Page 100 of Are You Going to Love Me

“Yeah, but at this rate, there won’t be any more left,” Eden grumbled, slowly swinging her legs over the bed.

“You aware that one of these days we gon’ be sharing space every day, right?”

“That’s the plan?”

He nodded. “And I’m not driving across the damn city every night to get to you.”

Eden hummed and trekked over the floor into the bathroom. True to their routine, she used the bathroom, washed her hands, and turned on the shower. “Thank you for putting my hair up.”

“You passed out right after talking shit too,” Maximus laughed softly. “I got you all day?”

“You got me until three. There’s a night shoot Staysha booked me for. I’ll be there until midnight.”

“You can slide to the studio after? I’ll take us home.”

The mere fact of his calling his space her home was unknotting her fear. Eden answered as she got into the shower. “I can do that. Why, you want to lay up today?”

“Nah, you got a shoot. I won’t have you moving slow or all marked up. We got an appointment at the Galleria for curtains.”

“You made an appointment for curtains?”

“Window treatments,” he corrected. “And hell yeah. Someone stopped my truck in your parking garage, paps downstairs.”

“Oh, to be famous,” Eden hummed into the rushing water. “You know it’s just getting started.”

“I ain’t worried about them niggas. I just want you to move around freely without the bullshit.”

“I appreciate that, and I have to figure out how to show you.”

“You already givin’ me what I need,” Maximus stated. “I’ll be on your balcony.”

Close to thirty minutes passed before Eden appeared on the balcony. Maximus was leaning on the railing, finishing his blunt, with his phone pressed to his ear. He sensed her, turning slightly to find her in a pair of wide-legged pants and a crop top. Her curls tamed into a high bun, minimal make-up on her face, and her eyes on him.

“What Daysha find?” Maximus questioned. She watched as he listened and then grunted. “Aight, heard you. Let me handle some shit with E, and I’ll be over there later. Not a word of this gets out.”

Eden assumed it was Keon as Maximus hung up and dropped his phone on a nearby seat.

“Two fuckin’ steps forward, three back,” he grumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Eden quizzed, making her way to him. One touch and his shoulders dropped. She dropped her purse and then wrapped her arms around his waist. “Talk to me.”

Maximus welcomed her comfort, still in awe that she knew just what to do to calm his brewing storm. “UVE got some bullshit happening. I didn’t think about it when I signed my contract, but now I’m locked in.”

“Can I know or no?”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know. What I can tell you is that when I was with Lucci, he was pressing me about knowing whatwas really going on with the label. So, we hit up his lady, and she did what she does. Just feels like it’s always some bullshit. I feel like I’m headed in the right direction, and here comes the devil hopping on my back.”

“Don’t let him have that power, just keep moving forward. How many records did you record in La Bega?”

“Probably six.”

“Keep that to yourself, find out what’s happening, and then make a plan. I heard really good things about Daysha and Lucci. They know this industry and won’t lead you wrong.”

“What if I get stalled before I take off, E?”

She inhaled his scent and slowly exhaled. “You’ve been knocked down, but you always get back up. You get back up and navigate the waters like they’re yours and you get your shit back.”

He turned around and looked down at her, brushing his thumb over her chin in the process. “Spoken like Poppi’s girl.”

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