𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀

𝟏𝟎.

𝐍𝐄𝐙𝐑𝐀 𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐓

⚭

Nezra kept his presence close to Kelada as they walked down her apartment hallway, his eyes studying her figure a few times more than he'd willingly admit. After he basically kidnapped her to let him take her home, they rode in silence so he assumed she was upset at him.

Once in front of her apartment, Kelada turned and looked at him, "Okay security, you can go."

Nezra contorted his face into a mug, "Yo' ass get a nigga and I can't come in no mo'?"

"Are you manipulatin' me?"

In the millisecond it took to blink, his face changed to a smile, "Depends, it's workin'?"

Kelada rolled her eyes before checking the time on her new Apple Watch, "An hour and then you gotta go because I'm callin' my nigga."

The darkskin woman turned her back to him and unlocked the door, and he locked the door once he stepped in. Again, his eyes drifted to her butt and hips.

He wondered if she had any stretch marks.

"If you hungry, I made spinach dip last night. There's chicken tetrazzini leftovers too," She turned her head over her shoulder slightly before disappearing into her room.

He wasn't hungry in the slightest, but he decided to look around her apartment while she presumably changed.

The pictures on her walls were of her and her family, all with her mother in them. He noticed the fake flowers she kept centered atop the impeccable glass table and decided to move it slightly off center to fuck with her. In the entertainment center, there was a PS4 console collecting dust aside an impressive collection of games.

He moved on, coming across a framed picture of her mother. She was beautiful, with dark skin, long sister locs, and a smile that lit up the room just like her daughter's. Even through the picture, he felt touched.

He could see why Kelada fought so hard to have her back. Nezra placed the picture down and fixed his cap over his locs, wondering what was taking so long.

"Yo, what you doin'?" He questioned loud enough for her to hear through the closed door.

In response, it opened and she walked out in a pair of tight shorts and a spaghetti tee.

"Weirdo, why didn't you turn the TV on?" Kelada eyed him and then stepped around his staring figure. "And did you move my fuckin' vase?"

The subtle sound of the sliding vase was followed by the stereo speakers of the TV. As the peanut butter complexioned male took a seat at the other end of the couch, he wondered about the woman next to him.

What were her morals? What type of man did she like? Could he be that man for her? If she wanted him to, would he be able to stop hurting people?

"Nezra are you okay? You're so quiet," Kelada observed. Of course she noticed his skewed mood, her attentive eyes never missed anything.

"I'm straight, I'm just thinkin'," He answered honestly.

She hummed and stretched out, placing her pretty feet and pedicured toes falling into his lap, "You wanna tell me, or are you the  'suffer in silence' type?"

He chuckled at her joke, absentmindedly taking her foot into his hand. Nezra felt the need to ease all her pain, whether that was physical or mental.

He thought about how to word his feelings, without revealing that he had a fat crush on her despite him being a grown man.

"I guess I'm wonderin' if I'll ever be good enough to be loved. Like you, for example." He looked over at her, connecting with her imploring eyes. "I think you're an inherently good person, so I wonder if I could ever deserve to be loved by someone like you."

Her full lips parted slightly as if she were going to answer, before her eyebrows knitted together. He'd come to realize this expression was her thinking face.

"What if the girl you thought was inherently good, turned out to be broken? Would that make you love her any less?"

He was confused for a moment — was she talking about herself or still in the metaphor?

Nezra switched to rubbing her other foot, deeply engaged in thought. "If I loved her while shit was good, why wouldn't I love her through the bad — the broken?"

"Then love will never evade you, Nezra, because you're willin' to love all the parts of a person." He could tell that she thought her words were true.

He couldn't will himself to believe her. If he was so worthy of love, why couldn't Makasi love him enough to be loyal to him? Or, at least enough to leave him.

As if she could read his mind, Key spoke again, "The past doesn't affect the future unless you let it."

He shrugged and pressed his thumb into the her sole once more before releasing her. She pulled her legs away, before switching around on the couch to where she was now sitting on her calves.

Kelada reached forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I see you Nez, you'll have everything you deserve. You're not a villain."

He couldn't say anything before she leaned forward and hugged him, laying her head on his collarbone. This was the closest they had ever been, her smell matched her personality; sweet but sultry, reminiscent of a darkly scented flower.

Nezra held her close to him not even remembering the last time he'd been hugged. His view on intimacy was skewed, having only been with women for sexual pleasures for the last four years.

"Thank you Key," He rubbed up and down her back.

She pulled away from him, their faces dangerously closer than ever before.

In the moment, he did not consider the nigga she called a boyfriend. Nor his reservations toward her wanting him. Or even the fact that she worked for him.

All he could comprehend was how good her Vaseline covered lips looked, and how soft they would be to kiss.

He gently placed his hands on either side of her waist and leaned forward, locking lips in a tender kiss.

It had been so long since he felt the affection of a kiss, and way longer since he'd kissed a set of full lips like his own.

Knowing the way she felt — tasted — was cut short when she pulled away and stared at him incredulously.

Was this the point where she slapped him? Cussed him out for kissing her although he knew she was in a relationship? Pushed him out of her home?

The last thing he expected, though, was her to lean in and snake around to kiss his cheek.

"I was only the example Nezra, I'm not the girl you want."

If only she fucking knew.