Page 11 of Ex- Factor

We spotted Angel and Cassius near the stage, on a purple velvet couch shaped like a cloud.

The lounge was packed, it usually was because it was known for it’s food and famous guest. I had meant to come when I saw it on Instagram, but then I saw their menu prices and changed my mind.

Music played low in the background. Angel was in a yellow dress that made her skin look edible.

Cassius looked good too, fresh line-up, dressed similar to Silas.

Cassius gave Silas a chin nod and dapped him up.

Angel stood. “I didn’t think he was going to actually bring you. He be trying to keep you to himself,” she said, pulling me into a hug. “You look good, girl.”

I laughed. “So do you,” I said, returning the compliment and leaving the rest of it alone. I wasn’t trying to unpack Silas and me tonight, especially after what he’d said in the car. I would overthink and wouldn’t be able to enjoy the show.

We sat, ordered drinks, got comfortable.

The music started and Jill took the stage before we could start a conversation.

Silas slid his arm behind me on the couch—not touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat from his body.

I had to exhale long and deep to ignore the way my body reacted.

Midway through the show, the band took a break. A piano player came out to keep the vibe going while they told us to refresh our drinks, hit the restroom, all that.

That’s when a shadow crossed the table.

I looked up.

And my eyes landed on Donte and Sinica. I hadn’t seen Sinica since her reception, and I hadn’t seen Donte’s ass since that night we argued.

He looked good. Suit jacket, no tie, watch gleaming under the lights.

Sinica had on a white dress, makeup done to perfection.

Her stomach was flat, which meant they’d had their baby.

I had been avoiding looking at her social media without blocking them and making them think I gave a fuck.

I really was over the entire thing. It’s funny how watching the love of your life get married could make you let go.

I let myself stew in that shit so it hurt so bad God himself couldn’t have talked me into going back.

Donte’s eyes were locked on Silas.

I stood up slow, keeping my voice neutral. “Hey, Sinica.”

“Eshe. Didn’t expect to see you here,” she said in her snooty tone—saying I didn’t think you could afford it without saying it.

I motioned to the group. “This is Silas, Angel, and Cassius. This is my childhood friend Sinica and her husband Donte.”

Silas stood and gave a lazy smile. “Donte, huh?” He turned to me, tone casual. “As in… your ex? With your childhood friend.” He looked between them, then at me. “Y’all together?” he asked, knowing damn well I had told him they were weeks ago.

Sinica’s face twitched.

“You didn’t tell me they were together,” Silas said, eyes on me now. “You’re such an understanding person. I would not speak to people who betrayed me like that.”

He leaned in, kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry they treated you like that,” he said, looking me in the eyes, laying it on thick.

Then he looked directly at Donte. “Show’s about to start again. Y’all should probably go back to your seats.”

They walked off without another word.

I smacked his arm. “What is wrong with you?”

Cassius chuckled. “Yo, you wild.”

Angel grinned, sipping her drink and shaking her head. “You just couldn’t help yourself being messy.”

I crossed my arms. “Why you being petty?” I said, though I was feeling good having somebody stand up for me once.

“I’m being protective. I’m protecting your peace,” Silas said, voice low and steady. “Big difference.”

I sighed. “All you probably did was put batteries in his back, and he’s gonna find a reason to bother me again.”

Silas looked pleased. “Good. Let him. Give me a reason to rearrange his face.”

I shook my head and looked back toward the crowd. Donte and Sinica were on the other side of the lounge, standing by the bar. His eyes were on me.

I could feel them the rest of the night. Even when Jill came back out, even when the lights dimmed and the music picked up again.

“I’m about to run to the restroom before we leave,” I told Silas, grabbing my little clutch off the table.

“Want me to go with you?” he asked, glancing up from his phone. We had decided to have a few more drinks before we left, to give traffic time to thin out.

“No, man, I don’t need you to go to the bathroom with me.”

I moved quick, weaving through the thinning crowd and heading toward the hallway lined with glowing restroom signs. I needed a minute to breathe. A minute to process how the night had shifted—from sweet to messy in seconds—before I was stuck in the car with Silas. And I had to pee real bad.

Coming out, I looked up, and leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting for me was Donte’s ass.

I sighed. I had hoped he’d left.

I tried to walk right past him, but he stepped into my path.

“Really, Eshe? You move without saying a word, change your number, and then I see you for the first time in months and you’re cuddle up with some random?”

I exhaled, trying not to let his presence pull any more emotion out of me. “Donte, we’ve already done this back and forth. Can we just skip to the part where we pretend to be strangers?”

“No. I want answers.”

“You got them. At the reception. At your wedding. When you stood up there with her. When you married her. When y’all had a baby.”

“That don’t mean you had to ghost me. We were friends too.”

“You married my best friend!” I snapped. “You expect me to sit around and play friendly with you? Like you didn’t betray me in the most disgusting way possible?”

He shook his head. “You know that’s not how it went down.”

“I don’t give a damn how it went down. I care how it ended. It ended with my aborted baby. It ended with you saying fuck me. So now it’s fuck you.”

His jaw clenched. “You ain’t even give me a chance to fix anything between us.”

I could feel my blood pressure rising. It was moving so fast through my veins it was thumping in my ears.

“And you think now’s the time?” I looked him up and down. “You cornering me in a hallway while your wife’s at the bar and your baby at home?”

His face twisted, but he didn’t back down. “I just miss you. You don’t even look at me the same.”

“You’re right. I don’t. And I don’t miss you.”

“Because of him?”

I laughed—sharp and mean. “No, Donte. Because of you. I let go of you before he ever came around.”

Donte took a step closer. Too close. “You think he’s permanent? You think that man gonna love you the way I did?”

I reached up and mushed his head because the urge to put hands on his ass was too much to ignore. “I hope the fuck not.” I yelled louder than I wanted to. He had a lot of fucking nerve.

He didn’t get the chance to respond.

Silas walked up behind me, eyes locked on Donte, jaw ticking. I was seeing red, so my mind wasn’t comprehending what would probably happen—or I probably would have grabbed Silas and just walked away. Donte didn’t deserve the attention.

“You need to step back from her,” he said, voice low and steady.

Donte didn’t move.

Silas reached in between us and shoved him. Not hard, just enough to make him stumble back a step. “I said back up off her.”

“Silas,” I whispered, reaching for him. His body was tense. Hands balled into fists.

Donte pointed at him, eyes never leaving mine. “You temporary, man. A placeholder. She’ll be back, white boy.”

I stepped back, predicting the future.

Silas swung.

It was a clean, sharp jab to the jaw. Donte’s head snapped to the side.

When he righted himself, he stared at me as if I had hit him. But then I could feel myself smiling. Maybe that’s why.

Then he came back swinging, catching Silas in the mouth.

“Yo, yo!” Cassius appeared out of nowhere, sliding between them, staring at Donte. “Easy, you big motherfucker. I’ll shoot you if you hit me.”

Donte paused, chest heaving, eyes wild.

Silas growled like a wild animal, and it gave my coochie a tingle—which was so inappropriate at the time. He wiped blood from his lip. “Leave Eshe the fuck alone.”

Donte didn’t say anything. Just stood there breathing hard.

I stepped up then, pushing Silas back with both hands. “Let’s go. Please.”

Silas didn’t take his eyes off Donte, but he let me guide him down the hallway, Cassius following close behind us until the exit. Nobody exchanged words. Silas and I left and Cassius went back in for Angel. I was so embarrassed. My bullshit past had fucked up the night.

Silas and I didn’t speak until we hit the parking lot. The cool air hit my face, but my chest was still hot with adrenaline.

“You okay?” I asked.

Silas looked down at me, blood at the corner of his mouth, lip starting to swell. “I’m okay.”

“Thank you,” I said, voice soft.

“I know you probably mad at me for hitting him,” he admitted, voice low. “But seeing him try to intimidate you like that? No. I couldn’t over look it.”

I looked up at him, heart heavy. “You didn’t have to fight for me like that.”

He gave me a small smile. “Yeah, I did.”

I stood there staring at him—bloody lip, fucked-up shirt, jaw still clenched like he hadn’t fully cooled off yet.

He was so fucking handsome and caring. I even liked that he had a hot temper.

I liked that we could be in a room full of women and he never eyed one.

I loved that he loved a Black woman’s son like he was his own.

And something about the way he looked at me, like I was the only thing anchoring him to calm, made me want to kiss him.

I stepped close. Close enough to breathe the same breath. He smelled like cologne and sweat and something warm and masculine underneath it all.

His eyebrow rose, but he didn’t move an inch.

Then I reached up, stood on my tiptoes, and grabbed his face.

His breath hitched and his lips parted. I slid my tongue into his mouth and kissed him. I tasted the copper tang of blood and didn’t care. His hands found my ass, lifting me to stand on his expensive sneakers, giving me a few extra inches.

He groaned low in his throat, and the sound went straight through me. My fingers slid into his hair, tugging gently, while he palmed my ass.

I pulled back to breathe, lips tingling, my fingers still on his jaw.

He blinked at me, dazed for half a second, then licked his split lip and smirked. “If this is what I get for getting punched in the mouth, I might start picking more fights.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped back off of his feet.

This man.

This man was mine.

I just wasn’t ready to admit it to him yet.