Page 60 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

By the time I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, I felt his body near mine. Though he was just across the room, I could feel him move.

“You good?” I knew I was right when not only did I smell him, but I also felt his presence. It was heavy, not in a bad way but in one of those ways that made the connection stronger than anything. I probably sounded crazy, but that was the best I could explain it.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I glanced up and my eyes caught his. Concern was etched in his handsome features, it had been for a few days now. I didn’t know what was going on, but it was something, I could feel it.

His hand touched the side of my neck, resting around the back of it before he leaned over pressing his lips to my temple.

“What did you do to my brother, Peach? Niggas can’t evenfocus on a conversation without migrating over to you.”

I laughed. “You tell me.” My eyes never left Cartrek’s, because we had that unspoken eye thing as well as this down ass connection going on right now.

“She ain’t did shit to me.” His mug transformed into a smirk before he finally broke our eye contact and looked toward his brother.

“Shidd. You a witch or something, Peach? Wiggling yo’ nose in the shadows like old girl fromBewitched,” Cartier asked making both myself and Jovie laugh while Trek flipped him off. Then like the fool he was, he started attempting to wiggle his nose.

“What, I’m dead ass just asking.”

“I bet you were.” I waved his foolishness off, before my focus went back to Cartrek. He was here physically, but not here. He was thinking a lot…about what, I wasn’t sure. Then every time he’d distract me by starting a whole other conversation about something different or initiating physical contact. “I’m good, Peach, now come up outta these,” he’d say.

Though the nightwas still young it was time to turn in. Cartier and Jovie cut out as soon as she started yawning and rubbing on her pudge. Then when Cartrek started touching all over me, pulling me in his lap I knew he was ready to go. Right when he and I were about to cut out, Cruz was also leaving with a blonde.

“Isn’t he married?” I asked Cartrek when we were settled into the car.

He nodded. “According to the state, and on paper but him and her been on their own shit for years.”

“Oh, why doesn’t he just divorce her?”

“Too much drama and they got lil’ ones. Who wants to put them through that?”

I nodded my head, understanding. “I guess, but if I was unhappy I wouldn’t stick around and make somebody elseunhappy.”

“Probably not, but every female ain’t you, Peach. You’re secure in you. Even though you ain’t going nowhere, you ‘on’t need me for shit for real, for real.”

“Oh, so she’s holding him hostage.”

He laughed. “Pretty much.”

I got it and understood completely what he was saying, but it didn’t mean it was something I resonated with.

His hand found mine in the middle of the console before he lifted it up bringing it to his lips.

“And no, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I didn’t ask you if you were. I know yeen going nowhere.” He said that with more confidence than anything.

“Tell me something.”

“Anything, what’s up?” I felt his eyes momentarily, before they settled back on the road.

“What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

“What do yo?—”

“The truth.”

“I ain’t never told you a lie,” he countered defensively.

“I know, but what are you not telling me? Checking in almost every hour. Not that I don’t like talking to you, but I know you’re a busy man. Random drives to your house for routine changes. Concern etched in your fea—” I was prepared to list more instances that I’d paid attention to. I was fine with not knowing everything, but I needed to know some things.

---