Page 4 of Where You Should Be

Ever since the first week she got here, we’d been cool. However, while they were in Dallas for a week or so was when she initiated our friendship. I’d promised Jericho that I wouldn’t pursue his sister, but he finally came around and said whenever I was ready to settle down, I had his blessing. I was glad I didn’t withhold shit from him. While I didn’t tell him everything, I told him what he needed to know.

That day I laid her body on top of mine, she’d slept like a baby. The minute I tried to get up, she woke up, wanting to be everywhere I went. I ended up staying home with her a couple of days until she got familiar with a couple of guys from my team that I trusted. She trusted Vegas more, though, so I took one of my other boys with me when I needed to bend some corners.

She was giving me a hard time because she wanted to be more than friends. The crazy thing was that she told me she was gonna keep doing that shit until I saw what she saw. What she didn’t know was that I already saw it. I just didn’t feel like I was ready. After all she’d been through, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

When my phone rang, I thought it was her calling. I was about to answer with an attitude. When I saw Kennedy’s name, I kept that same energy. “What?” I answered.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I was running late because I got caught up with my cousin. We still have time to make it if I just meet you there.”

“Naw. I done got undressed, and I have some shit to do that I was putting off so I could spend time with you. So keep kicking it with yo’ cousin.”

“Jungle, are you upset?”

“Hell yeah. I don’t like wasting my time. I can’t get that shit back. Don’t fucking waste my time, Kennedy,” I reiterated. “Just because yo’ shit ain’t valuable don’t mean mine ain’t.”

“I apologize, Jungle. I’ll let you go. Maybe we can hook up when I come back.”

“If I’m not busy. I ain’t putting off shit I have to do to kick it wit’chu no more. If I’m not a priority, then neither are you. Enjoy your time with yo’ people.”

I ended the call… the same shit Chelsea did to me. Kennedy never got an attitude with me though. That made me think she was playing with me. I didn’t like that shit. If being with me was on her list of priorities, she wouldn’t have lost track of time. She would probably get one more time to make that shit right. If not, I would be done, especially since I was the nigga affording most of those fucking flights.

The only reason she was gon’ make it today and get another chance was because I didn’t fund this particular trip. Had I paid for her flight, she would have gotten the ax today. If I funded the flight, then I should be numero uno, point, blank, period. In a relationship, I wanted to come second to none. I understood she had a daughter, and that was the only person I didn’t mind taking a back seat to. Everybody else needed to move around.

“Yo, what time we heading to the barbershop?” Vegas said, interrupting my thoughts.

“After C-Mar get here.”

“Man, you know I thought you were gonna end up fucking her. She was after you hard, and I think she still is.”

I turned to look at Vegas as I leaned against the countertop. Out of all the niggas around here, he knew me best. He knew I didn’t really do female friends. If a woman was hanging around me, I was fucking her. Amiko was the only one, and that was because she was my sister’s best friend. It wasn’t until I hooked up with Ali and met the Berottes that I became cool with a few females that I had no intent of getting with.

Sandrene was the closest because I watched her back for a while. That showed just how much respect I had for Jamel. I’d seen that woman naked a couple of times. She was fine as hell. Taking another nigga’s woman wasn’t beneath me. Because of who I was, niggas didn’t even bother coming for me. Then there was Riley, Kaysyn, Brittany, and Whitney… the women of Watchful Eyes P.I. Firm. Lexi was cool, too, but I did my best to avoid her out of respect for Chad.

Just the fact that I knew how her walls felt wrapped around my dick was more than enough reason to keep my distance. I’d gotten to know Arrow’s fiancée, Lynn, as well. The other Berottes were cool as hell too. Alexz was my girl. She didn’t take no shit.

I couldn’t respond to a word Vegas had said, so he continued. “I peeked in on y’all one day during that first week she was here. I didn’t want to knock on the door and risk waking her up. With the way she was laid on top of you, I was almost sure y’all had gone there.”

“I’m not ready for that.”

“Ain’t that what you trying to do with Kennedy? At least Chelsea is here in Houston.”

“Yeah, but we’ve already established a friendship. If things don’t work out with Kennedy, I may see, especially since I know I can be faithful. I ain’t fucked nobody but Kennedy for the past two months.”

“Well, I honestly think Chelsea will be good for you.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation. I knew it was Chelsea. I was ready for my Timmy Chan’s. She knew that was my spot when I wanted Chinese food. She’d taken the time to get to know me… my likes and dislikes. Vegas went to the door as I sat at the bar, waiting for her to walk in with my food.

“What’s up, Jungle?” she asked.

I turned around with a frown on my face. “You hang up on me again, I’m gon’ show yo’ ass what’s up. Where my food?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Hol’ on. I ain’t Kennedy’s passive ass. I will walk right out of here with this food and save yours for my lunch tomorrow.”

“Man, quit playing.”

She rolled her eyes and set the food on the bar top then went to the refrigerator to get something to drink. After setting a couple of Sprites next to the food, she sat next to me. I gave her a slight smile and pulled her in my arms. “Thank you for dinner.”

I kissed her forehead as I pulled away. She knew I couldn’t be mad at her. That shit was always put on. She kissed my cheek then wiped her lipstick off. I swore she was always looking her best whenever I saw her. I didn’t know if she made an extra effort to do so or if she was just naturally fly, but I’d friend-zoned her. I stared into her eyes for a minute, seeing just how much she was feeling me. “You tryna seduce me, Chelsea?”

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