Page 21 of The Hellcat Barbies: Zora
I groaned, covering my face with my hand.
“Listen, Zo, you like him… more than you wanna admit. Stop punishing him for shit Malik did. Semi ain’t that man,” Tiana input.
“And he clearly likes you,” Nia added. “You see how he moved? He didn’t blow up your spot… didn’t make it messy. He respected you and dipped before he did or said something he couldn’t take back. That’s grown man shit.”
I didn’t answer right away, because everything they were saying had already been sitting heavy in my chest.
Tiana’s voice softened, but her words still hit. “So what you gon’ do? Keep acting cold, or call him and let him know he’s not just wasting his time?”
I exhaled slow, finally giving in. “Fine. I’ll call him.”
“Good,” Nia said, and I could hear the grin in her voice. “Go handle that.”
“Bye, Zo,” Tiana added.
I hung up, tossing the phone beside me for a second. Semi was the one sitting in my chest, the one I couldn’t shake even when I told myself I wasn’t ready. And if I was being real, I didn’t want to shake him. I picked the phone back up, thumb hovering for half a beat before I hit his name and pressed call.
He answered on the second ring, his voice low and steady. “Wassup, Zo?”
“Hey,” I said, my tone softer than I wanted. I forced a little breath out and added, “You busy?”
“Nah,” he replied quick. “Not for you. What’s on your mind?”
I shifted against the pillows, staring at the ceiling like it held the right words. “About earlier…”
“What about it?”
“I didn’t like how it ended.” I paused, biting my lip. “I didn’t want you walking out like that.”
“I wasn’t about to sit there while your ex stood in your doorway acting stupid,” he said flatly. “You needed to deal with that, not me.”
“I did deal with it,” I admitted. “I told him whatever he thought he had with me is over, and he knew that before he brought his ass over here.”
There was silence on his end, then a short laugh that held little humor. “Good… that’s the energy I wanted to see.”
I sat up, running my hand through my hair. “Semi, I don’t want you thinking for a second that Malik still has space in my life. He doesn’t. He hasn’t for a long time.”
“I hear you,” he said, calm but clipped. “But you gotta hear me too—I’on compete with no nigga. Especially not one that already fumbled you. That’s not how I move.”
Something in the way he said it hit deeper than I wanted it to. “I get that,” I murmured. “And for the record, I didn’t want you to leave.”
His tone dropped, heavier now. “Then why’d you let me?”
“Because I panicked,” I admitted, my chest tightening. “I didn’t want a fight at my door, and I didn’t know how you’d take it if I pushed back.”
“I told you already…” He exhaled slow. “I’m not them. I’on need to flex for a nigga like that. I’m not here to prove shit to him… I’m here for you.”
That silence came back, only this time it felt thick. I swallowed hard. “I do like you… more than I wanted to.”
“I know,” he said, voice. “That’s why I’ain going anywhere.”
My lips curved despite myself. “You sound real sure about that.”
“I am,” he said. “And I’ll show you when I see you again. And make no mistake, I’m seeing you again soon.”
I shook my head, smiling into the phone. “Goodnight, Semi.”
“Night, mama,” he replied.
