Page 23 of Can I?

“I miss being around you already. I wish I could see you.”

I smiled slightly. He couldn’t see me like this though. “Yeah. I have to practice. Maybe we can spend time together this weekend.”

“Damn. I gotta wait until then? Even if it’s just lunch at the diner, I’ll be cool with that.”

I closed my eyes, knowing that I would have to tell him about the bullshit I was dealing with. This bruise wasn’t going to go away overnight. “Umm, how about Wednesday or Thursday then?”

“I have to kick it with my mama Wednesday, but I can surely be out there Thursday. I can’t wait to see you.”

Hopefully this shit would be gone by then. I was gonna ice the hell right out of it. Maybe I wouldn’t have to tell him a thing. “I can’t wait to see you either. My mama is waiting on me to go practice, so if it’s okay, I’ll call you tonight.”

“Yeah, that’s cool. I’m glad you called so I could hear your voice.”

I smiled at the tenderness in his voice. “Okay. Talk to you later.”

I had to hurry and get off the phone. My emotions were getting the best of me. My bullshit was gonna fuck this up.Maybe I deserved to be alone. Daddy said I deserved better, but I didn’t know. One day, I would be able to let go of the guilt from my actions, but I knew it wouldn’t be any time soon if shit kept popping off.

CHAPTER TEN

FERRIS

Milana had been somewhat distant, and I wasn’t sure why. She’d still been as sweet as she’d always been, but I had to call her whenever I wanted to talk. She said she’d been busy, but I just didn’t know. I talked to my mama about it last night, and she warned me to be careful with my heart. She could tell that I was all in, and I hated that. Milana had me by the balls, and I hadn’t even dove in the pussy yet. Shit, I hadn’t even gotten a proper kiss yet. That peck on the lips after the rodeo wasn’t nearly enough.

I was just hoping that when I got out here to this diner, she wouldn’t be on no bullshit. It was too early for this shit. Well, then again, maybe it was best this happened early. I could make an informed decision before I really dove all the way in. I’d finished three games in three days from trying to keep myself busy. It normally took me two to three days per game, depending on how long the game was.

When I got to the diner, it was jumping as usual. It was close to one o’clock, and they closed at two. I believed they reopened for dinner on Thursday nights. I wondered if Mrs. Jen and Mrs. Chrissy worked that shift too. If they did, they had to be wearingthemselves thin. After getting out of my SUV, I made my way to the door as Ashanni and Maui were about to walk out.

“Hey, Ferris,” they said in unison.

“Hey, y’all,” I responded, holding the door open for them.

Once they were out, I went in. Going to the counter, Mrs. Chrissy said, “Welcome to Jen and Chrissy’s, baby. It seems you’re becoming a regular.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m gonna get the beef tips this time instead of the stuffed chicken. I don’t want to wear myself out.”

She chuckled. “I hear that.”

I looked around and saw Milana seated toward the back of the diner, talking to her uncle, . . . the one who had to be the father of those twins. Once Mrs. Chrissy finished with my food and I paid my ticket, I made my way to them. Before I could get to the table, her eyes met mine, and she smiled. I smiled back at her as her uncle turned in his seat. He stood and looked me over with a slight frown on his face.

“How you doing, sir? I’m Ferris.”

“I know who you are, Ferris wheel. Just because you cool with Red don’t mean shit. I got my eyes on you.”

He walked off as I frowned. That was definitely where the twins got their attitudes from. When I looked at Milana, she looked like she was trying to stifle a laugh. “Something funny?”

She giggled, and I loved the sound of it. I hadn’t really heard it all week. “He’s like that with everybody. Don’t pay him any attention. How has your day been?”

“It’s better now,” I said, sliding my hands across the table to hers.

I lifted them and kissed them both one at a time. She reddened slightly. Her cheek looked a little discolored though. I didn’t bother pointing it out right now. My food was calling me, and I needed to dive in right away. Her plate was empty, so she’d eaten without me. Which, I already knew she would since she gothere at noon. I got caught up in a game and needed to finish the level I was on before I could leave.

She stood from her seat and walked around to me, pulling me from my seat. I frowned slightly, because I wasn’t sure what she was doing. When she laid her lips on mine, I slid my hands to the small of her back, holding her close. When she pulled away, I said, “Damn. I been needing that, but I didn’t want to take you too fast.”

She gave me a small smile then kissed me again. She needed to stop before I grabbed her ass. I gently sucked her bottom lip as she pulled away and went to her seat. My dick was acting like he was ready to burst through my pants just that quickly. It had been a while for me, and he was telling me so. I was at a loss for words as she sat across from me, staring.

“What I do to deserve that?” I asked.

“Everything right. I missed you, Ferris.”

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