“He wants to be friends. I think we could⁠—”

The door to the salon swung open, and the wind chimes rang, interrupting me mid-sentence. My heart dropped as I registered who had just walked their lying ass in here.

“Reggie?” Lolo and I said at the same time.

“Oh, hell no,” I whispered, feeling disgust rise in my throat.

Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach all over again. I glared at him as he strutted in like he hadn’t ghosted me and popped up engaged. One of the clients and new stylists flocked to him, and he soaked it all in like the flashy and arrogant bastard he was, signing autographs and taking pictures.

“What is his ass doing here?” Lolo hissed.

“To be an asshole I’m sure,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as I stared at him.

His caramel skin, beautiful smile, and starter locs used to move me. It was funny how someone I used to think was fine shit now looked so ugly and stupid in his too little Amiri shirt. Reggie’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on me, and a smirk broke out on his face.

“Come holla at me outside, P,” he requested.

“Yeah, right.” I crossed my arms, trying to stop my irritation for him from bubbling to the surface.

“Come on, man. I’m parked out front.” He motioned toward the door, and Lolo grabbed my arm.

“I don’t trust him,” she whispered, and I agreed.

I didn’t trust his ass either. I’d heard enough stories of athletes trying to get rid of their pregnant mistresses. A man that wasn’t here on bullshit would have called first. This felt more like an ambush. Still, we needed to talk, and since he had blocked me on everything, this may have been my only chance.

“We can talk in the back.” I pointed, pulling away from Lolo, who eyed Reggie down as he sauntered behind me like he owned the place. I tried to keep a neutral expression as I walked us to Lolo’s back office, but internally, I was a wreck. What would I say to him, and where would I even start?

“What?” I asked as soon as we were alone inside Lolo’s office with the door shut.

“You are so cute when you’re angry, you know that?” he teased, leaning against Lolo’s desk. “We need to talk about this little situation you say you got going on.”

“Now, you want to talk? You ghosted me for the last three weeks, Reggie. If it wasn’t for your viral engagement video, I would have thought you dropped off the face of the damn Earth.”

“I was busy, aight? I had a lot going, and you just dropped that bombshell on me.”