Page 31 of In the Safety's Zone
“Yeah, we did.”
I was mildly distracted because after I’d stopped watching the car when it moved in a different direction from us I started tracking her location on her phone. She’d shared it with me and I hoped she knew that was a permanent thing. I wanted to feel weird about how I was feeling for her but it felt so fucking good I didn’t want it to stop.
“She good bruh, that car company is the most reputable in the city. You made sure of it when you ordered her ride from concierge.”
He hadn’t even looked surprised to see me holding hands with her when we both came downstairs. He gave her a friendly church hug when we said good morning like he had some sense. It wasn’t even the professional Antwan; he was talking like they were cool and I appreciated that he didn’t make the situation as awkward as it could’ve been.
I snapped my finger because he reminded me that I needed to clear my balance. “Yeah, I’m about to transfer the money—”
“Bruh, you not about to talk to me about paying me back.”
They’d charged his room for her ride and I wasn’t sure why. The last thing they needed to assume was that my brother was out here moving foul, but I hoped they just made an honest mistake.
You never knew with some folks, though. They liked to be messy and cause trouble just in case they were getting a scoop on something.
“‘Twan, you not about to think that you gone pay for some shit for my woman. Nah, we not even about to let this be a thing between us. The room was comped by the magazine and so was the flight. And that was on top of the discount that we got from the hotel. We not out nothing and there’s no reason for you to be out anything either. Stop being so damn hardheaded and take the money. If you don’t imma have Rye transfer it into Nia’s accounts.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he settled his curmudgeon ass against the door of the car. “You and my wife are entirely too close.”
“We gotta keep your ass straight. Besides, Annia benefitting might be the only way you let me do shit.”
“Yeah, ‘cause you my family, what I look like asking you back a few hundred dollars?”
“And on the same side of that, you my blood so what I look like not giving you that shit back. It ain’t but a couple hundred dollars.”
Antwan took his job as my big brother far more seriously than anyone would ever understand. Even when he had to give me tough love, it was always love hoping I would do better. My shit had been weighing on his mental along with our parents’ and I couldn’t blame him for how he moved. I needed that reality check far more than he knew.
“You know I ain’t even like that but do what makes your heart and your head easy.”
I went into the app and transferred the money for her ride. “It’s because you’re not that makes me want to do it even more.” I gave him a look and he could only smile and shake his head.
“Whatever, bruh.”
We pulled up to the airport within the next few minutes and got through security quickly because we’d only had stuff to wear overnight so both of our duffles went through fast. I appreciated ‘Twan making me get Global Entry, which also included TSA pre-check. I didn’t think it was a big deal because I didn’t travel often but he said I needed to plan for later and now I was glad I’d listened. My ass had been thinking of vacations to exotic locations with Aphrodite after she came out of the bathroom with just her bra and panties on to go to bed.
By the time we got to the lounge, my phone was buzzing with a text message and I opened it up with a smile on my face. The photo of us that I’d taken when she fell asleep on my chest was the background photo. I finished looking at it and then went to the message.
“My boy, you got it bad for real.”
‘Twan didn’t even read the message, but he was studying the look on my face and I couldn’t help but grin. We’d both tossed our coats and duffles on the seats we’d claimed and gone to the buffet since neither of us ate breakfast. No matter how much money he had or what he spent Antwan wasn’t too good to take advantage of what was offered to him. A buffet and a room full of free food just because he had a specific credit card meant that he was going to take every perk he could. And since I was like him I was going to do the same.
“I do, and ain’t shit I want to do about it.” I slipped the phone in my back pocket thinking about her pretty ass as I poured syrup over the pancakes I’d grabbed.
“She seems cool as hell so I’m happy for you. Even if that shit ain’t forever, having somebody that understands the life youlive makes all the difference in the world. I know you sad about leaving your heart but I’m ready to see mine.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Long distance
APHRODITE
I THINK I’M falling in love.
Or something like that. And the shit scared me because there wasn’t any reason for this situation with me and Anthony to work out but every time a doubt crept into my head, his words seemed to meet the challenge I’d never spoken and vanquish the excuse before it could take root.
Had to be voodoo.
After he put me in the car, the driver, Rasheed, looked like he was truly too worried about Anthony’s wrath to talk to me. I tried to give Anthony his space because I was honestly still reeling from the night we’d spent together. You’d never have been able to convince me that there were still moral men who were focused on pleasing their partners. Especially ones that were built like him. But for all that dark molasses skin he had wrapped over a solid, muscular frame, there was something…deep about Anthony. And I’m not talking about how his tongue was damn near tickling my cervix last night. Well, not just that.
