Page 53 of Standing In The Sun

Nodding menacingly, Moe rubbed his hands together before walking away.

Ahvi gulped in a deep breath before going back to shopping. Her mind was spinning and her ears felt like she’d been in the air—altitude so high they forgot to pop. Her vision blurred but she shook that shit off when she looked at her happy baby boy. She couldn’t get knocked off her game again. If Dro was out here making stupid decisions, it was only right he won stupid prizes.

Bu didn’t say much, just watched her for a moment until he couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore. “You cool?”

She blinked fast. “Yea.”

There was no need in making a big deal out of what she’d just heard when it wouldn’t change anything.

She made it to the register, still in a daze. She only smiled and pretended to play with Kamari when it seemed he needed some of her attention. Other than that, her mind went haywire. How was the world constantly taking from her and making life for her just a little harder? What did she do in a past life that kept coming back like Karma? Just when she felt a small reprieve—a life-saving gust of air so faint she almost missed it, life had to remind her that she owed it something. At least that was what it all felt like.

Bu stepped closer, lowering his voice, jarring her. “You ain’t gotta carry it all by yourself, you know.”

Ahvi looked at him with blank eyes. She needed to snap out of it to give Lunar’s family a meal they’d never forget. That she could do. Ish had taught her how to suck up the hard times because whose business was it anyway.

* * *

In a daze, but always on her shit, Ahvi worked around the kitchen with music playing from the TV since she had yet to get another phone. The thought reminded her of the ten thousand she was supposed to get from Lunar in exchange for the phone. Should she remind him of their deal or forgive the debt since now she was forever indebted to him anyway?

She didn’t know whether to ask or not.

All she knew was that she had waffles to stack, shrimp to clean, and too many feelings stuffed under her hoodie.

Lunar walked in like he’d been looking for her. There was a slight frown on his face, a soft look of confusion he got when something wasn’t where he left it.

“Where you been?” he asked, staring in her eyes like he was expecting her to tell a lie.

“First of all, you ain’t my daddy.” Ahvi glanced over her shoulder, trying to hide her smile. “I went to the store to get food to make brunch.”

“I see that,” he said, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a piece of cooked shrimp. “You ain’t tell me nothin’ though.”

“What you think happened, Lunar?” she blinked.

He laughed, “Don’t worry ‘bout it, it didn’t happen so we good.” Lunar eased over to Kamari who was beating on his highchair like he was begging for food. Leaning against the counter, with his arms folded, he looked at her like she was the drama. “Nah, for real. You supposed to tell your person when you leaving.”

She looked up from the waffle maker, arching a brow. “My person?”

He could stare at her all day. The way her skin seemed to glisten like she had her own personal sun living within her. Even dressed down in a hoodie and biker shorts, Ahvi was stunning.

Lunar smirked. “I’m sayin’…I can’t keep track of you if you don’t check in.”

Her chest fluttered…real subtle…real soft.

“Hmmm,” she said, flipping the waffle. “You always like this or is it just ’cause Bu been hanging around me?”

Lunar squinted, pretending to look offended. “Damn, Bu trying to steal you from me too?”

“Too?” she turned, giving him a look.

“Noodle was supposed to be mine,” he said with a straight face like that revelation didn’t change some of the dynamics of their bond in her mind. “I’m taking a nigga head off ‘bout you though.”

Lunar and Noodle’s chemistry started to make sense. There had been speculation of their affair online because the way they made music together was very Jay and Bey-ish.

“You and Noodle, huh? I might need to rethink being friendly,” Ahvi didn’t mean for her inner thoughts to spill out.

“You like me too, Advil?” Lunar eased closer, his body pressing her against the counter. “My head do be hurting…I need to keep a bottle of Advil at all times.”

“Stop playing with me.” Ahvi didn’t move or make a move to get him out of her space.

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