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The sound of laughter echoed through the hall as Aaliyah set up for her modeling class. Her focus was on ensuring everything was perfect for the kids, but a familiar voice made her pause. She turned around and saw Dayvon, casually strolling in with a little girl, his niece, True, holding his hand. His presence felt like a jolt to her system she hadn't expected to see him here.
Dayvon flashed that signature smirk.
Dayvon looked up and met her gaze, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Told you we'd meet again, didn't I?"
Aaliyah raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain her composure. "What are you doing here?"
"My niece wanted to check out your class," he said casually, leaning against the doorframe. "And I couldn't say no. She don't like when I leave her by herself, so I'm sticking around for the show."
Aaliyah raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her lips.
"I'm letting you stay, but you better behave," she replied, knowing that having Dayvon in the room would likely be a distraction for everyone, including herself.
"Me? Antics?" Dayvon grinned, his tone playful as he guided True to her spot with the other kids.
As Aaliyah continued the lesson, she could feel his gaze on her, burning with an intensity that was all too familiar. He wasn't even trying to hide it.
Every now and then, their eyes would meet, and he'd throw her a quick smile, like they had some inside joke that only they understood.
True was clearly just as captivated by her uncle as he was by Aaliyah. She'd follow his gaze and every so often, she'd lean over to whisper to him, giggling at whatever secret they were sharing. The class continued, and though Aaliyah tried her best to keep her composure, Dayvon's presence made it impossible to concentrate. She could still feel that connection between them, even after all these years, like something unspoken still lingered.
At one point, True tugged on Aaliyah's shirt, her big brown eyes curious. "Are you Uncle Von's girlfriend?" she asked innocently.
"Uh, she's just an old friend, lil' folks. Don't be askin' questions like that," he muttered, his eyes flicking to Aaliyah before quickly looking away.
Aaliyah nearly choked on her breath. "What?" She tried to laugh it off, glancing at Dayvon who was doing his best to look uninterested, though she knew he was secretly listening.
Before she could answer, True continued, "Uncle Von told Mommy about you. He said you were a pretty girl."
Aaliyah's cheeks flushed, and she gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, did he now?" she replied, glancing over at Dayvon, who was still pretending not to hear the conversation, but a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
After the class ended, True insisted they all get ice cream. "You gotta come with us!" she exclaimed, grabbing Aaliyah's hand and pulling her toward Dayvon.
