Page 4 of Spending Forever With You

“Eww, first it was talk about my failed marriage and how I need to be making nice with the man and now your ass is trying to kill my good shit with talk about you leaving me with a baby. Damn, Callie read the fucking room.” I waved my arms around the bar for emphasis. She laughed as she poured three double shots then pulled me next to her with Johnni following suit.

She giggled. “Damn that was kinda dark. But seriously, as long as you know where my kid will be.” I hurriedly grabbed the shot and tossed it back to stop her speech.

“Yeah, Callie, that shit was heavy as hell,” Johnni added as she picked up her glass.

“You ain’t leaving me nor her for a very long time. Remember when your heart stops beating, mine will do the same. So instead of trying to plan your escape from your inevitable future, drink the fuck up!” That was all I said to end that conversation. Callie was my twin, but also my oldest best friend, wasn’t no end to us now more than ever.

CHAPTER 1

Hollis “Holli” Walker

“You’re not even listening to me, Hollis. Damn and a nigga is pouring his heart out right now.”

“I swear I can hear you, Bone,” I said as I sneakily angled my phone toward the table to the left of us, not only getting a shot, but a long ass video of the singer Orlane on a date with Skroll model Talisa Storm who I knew was in a relationship with rapper JNard. I wasn’t mad at my girl for dating around at all, but I just wondered if she and JNard broke up and I’d missed it or if this was my news. I worked for Caught Live, one of the top celebrity gossip sites. So news like this, hot on the streets, was a goldmine to people like me.

I remembered when she’d first popped up on my radar a couple of years ago while attempting to attach herself to my ex-husband. Omar had me run the story as if I needed to be the one to do it. It turned out to be false news.

I was still making him fucking pay for the emotional distress they put me through by doing a story on him.

Somehow he’d left and came back home and seemed to be everywhere.

Apparently even on my date right now because why the fuck are you even thinking about him?

I was currently on a dinner date but I never let these niggas get in the way of my job, especially when it came this easy. Wasn’t no way I was missing this tea for no man. I didn’t care who was across from me and paying the bill.

“Then what did I say?”

I groaned quietly, doing my best to control the eye roll I felt coming while briefly looking up from my phone but not breaking my steady hand.

“You said you wanted to be exclusive.” I put my attention back on Orlane and my screen. When he grabbed both of her hands and kissed them, causing her to blush as she giggled silly, I smiled, loving the whole thing just as much.

They gon’ eat this the fuck up! I hope she packed her shit up.

“That’s all you got to say, for real, Hollis? I mean, we’ve been going for a while now. Damn near a year,” Bone asked as I huffed, locking my phone and fully putting my focus on him. His beautiful brown eyes watched me in disbelief as they stretched with his mouth slightly gaped.

I didn’t know what he wanted me to say. Yeah, we’d been hanging for a little minute now, but being in a relationship with anyone wasn’t on my mind. To be honest, since my last one, it never was.

“C’mon, Bone, don’t be like that. I told you when we first got started I wasn’t the girlfriend type. Even giving you the opportunity to not take it there with me. You can’t switch the rules now that your feelings are forgetting the beautiful arrangement we have. When we both got time for each other, then that’s us. What else do you want me to say?”

He scoffed, clearly not liking my response. But again, I didn’t know what he wanted from me. Since my divorce I had been clear with whoever I was dealing with. Long term and committed situations weren’t options for me.

“For you to say you only want me and want to try this shit out for real. I’m feeling the fuck out of you and want to explore us. I’m talking next level, Hollis. Don’t you want to get married and start a family? All your peo⁠—"

“No, and whatever the next person’s doing isn’t my playbook to follow.” I cut him off, losing my good ass mood and appetite at the same damn time. “Look, Bone. We have fun and the sex…is amazing, but that’s it. If you want marriage and kids, I guess we’ve run out of time.” I shrugged.

Even if he changed his mind and went back to our original plan, I knew things would never be the same now that he’d openly admitted his true feelings and desires.

It was time for me to leave him alone, but not before one last night with him. The dick was good. The server approaching with our food paused whatever Bone was about to say and I was happy to finally end this conversation. Once the server left, I bowed my head, doing a quick prayer over our food that when I opened my eyes Bone would change the damn subject.

“Ooh, that looks good. I should’ve gotten the steak,” I said, now completely into my plate of baked oysters and sides of garlic roasted parmesan potatoes and collard greens. I wasted no time going for the baguette, tearing a piece before grabbing my lemon to set my taste buds off right.

All the while I could feel Bone’s heavy gaze on me, but I wasn’t about to let him ruin my mood and my appetite before I could even appreciate the first bite. I scooped up a crab stuffed, cheese covered oyster, and closed my eyes, moaning my satisfaction. I popped them open to Bone staring at me with an amused expression.

“Shit, maybe it’s me who should’ve ordered that. I swear you make everything look good as hell.” I nodded, chewing, going for a potato next.

“Do you know what else you would make look good?”

I shook my head, completely melting along with the bite I had just taken. I was in food heaven so much that I almost missed his declaration.