Page 46 of Hooked on Loving Him

“Hold up, speedy. Let me get a pepperoni pizza and a medium Pepsi,” I say, cutting the girl off before she can give us the total for Ashari’s order.

“Oh. Well then, your total is twenty-five eleven,” the girl says, popping the gum that falls from her mouth before she picks it up, reinserts it, and resumes chewing it like nothing happened.

“You know what. Cancel that order.” Dropping my wallet back in my pocket, I pull Ashari away from the counter and toward the exit because I’m cool on either of us consuming anything in here.

“Did she really do that?” Ashari asks as we exit the building.

“Fuck yeah. If she didn’t hold back with a piece of gum, what else does her unsanitary ass do when no one is watching? Ishould call the health department because I’m fucking irritated and disgusted.”

“It probably won’t do anything, but what are we gonna eat? I’m still hungry.”

“How about we get a pizza from somewhere else since that seems to be what you want?”

“I can live with that, but what about the nachos and icee? I want those too.”

Stopping our forward progress, I stare wordlessly at Ashari because I thought for sure she would change her mind once we couldn’t get those things from the concession stand.

“Kayshon,” she whines while giving me a puppy dog look that pulls at my heartstrings, forcing me to give in.

“I’ll go by the movie theater on the way to get the pizza to get them, okay?”

“Okay.” Her whole face lights up as I shake my head and continue to where my vehicle sits in the third spot near the front door.

I’m not sure what’s up with Ashari, but she better be lucky I love her ass and will never deny an opportunity to make her happy.

Two days later…

“Thank you,Kayshon. I love you for taking care of me,” I say, snuggling under my blankets as my legs rock back and forth.

“Let me find out that all I had to do was bring you a care package to get those three words outta you. I love your aggy ass too, Shari.”

Unlike most women whose pre-menstrual and menstrual issues make them either extremely mean or crave chocolate, I’m a super eater. I crave food in general; most of the time, it is the types of foods that don’t mix and are similar to pregnant women. I’m sure Kayshon thought I was crazy after our date, and my food cravings made me eat like someone whose diet had failed.Kayshon had been giving me the side-eye the entire time I ate after we got back to his house, yet I didn’t address it. Now, here I am in bed, dealing with the entrance of my monthly cycle. It always makes me want to slap fire out of Eve for allowing that serpent to steal the plan of us women.

“As long as you continue to give me reasons to love you, I’ll let you be aggy. Now, hush.” Closing my eyes, I groan as pain radiates through my midsection, causing me to want to end conversations between Kayshon and me.

Feeling the bed dip, I grimace because the pain increases with that subtle movement, causing me to jump slightly when Kayshon’s arm comes around my waist. His hand gently rubs circles on my stomach, and somehow, it soothes me.

“Loving you doesn’t change whether you’re aggy or not, so I’m good, Shari,” Kayshon whispers.

I don’t respond because the comfort of his hold and the gliding of his hand allow my body and mind to settle into a peaceful slumber.

*zzit, zzit*

The blaring of my phone stirs me awake, seemingly minutes after I got comfortable in the depths of my sleep. “Shit!”

*zzit, zzit*

“Can you answer my phone, Kayshon?” I ask without moving because the opening of my eyes also causes the return of the cramps I’m desperate to push through.

“Oh, I know your ass is in a rare mood, but yeah, I got you.” Kayshon releases my waist and gets out of bed to grab my phone. “Hello.”

Kayshon goes silent as whoever is on the phone says whatever they need before a chuckle leaves his mouth, causing me to peek my head from under the blankets.

“Who is it?” I ask.

“It’s your dad, who is acting like the world is about to end because some strange nigga is answering his baby’s phone,” Kayshon says, smirking.

“Oh, Lord. Jeffrey Weeks is so dramatic,” I grumble, watching Kayshon’s eyes as light and merriment fill them, letting me know that Dad isn’t saying anything bad or threatening. “Put it on speaker.”

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