Chapter 28
With my phone in hand, I typed up a few notes to point out for Nasty Noir for when I did my post. I’d been slacking on my blog and a few of my subscribers weren’t too shy to send me messages.
Next up, I was finally going to tackle the Beverly Hills Cop movies.
Eddie Murphy didn’t get enough credit and I would be sure to comment that whether I liked the series or not.
Even though I was laid up in bed after having a great breakfast with my parents, my mind still drifted to Ezekiel.
I was worried about him. After knowing him for a while, I could see how much BLVCKJVCK was his pride and joy, and how happy he was to work there.
Dating Ezekiel didn’t come with weekends, and as tough as that was, I understood his job was important to him.
Owning BLVCKJVCK would make him content, but I could also understand why his father was hesitant on just handing over total control.
Ezekiel was mature, smart, and maybe a little too obsessed with making money, but I just hoped in my heart he’d make the right decision in not doing business with a family enemy. All money wasn’t good money. A lesson so few could grasp.
A text came through on my phone just as the doorbell rang below, and I knew he was here.
Ezekiel
Here
Against all logic and reason, I’d given Ezekiel a key to my house. We hadn’t been together that long. With anyone else, I’d still be feeling him out before making it official a month in. But it hadn’t taken long in knowing Ezekiel for me to trust him. To feel safe. Protected. Respected.
What really made my heart shudder was the fact that even though he had a key, he still made sure to text me and ring the bell before he stepped inside as a courtesy. As if he hadn’t already seen me naked or sporting my tank top and panties when I lounged around my house before.
I exited out of my movie and went down to the first floor where Ezekiel was standing in my doorway with a large bouquet of lavender and pink carnations. The biggest smile was on his handsome face and all anxiety went away because I knew things went well with his father.
“Hey!” I said as I came down off the last step.
Ezekiel set the bouquet down on the front table and came over to me. He didn’t respond to my greeting with words. His lips pressed to mine and soon I was airborne as he picked me up.
“Oh,” I managed to let out as I wrapped my legs around his waist.
Ezekiel kissed me with vigor as he walked us to my couch. He set me down and tugged at my yoga pants until they were off me and he was between my thighs. His hot hands on my naked skin made me want him badly.
Still, I held up a shaky hand and covered his incoming mouth. “As much as I love where this is going, for the sake of curiosity, what happened with your dad?”
Ezekiel came and planted a kiss at my neck, making me clench my legs together—or at least try. His hand cupped me and I immediately bit my lip. He was in a good mood and the energy was stifling. Why did I want to talk again?
“Uh-huh.” Ezekiel twirled his tongue at my neck before coming close to bite and suck on it. “It went well.”
My eyes were shutting and I almost didn’t care about his meeting, between his hand rubbing on me and his lips at my neck, I was close to leaving the universe. “What…was…said?”
“It was a test.” His hand slipped into my panties and he reeled back to watch my reaction as he touched me. “He knew about the first run-in and was waitin’ on me to speak up. When I didn’t…”
Oh. Shit. Looking him in the eye while he worked his fingers was driving me mad.
“What?” I whined out.
“He told Tee to up the price, and I still turned him down,” Ezekiel explained. “To reward me for being loyal? He’s offering me eighty/twenty stake in a new club he wants to open in New York.”
“New York?” I was distracted, but not that out of it to hear his good news. “Oh my God. Zeke! New York?”
Ezekiel halted in his deadly game of pleasing me as he bobbed his head. “Pops figured we got a club in LA, one in Miami, one here, why not New York? He says I’m the one in charge and it’s my total vision from the beginning. If I open this club with a bang, he’ll sign over BLVCKJVCK to me.”
My jaw dropped. He was practically the owner of this new nightclub Mr. Marcuson wanted to open, but now he’d officially own BLVCKJVCK too. “What? That’s it? What are you going to do?”
Ezekiel smirked. “I’m moving to New York. I got all the connects I need, I just gotta really touch down and scout locations, tap in with an architect, feel out the competition—whatever it takes, I’m ready.”
My horniness took a back seat entirely. “Move to New York?”
Ezekiel’s smile lessened a degree. “Yeah. I gotta be there. I gotta watch PVWN grow from this idea to a reality. I want to be able to wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and walk by the building to see new developments.”
I scooted back from him, going and grabbing my throw from the back of the couch to cover up with. “But I live in Georgia?”
His brows teetered together. “Okay…?”
He didn’t get it, so I had to say it bluntly. “H-How are we going to be together if you move to New York?”
“Why wouldn’t we be together?”
I placed one hand on the couch. “Georgia.” And the other I held in the air farther away. “New York. That’s not like you working in Atlanta while I’m in Belmont, Zeke.”
Ezekiel sat back, on the opposite end of the couch from me. He looked over at me incredulously. “Nas, this is my fuckin’ dream.”
Now I felt selfish for bringing it up. “And I’m happy for you.”
“Doesn’t really seem like it,” he shot back.
My throat began to swell the way it did when my emotions were heightening. “I…I don’t want a long-distance relationship. Outside of my issues in the past with trust, that’s a lot of space and time between us.”
Ezekiel narrowed his eyes. “Why does it sound like you’re giving me an ultimatum?”
I couldn’t breathe. “Why does it sound like you’ve already made your choice?”
Ezekiel didn’t speak. He turned, threading his fingers together and hanging his head before shaking it. “It’s only been four months, and you’re acting like I’m supposed to give up what I worked hard for, for this.”
I hated the way his words hit me hard. It was like he’d stabbed me. “I’m not asking you anything, but to leave now. It sounds like you’re going to be very busy, and I’d hate to get in the way of that.”
Ezekiel snorted, looking my way. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Nastasia.”
But didn’t it? He wanted to move. He was already so wrapped up in this new venture in his life. “I’m…I’m not going to get in the way of your dream.”
Ezekiel reached for me but I dodged him. Doing one better, I got up from the couch and fought my way around him until I was almost at the steps. “Please, just go. Call me when you get yourself sorted.”
Ezekiel rose from the couch and faced me. “Nas—”
I didn’t hear him out as I rushed up to my room. What more could he say? He wanted to go and build something in another state. Not stay here with me. He loved working, that was what he did best. Not relationships.
At the sound of the door closing behind him as he left, I felt my heart cave in my chest and a sob escape from my mouth.
He was gone.
He’d really left.
Not a word. Not even a goodbye.