Page 20 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
Our apartment was on the third floor, so I marched right over to the elevator and pressed the up arrow. I checked the time on my phone while waiting and saw that it was five minutes to four. The elevator arrived just as I happened to look up, and my heart lunged into my throat when Ivo parked on the curb andjumped out like he ran the block. He was still handsome as hell, custom tailored in the suit he’d worn earlier today.I could tell his presence rattled some of them outside, but they all showed respect and spoke to him like he was their OG, which I guess technically he was. Just as the elevator door was about to slide closed, he walked into the building, and our eyes connected instantly.
“This where you live?” he asked, taking in the plain lobby.
Behind me were rows of mailboxes and two chairs arranged around a small circle accent table. There was also a corkboard above the chairs with different flyers stuck to it for lost animals, apartments available, jobs, and even babysitters. You name it, and people put up a flyer for that shit.
“It’s not five star, but it’s home,” I said, shrugging and stepping onto the elevator.
He followed me on, and tension immediately thickened the air between us.
“So what did you want to talk about?”I asked, pressing the button for the third floor and sensing his eyes all over me.
“I didn’t know you was back. Why you ain’t reach out or say nothing?” Ivo wondered.
“And say what, Ivo? I’m not that eighteen-year-old girl who left. What was I supposed to say? You’re also very married to someone I used to consider a friend, and she doesn’t know anything about us.” I stepped onto my floor as soon as the door slid open.
Ivo wasn’t far behind me as we neared the door to 3C. I dug my keys out of my pocket and could hear the rap music blasting on the other side.
“Wasn’t much to tell though, right? I mean, we were just friends.”
Pausing, I cut my eyes at him something serious, and he cocked a brow sexily.
“You know damn well it was more than that. Or was that just my imagination?” Turning the key, I unlocked the door and pushed it open.
“You just gon’ make me stand out here in the hall like some fuck nigga?” he asked, waiting in the hall for me to invite him in.
Sighing, I shook my head, and the aroma of Pine Sol struck my nose.The living room was spotless, with the pea green microfiber couch and loveseat arranged around the small oak and glass coffee table. It was a cheap set I got from one of those rent-to-own places, but it was nice enough for me. There wasn’t much on the walls, only because I didn’t plan on planting roots around here. The only other furniture we had was a dining room table and my bed and a dresser in the bedroom. Sapphire stored his shit in totes for the time being and the front hall closet.
Beside the door, I tossed my key on the accent table pushed against the wall. I usually just dropped stacks of mail there, like now. It had piled up over the last few days, and I hadn’t bothered to check any of it. Ivo closed the door and peered around curiously.
“Em, that you?” Sapphire emerged from the kitchen about eight steps to our right.
With his phone in his hand, he turned the music off to the Bluetooth speaker on the counter. In basketball shorts and a wife beater with his Nike slides, he paused and dried his hands on a dish towel.
“Yeah, and I brought dinner.” I held up the bag of food.
“Good looking. I’m starving and gotta get to practice.” His big brown eyes lit up, which left me grinning.
My baby brother was already over six feet tall, and I had to crane my neck to address him. With bright hazel eyes and sandy brown hair, he was adorable. Our faces had the same structure, slim with matching noses. There was no denying that we were related.
“Thank you for cleaning up.” I sighed and pulled my jacket off in the dining room area between the living room and kitchen. “This is Ivo.”
“Didn’t you used to hang out in high school?” Sapphire queried with a slight frown.
“You remember that?” I asked, shocked that he held that memory.
“Yeah, he always brought me something when he came to pick you up so I wouldn’t tell Pop.” Sapphire bobbed his head.
Chuckling, Ivo paused at the table and shook hands with him.
“You huge now, bro. What position you play?”
“Point guard,” Sapphire answered, pulling out the food containers from the bag.
I grabbed ribs, steak fries, and a salad big enough for both of us.
“That’s what’s up.”
“What you doing here though?” Sapphire asked, plucking a fry in his mouth.
