Page 6 of Loving a Libra (BLP Signs of Love #7)
“You had been on Maurice’s ass about spending time with you. He finally listened and planned a date. He made dinner reservations at a restaurant you’d been talking about and bought tickets to a concert. He was pissed when you canceled.”
“Oh shit. I remember that. I can’t remember why I canceled, though.”
“Because I was sick.”
I gasped. “Oh yeah. You were sick as hell, and I didn’t want to leave you alone. I pretended to have severe period cramps. He was mad about the reservations because he lost his deposit, but he gave the tickets to one of y’all employees.”
I chuckled. “That’s what he told you?”
“Umm, yeah, but I guess that was a lie.”
“I’ll let you keep believing that. Anyway, he wasn’t gracious enough to stay home and tend to you, which you probably knew would be the case.
You went to the store and got a bunch of shit to make home remedies and soup, and spent the whole evening making sure I was good.
You made the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had in my life from scratch, homemade cough syrup, lemon turmeric bombs, and some other natural shit.
I’d never felt more cared for in my life, not even by my mama. ”
“Damn. I’ve never done anything like that for Maurice. Honestly, it didn’t even cross my mind to care for him in that way. Maybe I’ve been falling for you all along.”
“The longer you were with Maurice, the more it made sense to have certain feelings about him. You thought you were in love with him because it made sense to be.”
“Right, because staying with him for five years and not being in love makes no sense.”
“You had me around to fill the void he left, making it seem like you weren’t missing anything.”
“I did, but I knew something was missing. I just ignored the signs.”
“That shit is over, baby. He might not know it yet, but y’all are done. You’re mine.”
“What about your friendship? You’re like brothers.”
The thought of being the person who caused the demise of their friendship didn’t sit well with me.
“I used to think of him as a brother and treated him as such, but I learned years ago that the feeling wasn’t mutual. He’s barely a friend at this point, and hasn’t been for years.”
“Really? What makes you say that?”
“That doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about what happens between us. We’ll figure it out, or we won’t.”
“You’re willing to risk over a decade of friendship?”
“For you? Absolutely.”
Me:
What time is your break?
Dee:
One.
Me:
How long is it?
Dee:
I already took my 15 min. I can do 30 or 45.
Me:
Meet me at the main entrance.
Dee:
Okay.
I always missed Devyn when she worked, but after experiencing her the way I did, missing her was an understatement. I longed to be in her presence, to look in her eyes, to inhale her sweet scent, and to feel her soft lips against mine.
I’d just left ERL and was headed home, but the desire to see Devyn had me headed toward the hospital where she worked.
If I’d thought about it before leaving, I would’ve ordered her a few items on the menu from ERL .
Since I didn’t, I stopped at a twenty-four-hour spot on the way and got her a chicken Caesar salad.
When I arrived at the hospital, I waited about five minutes before Devyn walked out of the main entrance. She looked to her left and right before she noticed me flashing my lights. I got out and leaned against my car as she walked across the relatively empty street where I was illegally parked.
“Hey,” she said, stopping about a foot in front of me.
My response was to grab the front of her shirt and pull her against me.
“I missed you.”
Before she could reply, I pressed my lips against hers, causing her to moan. When she moved away, I was disappointed.
“This was a nice surprise. I missed you too.”
“I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you something to eat.”
I took her hand and guided her around to the passenger side of the car. After helping her inside, I returned to the other side and slid behind the wheel. I reached into the back seat and grabbed her food, removing it from the bag.
“What is it?” she asked, taking the square plastic container from my hand.
“A chicken Caesar salad. I recall you mentioning how you don’t like to eat too heavy on your shifts. You can save some for later if this is too much.”
“You remember that?” She opened the container and smiled before expressing her gratitude. “Thank you!”
“You shouldn’t be surprised.”
“No, I shouldn’t be. You’ve always been very thoughtful and attentive.”
“I try. So, how have you been the past few days?”
She’d eaten a forkful of salad and didn’t answer until she’d finished it.
“I’ve been fine, but you know that because we’ve talked.”
“True. How’s work been tonight?”
“Not too bad, actually. It’s been kinda slow, which is a good thing.”
“Good. What time is your appointment with your realtor?”
“I wanted to get a few hours of sleep, so I made it for three.” She spoke between bites.
“Want some company?”
With her mouth full, she looked at me and smiled. A few seconds later, she responded.
“You’ll go with me?” I nodded. “Thank God, because for some reason, I’m nervous. I would have Ginae come, but she’s still out of town.”
I remembered her telling me that her best friend was out of town for work.
“I got you. What kind of house are we looking for?”
“We?”
“You heard me. We might as well find something we both like because this story will end with us together.”
“I would ask how you could be so sure, but . . .”
“You know I’m right. Baby, I never thought being with you was in the cards.
At no point did I ever plan to cross the line.
Now that it’s happened, there’s no turning back for me.
I’m all in. Minus sex, we’ve been dating for two years.
I’d propose to your pretty ass right now if I knew you’d accept. ”
It was dark, but I could tell my words made her blush.
“You know, over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about this situation.
For something to be so wrong, it feels so right.
I should feel guilty, but I don’t, and I know a lot of that has to do with Maurice’s actions.
I want to lean into this, . . . into us, but I want it to be for the right reasons, not for revenge. ”
“Let me be clear, . . . you deserve revenge.”
“I agree, but?—”
“Hold on. Two things can be true at the same time. You can want revenge and have genuine feelings for me.”
“You know what? You’re right. The two are conflicting, so mentally, I separated them.”
“That’s understandable. I know what this is for me, and it ain’t got shit to do with Maurice, but I understand you might need some time to process your feelings.
I’m willing to give you that if you don’t mind doing it while I invade your space, burying my face and dick in your pussy as often as you’ll allow. ”
She laughed, but I couldn’t have been more serious.
“You can bury you face and dick in my pussy as often as you want.”
“That’s good to know, and I plan to take full advantage of your kindness. So, what kind of house are we looking for?”
“I want a house with at least three bedrooms, a nice-sized backyard, two or three bathrooms, and a basement.”
“In Chicago?”
She shook her head as she finished eating the food in her mouth. “No. I asked the realtor to look in Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park.”
I nodded. “Those are good neighborhoods and still close to the city.”
“That’s why I chose them. Living downtown is cool, but it’s overwhelming.”
“I agree, especially if your goal is to have a family. Speaking of, did you get a Plan B?”
She sighed. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do know.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I didn’t press her to respond. When she did, her answer was surprising.
“Your words were on repeat in my mind.”
“What words?”
“We want the same things out of life. It wouldn’t make sense not to have a baby we both want.”
“You’re right, and we can dive a little deeper. It wouldn’t make sense not to have a baby created by two people in love.”
“Yeah, that too. So, I didn’t get the Plan B, but maybe we should use protection until?—”
“Don’t waste your breath. I’ve felt your raw pussy wrapped around my dick. Ain’t no way on God’s green Earth I’ll agree to put something between us. I’ll do my best to pull—you know what? I’m not gon’ even tell that lie. I ain’t pulling out either.”
Again, she laughed, but I was more serious this time than I was before.
“We can talk about this later. I have to get back inside.”
“We can talk about it, but I said what I said.”
Before she could respond, I got out and went to help her do the same.
“You’ve been hiding this side of you,” she said as we waited to cross the street.
“What side of me?”
“This demanding, slightly aggressive side. I’ve never seen you like this.”
“You were dealing with your friend. I’m your man now, baby. You don’t like this side of me?”
“Quite the contrary. This side of you makes my panties wet.”
“Duly noted.”