Page 8 of Save Room for Us

For the next hour, we mingled, took some pictures, and ate food, but when the ladies wanted to start dancing, I decided to sit that out. It was only so much pretending I could do, and right now, I wasn’t in the dancing mood.

Sitting down at one of the tables, I gripped the beer I’d decided to try, because fuck it, and took a big gulp as I chuckled subtly at the ladies dancing and the boys making lewd or funny comments.

I heard the sliding door to the backyard open, and out stepped Asif with that same girl he was always around. She happily pranced across the yard as Asif trailed her, busying himself with his phone. She was so happy to be in his presence, and it was obvious. She didn’t miss the chance to shoot me a nasty look as she switched over to where the rest of the ladies were.

I snickered to myself because she was doing too much for no reason. I highly doubted she was Asif’s only one, so she was right to be suspicious, but I wasn’t even close to being one of those bitches, so she should’ve been putting her energy elsewhere.

“I’m just curious, didn’t you say you was gon’ whup all of our asses?” Presley quizzed Milan as soon as she was near.

“I said everyone except Yolani.” She looked around Scotland, who she was in front of, and waved to Yolani excitedly.

“Okay, so what’s up?” Analicia questioned, and I prayed the girl didn’t touch my baby sister because then I would have no choice but to clock her. When it came to my sister, I didn’t care if people considered it jumping—I didn’t like people putting their hands on her.

Scotland and Couture eyed Milan as well, all four ladies waiting for her reply. Yolani hadn’t moved from Cemone’s lap, and I didn’t blame her, considering she was rich out the ass, and all it would take was for her to step on Milan’s foot, and she could get a cool little payday out of her.

“Nothing. I was just mad that day, but I’m good.” Milan looked at me out the corner of her eye as the ladies mumbled and dispersed, leaving her be.

The festivities continued, and I stayed in my seat, just watching. Whilst I wasn’t in the mood to mingle, I enjoyed seeing the couples, the brothers, and then the ladies interact.

The chair at the table I was seated at grated across the concrete, making me look to see who was about to sit down. When I saw Asif’s handsome face, butterflies seized my stomach. I didn’t know what it was about him, considering every man in this backyard was handsome, but he did something to me. He made me nervous, and I wasn’t exactly the type of bitch to get nervous around men. I was what people called a maneater back in the day; minus the promiscuity.

“Why you over here alone?” He moved the chair to be closer to me and sat down, his cologne wafting over me.

Currently, he was in a Nike tracksuit, and though simple, he made it look like runway fashion. The icy ass chain with the lettersMFMhung from his neck, making me wonder what it stood for.

“I’m just not in the jolliest mood, and I didn’t want to be a wet blanket.” I sipped the beer again, deciding right then it would be my last due to the disgusting taste.

“Oh, aight. Well then, I guess a nigga can keep you company for a little bit.”

No, please go away so I can relax.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ve already gotten two nasty looks from your girlfriend, and you haven’t even been here for an hour,” I half joked, stealing a look at his handsome face.

He was Prime’s twin, only younger with more facial hair and dreads he’d grown out even longer since the first time I’d seen him. Currently, he had them tied down with a do-rag on, so they flowed down his strong back.

Like his father, though, he bore the same pretty green and amber eyes, same full lips, same caramel complexion, build, height, and even some of his father’s mannerisms. But whilePrime had more of a welcoming demeanor, Asif came off slightly guarded like you would only know what he wanted you to know. He was different from the Comptons in that way, more mysterious. Asif was strategic personified, and that was attractive to me for some reason.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. We just cool.” He slipped his hand into his pocket, blinding me with his watch as a cute, crooked smile graced his lips.

“Just cool, huh? Well, you have a hell of a protective bestie,” I said, making him laugh.

That was alluring too. It was deep and gansgta, like he only laughed if shit wasactuallyfunny and in front of only certain people.

Letting his laughter cease, he said, “She ain’t gon’ fuck with you, especially knowing you’ll shoot a muthafucka.”

He was joking with me, but it immediately dampened my mood. For a moment, I had put that incident to the back of my mind somehow, and now it was back at the forefront, and I was ready to go home, cuddle with my baby, and sleep.

“Right.”

“It was a joke, baby. I apologize. It was too soon, huh?” He stared at my side profile for a minute, and finally, I got the courage to turn slightly and look him in the eyes.

“No, no, it’s okay.” I shook my head, lying. I didn’t want him feeling bad when he had no reason to. I had, in fact, shot a muthafucka.

“Next time you need to take a muthafucka out though, holla at me.” He stood, towering over me and making his sexy cologne become more pronounced.

I seemed to fall into a trance as his tongue ran across his bottom lip, something he often did on the rare occasions we made eye contact. I didn’t know what it meant to him, but it was giving sexual tension on my end.

“What are you, my personal hitta now?” I smiled up at him, becoming more comfortable with looking this Greek god of a man in the eyes.

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