Page 29 of Love Next Door
I’m missing you. Can’t wait to see you.
I hope you’re okay. Are you sick in there or just not near your phone? I’m ringing the doorbell.
I rang the doorbell and called her at the same time. The call went straight to voicemail, and the door went unanswered. Worry filled my insides.
“Lord, let this girl be okay, please.” I didn’t want to think too many negative thoughts, but I was starting to worry.
I pounded on her door, and finally, I heard some movement beyond. The shadow blocked out the light in the peephole, and I grinned. The door jerked open, and a furious little five-two honey-colored beauty stood in the doorway mugging the shit out of me.
“Hey, baby. Wassup? You good?”
“The fuck you mean, am I good? Hell yeah, I’m good! Don’t come beating on my door, ringing my doorbell, or blowing my shit up again. Matter of fact, lose my muthafuckin’ number, you sorry ass nigga.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about that bullshit you be on! I don’t have time for your games, July. I was fine with fucking every now and then.You’re the one who wanted to make a damn agreement and then started catching feelings, only for you to play games with my heart. I told you I didn’t want to do this shit! You knew that I was scared, but I took a chance on you anyway. Then you turned around and shit on me!”
“What the hell are you talking about, Abril?”
“Ask Briana!” She slammed the door in my face before I could say another word.
I wasn’tsure why Abril was tripping on me. As much as I needed her, I needed peace more. Her comment about Briana baffled the fuck out of me, but I chalked it up to insecurity.
I headed back home, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over my head. I had put my phone on Do Not Disturb, because I didn’t want to fuck with nobody. I’d just lost my ace, and now my girl was tripping hard as hell.
I slept the rest of the night and didn’t wake up until ten the next morning. I got up, ate, ran a few errands, and then headed straight to a party that I had to deejay.
I got off at three in the morning, headed back home, and crashed again. By the time I woke up, it was a little after twoin the afternoon. I showered and dressed before I headed out again.
“Aye, you at home?” I asked Briana after I dialed her.
“Yes. Why?”
“I wanted to roll through and holler at you. You got company?”
“I can cancel for you, baby,” Briana purred.
“I’ll be there in about twenty.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I wasn’t sure what or who she had to cancel, and I didn’t give a shit. Information was my only purpose for heading there.
When I pulled up at the house we once lived in, a feeling of despair washed over me. I hadn’t been back here since I left. I knocked on the door, but she must have been looking out, because she immediately opened it.
“Come in.”
Her baby was in her arms, and she was nursing her. Briana had a blanket over her shoulder, and it covered her daughter’s face and her titty.
“My bad. I didn’t mean to disturb her mealtime,” I stated as I walked inside.
“You’re fine. She’s almost done. I had just finished cooking when she woke up ready to eat.”
I took a seat on the couch and waited while she cooed to her baby and fed her. When she finished, she burped her and then looked at me with a soft smile.
“You want to see her?” she asked, holding the baby out toward me.
I was curious because I hadn’t seen her since she had been born. I hadn’t been on any of Briana’s social media feeds because I was trying to cut her out of my life. So I had no idea what the baby looked like.
