Page 33 of Verse Two
“With that said, though, I don’t want you getting anything in your head about where I am with her. Or where I am with you. I wasn’t hiding my history with LaShontae to spare her feelings or no shit like that. It wasn’t about her at all. I was tryna protect what we’re building. I realize I went about doing that in a fucked-up way.”
Her bottom lip was now tucked between her teeth, and she was avoiding my gaze altogether.
She said nothing, so I kept going.
“I don’t know what’s on her social media, but I am not with her, Dy. I haven’t been for months. Whatever I had with her isn’t even in the same universe as what I feel for you.”
Her shoulders relaxed a little when I said that. It took her a minute, but she finally spoke again. “I’m not gonna be out here looking or acting stupid because of you, Brixton.”
“You’re the smartest person I know, Dy, so none of that is even possible. I realize how my leaving things out where LaShontae was concerned feels like I lied to you and may be trying to play you. I apologize for that, but that’s not what’s going on here. I love you. I want you. Period.”
Minutes passed.
Then, slowly, she nodded. “Okay.”
That was all I needed.
A couple of hours later, we were back at my crib.
I let her step inside first before I entered and tossed my keys on the table. As I expected, Dy took her shoes off, placed them neatly by the entrance, then headed straight to my living room. I followed slowly behind her as she approached the glass door that led to the balcony and slid it open.
I had found her out there many times since she had been chilling at my crib. After our talk during dinner, she said we were letting the LaShontae thing go, but she hadn’t talked much during the ride home, and something told me she would be going to the balcony to try and escape me.
Too bad I wasn’t going for that.
In an effort to give her a few moments to herself, I took my time following her outside. Once I made it behind her, though, I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in the crook of her neck. I pressed my lips against it and smiled when I felt her body relax.
“Doll,” I said, inhaling her scent.
“Yes?” she asked softly. I loved the sound of her voice so much.
“Are we good?”
She didn’t respond right away, and I wasn’t a fan of her silence, so I turned her around in my arms. She avoided my eyes, but I gripped her chin gently, prompting her to look at me.
“I meant what I said at dinner, baby. I apologize about not tellin’ you the full story about ole girl, but I’m not thinkin’ about her or any other woman who ain’t you. I love you more than a lil bit. I’m not lettin’ up on you for anything or anybody.”
Her eyes pierced mine for the longest time. Then, finally, she smiled.
“We’re good, Brick.”
I chuckled as she rose on her toes with puckered lips. Without hesitation, I lowered my head and kissed my girl. Dy wasted no time slipping her tongue between my lips as a moan escaped her throat. Our kiss was slow, deep, and instantly cleared up any lingering static between us.
Dylan’s fingers curled into my shirt, and I pulled her closer to me, before backing us into the house. I guided her toward my sofa, and we sank into it together with our arms around each other and our mouths moving in sync.
Repositioning her body so that she was straddling me, Dy placed both hands on my chest and pushed until I was lying down. Looking more vulnerable than I had ever seen her, she tugged at her lip as she gazed at me. Staring right back, I asked her, “What’s wrong, baby?”
Shaking her head, she released her lip. “I just . . . love you, too.”
She looked away as soon as she said it, and her shyness in that moment made me smile. I had been making my love for Dy clear since the day we reconnected, and I knew she loved me, too, but this was the first time she had said it. I couldn’t lie; it had me a lil hype.
“Come here.”
I slipped a hand under her sweater and used the other to guide her upper body closer to mine. Tracing the warm skin of her stomach and chest, I kissed the hollow of her throat, and her breath hitched.
Placing my mouth against her ear, I said, “Say that again, Doll,” before I licked her ear.
Shivering, she let out a breathy sigh. “I love you,” she whispered.
