Page 8 of Aug
Boom.
Boom.
“Ayo, Ti,” I called out.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
“Coming–” her voice rang out as I lifted my knuckle again.
Four seconds later and the door was parted. Tiana stepped aside as I stormed into her lengthy hallway. I stopped mid-stride, hating the idea of being too far away from her. My entitlement had been instated. While I had no official rights to the woman standing before me, I had every right to her.
She was mine from the day I laid eyes on her. She was mine from the day she laid eyes on me. When she woke up from her sleep in the hospital, something in me rejoiced. Not for a stranger and not only for Balle, but because I felt that somehow, someway, my person had risen. And, soon she’d be well.
In my line of work, it wouldn’t be easy to bump into someone special. I was on the clock all hours of the day. Focused. Alert. Prepared for anything and everything to go wrong. My eyes didn’t wander. And, my heart wasn’t open.
My dick was in my palm nearly every night. Women were part of my future, but presently, I was grinding. Still, I longed for something more. To have Tiana sat right in my path felt personal. Every fucking thing about her was personal.
And perfect.
And mine.
“August, is everything alright?”
Suddenly, she wasn’t allowed to call me August.
I’m Aug, baby. Remember?
“August.”
The anger melted. The jealousy smoldered. The aggression wavered. I was weakened while simultaneously being reminded of the gentleness she possessed by the mere sight of her.
Chill, nigga. I chastised, regretting the roaring and chaos I’d caused at her front door. Disgust consumed me.
She’s not built like that.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, knowing that toxicity, which I was accustomed to, was not the way to Tiana’s heart. Neither was it the way to the hearts of any of the women I’d had the pleasure of being around since taking the job fromThe Chemist.
The towel around her body heightened my curiosity. I wanted… Ineededto know what was underneath. As a deflection, I remembered the topic at hand.
“Who is Daniel?”
Her eyes rolled as she shook her head. Still, she remained silent. The soundlessness between us was gnawing at my sanity.
“Ti, answer me.”
“Nobody,” she sighed, “Just mynow-exwho decided to get into an entirely new relationship while I was in a coma.”
I felt the pain of my flaring nostrils. That nigga was definitely going to see me before sunrise. Though he’d done me a favor,I owed him an ass whooping for fucking over Tiana. He took a hike when she was at her worst.
Pussy.
I stared, unblinking. Unmoving.
“Whaaaa?” She asked, tilting her head.
