Page 49 of Memphis

“And from what I’ve heard, you can’t have children? Now, how is that going to work?” his mother directed to me.

My head swiveled around to face her. “How is that your business?” I could feel Bo’s eyes on me, sense his pride.

“My son is my business,” she advised me.

“I’m a grown ass man!” Bo shouted.

“A man with obligations,” she countered.

There was a stare-down between mother and son before Bo damn near yanked me out of the house muttering, “Fuck this.”

Then…

The rideback to her place was silent until she said, “Does Layla live with you?”

I frowned. “Hell naw! You’ve been to my place. You know I live alone.”

“Yeah, but you’re always at my place. We rarely go to yours.”

“Because Ilikeyour place.”

“Hmm…”

“Come on, King. You don’t seriously think I’m going to marry her. I’m always with you. I loveyou!”

“Your mom believes it vehemently.”

“Shewantsit vehemently. She don’t get to choose for me.”

“You told her about my hysterectomy?”

“Of course I didn’t. She has the same resources as I do. It would be easy for her to find out.”

“Hmm…”

“King—”

“When we get to my place, don’t come inside.”

My fucking heart stopped. “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, I need time to think about all this.”

Shaking my head, I slapped the steering wheel. “No!”

“No? The fuck you mean no?”

“My bad, I meant to sayhellno. You don’t need to think about shit!”

“Bo, have you lost your mind?”

“Not yet, but I will if you try to shut me out.”

“I need to think.”

“No the-fuck you don’t.”

A millisecond after I parked in her parking lot, she hopped out of my car and I hopped out right behind her ass, pacing her all the way to her apartment and catching the door before she could slam it in my face.

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