Chapter 15 Tariq “Reek” Horton #2
Big A looked between me and Legend like he knew there was more being said without words than with them. “A’ight then. Look at Reek—”
I cut my eyes at him. “Don’t start.”
He laughed. “I’m just saying. It’s a beautiful sight.”
Icon smirked and pulled his hood tighter around his ears. “Just make sure you don’t put the shit together wrong.”
“That’s why I’m going over there. She was in there building furniture by herself like she knows what the fuck she’s doing.”
Legend finally spoke. “It’s a good move.”
I looked at him, and he gave me a slight nod. “Keep making them.”
I didn’t answer because I already knew that I had no choice but to do the right thing.
If I was going to do this, then I had to really do this.
Maybe not perfectly. Maybe not with the love other men seemed to be born knowing how to give.
But I could still show up. I could still learn.
I could still make sure my child never had to wonder if they mattered to me.
The wind picked up again, brushing past our coats and making Big A curse under his breath.
“A’ight,” Icon said, looking toward his truck. “I’m out. I got other shit to handle.”
Big A nodded. “Same.”
Legend stayed where he was a second longer, still watching me in that quiet way of his.
I looked back at him, raising my brow. “What?”
He gave the smallest shrug but was cheesing like a weird nigga. “Nothing.”
I gave him a knowing smirk, turned toward my truck, and told him, “I’ll tap in later.”
AVA REYNOLDS
Chicago food was blowing me up. After standing in front of my bathroom mirror that morning, trying to decide how much of the weight I’d gained was the baby or all the Italian Fiesta, Harold’s, and gyro cheeseburgers I’d been eating, I decided I needed to get in the gym to tighten up what I could.
I didn’t mind the weight gain too much. I had had a slim-thick frame since puberty and always wanted to get a lil’ thicker in the right places.
But I also didn’t want it getting out of control.
So, I was currently in the gym on the first floor of my building with my treadmill speed set to a brisk incline walk that had sweat gathering in pockets all over my body.
I had been on the treadmill about thirty minutes when the same cute guy I had seen a few times since moving in walked in.
I had seen him once getting his mail and a few times in the elevator.
He was tall, with light brown skin, shoulder-length locs, and the signature full beard that women loved.
It was clear that he lived in the gym with the way his muscles bulged and his abs pressed through his tight t-shirts.
That day, he had on a gray hoodie, black shorts, and headphones around his neck. He glanced my way, smiled, then came over to the treadmill beside mine.
I tried not to pay him any attention. Although my mind had been consumed with Reek and this baby for months, I was still a single woman who hadn’t been having consistent sex.
I hadn’t been in a committed relationship or even had consistent dick in quite some time.
I was a bit thirsty, but this big belly made me abstinent against my will, since I no longer should sleep with my child’s father.
When I slowed my treadmill down to catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my face, he looked over and said, “You’re working out even while pregnant. I like that.” Then he smiled, showing off pretty, perfect, white teeth.
“Th-thank you.” I blushed. “You obviously take health and fitness very seriously,” I added, scanning his perfection from head to toe.
He tried to hold back his blushing. His jaws tightened as he licked plump, kissable lips. “I’m Kam.”
“Ava.”
“I just started seeing you around the building. You must have just moved in.”
“I did.”
“Well, nice to officially meet you, Beautiful.”
“Nice to officially meet you too.”
We started conversing as we got our cardio in.
His flirtation wasn’t over the top, but he did commend me on how much I was glowing.
He advised me on safe workouts that I could do as my pregnancy went along.
Then he started to tell me his experience living in the building for the last two years.
He told me which residents in the building were cool and which ones liked to complain in the group chat.
He told me the older woman on the twelfth floor had a yorkie that barked at everybody but was actually harmless.
He told me which restaurants in the neighborhood had the best food.
Talking to him felt like a breath of fresh air. There was no baggage or tension thick enough to cut. He was just a sexy guy being nice to me without acting like my pregnancy made me untouchable or like he had to tiptoe around it.
After a few more minutes, I slowed the treadmill down and stepped off.
Kam glanced over. “You done already?”
“With cardio, yes. I’m about to do weights.”
He watched me as I walked over to the dumbbell rack. I grabbed a pair that I could handle, stood in front of the mirror, and started with shoulder presses.
Kam watched for a second from his treadmill, then shook his head and stepped off.
“Let me help you before you throw your back out.” As he came up beside me, he told me, “Don’t lock your knees like that, and don’t hold your breath when you lift.
” He showed me how to keep my feet planted and my core engaged without forcing it.
“You’re pregnant, so you don’t need to be doing anything too crazy.
Keep the weight moderate, keep your posture right, and don’t overdo anything that puts pressure on your lower back, especially once your stomach starts to get bigger. ”
I adjusted my stance and tried again. “Like this?”
He nodded. “That’s better. Keep your shoulders down too. If you’re tense, you’ll end up sore in places you didn’t mean to work.”
I nodded and finished the set, then bent to pick up a lighter pair for squats.
He caught that too. “Hold on. Don’t drop the weight too low.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re already carrying extra weight in front, and your balance is off whether you realize it or not.” He leaned against the rack, watching me.
“Are you a trainer?” I asked, picking a heavier set.
Smiling with one half of his mouth, he shook his head.
“Nah. I just study this stuff because I’m so into it.
A lot of women mess themselves up trying to snap back before they even have the baby.
If you move smart now, keep your blood flowing, keep your glutes and legs active, and don’t just eat whatever you want every hour because you’re pregnant, you’ll be straight. ”
I snorted as I began my set. “Too late for the whatever I want part. Chicago food has me in a chokehold right now. I spent four months in Thailand and just recently came back, so I’ve been making up for lost time when it comes to Chicago food.”
When I mentioned my travels, his brows curled with interest. Suddenly, he went from looking at me like I was just a pretty, pregnant woman to me being a woman of substance.
“You don’t have to starve yourself. Just balance it,” he advised. “Keep it light. Walk. Drink your water. And after the baby, don’t rush trying to get your body back. You keep some structure now, and your body will reward you later.”
I stood up from the last squat, joking, “You sure you’re not a trainer?”
He picked up one of the dumbbells and curled it, like he was testing the weight. “I’m an entrepreneur.”
I smirked. A fine man in a luxury building saying he was an entrepreneur usually meant he was a street nigga.
He caught the look on my face instantly. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Nothing.”
He pointed the dumbbell at me. “No, what that smile mean?”
I set my weights down and took a sip of water, still smirking. “I know what entrepreneur usually means.”
That made him laugh loud enough to echo a little through the gym. “Damn, you got me profiled already?”
“You didn’t say I was wrong.”
He shook his head, still grinning. “You’re funny.”
“And you’re not beating the allegations.”
He laughed again and as I started to gather my keys, towel, and Stanley from the floor.
“You heading up?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
I didn’t see any reason to say no. So, we left the gym together and took the hallway into the lobby.
“If you like brunch, there’s a spot right down the street that everybody in this neighborhood swears by,” Kam told me as we walked out of the gym. “They got these lemon ricotta pancakes that are good as hell”
“Didn’t you just give me all this advice about eating clean, so this baby won’t take over my body?” I asked.
He laughed. “I’m saying, though, you’re pregnant. You get to indulge every now and then. The baby shouldn’t suffer. Just don’t lose your mind.”
I nodded once. “That’s fair.”
“Their shrimp and grits are good too, but those pancakes are good as hell.”
“I do like lemon,” I said, looking up at him. That was when I saw Reek coming through the front entrance behind Kam.
Reek easily saw me walking with Kam in the empty lobby. His eyes went from me to Kam and then back to me, and I saw a murderous glint flash in his eyes.
I stopped walking and sighed internally.
Kam noticed it too because his eyes roamed between us once, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Reek came closer glaring at Kam.
I cut in and stood between them before Reek could say anything to embarrass me. “I asked you not to come over unannounced.”
Reek’s eyes finally came to me. “I’m not at your place yet.”
“That isn’t the point.”
Kam slightly cleared his throat, and Reek’s glare slid right back to him.
Kam looked at me instead, saying, “It was nice meeting you, Ava.”
“You too,” I forced through the tension.
Then he gave me a small nod and went back towards the gym.
Reek watched him go like he wanted to follow him and beat him over the head with a weight until Kam’s brains were all over the floor.
“Reek.”
He didn’t stop staring.
“Reek.”
His attention snapped back to me. “What?”
“Why are you here?”
“I came to finish putting the nursery furniture together for you.”
“You still should’ve called first.”
In response, he just walked towards the elevators.
I followed, hating how touched I was that he came to do anything involving the baby.
I hated more that I felt so safe when he was near me.
No matter how mad I got, no matter how much I told myself I needed firmer boundaries, the second he was close, some part of me always settled.
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. The ride up was quiet for a few seconds. Then Reek looked down at my gym clothes. His eyes dragged over the sports bra and leggings, and my stomach poking out in-between. That look lingered long enough to make heat crawl over my skin.
Then he reached out and lightly dapped my stomach, saying, “What’s up, lil man?”
My eyes darted up at him so fast that I almost broke my damn neck.
That tiny acknowledgment meant the world to me. But I forced myself not to overreact because I didn’t want to make it awkward for him.
“Lil’ man?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just came out.”
I nodded through the awkward silence.
“When are you going to find out what the sex is? Or are you going to do a big reveal like Zahra and Saint?”
“I want to do a big reveal.”
As he nodded, I caught his eyes roaming my body again. “Why are you working out anyway?”
“Look at me. I’ve gained so much weight since I got back.”
He kept staring at me like he was enjoying the view. “You look great.”
I playfully rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to blush. “Yeah right.”
He leaned one shoulder against the elevator wall and insisted, “You do. You’re a baddie.”
I giggled. “Baddie? You don’t sound right saying that.”
The corner of his mouth curled upward. “Well, you’re a bad bitch then.”
I started cracking up and suddenly things between us were less tense.
I looked down at my stomach and then back up at him. “Chicago food is making me thick.”
He let his eyes move over me one more time, and the way he did it made my skin heat up all over again. “You say that like it’s a problem.”
The elevator dinged before I could respond.
The doors opened onto my floor, and we stepped out into the quiet hallway.
Following him to my apartment, I shook off all the feelings his compliments had just given me.
No matter how easy one second with him could feel, I knew we could be back at each other’s throats the next.
And I was trying hard to keep a line between us now.
It seemed like he was trying, but I couldn’t afford to trust it.
I was tired of being the messy one in a family full of polished love stories.
Everybody else had the kind of men who either wanted them out loud or knew how to get their shit together enough to try.
Reek kept teetering, caring one minute and completely withdrawing the next.
So, I needed a hard line for me and for whatever peace I could still have for the rest of this pregnancy.