With You

Nine.

"If you keep putting it on me like that I might have to marry you." Ray said panting on his back.

I fell beside him and kissed his cheek. "I'm too much for you to try to tie down." I tell him.

He sucks his teeth. "I'm surprised you're not married already. Ya ex must've been blind as fuck! I would've trapped you in a blink of an eye."

I rolled my eyes and sat up. Ever since he found out Braden had called me, he's been constantly bringing him up. He's been asking questions about him, how our relationship was or even using his name in jokes. It's starting to become annoying.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked.

"Nothing. I'm going to be late for work." I said standing up and holding the bed sheets around me.

"I don't know why you're covering up. It's not like I hadn't seen it already." He said.

I rolled my eyes and escaped into the bathroom. I still didn't get a chance to call a Braden back and he stopped calling. He really had nerve calling me after I haven't heard from him in almost a month. Maybe I shouldn't call him and I should just let him sweat me.

After my shower I got dressed to go to work. Rocky wanted us to wear clothes from the boutique just so if someone asked where we got our outfit from we could tell them and she'd get more clientele.

"It's raining out. You sure you don't want me to take you to work?" Ray asked as he did his tie in the mirror.

"You already offered to take me furniture shopping, I don't want to be a burden." I told him.

"The tires on your Jeep are bold and the roses are slippery. You could crash. And plus I'm going that way anyway so your not being a burden at all." He said.

"Fine." I couldn't help but smile. He was really the sweetest person I had ever met.

Raquan dropped me off at the boutique and headed to the court house. I thought a lot about our conversation we had last night. I didn't know what I wanted out of life and it really bothered me.

I'm only 21 so I'm still young but then I'm old enough to already know what I want. My friends had their lives together and Braden was even more out together than I was. I just didn't know how to find myself.

"Hey boo." Rocky greeted me. She had a hand full of clothes and she approached me. "Can you hang these on the fixture over there?"

"Damn can I clock in and get myself situated?" I joked.

She laughed and went to go put the clothes somewhere until I was ready to hang them. It was just us two today because we normally don't get too busy on Tuesdays.

"Do you think I'm lost?" I asked Rocky.

She pauses in her tracks and looks at me. "What do you mean by lost?"

"You and Daina have your life figured out and I don't." I told her.

"Trust me know one has their life all the figured out. We're still young and growing. Where is all this coming from?" She asked.

"Raquan asked me what my goals were and I didn't know how to answer it." I informed her.

She laughs and shakes her head. "It's normal not to know what you wanna be. Everyone wants to be successful and live a comfortable lifestyle."

I nodded and took in what she said then I thought about Braden again. And how he was trying to reach out to me. "I'm going to go clock in."

I walked into the back and took my phone out. Something was telling me not to call him and to just let him go but I couldn't help it. I called him anyway and I started to believe he wasn't going to answer because it took him a while to pick up.

"Hello?" He answered.

"You called?" I said feeling anxious as hell. And my stomach had butterflies.

"I was just calling because I haven't heard from you." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "You know that's a damn lie. I called you a few weeks ago and I know you got my call."

"I ain't get no calls Slim, but look. Let me take you out tonight and we can talk about everything." He said.

"What is there to talk about ?"I asked dryly.

"Us." He said.

"There ain't no us Braden! We both made that clear! You did when you threw me out ya car, and I did when I packed my things and left! And wasn't you just with a girl last night? That was you right or you got a twin ?" I snapped.

"Who said that was my girl?" He laughed.

"It don't matter who she is.... I really don't care because I'm seeing someone." I told him.

He burst out in laughter like I said something was funny. "I'd kill that nigga. You and these lame ass niggas man. But look ya birthday in two days and I wanted to take you out."

I rolled my eyes and hung up. It felt good dissing him because he does it to me all the time. I'm no longer going to fall for his bullshit. My birthday was coming up which made me and Braden's situation even worse. What made him think I wanted to spend my special day with him?

I put my stuff away and clocked in. The store started to slowly fill with customers which I liked because I liked being busy. It kept my mind from wandering.

I went to the front of the store and started putting the clothes that Rocky brought out always.

"Hey girl."

I looked over and there stood Gabriell. "Hey love. I haven't seen you in a while. What brings you in?"

"I'm just doing some shopping. Well Zain is. He's trying to make things right between us." She laughed.

Great Zain was here. The last thing I need is Braden finding out that I work here.

"That's great. And you look good. Just let me know if you need help." I said cutting off our small talk.

Just then Zain walks over and takes two looks at me as if he thought he could've been mistaken me for someone else.

"Heather?" He said in disbelief.

"Hey Zain..." I said trying to sound nice but it came out dry.

"I ain't know you had a job." He said.

"Yeah I've been working here for about a month now." I told him.

"Braden's been looking for you." He said.

"Don't tell him you seen me here. My life is starting to look good for me. I don't need drama ruining it." I told him.

"I won't trust me you got my word. Where you live at now? You seeing someone?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. I knew he was going to tell Braden anyway. They were bros and told each other everything. "Don't worry about where I live and yes I am seeing someone. And he's awesome." I smiled and walked away.

Fuck. Now Braden was going to find out where I worked and I'm pretty sure he'd find out about Ray pretty soon. Just when I thought my life was becoming drama free, here comes more drama.