Page 55 of Mister Concierge

With a sigh, I tried not to convince myself that moving out was a bad idea. My job was here, my man was here, and my gym and new obsession, the pool, were here. Now that I’d officially learned how to swim, I was taking laps around the pool at least four times a week.

“Maybe I could just rent a room here,” I reasoned. “That’s good enough, right?”

Hosea smiled as he wrapped his arm around me.

“Whatever you’re most comfortable with, Tink. Just know you’re going to be my wife soon, so don’t buy a whole house worth of shit that you’re going to have to put in storage if you leave.”

My eyes rolled playfully. “How do you know I’m not going to use what I’m getting from L.A.?”

“Because I know you. Every time you move into a new place, you want new things, including clothes.”

That was so true. I couldn’t help but laugh. Everything that Raven was bringing back was going into storage, except my photo albums and mementos. That was why I hadn’t been in a rush to get it. Now that I didn’t have to pay rent there anymore, it was time.

“Well… I’m just going to take a little time and think it through. I miss you and this place already and I haven’t even left you.”

“You don’t have to.”

Looking up at him, I remained silent as we headed to the valet area where our bikes were waiting for us. Trust. That was what set my relationship with Hosea apart. Did I want to leave because I didn’t fully trust our future? Or was this my way of proving that I did trust that we’d end up together, no matter what? I needed to figure out which one it was, because I was sure the answer to whether or not I needed to leave was wrapped inside.

* * *

“I don’t trust his ass,” Saint said on FaceTime, and that led Hosea to saying… “I don’t either, that’s why I’m going with her.”

“Y’all think he wants me back, or y’all just don’t like him in general?” I asked.

As he said he would, Raven had come to Memphis with a truck full of my things. Since I decided to just rent a room at the Tower—well… Hosea was blocking off a suite for me at the Tower—I was meeting Raven at a nearby storage unit so he and his cousin could put everything in storage. I told him Hosea and the guys were more than willing to take it from there, but Raven insisted on handling it for me. I questioned him about it, and he said this was his way of fixing how he left things between us. He acknowledged how out of nowhere the breakup was and that we deserved better, which I respected.

“I think he ain’t to be trusted, period,” Saint said before taking a pull of his blunt. “I never liked his ass, that’s why I wanted you close. Y’all were here for a short period of time, but his reputation precedes him already.”

“How so?” I asked, and Saint shook his head.

“Just know him letting you go was for the best.”

My shoulders sagged as Hosea came and sat next to me. He had a few things to take care of at the Tower, but it wouldn’t take long.

“Was he cheating, or was it something else?”

Saint’s head tilted as he sighed. I could tell he didn’t want to open up to me. “He was cheating. I didn’t find out until y’all broke up, or you know it would have been off with his fucking head.”

That made me laugh, but I knew my brother was serious. Saint didn’t play about his role as my protector. Physically or mentally and emotionally, he and Hosea would always be my first call.

“I am surprised to hear that. He hid it well.” I shrugged and looked over at Hosea. “I’m not fucked up about it, though. I’m on to better things.”

“Y’all finally in a relationship?” Saint asked as Hosea smiled at me.

I waited for Hosea to respond, and his answer was, “Yeah.”

Saint nodded, looking from one of us to the other. “Y’all take care of each other. I don’t want to have to beat neither one of y’all asses for the other, so be good.”

We both laughed as Hosea stood. “I promise I got her, bro. She’s good.” He placed a kiss on my forehead before telling me, “I know you’re leaving out in a few to meet that nigga. Send me your location and let me know when you’re headed out. I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” I agreed before returning my attention to Saint and our call until it was time for me to go.

The storage unit was just a few minutes away, so I didn’t leave until Raven told me he was five minutes out. As Hosea requested, I sent him my location, plus the address of the storage unit, just in case my service went out. More than anything, I think he wanted to make sure Raven knew his chance to make things right between us was gone. I could respect that because I felt the same way about Mariah. I had every intention of letting Hosea handle his situation, but I also wanted her to know I was here and not going anywhere because of her presence.

Things were going so great between Hosea and me, I was literally blind when it came to other men. Since I’d returned to Memphis, my life finally felt like my own. I was with the people I loved. I was restoring my relationship with my mom and spending more time with my family, I absolutely adored the staff and the lounge, hell the Tower in general, and my relationship with Hosea was the most fulfilling relationship I’d ever been in.

We were deeply connected, but we still gave each other space to maintain our individuality. I think that was why I wanted to move out. It almost felt too perfect, and usually when things felt perfect, some shit was about to pop off.

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