Page 55 of Real's Love

“Ev—"

“Plus, did you miss the part where I said he made me promise no stringseverand also told me that it wasn’t that deep?”

“Everly—"

I held up a finger as my other phone rang. Picking it up, I was surprised to see Real’s name. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I stared at the screen.

“That stuck look on your face lets me know who that is. Call me back, heffa.”

I nodded and dropped that phone to answer the other. I pressed my lips together hard to plump them before swiping. Fixing my face into a serious look, I waited for the video to connect. I fought the urge to bite my lip as he appeared. His stubborn ass just stared at me for a minute. He looked settled in for the night in a wave cap and white A-shirt, lying on his back with a hand splayed across his chest.

“Hey,” I said, then cursed silently at how breathless I sounded.

“I’m surprised you answered,” he rumbled.

“I’m surprised you called,” I countered.

That earned me another stare. I shifted uncomfortably. He coughed, not the awkward, silence-filling one, but a real one followed by a sniff.

“You sick?”

He scoffed. “Ain’t shit.”

“What you doing for your lunch tomorrow?”

The question caught me so off-guard that I blurted the truth.

“I’m off, so I don’t know yet.”

His heavy-lidded eyes opened a little wider. All this damn looking! Finally, my lips parted, ready to let my aggravation spill out.

“I’ma pick you up around ten-thirty, then,” he said suddenly.

“Real… wait, what? No!”

“Ten-thirty. Be ready. I ain’t playing with yo’ ass and don’t keep me waiting.”

“No, this is about to stop. You all out of order and I’m not?—"

“Good night, love.”

He hung up on me—really hung up on me—and wouldn’t answer my first call back. He picked up the second time.

“Real—"

“You good?” he interrupted.

I frowned. “What?”

“I’m tryna rest and ignore yo’ ass, but I can’t do that with you calling like there’s a problem.”

“You should’ve put your phone on Do Not Disturb and made sure I was on the list not to get through,” I snapped.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “If I did that shit, how would I know if you needed me?”

My mouth fell open, and all my protests evaporated. This man kept leaving me speechless.

“So, again, you good?”

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