Page 7 of He Thugged Me First

“No. Mel isn’t feeling too good. I may have to take her to the hospital,” I lied.

“Damn, your brother can’t take her?” he asked.

I snatched my hand and looked at him. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying you’re out with me right now. What do you need to do it for when he can handle it himself?”

Just that fast the cute vibe I had with him was gone.

I knew I had lied and Mel wasn’t sick at all, but I still got annoyed because what if that was a real situation and my sibling actually needed me?

That was his initial reaction, and that wouldn’t fly with me.

Mazz and Mel would forever come before anything and anyone.

Any man who dated me needed to know that.

The moment I left him standing at that corner, I rushed home.

I was irritated and frustrated beyond measure, but all that I dealt with was my fault.

My thoughts were halted by the sound of the late Pop Smoke’s song, “Something Special”, blasting on the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes at the realization that only one nigga blasted this song and low key had an obsession with it.

The moment I opened my door, I couldn’t help but shake my head.

Kasair was standing over my stove shirtless in a pair of sweats.

He glanced toward me before a mug covered his handsome face.

“Alexa, pause,” he commanded my Alexa like she belonged to him. Of course, she paused, and he looked at me. “Home so soon? You must not have wanted that nigga to meet ya idol.” Kasair shrugged his shoulders as he pulled the French fries from the hot grease.

“Why are you here? Better question, how the hell did you know where I was?”

“It’s my fucking job to. I mean, it’s part time, but I should know all the time. Imagine my surprise when I was chilling at Mazz’s and lil’ ma said Mec was out with her boyfriend.” He looked irritated at the mention. He looked like the sentence annoyed him to get out.

“Picking a six-year-old is even low for you!” My voice elevated, and I pointed at him.

“Man, shut your ass up and go wash that nigga’s scent off you. I know he ain’t fed you.” He shook his head.

“He didn’t get a chance to. You called my phone being homicidal.”

“So. Nigga should’ve at least tried to get you a whopper or something.” He shrugged his broad shoulders.

I hated that he looked good to me right now. Most of all, I hated that his presence had me giddy right now. I hated that even though I gave the facade that I didn’t want to see him, I actually did.

“Why are you standing there looking crazy? I know you smell like that nigga, so go wash it off.”

Instead of arguing with him, I went and took a shower.

Once I actually got myself together and the aroma of the food in my kitchen had tortured me enough, I hopped up and went into my kitchen.

The sight before my eyes had my mouth watering.

Somehow, some way, this man had to be punishing me.

On my island there was a deep-dish pizza that I knew he had ordered, a tray of hot wings, homemade French fries, and a salad.

I don’t know what the hell he was up to, but it was working.

“What is all this?” I asked, overlooking the spread then looking at him.

“We chilling tonight, and you’re cheating on that stupid ass diet that you committed to.

” He was referring to my new diet that was low key going great, though I craved a big juicy bacon burger from time to time.

I swear I didn’t know how Love or Quari did it.

Neither of them ate red meat and made it look so freaking easy.

Me, on the other hand, I struggled! I loved bacon and steak, so it was truly a failure to launch.

“You tryna give me the shits?” I glared at him.

He laughed. “Nah. Fuck that clean eating shit, baby. We black and we like fat back.” He hit his chest with a laugh. He was still salty that he’d tried to eat healthy but it didn’t work. He gave in on day one and ordered himself some loaded fries from Raymond’s.

I laughed. “Nah, nigga. Keep the fat backs.”

“Fuck outta here. You know you love when Mama Dolly puts them in her greens.”

I shook my head. He was dead right, but I refused to tell him that.

Out of nowhere, he sniffed the air before a smile graced his face. “And you’re wearing my favorite shit. You bet not be wearing it when you’re around that nigga. Better be wearing Dove and Dial around his ho ass.”

That prompted a laugh from me. He was referring to my favorite scent from the only skincare place I shopped.

KenScentuals was an all-natural skincare shop that had everything a person needed to smell and feel good.

His favorite scent that I wore was the Mango-Cotton Candy.

The smell was so succulent and sweet that it made me feel all edible and shit.

Anytime I wore it around Kasair, he claimed I only used it to get a physical reaction out of him.

He was so wrong; I just wanted to smell good.

The best thing they could’ve done was intertwined the Loofah with the soap.

I swear when I used it, I felt like I was scrubbing away the day.

“Everything is not about you, Kasair.” I crossed my arms and studied him.

“You say that, but I know it’s a cap. It’s cool though. I’mma let you have it and bite that ass tonight.” He winked. “Now what do you want on your plate?”

That was one thing I loved about him. He was the first and only nigga I knew who didn’t expect me to make his plate, but instead, he was always making mine anytime we were at his or my place.

He was a very complex creature that I had grown so close to, even when we were distant and I swore I was done.

This was the problem though. I’d be done with him, and then he’d show up doing shit like this.

Like damn, why couldn’t he stay away and let me get over him with the out of sight out of mind technique?