Page 21 of Loving a Libra (BLP Signs of Love #7)

“He promised not to bug you for two days. You’re your time is up. You’d better either answer the phone or be prepared to talk to him face-to-face,” Ginae advised.

“I’m not ready to talk.”

“Clearly, he is, and you can’t keep ignoring him.”

“I know, but I can’t get what Maurice said out of my head.”

“Girl, fuck Maurice and what he said.”

“I can’t help but wonder if there’s some truth to it. I mean, it makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t make sense because Tariq ain’t like that.”

“I didn’t think he was, but?—”

Ginae shook her head as she interrupted me. “You know he’s not. He tried to do the right thing, but his feelings for you were too strong. Plus, didn’t you say you fucked him the first time for revenge?”

“Even if I did say that?—”

“You did.”

“Okay. I said that, but that idea flew out the window the first time his tongue touched my pussy.”

“I don’t think pursuing you was ever about revenge for Tariq. The nigga named a whole restaurant after you and you belonged to another whole nigga at the time. If you can change your mind, why can’t he?”

“Ugh! Why are you making so much sense?” I asked after processing her words.

“Because that’s what I’m here for. Call that man back before?—”

We were sitting on the sectional in my living room and heard keys unlocking the front door. Seconds later, the door opened, the alarm sounded, and Tariq walked in.

“What are you doing here?” I asked with an attitude.

“Welp! That’s my cue to leave. Think about what I said, bestie. Love you.”

She gave me a quick hug and disappeared before I could beg her not to leave me alone with this man. He locked the door behind her, then sat in her spot on the sectional next to me.

“What are you doing here?” I repeated.

“Because my wife and child are here.”

“We’re not married yet.”

“We need to talk. I gave you the forty-eight hours I promised, and you didn’t pick up your phone.”

“Technically, it’s only been forty?—”

“Devyn, stop fucking playing with me. I gave you two days, and now I’m here to talk this shit through.”

“Fine. I’m listening.”

I was in defense mode, so I folded my arms across my chest and waited to hear what Tariq had to say.

“I love you, Devyn. I would never use you for payback or revenge. It was never about that for me.”

“I asked you why you didn’t consider him a brother anymore. That was your chance to tell me everything. Why didn’t you?”

“Why would I? So you can assume exactly what you assumed?”

“If you’d said something then, I wouldn’t have been blindsided when Maurice said it. His words stung more because I didn’t hear them from you first.”

“You know my character, and you know his. If you allowed anything that nigga said to hurt you, then we have bigger problems. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t have shit to do with us. Who you gon’ believe?”

Ginae and Tariq were both right, and I was wrong. I hated being wrong, and I’d been proven wrong twice today. I sat with my thoughts for a few minutes, too stubborn to admit aloud that he was right.

“Your stubborn ass knows I’m right. I should be the one in my feelings because getting revenge is what landed you in my bed. We’ve talked about this, so I don’t know why you’re acting brand new.”

“Because the thought of what he said being true hurt my fucking feelings.”

“I’m telling you it ain’t true, so get out your feelings and hear me when I say this.

I love you, Devyn, and know your stubborn, pretty ass still loves me.

Next week, you will be my wife, and in a few months, you will give birth to my first child.

We will live happily ever after, until the Lord sees fit for one of us to leave this earth.

Is that the ultimate revenge? Hell the fuck yeah, but remember what I told you, baby.

Two things can be true at the same time. ”

Unbeknownst to me, tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t know it until Tariq reached up with both hands, cupped my face, and used his thumbs to wipe my tears away.

“I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“Because you’re a Libra, and admitting you’re wrong makes you cry.”

I knocked his hands away from my face.

“Shut up! That’s not true.” I disagreed, knowing nothing could be truer.

“It’s facts, but I’ll let you believe what you want. Listen, baby. I’m sorry I wasn’t upfront with you, but I genuinely believe I did the right thing. Can we get back to loving each other and stop this bullshit? I ain’t slept in two days because I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

He cupped my face again and pressed his lips against mine. My body had been tense, and I immediately relaxed as I moaned into his mouth. I let his tongue separate my lips, and our kiss became intense. He leaned forward, gently pushing my back to the couch and maneuvering his body between my legs.

His dick was already hard, and even though I was mad at him, my pussy wasn’t and had been wet since he walked through the door. I wore a pair of loose-fitting athletic shorts and a cropped fitted T-shirt, with nothing underneath.

As he pressed his erection against me and moved in a circular motion, the friction made me even wetter. I managed to slip my hand between us, into his athletic shorts, and found he was out here free balling. At any other time, I might have fussed at him, but today, I was thankful.

While I pulled his dick out, he moved my shorts to the side. It had only been a few days, but damn did it feel good as his girth stretched my walls.

“Oh shit,” he mumbled with his face buried in my neck.

“Damn, baby. I missed this dick.”

“Ahh, fuck. Since you wanted to be stubborn, I gotta tear this pussy up.”

I guess that was his warning. He fucked me so good, we had to hire someone to clean the couch cushions. Being stubborn had its advantages, and I couldn’t say it wouldn’t happen again.

“That man came up to the hospital every day for two weeks straight. One of the janitors ended up telling him you didn’t work there anymore because he got sick of seeing his ass,” Thomasina told me.

Although we’d talked several times, this was the first time we’d met up since I began working at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

“Tariq said he was crashing out for a minute.”

“I believe that shit with my whole heart. You worked there for six years, and I could count on one hand the number of times he came up there. Once you quit, he could’ve been mistaken for one of the employees.”

We laughed at Maurice’s expense. It was crazy the amount of effort and concern he showed when it was too late. I was tired of talking about him, though, so I changed the subject.

“How is married life?” I asked her.

“It’s great. I didn’t think it would be much different than before, because we’ve been living together for a year and together for two years, but it’s definitely different. Not everything, but some stuff.”

“How so?”

She thought about it briefly. “Honestly, I can’t really put my finger on it.

It just feels like he’s more intentional about everything when it comes to me.

It wasn’t like he was uncaring before, but now the way he does it makes me feel the butterflies I felt when we first met.

His hugs are tighter, his kisses are longer, and his words are so much sweeter.

My favorite part is when he’s talking to someone and refers to me as his wife. Girl, I be giddy as hell.”

“Aww, I love that for you.”

“Me too, girl, and get this. He wants me to consider quitting my job when I get pregnant.”

“I ain’t mad at him for that. Growing and carrying around another human ain’t no joke,” I said, patting my stomach.

“I’m sure it’s not. We talked about it before, but it didn’t mean much because we weren’t married or trying to get pregnant.”

“Listen. Let that man take care of you. I’m not sure if I could do the same. The idea of depending on a man is unsettling.”

“I understand. I think Black women are conditioned that way. We gotta release the chokehold our mothers and grandmothers have on us and let these men love us.”

We talked for a while longer before Tariq started blowing up my phone. I’d been gone since the early afternoon, and it was approaching six in the evening. Out of habit, I answered it on speaker.

“Hey, baby,” I answered.

“Your pretty ass been gone all day. When you and my baby coming home?”

“Aww,” Thomasina softly cooed.

I smiled as I responded. “I’m just finishing dinner with Thomasina.”

“You ate without me?” He sounded hurt.

“Umm, yeah. I was hungry, and she reached out to me while I was out. You want me to bring you something?”

“Nah, but be ready for me to eat that pussy as soon as you walking in the door.”

“Tariq! You’re on speaker.”

“My bad, but I really don’t give a fuck. Hurry home. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Girl, that man loves you. I can hear it in his voice,” she declared as soon as I ended the call.

“Yeah. It feels different with him. I’m still pissed at myself for wasting all those years with Maurice.”

“You need to let that shit go, sis. It’s done and over. We live and we learn. If you hadn’t met Maurice, you might not have met Tariq. It’s because of that asshole, you found your forever.”

“Damn!” I exclaimed after a moment. “I’ve never thought about it like that. Tariq has told me a few times that everything happens when it’s supposed to. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, but you put it into perspective for me. Thank you.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

Until then, I’d only considered Thomasina an associate, but she’d definitely been promoted to a friend.

“I guess I’d better get going before this man starts calling me again,” I said as I stood.

We’d paid the bill about thirty minutes prior but had been talking since then.

“Yes, girl. Go home and sit on that man’s face. Shit, I think I’m about to tell hubby to get ready so I can do the same.”

“I know that’s right. I’ll see you next week at the courthouse, right?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

We embraced and parted ways once we stepped outside. Me and my pussy couldn’t wait to get home.