Page 12 of Half Sight Whole Heart

ERISS JACKSON

CHILL? THIS NIGGA WANTS TO CHILL?

I’d just finished cleaning my kitchen and was about to curl up in bed with a book after taking the trash out.

I have the day off tomorrow, and with Ermias gone with Delion, I was starting my relaxation early.

The last thing I expected was Zyro standing in my living room, saying he wanted to chill… with me.

“Nah, I’m straight.” He sat down on the edge of the couch, feet apart and hands laced. “Come have a seat.”

I narrowed my eye at him. “Don’t you have work in the morning?”

“Bright and early,” he stated. “Don’t worry ‘bout that. I can open the shop and take a nap if I want to.”

“Oh, right. You’re the boss.”

Zyro smiled, and that’s when I saw the diamond fangs again. “Exactly.” He leaned back. “What were you ‘bout to do before I evaded your space?”

I chuckled. “Get in bed and read. I’m off tomorrow, no kid, I want to relax,” I answered, sitting down on the other couch. I pulled my legs up to my chin and quickly reached for the throw blanket to cover my legs and my exposed cheeks.

It was weird having Zyro here. It was usually just me and Ermias, and sometimes Mahlia when she stopped by.

My parents rarely left home. They were so glad when Instashop was invented.

They prefer someone to shop for them and deliver it to their home.

I was hardly at their home, and they were never here at mine.

They’ll keep Ermias from time to time. He loved his grandparents on both sides.

With Zyro sitting across the way from me, it was very awkward, so I darted my eyes over to the TV, where I had left it on the A&E channel. I’d been binge-watching First 48.

“You watch niggas gettin’ killed before bed?” He half laughed, his deep voice carrying playfulness.

“It’s interesting,” I defended, hugging my knees tighter. “Somebody always snitches in the first forty-eight hours. I love to see the family of the deceased get justice.”

I tried not to smile, but the corners of my lips betrayed me. Zyro was too calm, too comfortable in my space.

His throat cleared, jarring me to glance at him.

“If I get to asking personal questions you don’t want to answer, stop me,” he stated.

All I could do was nod. I wasn’t sure what he was about to ask.

“You and your baby daddy… Y’all still fool around?” Zyro licked his lips, distracting me for a moment.

“Hell no. He’s tried before, but I would never let him think he can have access to me when he wants to anymore. That’s dead. Next question,” I answered honestly.

“Do you two have a good co-parenting relationship?” was his next question.

“It’s really non-existent. He just has him now because he saw you.”

“And how does that make you feel…me around your son?”

I blinked a few times and moved strands of loose hair from my face.

“Were you planning on being around him again?” I questioned.

Zyro grinned, and I squeezed my legs together. His smile. Those diamond fangs. Those dimples. He was a problem. A handsome ass problem.

“I kinda like being ‘round his mama, so it’s a possibility.”

Zyro was so blunt and smooth with it, it felt like my heart had stopped.

Not in a bad way, he just caught me by surprise.

Zyro was also a man. Men tend to say anything because it sounds good in that moment.

Zyro though…I wasn’t sure about him. He seemed like he was a really good man.

To drive after work over an hour away just to check on me and my son was something I’ve never experienced.

Ermias’ dad lives fifteen minutes away and doesn’t check on shit unless he feels like someone is a threat to him… someone like Zyro.

Last night, when Zyro had driven off, Delion called himself, trying to grill me about Zyro.

And this was a man who was still with the woman he was cheating on me with and got pregnant.

When I kicked him out, he tucked his tail in and went to her house, and of course, she let him in.

She thought she’d won. If I wanted Delion, he would still be here.

He begged…even cried for me to forgive him and let him stay…

said we could work it out. I didn’t want the nigga.

She could keep him. I just wanted him to do right by our son.

“You like being around me?” I found myself asking out loud.

Zyro chuckled, scratching the side of his face and then under his chin. “Why’d you say that as if it’s hard to believe?”

“Because…because we haven’t been around each other but three times. We don’t know each other and…”

“Sounds like excuses to me.” There was a long pregnant pause before he added, “That nigga hurt you bad, huh?”

I released a breath of air. “Had a baby on me, but…”

“So, you gon hold that shit against me?”

“I…I thought you said you weren’t looking for a relationship?” I shot out.

“I’m not looking for anything that you’re not looking for, but whatever happens…happens.”

I was at a loss for words…and confused. Was Zyro wanting to spend time with me, or was he just trying to get between my legs? I know Mahlia says he was a good guy, but he was still a nigga.

“What are you saying?” I asked him. “Are you trying to date me?”

Zyro dipped his head, and then his dark eyes met mine. He wet his lips, and my nipples pebbled. I hid them by pulling the blanket to my chest. He lifted his tatted hands and ran both down his face. Zyro taking too long to answer was his answer.

“Exactly. Plus, you already have a situation that I want no part of,” I let him know.

“I don’t have a situation, baby girl. I have no current titles with a female,” Zyro rebutted, sitting up straight and creating a tent with his hands. “I don’t mind taking you out and getting to know you.”

Suddenly, something dawned on me.

“I’m not a charity case. Did Mahlia set this up because she said I needed some peen?” I screeched out.

Instead of responding, Zyro doubled over, laughing.

“You’ve got to be fuckin’ wit’ me, right? Fuck I look like being pressed behind pussy, Eriss? We’ve had this conversation already, ma. It ain’t that. I can go home and jack my dick off.”

We stared at one another for a brief moment before laughing in unison.

“How did this get here?” I giggled. “This went really left.”

“Shit, real quick, he said with amusement dancing in his eyes. His grin was lazy.

“I’m just cautious. In high school, boys would bet each other to see if I would fall for their shit. Niggas come with agendas so…”

Zyro leaned back, one arm stretched across the top of the couch.

“I’m not just any nigga, Eriss. One thing ‘bout me, I’m a straight up nigga, but I feel you.

If you told me these niggas names, I’d probably go look fo’ their asses tonight and put a hot one in their skulls.

” My eyes stretched. “Know I ain’t got a hidden agenda.

If I wanted you for one thing, Eriss, I would’ve said that already. ”

He sounded believable, which was a little scary.

“Shit, you’re lucky you met me before Zyleek. Now that nigga might’ve wanted some different.”

I laughed. “So I heard. How’s his case?”

Zyro let out a breath with a shake of his head. “He out, but I’on like how they played wit’ him. It’s not sitting right wit’ me.”

His tone was chilling. A shiver moved up my spine. Something in Zyro’s tone told me he wasn’t letting that go until someone paid for it. He was so…nice, but I could tell he had another side to him. A side he didn’t show often, I was guessing.

I didn’t know what to say after that. Was I supposed to be scared of someone who wanted to protect his family?

Zyro had zoned out before me, and his eyes had darkened, but he shook whatever had a hold on him, and a grin spread on his lips as if we weren’t just talking about some dark shit.

How he quickly flipped the switch, now that kind of scared me.

“Besides reading, what do you like to do?” he asked me.

“Honestly? I might be a little too boring. I take care of my kid and we do fun shit together, and I read. It’s Ermias’ world,” I laughed. “I’m just living in it.” I shrugged. “What about you?”

His eyes locked onto me. “I don’t be doing shit. I might go to the strip club with Zyleek and Mahlia from time to time, but other than that, not shit. It keeps me out of trouble.”

“Oh, you enjoy the strip club?” I asked, raising a brow.

“As a single man, yeah,” Zyro replied, then his lips curled into another sly grin. “Don’t do that. I said I go from time to time. I don’t live in that bitch, and I don’t fuck wit’ the females in there. It’s mostly for the vibe and wings, baby.”

“I’ve never been,” I admitted.

“Let’s go next weekend.”

“I might have Ermias.”

“Aight, then tomorrow night. Mahlia’s off tomorrow, and she’ll be down if you’ll feel more comfortable with her there,” Zyro suggested.

I was off tomorrow. My last off day, and Ermias was supposed to still be with Delion, so…

“Um…okay. Do I have to have money to throw?” I quizzed.

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. Just come out. I’ll scoop you if you don’t want to drive.”

“Is the club in Heartville or Love Grove?”

“We can go to one down here. It doesn’t bother me to get on the road and drive.” He grinned.

“Yeah, I see that.”

Zyro stood and adjusted himself in his shorts. I saw the bulge. It was definitely there, but I turned my head because I now understood why he walked wide-legged.

“I’m fin get on this road,” he announced and started heading to the door.

I stood to lock up behind him, pulling my shorts down as far as I could, but when I began to walk, they crawled back up my ass. Zyro turned halfway and paused when he reached the door, his hand on the knob. His gaze slid down my body with no shame at all.

“You slept wit’ that bear last night?” he asked teasingly.

Heat rushed to my face because I indeed did. Slept real good and peacefully.

“It…it was in the bed with me, so I guess so,” I mumbled.