***

After the art show Michelle and I went back to Q's loft to hang out with him and his friends. Lil Baby was playing loudly through the speakers and everybody was just mingling amongst each other.

"You look fine as fuck. I like the red hair" Q says leaning down to kiss my lips.

"You've been kissing on me all night" I laughed.

"Is that a problem?" He questioned kissing me again.

"No but your lil friend over there is getting jealous" I replied looking over at Sydney who hasn't taken her eyes off us all night. He looks over his shoulder to see who I was talking about.

He smacks his lips "Man fuck her"

"Don't act like that ain't your best friend" I laughed before taking a sip from my cup, "How does this situation even work? How are you still friends with your ex?"

"We're not friends, we just have the same friends so we're still cordial" Q replied leaning against the counter.

"You sure? You two seem pretty buddy buddy to me"

"I mean we were friends before we started dating if that's what you're getting at. Like I said we're in the same friend group so I always see her but she's a cool person though beyond our failed relationship"

"Mmh. I just couldn't see myself still being friends with someone I used to fuck yet alone someone I loved romantically not even what? Three or four months ago?" I replied shrugging my shoulders.

"What're you getting at?" He furrowed his eyebrows at me.

"Nothing I was just wondering" I shrugged and leaned against the fridge.

"Seems like you think I'm still fucking with her"

"Those are your words not mine"

"If that's what you wanna ask me then ask. You tryna piece stuff together and shit. I'm not with the childish ass mind games you tryna play. I'm a grown ass man."

Him just saying that made my face turn sour. One of the main reasons I never dealt with a man older than me is because they always throw the age difference back in your face. Like bro you are only four years older than me. They instantly equate younger age to being immature. Any thing you do becomes "little girl shit."

"Fuck you gotta attitude for?" I frowned looking up at him.

"Nobody got an attitude" He replied looking straight ahead. I just stared at him keeping the same mean mug on my face. I knew he felt me staring a hole into the side of his face.

He eventually looked down at me, "What?" He asked shrugging his shoulder.

"Yeah I'm just gonna walk away now and let you get yourself together" I frowned walking away from him.

"Paris" I could hear him say.

I just ignored him and looked for Michelle. She was standing over in the cut talking to Jalen.

"Hey do you mind if I steal her for a second?" I asked as I linked Michelle's arm with mine.

"Nah go for it. I need to refill my cup anyways" Jalen replies.

"Here I need a drink too" Michelle says handing her cup over to Jalen.

"Girl that man is fine as fuck" Michelle tells me "You ready to be an auntie? We'd make some fine ass kids"

"Girl whatever" I laughed rolling my eyes. "So I decided to bring up his relationship with ole girl and he caught an attitude with me"

"Why? What happened?"

"Alright so boom. I was basically like joking with him but was still serious like oooh stop kissing on me before ya lil friend get jealous. Then I asked like how can you be friends with somebody you was just fucking on not too long ago. I guess he felt like I was accusing him of still fucking with her and got mad so I just walked off"

"Ehhh seems pretty defensive to me"

"Exactly. That's why I just walked off like I didn't even accuse him of anything. Well I did but not directly" I laughed and shrugged my shoulder, "Then he called me childish. I'm like okay you're obviously in your feelings"

"Niggas love calling somebody childish"

"Bitch exactly!" I exclaimed.

"If it makes you feel any better I was talking to those other two girls, Autumn and Chantel, they said as far as they know they haven't been fucking with each other. Then again why would they snitch on their friends"

"My point exactly" I rolled my eyes. We stepped back and just turned towards the party to watch everybody. I noticed Jalen and Q over by the kitchen counter talking.

"Yeah I don't think the long distance thing is for me" I told Michelle.

"Not you giving up already" Michelle laughed "It's the first fight. Get over it"

"I don't think I trust him enough. He could be in full blown relationship right now and I don't even know it"

"Who cares. What you don't know won't hurt you" Michelle chuckles. "If the nigga making me happy, fuck what he doing behind my back"

"Girl goodbye" I laughed rolling my eyes.

"Besides he hasn't given you a reason not to trust him. You gotta give him a fair shot"

"Here they come" Michelle says looking over my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and took a sip from my cup.

"Yo can I talk to you?" Q says touching my lower back.

"Yeah sure" I shrugged my shoulders.

He started to walk off so I followed behind him. He walked over to the staircase which led right up to the bedroom. I was tired of standing in my heels so I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"What was that downstairs?" He asked leaning against the wall.

"Shit you tell me. I was just asking questions and you got super defensive and hostile with me"

"I felt like you already had your mind made up and was just testing me with them questions. Ion do that beating around the bush shit you should know that. I've been upfront and direct with you since the beginning. If something is on your mind just let me know so we can address the situation."

"You're right. I should've just asked but I didn't want to start anything. Just forget I brought it up. It's not a big deal. I don't care anymore."

He sighs and rubs his face. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me but I had no idea what I was doing wrong. "Only way this can work is if we communicate with each other Paris."

"And I understand that" I nodded my head.

"So talk to me. I'm not just finna brush it off. I'm not like them other niggas. I'm not finna play these games with you. You just tryna be mad like that shit cute or something. Something is obviously bothering you so we finna sit up here and talk about it until you get the answers you need."

I sighed and sat my cup down on the floor. I turned my body slightly so I was facing him. "Your relationship with your ex makes me uncomfortable"

He nods his head "I'm cool with her for the sake of my friends. I fucked up by dating within the friend group knowing we had already agreed not to for this very reason. Ion want no awkward energy in the air whenever we're all together."

"I totally get that but it's obvious she still has feelings for you"

"That don't got nothing to do with me. I don't have feelings for her."

"Y'all relationship just ended there's no way you don't have feelings for her. How could you even have time to get over her when you still see her all the time? How long were y'all even together?

"Two years"

"Two years?!" I exclaimed as my eyebrows instantly furrowed. I just started laughing and shook my head. "Bro what are we even doing right now?"

"Whatchu mean?"

"C'mon now we both know I'm just a rebound. Let's just cut ties before somebody gets hurt"

"You're giving her way too much credit" He laughs shaking his head. "I've felt more with you in these past few months than I did in the entire two years I was with her. I wanna be with you. I want you to take me serious but it's clear you don't want this to work."

"I don't want this to work? Nigga you've met my fucking family! You think I'm letting any muhfucka meet them?"

"So do you wanna be with me yes or no?"

"Yes bu-"

"Okay then there's no need for any further discussion. It's me and you. Not me, you and somebody else. It's just us, I don't give a fuck about nobody else but you Paris."

I like the energy he was giving me. He was really putting in effort and making sure all my doubts and questions were answered. I nodded my head in agreeance with him.

"Alright cool. Come give me a hug" Q replies motioning me over to him. I stood up from

the bed and walked over to him. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls my body on to his.

"We good?" He asks looking down at me.

"Yeah we're good" I replied nodding my head.

"Nah are we good foreal? Don't just say we're good and we're not really good"

I just laughed "We're good baby" I stood on my tip toes to peck his lips. Even in heels I was still way shorter than him.

"Good" He leans down and kisses my lips once more. "Alright let me get these people out my house" Q laughed and headed towards the stairs "You staying over?"

"Sure but I don't have any clothes or anything with me" I said as I followed behind him.

"Das cool"

I went over to the fridge for a bottle of water while Q went in the opposite direction.

"Yo P" I could hear Jalen's voice say.

"Wassup" I replied as I grabbed my bottle of water.

"Q told me what you paid for one of the paintings. I appreciate it" Jalen tells me.

"Oh no problem. I'm just showing support" I shrugged before taking a sip from my drink.

"You paid for it with your footlocker money or the Onlyfans money?"