Page 10 of Love Next Door
He tugged at my arms, forcing them apart. “Can I at least get a hug?”
“Hell no.”
“Can we please start on the right foot?”
“Your little nasty ass stood in your window, completely nude, scaring the hell out of my girls and me. You’re a freak.”
“You wanted my attention, and you got it.”
“He was definitely standing at attention,” I mumbled.
He chuckled. “Wouldn’t mind introducing you to him.”
“No thanks,” I replied dryly.
“What is it that you have against me? You’ve been mean to me since day one, and all I tried to do was pick up your cans . . . and tampons.”
My face flushed. “The way you treated your baby’s mother.”
“What?”
“The day you moved in. I heard you two fighting next door. Then you kicked her out and kicked her things. No one should be treated that way.”
His face hardened, and he dragged his hand down his face. “I don’t talk ’bout my personal life, and I don’t owe anyone an explanation. But since we’re neighbors, I’ma straighten this shit out one time and one time only. She’s not my baby mama. She’s my ex-fiancée who played in my face for a year, got pregnant by her ex, and tried to play the baby off as mine. She showed up at my place uninvited just to show her ass and front for the homies. Damn straight I have no words for her.”
His voice was wracked with pain, and his words reminded me of what Devon had done to me. I felt his pain.
“I’m sorry. I had no right to judge you.”
“Now, can we start over?” he asked with a beautiful smile.
“Sure. I’m Abril Severs,” I introduced, extending my hand and finally sharing my name.
TWO WEEKS LATER
“Nigga,you sure this what you wanna do?” Nick asked.
“You’ve seen that girl?”
“I seen your baby mama, but I wouldn’t wanna fuck with her for a mill, my nigga.”
“Aye.”
He chuckled. “Too soon?”
“That ain’t my kid.”
“Yeah, okay. You narrowly avoided that bullet. Because if it weren’t for old boy pulling up, that baby would’ve been carrying yo’ last name.”
“Well, it didn’t happen. Listen, I’ma hit you up later. I’m about to head out now.”
“Ain’t yo’ ass too old to be going skating?”
“Listen, she got that Fort Knox guard up, and I need her ass to loosen up a bit. Learn how to laugh and be a kid again or something.”
“A’ight. I hear ya, OG.”
“Fuck offa my phone,” I remarked and ended the call. I pumped a handful of lotion from the bottle and squirted a few shots of my favorite cologne into the middle of the lotion. When I was finished, I rubbed it all together and smoothed it up and down my arms and neck.
