Page 45 of Love me Like XO

“What are you doing?”

“Was just about to call and see where you was. Last time we talked yo’ ass was in the car with Irish.”

“Yeah, we’re at my grandmother’s house. You wanna come get me?”

He chuckled. “For what? You’re spending time with your people.

“That’s not funny. I jus?—”

“I thought that was you when I drove past. I miss you something serious, Ree.” Hadees’s voice made me look up from the ground I was so engrossed in.

“Who the fuck is that?” The laugher was gone from Malik’s voice, and he sounded concerned, or pissed.

“What are you doing over here, Hadees?” I stepped back in the doorway of my grandmother’s house.

“I was visiting my uncle and I saw you while I was driving past. I just wanted to see you, to tell you how much I miss you.”

“Tell that nigga he better be gone by the time I get there or he’s dead on fucking arrival.” By now Malik was yelling in my ear.

“I know I messed-up, but you gotta gimme another chance. I mean after all our history and what we were for one another. You’re willing to just throw everything away because of some video. Matter of fact the guy who sent it to you, who was he?”

“Who are you to question me like you’re somebody? Like I belong to you?”

“Was he somebody you were fucking?”

“And if I was, bitch?” Both mine and Hadees attention was snatched away from one another and thrust onto the sidewalk where Malik was now standing. How in the hell did he know where I was?

“You did this huh, sabotaged me so that you could be what she needed. So that you could steal my girl.” Hadees turned around and started toward Malik.

Malik chuckled. “Bitch I ain’t steal ya’ girl because she was never your fucking girl.” Then he focused his attention on me. “Go tell ya’ people that you’re about to go Lil’ One.”

While he was talking to me Hadees tried to sneak him, but he ducked. Then when he came back up, he decked Hadees directly in the face one good time causing him to lose balance and go down.

Then when he was down Malik pulled his gun from his side and leaned down. “Now, I’ma say this shit one time and one time only and I want you to be straight up. “Stay the fuck away from mine if you can’t do that then let me know. ‘Cause I promise we can make this shit really quick.”

Hadees’ eyes grew big, before he started nodding his head wildly. “I’ll stay away from her. I promise, just please don’t kill me.”

“Now if you renege on that decree I’ma gut yo’ ass. Won’t be nowhere you can hide that I won’t find you.” Seconds later Malik was on his feet walking into my grandmother’s yard toward me. “Getcho’ bitch ass from around here.”

Within seconds Hadees was on his feet rushing to his car faster than Red’s father from the movieFridayafter he’d seen Debo knock his son out.

“Thought I told you to go tell yo’ people you were leaving.” He walked up on me making sure to make contact with my body with his seconds before both of his hands found my ass and squeezed it.

“You did.”

“Why you ain’t listen?”

“Because I was waiting on you.” I stood on my tippy toes and kissed his awaiting lips. Within seconds we were walking into my grandmother’s house.

When we made it up the stairs it was quieter than when we first got here. Grams was no longer yelling.

I was about to call out for my brother when I looked up and saw my grandma coming down the short hall from her bedroom with Irish in tow.

“That girl is a damn nuisance. She knows I can’t watch those damn kids by myself. What I look like chasing children around the house as old as I am?” My grandma was still going on and on about my sister’s carelessness.

“I handled it, Ma. When she gets back, I’ll have Rev talk to her.” He tried to reason with the old woman. I’d learned that sometimes you just had to let her go on and on.

“Okay. Now what is my baby doing here? You look pretty today.” Immediately Grams had a smile on her face. “And you brought some chocolate.” She winked in Malik’s direction.

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