Page 43 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

“You made your decision, Don. I’m not interested in talking to you about shit, my child is good. Somove around because there is nothing here for you.” She saw me and moved toward me almost like she knew my reaction before it surfaced.

“To be a fucking doctor you sholl is hard of fucking hearing.” Virtue stepped in front of me, eyes begging me to let it go.

“Look, buddy. This is between me and Virtue. I think it’s best if you go fin?—"

I jawed his yappy ass before he could finish his sentence. “Now it’s between me and you. Next time you see her, act like you don’t or fuck around and find out.”

“Was that even necessary?” Peach was pissed as we walked toward my car.

“Yup.” It probably wasn’t, but when it came to her a lot of shit I did was necessary. When she was involved I was short tempered about everything. No fuse no shit, years of therapy down the drain because I didn’t think when it came to her. I acted.

When we got into the car, she didn’t speak for a while at first, before I felt her eyes on me. I glanced in her direction. My hand landed on her thigh seconds later.

“I didn’t know he was there or let alone in the city.” She uttered those words softly. So soft that I barely heard her.

“Yeen had no contact with him sinc?—”

“Since I wouldn’t let him lie to me about leaving his wife. He told me he’d never claim my child. That was the last time I spoke to that man. And I swore on my life she would never need him a day in hers.”

And she still didn’t.

Instead of going backto my place, we ended up at hers. It was not only closer to the hospital, but closer in general. I wasn’t taking that long ass drive again tonight. Niggas was dead tired, but sleep wasn’t too much in the plans. I had to make sure shorty was okay. While she made us something quick to eat, I took the time to call Cartier and Cruz to make sure they were aware of what happened tonight. We’d be meeting sometime tomorrow,because they had to be fully in the loop about the whole ordeal. Not tonight though, because I wasn’t dotting this fucking door.

Stepping behind her, I allowed my hand to travel up her side as she stood at the stove flipping the pancakes. I got so lost in feeling her up that I forgot I was on the phone with Cartier. That shit happened a lot. I knew I was fucking up, but I couldn’t help it.

“Did you hear what I said?” he asked loudly.

“Nah, ‘cause you’re fucking yelling in my ear. What’s wrong?” By now I had leaned down and pressed my lips against the side of her neck. Our conversation from earlier wasn’t over, but the fact that’s she didn’t pull away from my embrace nor tell me to move let me know that we had some type of understanding.

“I said mattress shop in the morning old, distracted ass nigga.”

“Sound about right. If you know I’m distracted then hang the fucking phone up. I’ma see you tomorrow.”

He laughed but did as I requested prompting me to slide my phone in my back pocket before I gave her some space.

“Does this sort of thing happen a lot?” She sat my plate on the island for me to go to.

“What?”

“You or my brother getting shot at. Is it a normal occurrence?” Those big brown doe-like eyes now rested on me awaiting an answer.

Lowkey I wanted to lie to her and tell her it wasn’t, but I couldn’t do that. Not to her. “Not abnormal. Lotta niggas want my head, and plenty of ‘em want my life. Ain’t none of this shit a cakewalk, Peach. Hell life ain’t even a cake walk.”

She looked at me for a while, before nodding her head. I guess she accepted my answer. “And the person who shot my brother?”

“Nobody you need to be worried about. Do me a favor though, stay yo’ ass away from Aylo.” I probably should’ve told her the full, but that much I’d protecther from.

“Did he have something to do with my brother being shot?”

“Probably not, but I don’t want you ‘round him.”

She smiled. “You wanna tell me wh?—”

“You belong to me, Peach. I don’t want my lady ‘round no nigga, specially not the nigga I’m possibly beefing with.”

She smiled. “Your lady, huh?”

I nodded my head feeling myself relinquishing what in my mind felt like control. I hadn’t been this open with a woman or anyone since Mia. There was no room for error with this. I’m not saying this had to be perfect, but it had to be pretty fucking close, because I couldn’t take anything less…My trauma couldn’t.Her voice slit through my overthinking.

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