Page 41 of Love You Like That

I glanced at Ty sharply, frustration tight in my jaw. “Now?”

“Now.” He looked apologetic, but firm. “Fans are waiting. Money is on the line.”

My eyes shifted back to Yaya, noticing the brief flash of disappointment in her gaze. “I forgot I got some shit to do but—”

“It’s okay,” she said softly, understanding but clearly affected. “You should go. Handle your business.”

“How long you here?” I asked quickly, desperately. “In New York?”

“Just the weekend,” she said gently. “Came to support you… and do some shopping.”

I exhaled, running my hand over my locs, torn. “Ya number still the same?”

She nodded, eyes holding mine tightly. “It hasn’t changed.”

“I’mma call you as soon as I’m done,” I promised. “Answer when I do. Aight?”

She smiled faintly, something warm but guarded. “Okay. I’ll answer.”

“Ezra...” Ty pressed again, anxious.

“I’m comin’.” I turned back to her, stepping closer. “Don’t leave until we talk, Yaya. Promise me.”

She held my eyes, vulnerable and hopeful. “I promise.”

I stepped back reluctantly, allowing Ty to pull me toward the waiting SUV. Looking over my shoulder, I caught one last glimpse of her standing beneath the bookstore’s warm glow, her hand resting protectively over the gentle curve of her stomach.

The car pulled away, but my heart stayed behind, tangled in questions I needed answers to. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and exhaled. Because seeing her again just reminded me that the past wasn’t finished with us yet.

Is a ta l o n eat a small table in an intimate restaurant in Harlem. The candle flickered gently in front of me, casting amber shadows on the untouched bowl of pasta sitting beneath my gaze. I stirred it absently with my fork, my appetite lost in the storm of emotions swirling within me.

Seeing Ezra again felt like being hit by lightning—shocking, electric, leaving me breathless and trembling. Just seeing him standing there, tall and confident, commanding the room with poetry that felt torn directly from my own heart has reopened every wound I thought I had stitched shut.

And that moment when he saw my belly? The look on his face read pure shock, confusion, and vulnerability, all tangled into one heavy, silent stare. That replayed in my mind endlessly.

Six months ago, Ezra walked out of my apartment and my life. The silence he left behind was deafening. Then, three weeks later, the pregnancy test in my trembling hand turned positive, and my world flipped upside down.

I was terrified. Alone. Confused. I’d always imagined that moment differently. Imagined Ezra’s arms around me, his voice whispering reassurances and our joy mingling in shared tears. Instead, there was just quiet devastation, an empty apartment, and unanswered questions.

Telling my parents was the hardest part. My mother’s disappointment still burned like acid in my chest, and my father’s silent judgment cut deeper than any words ever could. They barely spoke to me after I told them I was keeping the baby. The strained dinners, awkward silences, and the subtle shame that lingered in their gazes pushed me further into isolation.

I pulled away from Jaylen soon after. He didn’t deserve my confusion or my baggage. And the truth was, no matter how gentle he was, my heart was never his. It still belonged to Ezra.

So, I threw myself into work, taking on the coveted position at Hollis Medical and making a life for myself and my unborn child that felt steady, secure, and independent. Still, late at night when the silence got too loud, I’d press my palm to my belly and whisper Ezra’s name, wondering if he ever thought of me.

When I saw the flyer for Ezra’s book signing at the café near my hotel earlier, my heart seized. I knew I shouldn’t go yet I couldn't stop myself. I’d spent the day avoiding calls from my girls, who were spending the weekend with me in New York, celebrating my pregnancy with spa days and fancy dinners. I’d told them I had a headache and snuck off alone.

And then he saw me. I didn’t know what I expected. Closure, maybe. But when his eyes met mine, there was nothing closed about it. There was raw, bleeding emotion, and a wound wide open, demanding attention.

My phone buzzed loudly on the table, snapping me from my thoughts. I glanced down and saw Erin’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hello?” I answered, voice shaky.

“Girl, where are you?” Her voice was playful but suspicious. I heard Dianna laughing in the background.

“I’m at a restaurant. Just… needed to think.”

“Mm-hmm,” Erin hummed skeptically. “Thinking about what or should I say who?”

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