Page 20 of Loyalty, Lust, Love
“Yeah.”
She shrugged because she really didn’t know what to think. “I don’t know. Thirty is a long time from now. Do you think we’ll still be friends?”
“Why wouldn’t we be? Are you wishy-washy?” he teased, using the words she used the day they met.
“No, I’m not wishy-washy,” she denied.
“Then why wouldn’t we still be friends? Couples should be best friends, right?”
“I guess. Before my mom died, her and my dad seemed like they were best friends.”
“Hmm, mine didn’t. I mean, my dad was nice to her when she was sick, but before she got sick, they weren’t nice to each other sometimes.”
They sat quietly in deep thought for a moment before Lynx had a suggestion.
“Let’s make a promise to each other. We'll stay best friends forever, and if we haven’t found someone we want to marry by the time we turn thirty, we’ll marry each other.”
Fateema pondered Lynx’s words for a moment before responding.
“Okay. Pinky swear?”
“Pinky swear.”
They intertwined their pinkies for a moment and went back to eating their cupcakes.
Chapter 8
Present Day
“Idon’t come home often, and my friends want to chill with me before I leave,” I told Shyla.
It was late Sunday morning, the day after Lynx buried his father, and Shyla wanted him to take her on a tour of the city. She’d never been to Chicago and was looking forward to doing some sightseeing before her flight later that night.
“I’m leaving tonight, and you’ll be here until Friday. Can’t you chill with them after I leave?”
“I can and probably will, but we planned to chill today before I knew you would be here.”
“They were here until after midnight last night, and I could barely fall asleep because it was so loud. What more do you have to talk about?”
“Only Adam and Joaquin were here, but I’m not going back and forth with you about what I want to do with my day. You can chill with us, or I’ll pay for an Uber to take you around the city.”
“Ugh, fine.”
She stomped away without telling him what she’d decided. He didn’t particularly care because what she did with her time didn’t affect him. The next time he saw her, she was dressed injeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, and he could tell she had an attitude by her demeanor.
“Lose the attitude, or you can head to the airport early. It’s been a trying couple of weeks, and all I want is good vibes.”
“Is Fateema coming?”
Lynx frowned because he thought it was strange of her to specifically ask about Fateema.
“Why does it matter?”
“Are you sure the two of you are just friends?”
“We’re more than friends. She’s my best friend and soulmate, so watch what you say about her.”
“I knew y’all were fucking. Is that why you made me stay in the guest room?”
