Page 113 of Steel

It was early Saturday morning.

I’d gotten up to make breakfast for everyone. Even though I’d gotten in late last night, I felt well rested. Speaking of last night, it owed me nothing. When Kerrion first asked us to join him and his people, I was a little nervous. We’d only been around them once, and we were still very much the outsiders. I hadn’t been to the last Sunday dinner, but Nayelli had. It wasn’t that I was isolating myself from his family. I just wanted her to get to know them on her own time. She deserved time with them without be hovering around.

Now that Kerrion and I were kind of a thing, I guess that was about to change. As last night went on, things just felt seamless. They were a rowdy bunch, but it was nothing but good vibes. When we went back inside, we’d headed for the dance floor. Dancing with him brought back memories. Friday nights whenwe decided to stay on campus, we would hang out in either one of our dorm rooms, listening to music.

I loved to dance, so it was never long before I was shaking what my mama gave me. Last night was no different. We must have danced to at least six songs before my feet started screaming. His people joined us on the dance floor, and it was a real party.

At one point during the night, the guys went outside to smoke, leaving Dinah and me with the girls. They were welcoming upon our first meeting, and it felt even more natural this time. Since Shar and Jaeda couldn’t drink, because they were both pregnant, Shar insisted on feeding those of us who weren’t pregnant, shots.

I finally got to see exactly what he meant by Shar and Maceo fucking anywhere. They disappeared from the group, and we didn’t see them again. Eventually, they sent a text saying they were headed home. We stuck around for another thirty minutes or so before the rest of us decided to dip out too.

The sound of the front door creeping open broke me from my thoughts. I peeped around the corner to see Dinah creeping in, wearing her outfit from last night.

“Bring that ass here!”

She dropped her head back and groaned. When we left the club last night, I came home alone because she’d left with Kaylynn. She sauntered into the kitchen, hiding her face.

“Don’t be ashamed now,” I said, placing my hands on my hips.

“I’m not ashamed, bitch. I’m tired as hell. I’m running on fumes.”

“She pulled that backpack out on you?”

She grinned. “Girl, . . . we had a time last night. She’s so pretty but so aggressive. I wasn’t expecting her to handle me like that. I’m not complaining, though; we needed that.”

I laughed. “Good for you.”

“You’re up early as hell. Or have you not been to sleep?”

“Unlike you, my flesh brought me home last night.”

She pointed at me. “Don’t do me.”

“You did it to yourself.”

“And Kerrion could have done it to you. The way you two were all over each other last night, I thought for sure you were going home with him.”

“Nope. I mean, I should have. The way that man had me the other night?—”

Dinah came alive. “Wait a minute now! You slept with him?”

“You didn’t think he spent the night for nothing.”

“Oooo! Spill it, bitch. Was it as good as you remember?”

“Better.”

She squealed. “I know that’s right. No wonder you’ve been around here glowing and shit. You two clearly dug up those feelings you had for each other. That was very apparent last night. That man was ready to bend your ass over that balcony for the whole city to see. I didn’t see this friendly, co-parenting bid lasting long, anyway.”

I shrugged. “I still love him, Dinah.”

“Girl, you ain’t telling me shit I don’t already know. I’m not blind. It was all in your aura last night. Both of you.”

“You think this could work?”

She rounded the counter and grabbed my hands. “I think you should follow your heart. There is no way that you ended up with a job offer in the same city as your first love and it not be a sign. Keep communicating with him. Keep being open and honest, because that makes a world of difference.”

“I know, I know.”