Page 25 of Only a Gemini Will Do

“So why did you?”

“You know exactly why I did what I did. I can’t be the first nigga to crash out behind that pussy, shawty,” I answered.

I could tell she almost wanted to laugh, but she held back. Her guard was still up, but I saw the crack in her armor. I swaggered over and joined her on the couch.

“You can’t charm your way through this, Kareem.”

“I’m not trying to charm you, shawty. I’m trying to earn you. I did the hard thing so that you wouldn’t have to.Now, come here,” I said, outstretching my arms.

“Kareem, I?—”

“I said, come here, shawty.” She finally leaned into my arms. “I don’t want to own you, Sawyer. I want to love you, to learnyou, every part, every crevice, everything,” I admitted, feeling softer than a pile of baby shit.

Sawyer twisted her neck to look up at me. “You love me, Kareem?”

I nodded slowly with my eyes stationed on hers. “Gotta be in love to do something this crazy, like risk my freedom. But I ain’t come all this way to put no extra pressure on you, shawty. I only came back to show you I’m here. And maybe one day, you’ll trust me enough to entertain the thought of leaving with me.”

“My waters are dangerous, Kareem,” she warned. “Can you swim?”

“I’m willing to learn. I don’t mind drowning for you, shawty. Because I’m not letting you go,” I declared.

I noticed what looked like a drop of hope in her eyes before it turned into something else. “You’re stubborn as hell, y’know that?”

I shrugged lazily. “I’m a Gemini, baby. You think I give a fuck if I started as the villain in your story? Because you and I both know I’m the hero now. I’ll never apologize for wanting you with me. For wanting us to be a family.”

She nodded. “I get it now. I do. And I’m sorry for leaving the way that I did. You’re right. I was scared. I still am.”

“It’s okay to be scared.”

“I can’t even imagine how you feel by risking your life and your freedom to be here for me right now.”

“There’s no other place I’d rather be, shawty. My home is wherever you are.”

The longer she remained in my arms, the faster the tension between us started to melt. The unresolved drama in the air had disappeared, leaving behind a peaceful silence as I gently rubbed her belly.

“In my past, love wasn’t always as warm and gentle as the word sounds, but I do want to give this a real shot. I thinkwe both owe it to the baby to see what comes of this,” Sawyer admitted while placing her hand on top of mine.

“Yeah. I do too.”

As I continued to rub her belly, I felt the baby kick for the first time. The feeling was so surreal that I stopped touching her stomach altogether for a few seconds.

Sawyer laughed softly, almost lightheartedly. “Did you feel it? She’s strong, right?”

“Baby girl is gonna be a soccer player with that type of power.”

She giggled again. “I know, right?”

“Hold up . . . Where’s your little furry guardian?” I questioned, looking around.

I’d forgotten all about her dog when I arrived.

“He’s at the overnight kennel. I’m supposed to pick him up in the morning. Why? You miss him?”

I shook my head while chuckling to myself. “I kinda do miss that little mothafucka. I don’t know why when he used to side-eye me like I owed him money.”

“That’s because you trapped him in the bathroom the first time you met him. He holds grudges like nobody’s business.”

“Dramatic, just like his mama.”