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Page 37 of Out of Bounds (Atlanta Demon Series #4)

The only reason I ended up at Koya and Deuce’s house was because the girls and I had gone shopping.

After we left Phipps, Koya wanted Jream and me to see what they’d done with their closets.

Lamar and I were supposed to go on a date tonight, but that train derailed quickly.

Koya was making those Aperol spritzers just a little too strong, and now my ass was drunk.

Deuce deciding to randomly throw some meat on the grill is another reason my ass is still planted in my seat.

Koya knew about my date, and since it looked like I was no longer going, she insisted that I invite Lamar over.

The only problem with that was that my ex was literally sitting a few feet away from me.

The man had been under me since he arrived, and I didn’t see him moving anytime soon.

Everyone kept encouraging me to invite Lamar over so they could meet him.

Hell, even Kreed was like, “Yeah, tell that nigga to come stop by,” knowing he was just talking shit.

But since the offer had been placed on the table, I thought, “What the hell?” When I reached out to Lamar to tell him the reason I was going to have to reschedule our date, he understood.

He revealed he’d had a long day and didn’t mind keeping it in the house tonight.

I thought I was off the hook until my loud-ass ex popped up over my shoulder, telling Lamar to stop by.

Reluctantly, he agreed, and now I was sitting here looking crazy because he was on his way.

My friends were a little different and had a tendency to do a little too much at times.

With the way everyone had been drinking, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

When the boys got together, they talked more shit than a little bit.

If Lamar and I were to get serious, I wouldn’t necessarily expect him to always come around my friends.

However, there would be instances where we would for sure end up in the same room as them.

This ultimately meant he and Kreed would be in the same room too.

Divorced or not, Kreed didn’t play fair at all, so I’m not sure how things were going to pan out with him and Lamar being in the same room tonight.

“You want this?” Kreed asked and held a plate out for me. “Or you waiting for yo’ nigga to get here?” He teased me.

“Do not start with me…” I frowned and took the plate out of his hand.

The guys decided, since Jream, Koya, and me had been drinking all afternoon, they would cook all of the food.

I was completely okay with that. With Kreed being out of the house, I went from cooking maybe two to three days a week to doing it at least five to six days a week.

“I’m just saying.” He held his hands up in surrender before swaggering off.

When he returned, he had a plate of his own and two beers.

Plopping back down on the sofa beside me, he set both beers on the table and slid one over to me.

“Tell me if you fucking with the corn or not. I switched my recipe up.”

“Why you changing shit?”

“I’on know.” He shrugged. “Trying something different.”

“It better be good too.” I kicked his thigh.

“How far out yo’ nigga is?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed. “Should be pulling up any minute.”

“That’s what’s up.” Kreed bit into a chicken leg before pointing it at me. “You like this nigga?”

“Kreed…” I whined. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” He feigned clueless. “I’m just asking a question, Masai.”

“I do.” I nodded sheepishly. “He’s a really go?—”

“Good guy…” He finished my statement. “So I’ve been told. I’m just tryna see what’s up with y’all. You had me worried after you know when…”

Untucking my foot, I set my plate on the table and used the napkin to wipe my hands. “That wasn’t one of my favorite moments,” I mumbled. “A lot of this is still fresh and is taking some getting used to. We’re good, though.”

“What that mean? You done let him hit it again?”

Pitching a tent with my eyebrows, I frowned. “Not having this conversation with you.”

“Shit…” he drawled. “You was willing to have it that night.”

“What we having?” Deuce’s loud ass asked.

“I’m talking ’bout the night Masai?—”

Before he could even get that shit out of his mouth, I covered it with my hand. The last thing I needed was for him to tell Deuce what had happened that night. He would never let me live it down. “Nothing!” I shrieked.

Kreed smiled against my hand before pulling it down from his face. “Ain’t shit. I’m just fucking with Sai.” He winked and went back to eating his food.

Unbeknownst to Kreed, Lamar and I had slept together a couple of times after that initial incident.

I had to get used to being intimate with someone other than Kreed.

Granted, after the first time, I didn’t think I would be able to do it again.

But I’d let any and all inhibitions go, and we’d been good so far.

I was vulnerable as hell that night and didn’t know what the hell to do or even where to begin.

I can admit that me calling Kreed was a mistake, but I was still learning that he was no longer my person.

Lamar and I had discussed that situation, and we moved past it.

My phone chimed with a text from him, letting me know that he was outside. When I went to stand, Kreed wrapped his hand around my wrist. “That’s yo’ nigga?”

“Yep.” Shaking myself free, I stood and slid my feet into my shoes. “I’ll be right back.”

Ambling out of the sunroom, I walked down the hall to the front door. When I pulled it open, Lamar was standing on the opposite side with his hand up like he was getting ready to knock.

“Hey.”

“What’s up, Masai?” he said and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his chest. “You’re drunk?”

“Just a little.” I giggled against his chest. “You didn’t get lost, did you?”

“Nawl.” He shook his head. “They must’ve known I was out front because the gate opened up as soon as I pulled up to it.”

I bet Deuce’s messy ass did that.

“Probably so. Come in.” I held my arm out and invited him through the door.

Lamar looped his fingers through mine and brought my hand up to his lips. “You look nice tonight.”

“I look like a lush.” I snorted and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Wished we had the chance to go out tonight. I would’ve looked even better.” I flirted.

“Sai, where you at?” Kreed yelled through the house.

Dropping my head back, I groaned. “Listen, they’re drunk. Like… over the limit, drunk. Please do not let my ex or any of my friends bait you. If they feel like they can get one over on you, they will.”

Pecking me on the lips, Lamar assured, “I can handle my own, baby girl.”

“I hope you can… Let’s go join the masses.”

Hand in hand, Lamar and I walked into the sunroom where everyone else was. Upon entering the room, all chatter ceased, and we now had the eyes of everyone.

“Guys… this is Lamar. Lamar, I’m sure you know the guys, but this is Koya, and that one right there is Jream.”

Sitting back down in my spot, I waited for Kreed to scoot over so Lamar could sit next to me. When his ass didn’t look like he was going to move, I hissed lowly, “Scoot over.”

“That nigga got plenty of room to sit down.” He frowned as he inched over just a little.

“Stupid,” I mumbled.

“Lamar, are you hungry? I’ll fix you a plate,” Koya offered.

“I’m sorry, Lam. Would you like something to eat?”

“No, baby. I ate before I came. Thanks for the offer, Koya.”

“Oh, no problem,” she replied cheerfully.

Things in the sunroom were eerily quiet.

My ex was sitting to the left of me, and my current was sitting to the right.

Kreed was sitting there like he was cool as a cucumber, but I could feel the anger radiating off of his body.

All it would take was one wrong thing to be said, and he was going to act a fool.

I should’ve stuck with my first mind and not invited Lamar over. It was too much too soon.

“Awkward…” Jrue sang, making me giggle.

“So, Lamar… What is it that you do again?” Kreed asked.

Eyeing him suspiciously, I licked the corner of my mouth. “He work?—”

Kreed cut me off. “Let the man talk, Sai. He got a mouth.”

Lamar chuckled and swiped the tip of his nose with his thumb. “I’m a sports analyst with ESPN. I’m sure you knew that already.”

“Analyst… Now that you mention it, I do remember Sai saying something like that. It pay pretty good?”

“Do not start.” I gritted my teeth.

“Substantial, and if that isn’t enough, then what I make from retirement handles the rest.”

“That’s what’s up. I ain’t tryna pry in your business or no shit like that. But Masai comes with five kids. That’s a lot to take on financially. You know…”

“I’m sure it is. But we don’t check bank accounts before we swipe cards over this way. I’m good.”

Tell him, baby.

Kreed was trying to be funny, but Lamar did extremely well financially.

Basketball money was a lot different than football money.

And even though Lamar only got to play for two seasons, his contract was paid out in its entirety, plus he received his retirement check monthly.

The man lived in a two-million-dollar mansion alone, plus he took care of his kids.

The last thing he was hurting for was some money.

Kreed shrugged. “Just trying to make sure.”

“Masai and her kids will be well taken care of, I can assure you that.”

“You mean, my. ” Kreed retorted.

“Come again?”

“You said, ‘her.’ What you meant to say was my, as in mine. Those are my kids.”

The back and forth would’ve been laughable if Kreed wasn’t trying to pull Lamar’s card. That man argued for a living, so there was no way Kreed thought he was going to back down. This shit was embarrassing the hell out of me, but for everyone else, it was pure entertainment.

“Actually… They’re half you and half Masai, so what I should’ve said was that y’all kids will be taken care of.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Clear it up then.”

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