Page 60 of You Make Me Feel

He opened my door, and I kissed his lips, then got in. Now to my parents’ house.

Chapter 22

Oliver

“I can’t believe that nigga did that shit,” Lazarus said.

“Shit, me either. I was stunned when I saw him. I never expected him to pull up on her at the doctor’s office, especially for a baby he said wasn’t his.”

“Right. I just know he a bold muthafucka,” Devin added.

I agreed by nodding. It was Saturday night, and Kinisha, Kiana, and Ramsey were together, so I decided to hang with the fellas tonight. I introduced Lazarus to Devin, WJ, and Corey, and they seemed to hit it off. I appreciated my circle of friends. I knew these guys had my back no matter what. I never really had that, but I was grateful for it. If Shawn didn’t live in Dallas, I knew he would be here too. They were all old enough to be my father, except for Lazarus, but that was what made this special. They all offered great advice, and I needed that shit more than a little bit for my new relationship and drama.

Being a loner wasn’t the most appealing thing. Everyone needed some human interaction. When my mom was here, she was my go-to person. After she died, I never filled that position. She was irreplaceable, and no one could fill her shoes. However, I could still enjoy the camaraderie and brotherhood of these brothers, making room for them in my life and the wisdom they offered when I needed it.

“So, where is Kinisha now?” Corey asked.

“She’s with her sister and best friend. They needed a ladies’ night to catch up on everything going on in each other’s lives. Something about a nigga named Blaze that Ramsey was seeing.”

“Blaze? From the club?” Lazarus asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“It’s about time. It has to be him. He’s been feeling her for a while, but she was too busy playing with Robert’s ass to notice.”

“You sound like Nisha, bruh.”

He chuckled, and I did too as the waitress set a beer before me. We’d come out to a sports bar called Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux in Nederland. They sold Cajun cuisine, and the shit was good as hell. I had the crawfish étouffée. As we talked about random stuff, my phone chimed with a text message. I saw Kinisha’s name, so I opened it. I miss you.

I smiled slightly and responded. I miss you more.

When I looked up, everyone was staring at me. Then they all began laughing. “He got those googly eyes and shit,” Corey said.

I rolled my eyes as they kept laughing and cracking jokes at my expense. I held up my middle finger and circled it around the table for all of them. When they calmed down, WJ said, “Well, I have a question. What did that nigga look like after you fucked him up in the doctor’s office?”

I chuckled. “Just a li’l blood coming from his mouth and a red mark on his face. He probably bruised up later. Hopefully, he won’t be at church tomorrow, so I don’t have to see him.”

“Well, hopefully, he’s bruised up enough to not bother going to church,” Lazarus added.

“Hopefully.”

As I took a swig of my beer, my phone chimed again. I opened the message from Kinisha. Jarod and Robert are here. Ugh. This muthafucka just won’t go away.

Where are you?

Tia Juanita’s.

“Fellas, I need to go.”

“What’s up? Everything okay?” Devin asked.

“Naw. Jarod and Robert are at the same restaurant as the ladies. I need to be there so he won’t try shit. I don’t know if he’s following her to fuck with her or if it’s just a coincidence, but either way, I don’t trust neither of their asses.”

Devin dropped $300 on the table and said, “Looks like we’re all going then.”

“Absolutely. My wife is there, and she will definitely try to protect Kinisha, although she’s almost seven months pregnant,” Lazarus added.

We all left the table and headed to our vehicles. Devin, WJ, and Corey had ridden together, and Lazarus had ridden with me. When we got in my car, he asked, “What is his deal?”

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