Page 97 of Zimyra

“Yeah, it is.”

I know I shouldn’t be staring at her so hard, but I just…

I miss her.

I miss her face.

Her eyes.

Her voice.

Her cute, little laugh.

I miss her feet on my lap.

Her soft hands on my skin.

Her head on my chest.

Her lips touching mine.

Her tongue in my mouth.

Her fingers wrapped around my heart.

It’s unreasonable for me to have to live without that now.

Just when I was about to ask to speak with her privately, I hear Zavier say, “Yo, Ax.”

“Excuse me,” I tell the women and then walk over to the grill where he’s standing with Zander.

“What’s up?”

“We were trying to get a feel for what everyone liked to eat. You like steak?” Zavier asks.

“That’s fine. I’m down for whatever.”

“Yeah, see that’s the problem I have with you when it comes to Zimyra,” Zander says. “A man who’s down for whatever ain’t really that wholesome, family man that I picture my sister with.”

Zavier grins and shakes his head. He says, “Zander, did you really saywholesome?”

“Yeah, I did. Ain’t nothing funny.”

Zavier tells him, “I think you might be doing a little bit too much, bruh.”

“And you ain’t doing enough. Everybody don’t need an invite to the cookout. Y’all be inviting anybody with legs.”

Baffled by his hostility, I say, “Well, when you have a cookout at your house, feel free to leave me off the guest list.”

It sounded ruder out loud, but he’s not the only one that can be rude and disrespectful. I ain’t never done a thing to this guy. The only reason he doesn’t like me is because he thinks I’m bad for his sister. I got news for him – I think I’m bad for her, too, but that’s not going to stop my pursuit. If I said she’s mine, she’s mine, and that’s all there is to it.

He mugs me and resumes cooking.

I tell Zavier, “I bet it’s nice watching the sun come up in the mornings.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s my own slice of paradise. I can’t imagine it any other way. Having Nykendy and my son make it that much more special to me.”

“I can only imagine.”

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