“I’m not sure why you think that. He doesn’t act like he’s pining over me.”
“You shut him down, so he’s not going to follow you around like a sick puppy.”
“His brother damn near stalked you.”
“Ha! That’s true, but Kilo and Knox are different. He may not stalk you, but he’s always watching you, and I can see the longing in his eyes. Plus, when I asked Kilo if Knox ever mentions you,he told me to mind my business. If the answer was no, Kilo would’ve said that.”
I pondered her words for a moment, wondering if Knox was still interested in me. After I told him I had no desire to be exclusive, get married, or have any more children, we agreed to just be friends.
Knox didn’t hide his disappointment when I told him we wanted different things, but he respected my honesty. Although the attraction between us was strong, we thought it was best not to act on it . . .Well, I thought it was best. I wasn’t sure what he thought.
“Knox probably thinks I’m for the streets, and just because I’m tired of the dating scene doesn’t mean I want to get married and have a family. He was clear about what he wanted, and I’m clear about what I want.”
“Are you though?”
“Am I what?”
“Clear about what you want. My best friend intuition is telling me something has changed.”
“Do you have another best friend somewhere, because I’m good over here. One-and-done, remember?”
“You’ve been saying that for years, but people change, Skye. You’ve already admitted you’re tired of the dating scene, so you have three options.”
“Enlighten me, oh wise best friend.”
“You can keep your roster in rotation, you can stop dating and be happy alone, or you can give Knox a real chance and be happy with him.”
“Whatever. I’m glad our walk is over because you clearly need to rest.”
We continued up her driveway and stopped in front of the garage. The boys slept for the entire walk, but as soon as the stroller stopped moving for a minute, they woke up.
“Hey, Titi’s babies!” I cooed, getting Kilan while Nyomi got Nymeer.
I hadn’t admitted this to another soul, but every time I saw these little angels, my uterus did backflips, cartwheels, and somersaults. I worked overtime to ignore it because I was one-and-done, and I prayed the feeling was temporary.
The boys yawned and rubbed their eyes as Nyomi entered the garage code, and it opened. We each grabbed the stroller handle and pushed it into the corner, out of the way. She pressed the button to close the garage as we entered the house.
“You can run, but you can’t hide, Skye. Eventually, the truth will come to light, and when it does, I won’t hesitate to tell you I told you so. Knox still wants you, and you don’t have to admit it, but I know you want him too.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Is there anything you need me to do before I head out?”
I’d just finished getting ready for my date with Zion. He wanted to go bowling, and I was down for that. It was Stokely’s summer break, and he’d come home for a visit. I wasn’t sure how long he’d stay because he always said I cramped his style.
“Where you going?” he asked when I entered the kitchen.
He’d just come home from hanging with his friends and sat at the kitchen table eating takeout from Soulful Vibes.
“Bowling with Zion. I shouldn’t be out too late, but don’t wait up.”
“Have fun, but if you decide not to come home, let me know.”
“Who’s the mama here?”
“You are, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to let me know. If you’d share your location with me?—”
“Not happening, Son. Titi Skye has my location, so if you can’t reach me, you know who to call. Love you. Bye.”
I kissed his cheek and left before he asked me more questions. It was crazy that he thought I cramped his style when he was actually cramping mine. As much as I enjoyed the few and far between visits, I’d gotten used to his absence over the past three years.