“I don’t want you to do anything,” Mo said. She pulled Yara from his arms and wiped her eyes before squeezing out of his trap. She grabbed the handles of the stroller and walked around it, placing Yara inside. He stood there, watching her. Frowning. Rubbing both hands down his waves and then caressing his lips where the taste of her lingered.

“Mo…” His voice held so much dread that Morgan couldn’t stop herself from crying.

“No,” she answered as she rushed away.

“Yo, love!” he shouted after her. Her feet stopped moving, and she looked back. “I dig the shirt. You should go back to wherever you got it from and cop another one,” he said.

It was his shirt. A shirt she’d gotten from his loft because she didn’t have clothes there.

“Or not,” Livi said as she looped her arm through Ahmeek’s.

Morgan turned and retreated with her feelings as Ahmeek walked the other way. They were putting distance between themselves. With every step they grew farther apart, but it felt as if she were still trapped against that wall, still staring in his eyes. Her heart beat for him, and she couldn’t have him. He was walking away with another girl because Morgan was pushing him out.

13

Ahmeek’s mood had soured. Seeing Morgan and the twins unnerved him. His gut pulled at him.

“You’re quiet,” Livi said as she sat in his passenger seat.

He leaned against his door, whipping the BMW with one hand as he kept his eyes on the road. “I’m good.”

“Are you, Meek? Cuz you been acting real shitty since we left the mall,” she snapped. “And FYI, I don’t appreciate you and your ex having hushed conversations. The shit was mad rude and disrespectful.”

“Yo, you doing a lot,” Ahmeek stated. “Let me drop yo’ ass off.”

Livi folded her arms across her chest and huffed her displeasure. “I thought we were making progress, Meek. One glance at this bitch, and you back on your bullshit.”

“Ain’t no progress with me. I told you about asking me for tomorrow. All I got is today to give,” he said.

“But she gets tomorrow?” Livi asked.

“She ain’t ya’ concern,” he snapped.

“Fuck you, nigga. Take me home. You got me fucked up. I have feelings. I’m not some bird out here. I enjoy you, but I don’t want to date casually anymore. I want to settle down. I want to get married…”

The frown that crossed his face couldn’t be stopped. “I ain’t with none of that. You know that. Where the fuck is this shit coming from? Cuz we ain’t never kept that type of time, Livi.”