Page 18 of Love's Free Will

I groaned. “Shut up.”

Serenity grinned. “He is kind of cute.”

I shook my head furiously. “It don’t matter how cute he is. His attitude is trash, and I can’t stand him.”

Arielle smirked. “But you’ve been thinking about how fine he is.” I opened my mouth—then closed it. Shit, I couldn’t stand her observant ass.

Serenity smirked, sipping her drink. “Mmhm… let me find out you gon come back home with a rapper on your arm.”

I rolled my eyes. “Go to hell.”

A week later,I stared at the pristine skyline from the floor-to-ceiling windows of my new temporary apartment, feeling an unease settle in my chest.

I was back in Atlanta. Not permanently. Not even long-term. Just a few months, I reminded myself. Still, the thought of being back in the same city as my overbearing mother, judgmental sister, and well-meaning but spineless father made me queasy.

I left Atlanta for a reason.

I left to carve out my own path, to prove that I didn’t need a husband, a white picket fence, and a baby at twenty-three to be successful. I left to prove that I wasn’t going to be a lawyer or a doctor or anything they could brag about at their country clubluncheons. I had dreams of my own, I set out long ago to achieve them and now those dreams had become my reality.

Now I was back in the city I grew up in, unable to ignore my mama’s attempts to straighten me out. And on top of that, I had to deal with Royal’s aggravating ass every day. What the fuck did I just sign up for?

I exhaled, running a hand down my face before glancing around my apartment. It was nice—I’d give my assistant that. Modern, spacious, minimalist with floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek black finishes. The living room had a massive sectional and an open-concept kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. But it wasn’t home. Because home wasn’t here, not anymore, hadn’t been for a while. Home was LA, with my girls.

I sighed, grabbing my keys and deciding to step out to grab something to eat. My fridge was still bare, and I needed a break from unpacking. I headed toward the elevator, pressing the button to call it to my floor. I leaned against the wall, pulling out my phone to text Egypt when the elevator doors finally slid open. And inside, standing with a look of equal confusion, was none other than—Royal fuckin’ Teegan.

My stomach dropped.You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me. We stared at each other for a solid three seconds before I broke the silence.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

He raised a brow. “Takin’ the elevator. What the fuck are you doin’ here?”

I exhaled slowly, stepping in beside him. “I mean, why are you in this building?”

He leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, looking annoyingly unbothered. “‘Cause I live here genius. The fuck you mean?”

I froze before staring at him. “No the fuck you don’t.”

He smirked. “I do, actually. Been here for two years.”

I closed my eyes, inhaling through my nose. Oh, I was going to kill my assistant. “This is a joke,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“Yeah, the joke is on you.”

I shot him a glare. “I am not living in the same building as you.”

His smirk widened. “Shit, don’t sound like you got a choice.”

I ignored the way my stomach tightened at the cocky way he was looking at me. That sexy smirk written all over his face, making me a little uneasy because I hated the way my heart fluttered. This was already a nightmare. I pulled out my phone and immediately typed out a text to my assistant.

Me: Brianna, find me a new apartment. ASAP. I don’t care what it costs.

Me: Also, you’re fired.

Brianna: Wait, what happened? I thought you liked it.

Me: Did you know Royal stayed in this building?

I saw the three dots flash across my screen before they disappeared. They reappeared seconds later before her response came in.

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