Oh, about—it was a joke,” she confirmed. Ramona gave me a wary look before she took a few steps back. “What’s going on?”
“Why would you say bartender, though?”
“I… didn’t.” Her words came out slowly.
“You said it was someone I know and that it was the bartender.”
“Um, no… I said it was Bart Fender. My receptionist.”
Bart Fender. Not bartender.I exhaled shakily, clutching my bag. Dammit.
I didn’t need a therapist to work out how I jumped to that conclusion.
Ramona eyed me suspiciously. “I don’t know what’s going on with you today.”
“Aaliyah!” one of the IT guys called out for me from the cracked door. “Meeting’s about to start.”
I glanced over my shoulder and then looked back at her. “I misheard you and got confused,” I said in a rush. Backing away from her, I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes were narrowed at me as I turned around and scurried back into the office. Feeling the knot in my stomach grow, I tried to focus on the itinerary that was handed to me. I participated in the meeting, but as soon as it was over, I went to my desk and plucked the card from my bag.
Words can’t express how much I appreciate you,I read the card to myself. Thank you.
I stared at the scrawling script of his name, and my heart thumped in my chest.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?I questioned before shaking my head. No.
I told myself I wasn’t going to give Ahmad any more time, energy, or attention, and I meant it. I needed to pour all of that into men who were available for me. But I could feel him lingering in the outskirts of my subconscious, so I buried myself in my work. When it was time for lunch, I ordered a pepperoni slice and a salad from my favorite pizzeria, and I ate at my desk. Spending my downtime on TenderFish, swiping on men I had no interest in getting to know.
Just before my lunch break was ending, I got another notification from the dating app. I almost didn’t check it, because I didn’t care about any of the men in my messages. But then I saw who it was.
“Let’s see what’s up with Ty,” I said under my breath as I replied to his message.
By the time I was on my way home from work, I’d talked to Tyrone more that day than I had all week. I was so distracted by Lennox that I’d ignored him, and after a riveting conversation, I kind of wished I’d given him more of a chance sooner.
We’ll see if he can keep this energy on our date tomorrow,I thought as I entered my apartment.
We ended up having a conversation after dinner, and he was charming enough to keep me focused on him and him alone. When we said goodbye, I swiped through his pictures. “You just might be my date to my birthday party,” I muttered under my breath.
And I kept repeating that thought anytime my mind strayed.
“Hello?” I answered my phone an hour later.
“Do we all have to have a date for Saturday, or just you?” Jazmyn asked as soon as I picked up.
“Well, hello to you, too,” I snickered. “Yes. But your date doesn’t have to be a date date. It can be anyone you want to bring.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay.”
I eased myself into my oversize chair. “Is there someone you have in mind?”
“Is there someone you have in mind?” she countered, changing the subject. “Your party is in forty-eight hours, and last I heard, you were into Lennox. Is he still the one?”
I made a face. “Lennox is no longer a contender.”
“What? Since when?” she reacted.
“Officially, last night.”
I gave her a quick rundown of what happened over the past week, and she became quiet.
“He went out of town, and he’ll be back on my birthday. But I’m going to let him know it’s not going to work between us the next time we speak,” I continued.
“Interesting…”
I slung my legs over the arm of the chair. “What?”
“So, you really liked Lennox, and then you blew him off to check on Ahmad?”
“I would’ve done the same thing for you or Nina if I heard you were in the hospital,” I argued.
“Whaaaaaaaat? He’s on the same level as me and Nina?”
“You know what I mean,” I groaned. “I’m there for my friends, so of course I wanted to make sure he was okay. And I rescheduled with Lennox, so it was fine.”
“But then you talked to Ahmad about him, and all of a sudden, you stopped being interested?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. Ahmad may have pointed the flaw out, but Lennox talked himself out of things with me all on his own. But in other news, I have a date on Friday.”
“So, you don’t think there’s more between you and Ahmad?”
“It doesn’t matter one way or another.” I explained his wedding band ruse and that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. “So, no matter what type of chemistry we have, all we can ever be is friends.”
“Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”
I frowned at her calling me out like that. “Both.”
“Just checking,” she clarified, laughing lightly. “So there’s no Lennox?”
“Nope.”
“And no Ahmad?”
“No.”
There was a moment of silence before she replied, “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”
“It’s the truth!”
“Okay, yeah. I believe you,” she said in a dry, sarcastic tone that made it clear she, in fact, did not believe me. “So anyway, you said there’s some sort of date? With who?”
“His name is Ty. He’s cute—he’s thirty-five. And he owns his own trucking company.”
“Are you going to ask him to be your date for Saturday?”
“I know he’s free on Saturday, but it depends on how everything goes. We planned our date last week and we were supposed to meet at Onyx tomorrow, but that was before everything got weird with Ahmad. So, I’m going to have to change it to another place.”
“Why are you changing locations?”
I let my head rest against the back of the chair. “Because I don’t want to run into Ahmad.”
“I thought there wasn’t anything between you and Ahmad.”
“There’s not.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Ahmad and I have been having weird energy lately.”
“Because you still have feelings for him, or because he has feelings for you, or…?”
Her sentence trailed off, and the hint of a question hung in the air.
I lifted my head and cleared my throat. “I don’t know. It’s weird and not the energy that should be around my date.”
“But if you’re friends and just friends, it makes the most sense to go to Onyx.”
I considered what she said. “Yeah, I get that. But I just don’t want to deal with—”
“You’re going to meet a strange man who drives long distances for a living somewhere random?” Jazmyn screeched. “Okay, cool, I guess I’ll just pick out my outfit for the news when they come to interview me about you being a missing person.”
“Come on, Jazz,” I snickered.
“I’m serious! I’ll be sure to let the reporters know that you had an alternative place you could’ve gone safely. But instead, you decided to meet Ty—that’s his name, right? Ty?”
Shaking my head because I knew she was going to say something ridiculous, I answered, “Yes.”
“I’ll let the news reporters know that Ty has you in the back of his truck somewhere headed west. But it’s cool because you didn’t want to see some guy you claim to not have feelings for. Would you prefer we put your face on a milk carton or a billboard?”
Pushing myself out of the chair, I made my way to my bedroom. “Jazz, please!” I cackled.
“No, but seriously, if there’s really nothing between you and Ahmad, there’s really no reason not to go to Onyx,” she reiterated.
I sighed. “You’re not wrong. But…”
“But nothing! Now promise me you’ll go to Onyx.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Fine. I’ll go to Onyx.”
“Good. Now I feel better.”
“Well, enough about me. What’s going on with you? When are you coming back?”
Twenty minutes later, I was caught up on her life, and we were about to get off the phone.
“This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing you,” I told her. “I’m going to give you the biggest hug.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said cheerfully.
She sounded different from how she had at the beginning of the summer. There was a lightness to her tone.
I smiled.
Time heals.