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Just a little longer.

Her eyes flashed with something. Regret? Shame? Guilt?

“You’re really such a good man,” she whispered.

I chuckled because, at that moment, I knew her ass was second-guessing her actions, and all I did was offer her a ride and some dinner. She couldn’t act like the world hadn’t been at her feet for the duration of our relationship, outside of the past year. I tired myself out from making sure I spent time with her and time building up my empire in the streets. I moved drugs by the truckload by night and catered to her by day. She was the one who got lost along the way. She let money, power, and greed rule her. She lost focus of the love we shared. This was all on her. I wasn’t about to fall for her looking at me like she finally understood that I was a good man. I had been that to her. I felt zero remorse. I had done my grieving for the relationship. It was time for her to get up outta here.

I checked my phone and saw a text from Kyle. “Hurry up. Packed day.”

I walked out of the room without a backward glance, leaving her alone with her regret and mixed emotions.

Down in the living room, I looked at the text.

Bitch Ass DA: Everything’s a go. 9. Make sure she’s at work.

I typed out a thumbs-up emoji but quickly erased it and sent a middle finger instead. He’d get the gist.

Heard, bitch ass nigga.

Copy that, fuck ass nigga.

Yara texted me at that moment, and it felt like my heart smiled.

Fave: McDonalds – McMuffin meal, substitute bacon, with a sweet tea. Thanks, daddy.

Me: My good girl. I got you, baby.

My dick fought to get out of my sweats. I knew I needed to hit the shower, but I would do that once all this was over. Yara didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t working today. Matter of fact, she was taking some paid time off. We needed some time to settle into our relationship. Whether she wanted to accept it or not, we were in a relationship. I needed time to get her used to that idea.

It didn’t take long for Aniya to come downstairs. She wore an orange skirt with a matching top. I laughed loudly, and it stopped her in her tracks. The irony of her wearing orange today, of all days. It was too bad she didn’t wear her favorite color or some shit, because orange was all she would know for the rest of her life.

“What?” she asked, looking down at her clothes.

I shook my head. “Nothin’. I was lookin’ at a video on my phone,” I lied.

She eyed me for a second before she asked, “Can we stop at Starbucks on the way there?”

“No.”

“No?” Her brow arched.

“Yeah. No. I gotta stop at McDonald’s, and I don’t have time to stop at both,” I explained as I stood up and walked toward the door.

Aniya’s nose scrunched. “McDonald’s? Since when do you eat there?”

I scoffed as I opened the door with her trailing behind me. “You forgot where you came from, girl? It was a time where we would call McDonald’s a damn date, and you loved it.”

“Maybe in high school. If we can’t stop at Starbucks, I’ll just drive myself.”

I didn’t trust her ass to actually go to work. She was so damn flakey and treated this company like a hobby rather than a real-life big girl job on her best days. Nah. I needed to drive her, and I was stopping at McDonald’s for Yara. End of story. It was already a little past eight. We needed to go.

“I’ll order it for you when we get there. Come on, let’s spend this little bit of time together,” I said, leaving no room for debate.

I watched as she marched toward my truck with an attitude. When she got into the car, she slammed the door. I chuckled, though nothing at all was funny. I was beyond annoyed with her spoiled ass. I got into the truck and started it up. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, I asked, “You remember when we first met?”

“Yeah,” she snapped.

The fact that she could have a fit about some damn coffee only reinforced why I was so damn happy about today. It was crazy because the signs had always been there. I remembered one time, just after high school, when I was still hustling to make it to the top. I couldn’t afford to take her to the Nicki Minaj concert for her birthday, and she had an attitude about it for a whole week.