Page 50 of Definitely Not a Thing

Highlight reels.

Pictures giving out turkeys.

And… a bit of scandal.

A bit of “promising career cut short” talk that I was waffling on investigating further.

Today’s vibes had beensoimmaculate… was I really about to take a hard left?

No.

No, I wasn’t.

I called Kaelyn instead.

She answered on the second ring, bonnet and pimple patches on for the night, ice cream spoon in hand. “Bestiiiieee,” she sang, then squinted at the screen. “Wait – why do you look like that?”

I frowned, looking down at my clothes and then back up. “Like what?”

“Like you just found out Big Mama sold the house.”

I sucked my teeth. “Shut up,” I laughed. “I just… found out something I feel insane for not already knowing?”

“Okay…” she sat up a bit, and I realized she was stretched out on her couch at home. “So spill the beans?”

I sighed. “So… you know how the night we had that blackout over here… I slept with my neighbor?”

“The neighbor you’ve been being all secretive about that nigga’s name?!”

“Because you would’ve done everything but a background check, and I wasn’t trying to get that involved!”

“I do the background check now too, first of all,” Kae said, jabbing her spoon at the screen. “And second – that man has had his dick in you, I don’t know how much moreinvolvedit gets!”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know you’ve been self-sabotaging cause Hunter fucked your head up.”

I gasped. “Self-sabotaging how!?”

“Bitch! Are younotin a whole… whatever you wanna call this thing with your stranger danger neighbor?!”

“He’s not a stranger! And there’s nothing.”

“It’s a thing, Ames. It’s definitely a thing.”

“It’s definitelynota thing, excuse you. Can I say what I called to say, damn!”

“Say it then!” Kae laughed, eating another spoon of ice cream.

“Thank you!” I huffed, pausing for –infuriating, based on Kae’s expression – dramatic effect before I said, “Girl why is this nigga a whole professional basketball player?”

She blinked.

Blinked again.

“I’m sorry… what? I thought I heard you say the “random” neighbor you’re fucking is a professional basketball player?!”

“I did!”