7. Khalil
Piper was secretly funny.
Another fucking thing I didn’t need to be attracted to about her.
When we walked in the kitchen, I was prepared to just grab a few bags of cheddar popcorn, some juices, and candy, but Nana insisted on making our snacks, which consisted of chips, dips, cheeses, crackers, meats, and fruits.
The whole time she fixed up the charcuterie board, she and Piper cackled like old friends.
While I didn’t mind, and it actually felt good to see my nana talk to someone I wasn’t bedding, I wasn’t too sure if this was a good or bad thing.
Piper wasn’t going to be around for long, and I didn’t want my nana to get too comfortable with the idea that she would be. I already knew once Piper left, she was going to tell me how much she liked her.
I already had it in my mind to shut down whatever thought that ran through her head.
Piper was pretty as hell and had the body of a goddess now that I could see it fully, but I had a baby and a baby mama who wasn’t mentally stable. Piper was carrying something, too, that kept her guarded.
Bottom line: we could never work.
I would, however, keep her as a close friend because she was cool as hell once she let herself just be.
We ended up in my basement, a place that was only reserved for me besides my bedroom.
This was where I was able to relax, vibe, and be at peace.
The only reason I brought Piper down here was because I didn’t want us to be disturbed since I had my family here, and my bedroom was a hard no.
I didn’t trust myself with her in the closed space, so the basement was the only other alternative.
While we both researched and wrote down key points of our Black leader, it didn’t take long for us to finally get to writing the body of our paper.
“You do realize that you tasked us with the hard part, right?” she asked me, popping a grape in her mouth.
“I do.”
“Why? You should have let Cumbrina and her sidekick take this part.”
I damn near spit my water across the room. “Yooo, you gotta chill, shorty.” I laughed. “These names and comebacks you got for her is wild. You know her or something? It seems like y’all got a little beef going on.”
She paused a little too long for me, which let me know there was some bad blood between them.
It was crazy because I knew for a fact that they couldn’t have been friends.
Their worlds seemed miles apart for them to ever run in the same circles.
Piper seemed modest and humble with a razor-sharp tongue, whereas Sabrina was bougie as hell, sassy, and very promiscuous.
“She’s beefing by herself. I don’t pay chicks like her no mind. She thinks because her mother and stepfather put up some money to keep True open, that she can do whatever she wants to people unapologetically. I’m from Detroit. We play the dozens and beat a dozen bitches’ ass on any given day.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” I said with a laugh. “I could tell by your mouth that you’re Detroit born and bred. Detroit girls are something different and I could detect that shit immediately.”
“What you know about my city, country boy?”
I smirked. “Far from a country boy. I’m Detroit born and bred, too, shorty.”
“I should have known. Y’all Detroit negroes always calling somebody shorty. What ol’ boy say in ATL? I’m taller than you!”
We both laughed.
“We know that’s cap, though. So, technically, you are a shorty.”
“How tall are you anyway?”
“Six feet four and a half inches.”
“Wow. You’re a damn giant. No wonder you have this big house.”
I chuckled. “Believe it or not, I wanted an apartment, but my people wanted Kiyanne and I to have a home away from home. Plus, Drew Stanford wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Is her mother still around?” I looked over at her and she shook her head. “I’m sorry. Don’t answer that. That’s too personal, and we’re sort of getting off topic.”
“You’re good, Pipe. I don’t mind you getting to know me since I kind of blew you off for the interview. To answer your question, yes, she’s still around, but not really if that makes sense.”
“It does. In so many words you’re saying she’s a deadbeat.”
I chuckled at the irony. “Crazy, right? You’d think it’d be the other way around.”
“In most cases, but there has been a rise in deadbeat moms lately, so it doesn’t surprise me. All I know is y’all’s baby is such a doll, and I couldn’t see myself not wanting to be around her every day . . . You’re a good dad. I could tell she loves you.”
I placed a hand over my heart and smiled. “Thank you. I try my best to be. She’s definitely a daddy’s girl.”
We got back to work, and before I knew it, I was rubbing my eyes from tiredness. I looked at the time on the TV, and it was after nine o’clock.
“Oh, shit.”
“What?”
“It’s after nine.”
“Really? Shit. I have to get back to campus,” she said, shutting her laptop and stuffing it inside her bag. I really didn’t mean for time to get away from us. My nana would usually call me up around seven to put Kiy down, but she didn’t make a peep. Not even my moms, pops, or sister interrupted.
I was sure it was because I put the do-not-disturb sign on the door, but still, they would have called down for me or called my cell.
“Piper,” I called out to her once she stood.
She looked down at me. “What’s up?”
“I promise I’m not trying to be on no funny shit, but I’m way too tired to take that drive back to campus. Just chill here until mor—”
“Oh no, buddy. That was not the plan. I’ll just take an Uber back. No worries.”
“I’m not about to let you get in an Uber at this time of night. Just stay. I got six bedrooms with only five being occupied. I can get you something to sleep in and have you back at school bright and early.”
“Khalil . . .” Her voice trailed off as she shifted uncomfortably.
When she bit the corner of her lip, I had to look away for a minute.
That act alone had me debating if I should take that drive back to campus.
“I understand time got away from us, but me spending the night at your house is crazy. Your family and baby are here.”
I frowned. “Your point?”
“My point is, I don’t know you or your family like that. I just don’t belong here. I know you had to get to your baby, but we could’ve checked on her then went back to campus.”
A smirk lifted on my face. “We?”
“Don’t be cute, negro. You know what I meant.”
I stood and stepped closer to her. I looked down at her pretty face, my eyes circling every detail of it as the look of nervousness arose.
“What you scared of, Pipe?”
“I-I’m not scared of anything.”
“Then what’s wrong with you chilling here until morning?
Do I make you nervous?” I asked what I already knew the answer to.
I could feel the heat rising from her skin.
The way her chest rose and fell and her pheromones tickled my senses let me know she was indeed nervous of what could happen if she stayed here.
I wasn’t going to touch her, though.
I couldn’t.
The way she looked and smelled, I just knew if I tasted her, I would want to keep tasting her, and that wouldn’t be good for either of us.
“You could never make me nervous,” she sassed, trying to regain her strength after damn near melting into the floor.
I smiled. “Yeah, okay. Just chill. I’ll grab you something to put on so you can shower, and I’ll show you where you can sleep. Kiy usually gets up around five. She’s my alarm clock. I’ll have us back at the school before your first class. Cool?”
She looked away from me then nodded her head. “Fine.”
“Come on.” I grabbed our bags and nodded for her to lead the way up. I couldn’t help but want to see that ass. The way her ass stuck out like a sore thumb, I just knew in a pair of leggings, that motherfucka bounced and created waves.
“Mm,” slipped from the back of my throat, and she spun around. Her glare pinned me in place while I tried to stop myself from sinking my teeth into that round-ass peach.
“What the hell was that sound you just made?”
A playful smirk lifted on my lips. “I was just clearing my throat, shorty. Relax.”
“Yeah, . . . okay.”
Chill, nigga. I scolded my dick to behave.
We continued up the steps, and surprisingly, the house was quiet. I assumed everyone was in their rooms as I led Piper up to my bedroom. She stood in the doorway, looking around as if she was afraid to enter. I chuckled and yanked her ass inside by her shirt and closed the door.
We didn’t speak as I maneuvered around the room, gathering the shit she needed for her shower. Once I had everything, I handed it over and pointed to my adjoining bathroom.
“Everything you need is inside. I’ll take the shower down the hall.
” She nodded, then hurried inside the bathroom and shut the door.
I grabbed my shit and went down the hall to handle my nightly routine.
The only reason I let her take the shower in my room was because I knew she was uncomfortable being in my house while my family was here—for a reason I’d never understand, but I wasn’t tripping.
I was just ready to shower and knock out.
It only took me twenty minutes to bust a nut and shower.
Yeah, I needed to get one off so I wouldn’t fuck Piper all over this bitch.
It confused me how I went from not paying attention to her ass the whole three years of us being in the same damn school, to now being intrigued by her and wanting to know what she tasted like.
Earlier, I told myself this wasn’t that, but in just the few hours that we’d vibed and I actually got to know her, I found myself liking her more than I should.
This shit was crazy.
I hurriedly dressed because I didn’t want to keep her waiting, then I went to check on my people and baby girl.
I knocked on the two doors I knew my nana and sister were in, but neither of them answered.
I poked my head inside to find them knocked out.
I would have gone downstairs to see if my moms and pops were up, but I didn’t want to take the trip.