Page 72 of Love me Like XO

“It’s too soo?—”

The look on his face killed that statement. “What I tell you ‘bout time restrictions and what we have going on? Plus I like being wherever you at, but my crib is bigger. Figure out what you want but get used to this kitchen because it’s yo shit, too.” By the tone of his voice I could tell he was done with the conversation.

Malik was unlike most niggas in my book, complex as fuck and demanding as hell. Him being demanding wasn’t a bad thing, but sometimes it had me just staring at him speechless. Plus, his demands were never outrageous, but they were like this one here. Completely unorthodox, and vaguely specific. Unlike a normal nigga he didn’t ask me to move in, but he said basically I’d get tired of upkeeping two households and decide to move in. What happened to sayinghey babe, you wanna move in? Or do you wanna move in together?In this man’s mind I should’ve already been packing my shit to leave all I owned and paid for to live with him.

“You’re over here thinking too fucking hard. Let some of that shit out and tell me what’s on your mind,” Malik demanded once again. He was full of demands tonight.

“Nothing.”

“It’s something because you straight up look like you’re about to toss your fucking banana at me.”

I blinked a few times, before looking at the banana I intended on eating. “I probably was.”

He chuckled, before walking up and implanting his body between my legs. “You don’t want to live with me?”

“It’s not about that.” I peered intently at him, studying every crease in his handsome face.

“What’s it about?” he leaned forward and grazed his lips against mine. That movement alone had me hot, the thoughts I was having ready to disperse.

“Why can’t you ask me to move in with you like a normal person?”

“Thought we established I wasn’t normal, and neither are you? Plus I ain’t feel like asking you on some serious shit and you giving me lip. You know how you be.” He leaned forward and pecked my lips, before lifting me off the counter to carry me into his bedroom. “Yo, that banana is nasty as fuck. What you eating it for?”

“You bought it didn’t you?”

“For my fucking smoothie.” He stopped by the trash so I could throw the peel away before we continued to the bedroom.

I cackled, remembering him saying that when I first asked a while back. However I still hadn’t seen this nigga make a fucking smoothie.

When we were finally comfortably in bed, facing one another, I felt his eyes on me even though I didn’t see them. Though he had a TV in his room he couldn’t sleep with the TV on, so most nights it was pitch black, but I was fine with it as long as I felt him near.

“I know I got a lot going on right now, but a nigga appreciates you. I appreciate everything about you, from yo’ presence to the moments you check in to make sure I’m good during the day. You got an understanding out this world and I swear I appreciate that shit.”

I smiled hard as fuck as if he could see me, before I found my way onto his side of the bed, feeling for his lips. He chuckled, feeling my fingertips graze them before my mouth was mashed against them.

“Always baby.” I meant that, too.

I didn’t haveto be at the shop until like five for one appointment, so when I got up the next morning I decided to go see my sister. I wasn’t the only one who had that thought because when I walked in the door I heard what I recognized as Irish’s voice coming from the kitchen. As always he was chewing Empress out about something. This nigga was always fussing, on his way bald and to high blood pressure. A grumpy ass old man is what Irish was, but if you called him that he’d curse your ass out about that, too.

“What are you damning about now?” I asked entering the living room which was semi connected to the kitchen.

Empress laughed. “About everything.”

“The fuck I ain’t. I asked you why your baby bop looking ass wasn’t talking to pops.” He walked in the living room with a plate and a mug. He handed it to Empress before taking a seat in the chair across from her.

“Then you went on to fuss about Zarali, and how she thinks you’re just dick.”

“Wait, what did I miss? When did you start back messing with Zarali? Matter of fact when did she let you back in her face?”

He waved me off. “’Bout a week ago she showed up at my door looking for some dick.”

“And let me guess, you gave it to her.”

“Did I? Gave her some shit so lethal she keeps showing her ass up at my door.” He smiled happily.

“Seems like you want more.” I side eyed him.

“I do, but I don’t wanna be in no relation?—”

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