She turned her head to glance at me with raised brows. Nyomi and I had been friends since we became roommates our freshman year of college, although we’d known each other since high school, when we were rivals on the track.
When we became college roommates atBlack Elm University,we put the rivalry aside and immediately clicked. As a teen mother, I didn’t have many friends, but she’d proven to be someone I could trust and count on, and I was the same for her.
“Not you, the self-proclaimed lifetime bachelorette.”
“Shut up. You know good and well I’ve never claimed that shit.”
“Maybe not with your mouth, but over the years, your actions have proven that’s what you want.”
I sighed because she was right. Relationships weren’t my thing, but there were good reasons I preferred to be single. For the past couple of months, my feelings about relationships and being single had changed. Honestly, it had been more than a couple of months, and I could pinpoint exactly when the change began . . . When Knox came into my life.
“True, but it’s hard out here.”
“I know it is. That’s why I stopped running from Kilo. Maybe you should stop running from Knox.”
A little over a year ago, Nyomi and Kilo hooked up after a singles mixer. She thought it would be a one-night stand, but the universe and God had other plans.
The two were now married with infant twins, who were the result of the supposed one-night stand. I loved that for my friend, but I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted.
After becoming a mother at sixteen, I became less interested in having more children as I got older. It was mostly because Iwanted to be married to the father of any more children I had, and finding a suitable partner had proved impossible.
After years on the dating scene and looking for something serious but repeatedly being disappointed, I gave up and decided I’d be better off with entanglements. It had been working for me for years, but lately, I’d been wanting something more, and I knew exactly who I wanted more with.
“Kilo is a different kind of man. He fell first, he fell hard, and he didn’t mind chasing you until he wore you down. Ninety-nine percent of men ain’t doing all that, and I’m not running from Knox,” I finally responded.
“I know it feels that way, sis, but when you find the one you’re meant to be with, everything flows with ease. I definitely think you’re running from Knox.”
“Whatever. I’m with these niggas for a good time, not for a long time, not that I want to spend the rest of my life with any of them.”
We laughed because Nyomi knew how I was with my entanglements. I called them when I wanted to see them, but they didn’t call me, because I made it clear from the beginning how things would work between us. At the moment, there were three men on my roster, each fulfilling a specific need.
Jonathan was the one I called when I needed a good laugh. His sense of humor was what attracted me to him, and he never failed to lighten my mood when I needed it.
Kenneth was the one I called when I wanted to be spoiled. Money meant nothing to him, and he was always eager to spend it on me.
Zion was the one I called when I wanted to have good old-fashioned fun or try something new. He had just turned thirty and loved outdoor activities. It was with him that I first went hiking and rock climbing.
“I love you with my whole heart, sis, but I’m pretty sure it’s you and not them. You lay down the ground rules on the first date, so I doubt those men see you as a potential partner.”
I thought briefly about what she said before saying, “That might be true, but what man do you know who listens to what a woman says?”
“Kilo does, my daddy listens to my mama, and Papa G listens to your mama.”
I smacked my lips. “Kilo, Papa Kurrie, and my daddy aren’t the norm. If the men I’m dealing with wanted something more, they would’ve let it be known by now.”
“Possibly,” she conceded.
“So, back to what I said, I’m tired.”
“What about Knox?”
I leaned away from her as we walked, frowning at the mention of his name. I didn’t have any beef with Knox, but after our date almost a year ago, I told her there was no chance of anything serious happening between us.
“Why do you keep circling back to Knox?”
Nyomi was my best friend, but I hadn’t shared my feelings about Knox with her, and I wouldn’t until I was ready to fully embrace them.
“He let it be known that he wanted you, and even though you refuse to give him a chance, he still wants you.”