I make my tea in no time. Bringing the mug to my mouth, I inhale the sweet aroma of cinnamon with the mix of vanilla. I take my first sip, my eyes close, and I enjoy the moment.
A knock at my door has me almost dropping my mug and spilling it down my shirt. “Who the hell could that be?” I say to my kitchen, looking at all the vintage plates I have collected on the walls. None of them match, all of them picked out from flea markets and garage sales along the way.
I’m about to answer the door when I look through the peephole and see it’s none other than Devon. My pajamas leave something to be desired. My sweats are years old and full of holes, as is the oversized shirt I’m wearing.
“Fancy seeing you here.” I open the door, my mug of tea in one hand, my arm crossed over my breasts, hiding the fact that I’m braless.
“Someone needs to make sure you eat today. After yesterday, I figured I’d make a special delivery.” Devon is wearing a suit, though he’s managed to lose his jacket, and the buttons on his dress shirt are undone.
A smile overtakes my face. I motion him in, dropping my arm. I watch Devon’s eyes roam my body, and my nipples pebble beneath my shirt with his heated gaze. “Thank you. It smells delicious,” I tell him. He walks into the kitchen, places the food on the counter, and then he takes me in his arms to hug me. Devon’s lips lightly graze mine before he pulls back.
“I’ll get these plated if you want?” he asks.
“Yeah, make yourself at home. I’m going to get dressed, make myself more presentable.” I point at myself before scurrying past him, my cup of tea in my hand the whole time.
I hear his chuckle as I shut my bedroom door, and finally remember to put my mug down. After throwing on a pair of denim shorts and a tank top, I brush my teeth. The one thing I can’t control is my hair, so I do what any girl with crazy bed head would do and throw it into a messy bun.
By the time I make it back to the kitchen, Devon has our soup out of the takeout bag and our sandwiches plated.
“It seems I’m thanking you a lot lately for feeding me. I’ll have to return the favor and soon. What are you up to today?”
“Anytime you want to cook, let me know. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in months with my parents in Florida at Lincoln and Presley’s house. I rarely cook for myself, which I suck at, by the way. So, yeah, I’ll take you up on breakfast, lunch, or dinner.” He saunters toward me; there’s no other way to put it. His gait is smooth, and when he moves, it’s as if he’s walking on water.
“I’ll definitely do that for you then. Everyone should have a home-cooked meal, but fair warning, if my mom catches wind of you, she’ll be over before you know it, trying to fatten both of us up.” We’re now facing one another.
“I’m okay with that,” he says, and that’s when I know I have to tell him what Justin said.
“I have to tell you something, and you may hate me for it. Heck, you may even walk out my front door to never return.” I take my hair out of its bun, attempting to use it for my nervousness that’s settled in. I look at Devon’s face, and it’s cold as stone. Maybe this really will be the tipping point.
7
Devon
Fuck, I’m almost worried this is too good to be true. There’s no way she could be like Stacey; I’d know if she was. I learned my lesson, right? I stand stoically in front of her, waiting for her to rip my heart to shreds. Yes, my heart. Michelle and I built a friendship before we took the plunge into dating, so my whole damn heart is in the palm of her hands.
“I know about what happened two years ago.” Her head tips down as if she doesn’t want to tell me what she knows. “I mean, I know that Stacey played her games, but I didn’t want to know. I swear, I didn’t look into you or anything. My cousin, he basically blabbed everything that didn’t need to be spoken. I’m not sure if he was attempting to warn me off, or if he was giving me a heads up.” This time, it’s me that takes a deep breath. This woman surprises me at every single turn.
“I’m really sorry, Devon. I promise, this isn’t how I wanted to find out your past.” She’s chewing on her bottom lip, eyes cast down, and she’s gripping the ends of her hair with her hands.