Chapter 3 #2
It took a minute but I nodded and he chuckled, brushing his finger down the bridge of my nose. “That’s my girl.” He lifted his food again and turned his back to me, leaning between my legs so I lowered my chin onto his shoulder, enjoying the closeness I had missed over the past couple of days.
“Mir said you went to see Lear today. How she doing?”
“She’s okay. She misses him but the whole shooting thing has her head messed up.” He tilted his head and looked up at me briefly before nodding, speaking through a mouthful of food.
“She’ll be aight. He was damn near crying over her so she doesn’t have a choice.” His voice was light, which had me grinning.
“A man knows a good woman so he better be crying over her.”
Asim chuckled, turning to face me again, placing his empty container down and pressing his palms into the counter. “So I should be crying over you?”
“If you mess up, hell yeah. I know my worth and so do you.”
“Oh I definitely know your worth.” Asim grinned, moving his body deeper between my thighs, allowing me to feel his hardness.
“I’m not talking about that, sir.”
His smile grew wider. “I know but this enhances all the other stuff.”
Before I could respond with a slick comment, Asim lifted me off the counter and carried me through the house, down the stairs to the basement, where we both landed on the sofa. It took me a minute to find a comfortable position balled up in his lap.
“I missed this too.”
Asim looked down and laughed under his breath. “What did you miss? Sitting here bored as hell watching me catch up on sports highlights.”
“Yes. Well, the sitting here with you part.”
“You’re full of shit too. I usually have to make you.”
“No you don’t.”
“Ky?”
“Okay fine, but only because highlights are boring as hell. I can watch a game but just watching them talk about it is not my thing.” I reached up and pulled his face toward mine. “But you’re my thing so I guess it’s a win-win.”
“Everything about me is a win, Ky,” he warned and I rolled my eyes but secretly agreed. His ego was big enough without me helping. For now, I just wanted to lay up under my man while getting lost in doing nothing but enjoying him.
The next morning I woke up super anxious but smiling about the night we had.
It wasn’t one of those where Asim climbed out of bed in the middle of the night, walking in when the sun came up, or him being distant because of the demons he was carrying.
The first night he showed up with blood on his clothes, I knew without him mumbling a word what he had been up to.
The news stories that followed hours later were proof of his sins when bodies started to surface.
It was no coincidence but I never questioned him.
So last night was perfect. I remained curled up in his lap while he watched TV.
I texted Learah and my sister, discussing my big day.
Asim questioned me about starting the job and he didn’t seem as aloof but he didn’t really express any excitement either.
It was hard to gauge him when it came to my new position with Brielle but I elected not to take it personally.
I wasn’t sure what the issue was, but when it was time, he would speak on it.
Right now, I had to figure out what to wear.
I didn’t want to look like I tried too hard to impress but I also didn’t want to appear like I didn’t care enough.
I would be in the boutique and there was no telling who might show their face.
After about twenty minutes of indecisiveness, I decided on black boyfriend jeans, a cream, off the shoulder, sleeveless cashmere and silk blend sweater, and open toe ankle boots.
I paired my outfit with a platinum, diamond-encrusted Tiffany bangle, matching earrings, and a few stackable rings. Simple and classy.
My hair was still in box braids, so I twisted them into a high bun for a simple, chic look and I was ready to go, or so I thought.
When I left the closet and entered the bedroom, I found Asim waiting and knew something was off. I could feel it in his energy and the way he sat silently at the foot of the bed—face tight, shoulders low, and eyes glued to me the second I was in the room.
I tried to ignore the vibes and instead walked over to him, stopping between his legs with a smile in place.
“You like?”
His eyes swept my body before he kissed my cheek. “You look good.”
“Just good? That’s all I get?” My lips pushed into a pout and Asim chuckled before gripping the front of my neck and pulling my face toward his. The kiss he delivered expressed what his version of good truly was and made me smile widely.
“I’m about to go. I don’t want to be late. Will you be here when I get home?”
“I’m not sure. But I need to holla at you about something first.”
“That look you’re giving me is making me want to pass on whatever it is you’re about to say.”
The way he stared blankly with an unreadable expression was proof that I didn’t want to hear whatever it was.
“The timing is really fucked up and I should have told you this a long time ago but?—”
“No. Whatever it is, no. Today is big for me and if you’re about to tell me something to ruin it then I don’t want to hear what you have to say.
Whatever hoe you’re creeping with or whoever is claiming a baby that you’re gonna swear is not yours, can wait.
No.” My head was shaking and I tried to pull away but he caught my waist and held me in place.
“It’s not about another woman. I’m not cheating on you and the only person having a baby by me is you unless you decide that’s not what you want.”
“Then I don’t care. Whatever it is can wait, Asim. I have to go so I won’t be late.” I broke away from him and headed toward the door when his words stopped me cold.
“Ky, it can’t wait. I used to be involved with Brielle.”
“You what?” My fists clenched at my sides because I felt the anger already bubbling through me.
“We were involved. It was a few years ago but it was pretty consistent and got complicated when she realized it was never gonna be more than it was.”
I dropped my head, shaking it slowly as I laughed through my anger. When I turned to face him, I saw the hesitation in his entire body. This man was arrogant as hell, with confidence so big it damn near suffocated you when you shared space with him, but right now he was unsure.
“Now it all makes sense.” I laughed again, shaking my head, not believing I was in this place all over again, but this time with him.
“You’ve known since the day I told you that she and I were gonna have issues.
You knew that you slept with her and didn’t bother to tell me.
You let me talk to you about how excited I was and not once did you think to tell me that she’s been in your bed. ”
My face went tight and my eyes narrowed on him quickly. “Does she know? Did you tell her? Am I an inside joke between the two of you that you laugh about over drinks I don’t know you’re having?”
“Ky, no. Hell no. I haven’t talked to her in years and I don’t plan on it. I don’t give a fuck about Brielle. That chapter is closed.”
“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me? Why wait until an hour before I’m supposed to leave to drop this little jewel?”
“Because I wasn’t gonna tell you at all.
You don’t think it’s been fucking with me?
I see how your face lights up every time you talk about it.
This was your new start. As fucked up as it is and as poorly as I handled it, it’s only because I didn’t have the heart to tell you that I might be the reason why shit didn’t play out. ”
“Then why tell me now?”
“Because I needed to. Shit, I don’t know. I just…”
“You just what? You’re a fucked up individual is what you are.”
I stormed over to the dresser and snatched my purse, not having any fucks to give about the rest of this conversation.
I was pissed and felt played, but regardless, I would show up.
I planned to talk to Brielle about it, and if she didn’t want me there, then fine.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be there and would decide after we met.
If I picked up the wrong vibe with Brielle, I would put my foot in her ass.
I was furious because I needed this opportunity to move on and start my own thing and having Brielle Brighton on my resume would be a good look.
I wasn’t about to let her or Asim get in the way of that.
“Where you going, Ky?”
“To the opportunity your community dick probably just ruined for me.”
“Ky, hold up…”
“No, I’m angry and I want to knock your teeth down your throat but I need this.
It’s important to me and now I have to find out for myself if she’s really your past or if you’re holding out on that part too.
You just better pray it works out. I care about you but I will walk away from all of this if you’re on the same shit I just got out of.
All I wanted was to stand on my own and now here we fucking are.
If you want that for me then just let me handle this.
If it doesn’t work out, fine, but if it does, and you so much as blink at that hoe, I’m beating your ass. ”
He stood there looking crazy and I rolled my eyes and left the room.
I cared about him and we would deal with the fallout after I met with Brielle.
I was upset but I understood his logic. He just better not be lying to me about the timeframe.
That wouldn’t make it right but I understood why he’d kept it from me.
Right now I had somewhere to be, so we would deal with the rest later.