He smirked. “Don’t get brand new now. I said what I said. You keep him calm. You keep Liberty out of the crossfire. I’ll handle the rest.”
I gritted my teeth. “You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“No,” he said calmly. “I’m gone get us paid. You just make sure your baby daddy don’t figure that shit out.”
He grabbed his keys and headed for the door like he hadn’t just thrown a damn grenade in the middle of our lives.
And the worst part? I didn’t even know how to stop him.
18
Chapter Eighteen
Kilo
the next night…
Steam drifted from the pot as I slid the salmon onto her plate, careful not to make it too heavy. I knew how her appetite came and went lately. I cooked something light… Tuscan salmon, roasted broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. She had this thing about cornbread with everything that she ate, so a slice of cornbread complimented the meal.
I didn’t say much while setting the table, just kept my movements smooth and intentional. Glass of juice in front of her seat. Cloth napkin folded. Candle flicked on for no reason other than ambiance. I looked over my shoulder and saw Mel coming down the stairs slow, belly first, one hand supporting her lowerback. Crop top hugging her bump… shorts hugged this ass and thick thighs. She looked tired, but she still looked like heaven to me.
“Smells good,” she murmured, easing into her seat.
I grabbed my plate and sat across from her. “’Preciate it.”
We started eating. Not much talking at first. Just the clink of forks and the faint sound of a playlist humming low from the speaker playing old school R&B. I caught her sneaking glances at me a few times, like she was still unsure what version of me she was getting tonight.
“You been keeping food down, okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “Past couple days, yeah. I still gotta eat slow, though.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“You?”
I raised a brow. “Me?”
She shrugged. “You’ve been walking around looking like somebody stole your puppy. I’m just checking to make sure you’re still here.”
That made me crack a small grin. “I’m here, ain’t it?”
“Physically, yeah,” she muttered. “Emotionally? That’s still questionable.”
She didn’t say it with malice. Just honesty. And I took it, because she wasn’t wrong.
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the table. “I’m trying, Mel.”
Her gaze lingered before she nodded and went back to her food. We ate in silence for a while longer until I spoke up again.
“She liked you, you know.”
Mel glanced at me. “Who?”
“Liberty.”
She didn’t respond right away, just slowly reached for her juice and took a sip.
“She asked about you when she called me,” I revealed. “Said she hopes her baby brother likes her. She also said that you were pretty, and she liked your hair.”
