Page 74 of Girl, We Go Together
“Mm-hmm,” she said, brushing it off with a wave. “Just these old bones acting up. Now, go on before I change my mind and keep both of y’all here to eat my leftovers.”
We all laughed again, and I felt an easy sense of comfort that I hadn’t known in a long time. The kind that made my heart ache a little because it reminded me what peace felt like. As I sat back in the passenger seat, Ms. Flora was using Oriana’s hand and waving goodbye to us. My baby didn’t cry, and she didn’t fuss. Maybe she was just as comfortable as I was starting to become.
Dinner was quiet at first, the good kind of calm. I had shared so many uncomfortable silences with Orion that this stillness was welcoming. We sat at a small restaurant tucked off the main strip of Downtown Brooklyn. The lights were dimmed low, and candles flickered on every table. I caught Kassidy staring at me more than once over his menu, and each time, I pretended not to notice. Catching him steal little glimpses had me lowkey blushing.
“You look good, Cay,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “Real good.”
I felt my cheeks warm.
“Thank you,” I said softly before looking around at the restaurant. “This is nice.”
I didn’t remember this spot being here the last time I visited Downtown Brooklyn, so I figured the place was new. Italian was one of my favorite kinds of food. Being as attentive as he was, I was sure he remembered me mentioning that in high school. Back then, he would stop at the local pizzeria to get me their lasagna because it was so good.
“It is,” he agreed. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
I smiled while tracing the rim of my glass. I’d already had two glasses of wine, so I had to indulge in more breadsticks than I would have wanted to keep the buzz away. If I had too many more drinks, I was sure my ass would have gone to the bathroom, taken off my lace panties, and then slyly handed them to him under the table. Being in the presence of a man who made me feel wanted was such a refreshing feeling. His comment alone made me think of how he would look at me in high school. I was too busy being stuck on Lamont to appreciate Kassidy’s glances. I remember one time Lamont and I had gotten into it in the halls, and Kassidy came right when I was about to lose my shit. Now that I think of it, Lamont always had a wandering eye; my weight gain only made it worse. It was nice of Kassidy to be there then in my time of need, and it was nice for him to be here now. I smiled slightly at the distant memory.
“You always had good timing.”
He chuckled low. The sound rumbled deep in his chest.
“Nah, I was just waiting on you to see that I was around. I was waiting on you to see me,” he looked away like the honest moment tugged at something in him.
That earned him a playful side-eye, but deep down, I knew he wasn’t wrong. Back then, I always had this feeling that he was interested in me, but I didn’t look at him like that. I definitely saw him now, though. A little piece of me wished I had seen him then. My future probably would have turned out way differently if I had.
The waitress dropped our plates on the table and then gave us both a smile before scurrying off. Silently, we ate for a bit, I guess, stuck in our thoughts. I was sure we both were sifting through the what-ifs of our life stories. After a few, I had to break the silence.
“Your grandma… she’s okay, right? I noticed she was limping a little.”
He nodded before setting his fork down. “Yeah. She has diabetes. She’s been managing it for years, but lately she’s lost a little feeling in her feet. The doctor says it’s neuropathy. She doesn’t complain, though. That’s always been her. She acts like she’s fine even when she’s hurting.”
My heart softened even more.
“She’s still sweet. You can tell she raised you right.”
He smiled, looking at me with something quiet in his eyes. The kind of look that carried both gratitude and regret.
“She tried to. I didn’t always listen.”
The weight of that truth hung between us for a minute, but he didn’t linger in it. Instead, he reached across the table and rubbed the back of my hand, which rested gently on the surface.
“I still can’t believe you're sitting across from me right now,” he said.
I smiled. “Me neither.”
Kassidy gave me a feeling of security that scared the shit out of me. But as I looked in his brown eyes, I knew I could trust him and that I was safe here. I had to be, because honestly, I couldn’t take any more heartbreak. I was at a point in my life where I was scared to try love again, but I knew one thing for sure… the next nigga to do me wrong was going to pay for the two men before them as well.
Chapter 26
Cayla
When we pulled up to Ms. Flora’s house, the porch light was still glowing. The air was cool, and the faint sound of barking dogs filled the quiet between us. One thing I loved about living in New York was that it was truly the city that never slept. Kassidy parked in front of the house and turned off the car.
“She probably fell asleep on her,” he said with a small smile.
“Yeah,” I murmured, glancing toward the front door. “Ori usually knocks out around the same time.”
We sat silently in the car for a little moment. Before I could pop my door open, he had leaned over the center console and gently kissed my lips. He pulled back and then stared me in the eyes as if he had done something wrong. Before he could open his mouth to apologize, I quickly leaned over and kissed him again. This time, I let my lips open slightly and let my tongue explore his mouth. In silence, our tongues danced to their own tune. At the end of our kiss, he tapped my lips one last time and then tapped my nose with a gentle peck.
