Chapter 2
Harbor
The very next day…
“Oh, so you just strut in all put together at seven-thirty in the damn morning,” Chevy teased as I sauntered inside with my two-piece Chanel suit and matching heels.
I wore my hair straight with a middle part and took my time approaching the counter. Carrying coffee for three, I paused while she stood on the other side, rocking a headset and shuffling papers. Snickering, I grabbed one of the cups of coffee and handed it to her.
“Good morning and you’re welcome to you too,” I told her, flashing a smile. “Where is our… co-worker?” I asked, referring to Kitana and peeping the empty lobby.
A big sign that read Harbor Realty and Associates hung on the wall behind her, and I couldn’t help but admire it.
My name looked good in the gold lettering that took up the space.
Everything was so put together, giving it an elegant home kind of feel with warm, bright colors splattered across everything.
“Mmm.” She made a face and curled her lip up in distaste.
Waving her hand toward the back offices, she said, “That ho around here somewhere.” She grumbled, and I fell over laughing.
“So, I am officially licensed. You got anything for me today?” I peeked over at the papers she had as her long nails assisted her fingers in combing through them.
“Um, yeah. Actually. Some guy called in today, said he was looking for a house. You just ready to dive right in?”
“Eh, I could use the distraction.” I said, taking the file as she offered it to me.
We took a basic profile over the phone when setting up appointments, just so that we could view the client and see what kind of price range or anything special that they were looking for in a home.
Skimming the contents, I could see that they had a budget of over half a million, which was nice to work with.
“What’s up with you?” Chevy cut into my thoughts and leaned over the counter onto her elbows.
“Nothing.”
“Mmm-hmm. Ledge told me you and Free went on a trip. How did that go?” she asked, propping her chin into her hand, waiting for the tea.
“It was great, until he basically told me that he would never love a woman the way that he did his baby’s mother, and that he could only give me what was available of him.
” My brows dipped in anger as I relived that shit.
“Oh, and this was after I poured my heart out to him. You could smell the desperation in the room.” Sarcasm kicked in and Chevy shook her head.
“Chile, did you smack him? I would have smacked him upside his damn head. Like nigga, how dare you bring me on this romantic ass trip and then tell me some weak ass shit like that?”
“Right now, I need to be working and keep busy. So, this is good. I will be back in my office. Let me know when the first client gets here.” I left the other coffee for Kitana and went to check into my own domain.
With my door slightly open, I took position behind my l-shaped desk. About thirty minutes ticked by and Chevy poked her head inside my office, wearing a sly grin.
“Girl, your appointment is here. And baby is fine.” She licked her lips and I giggled.
“Go ahead and show them in.”
I did a quick check of my reflection in the little mirror that sat on my desk.
When I turned, my heart stalled, then quickened, and my palms immediately filled with sweat.
Locklynn Davenport stood there, in the flesh, looking good as fuck.
His waves were swimming heavily, and his smooth skin gleamed like the sun had kissed him.
“Lock.” I don’t even know how my words found a way to piece together, I was so stunned by his presence.
“I had to come and see if the rumors were true. They seem to be pretty accurate to me.” His eyes hardened as he fixed his gaze on me.
“And what rumors are those?” I retorted.
“That you were good and have been for some time now. From the looks of it, you are doing better than any of us thought you were.” He seethed with loathing; I could see it behind his eyes.
They were usually kind, but today, he held resentment.
“Is that why you set this up? Is that what this meeting is about today? You got something you need to say to me?” My own agitation was growing.
It was one thing to hear the accusations from my father, but to know that Lock believed that somehow left me a mess. He of all people should have known better.
“That’s part of it.” He nodded, taking a few strides into the room.
His eyes scanned the walls and furniture before he dropped down into one of the chairs across from my desk. His hand intertwined and he folded them across his stomach as he reclined.
“Saw you in the paper, and you looked like you hadn’t aged a day. I tried to look at your eyes and see if I could determine where the fuck your head was at. Do you know what’s been going through my mind since you left? Do you even fucking care?” He furrowed both brows.
Tears built in my eyes, but I wasn’t about to allow them to fall. Instead, I sniffed in a deep breath and pushed them back.
“What do you think, Lock? Hmm?”
“I’m not sure what to even fucking think. But shit don’t feel right, and it don’t make no sense to me. You left for what? Pretended to be kidnapped so you could start a new life?” To hear that he wasn’t buying into the bullshit made my heart soar.
He wasn’t even family and me taking up and leaving seemed to bother him. I couldn’t tell him the truth, because of how things had changed, but it was good to know that someone wasn’t feeding into the obvious.
“My own father believes I’m capable of it, so why don’t you?” I queried.
He squinted and brought his hand to his chin. He was thinking. Still handsome as ever, I was under his scrutiny and it reminded me of when we were together.
“I just don’t buy it. I remember that night, every fucking detail. And shit don’t seem right. Not you being taken, and then you suddenly with this dude, Roth. I ain’t convinced because I know that you loved me, unless that was all a lie.”
“It wasn’t,” I quickly responded.
I didn’t want him to think that anything between us was fabricated. He meant something. We meant something.
“So, talk to me, tell me what happened to you.” He prodded.
“I can’t,” I countered, shaking my head. “You came here for a house, right?” I sighed and grabbed his file. “Three bedrooms, two car garage in a quiet neighborhood with a great school district. This doesn’t sound like a bachelor pad.” I lifted a brow and our eyes met across my desk.
He grew uncomfortable, shifting in the chair so that he could arch himself forward. His troubling stare left me uneasy, queasy even. My stomach immediately started to flip flop anxiously.
“It’s for me, and Alba,” he said simply.
My pulse quickened simultaneously with my heart lurching. I really shouldn’t have been surprised. Trying to remain unreactive, I glanced down at the paper and took in a deep breath.
“Wow. Of course it is,” I muttered. “So, how long did it take for you two to get together before I was gone? A day, a couple of hours.” I toyed with him, seriously sarcastic.
“You sitting there questioning me but can’t give me the same courtesy. The fuck is that, Harbor? I don’t owe you shit! You left!” He spat, his temper rising as he abruptly stood.
“You’re right.” I whispered. “Maybe you should just… find another realtor.” I suggested.
“I’m already here. And I need to find a house… asap.” He noted.
“Fine. I have a couple of properties that I can show you.” He canvassed me when I stood and walked around the desk. “You can follow behind my car.”
Deviance was my driver, and Lock tailed me in his black Dodge Charger.
We arrived at the first location and Deviance got out to open my door for me.
He grilled Lock like he didn’t trust him as he got out of the car parked in the circle drive.
Looking around, Lock soaked in the property as he slammed his driver’s door shut.
I stood on the path that walked us to the house and he met up with me there.
“Damn, this is… some king shit.” Lock breathed.
He had no clue. This place didn’t even compare to the opulence that was Frequency’s home.
That shit was like a castle in the middle of nowhere.
Lock was still staring on as we approached the home together.
I put my code into the lock hanging from the doorknob and entered the alarm code once we were inside.
Shoving the door open, I let Lock wander inside and scope the place out before I trailed behind him.
Deviance remained standing at the car, and I closed the door behind us.
“This is actually four bedrooms, but it is in the price range you are looking at.” I guided him through, giving him a detailed tour of the home.
Lock hung onto my every word. For a minute there it felt like we were alone in the world.
Just me and him, and I remembered the vibe and how he made me feel.
It was easy to get caught up in that with him looking basically the same.
I was the one that felt like I had aged.
A year off the grid felt like ten. When we reached the kitchen, which I always liked to save for last, we stopped at the counters and soaked it all in together.
“This place is actually pretty perfect,” Lock declared. “Better than all the other shit we’ve been looking at.”
“Great. Make me an offer and it’s yours,” I told him, forcing a smile on my lips.
I was doing my best to keep it professional, but I was growing more indignant by the second and I knew I had to retreat.
It didn’t matter the time that had passed.
Lock and I were together for two years, that counted for something.
Bowing my head, I nodded and remained cool as a fucking cucumber. He stopped and took me in.
“Tell me something… are you happy?” He surprised me with his question, practically reading my mind.
This conversation was going to be on repeat until I gave him something
“It took a while, but... I am now,” I whispered, but he heard me. “Just… leave this alone, Lock. Please.” I begged.