“Mills, is that you?”
I looked up finally and saw Ayana’s creamy chocolate eyes on me. I smiled and stood, bracing for the collision I knew was coming.
She smiled at me, giving me those beautiful dimples of hers, and then headed in my direction. When she got close, she leaped into my arms, wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. It was her signature move.
“Oh my goodness! It’s so good to see you!”
I wrapped my arms around her instinctively. “Uh, you know people are staring, right?” I announced.
I felt her shake before she buried her head deeper in my neck. “Deal with it. I’ve missed you so much.”
Hearing that from her and seeing the state she was in, I didn’t deny her any longer. I squeezed her tighter and buried my face into her neck.
When she pulled back, she smiled. “Well, it’s good to see at least someone misses me.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, sweetheart, that’s my phone clip.” I kissed her forehead. “But I still missed you.”
She finally unwrapped herself from me, and as I helped her down, I made sure she didn’t feel the semi-erection I got the moment she crashed her body into mine. Don’t judge me; it’s just what she does to me.
She placed her hands on the sides of my face and looked in my eyes. “It’s so good to see you. You really look good.” She smiled again and stepped back from me.
I greeted her smile with one of my own. “It’s good to see you too. You look beautiful as always.”
I tried to sell it, but she shook her head. “Yeah, well it’s nice of you to say, but I know you don’t mean it. I can still tell when you’re lying.”
As I studied her, I inwardly shook my head. Someone else had replaced the confident and charismatic woman I used to know entirely. I mean, I felt like I was standing in front of an imposter. She used to be so full of life and fire.
I touched her chin and tilted her head up to place her eyes on mine. “To me, you will always be beautiful no matter what.”
She smiled again and shyly moved from my touch. “Now that I believe.” She then looked around. “Where’s your fiancée? I hope I didn’t run her off. Your brother would be pissed at me.”
“How do you know I was getting married?” I asked frowning.
“Oh, come on.” She smacked my arm softly. “You know how much your brother hates me. He couldn’t wait to tell me. I’m sure he’s overjoyed, thrilled even, that you’re getting married to, I’m sure, a very lovely woman who is more your speed.”
I motioned for her to sit down with me. “First of all, my brother doesn’t hate you...” She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but I continued. “…and secondly, what does ‘more my speed’ mean?”
“I just mean you seemed to have found someone that’s good for you because I never was,” she insisted.
“Well, yeah, you’re right about that,” I smiled, as she rolled her eyes at me again.
“Well, with that being said, I’m glad you found someone that deserves you, Bradley. I really am.”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I changed the subject.
“So when did you get back? My brother told me that you moved away, but he didn’t tell me a thing about you returning home. How long have you been back?”
“Well, I’ve been back for at least two years. Ohio just wasn’t for me.” She shivered and smiled. “You know how much I hate the cold and it had the audacity to snow up there. I couldn’t take it at all.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I understand completely. So are you running this place now?”
“Now you know Ice doesn’t trust just anyone to handle his baby.” She ran both her hands through her shoulder length black hair. “I’m just helping him. He needed someone he could trust with a little bit of business smarts, so I offered to help keep his business afloat. And since I practically grew up in this place, it made sense.”
My eyebrows rose. “A little business smarts, huh? Did you finally go back to school?”
She shifted in her seat and nodded. “I actually got my Bachelor’s degree and started with my Masters since the last time I saw you.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so shocked,” she laughed. “I did pretty well in high school when it came to my schoolwork at least.”
“I’m not shocked at all.” I took her hand in mine and squeezed. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she conceded, tilting her head to the side.
We stared at each other for a moment not saying another word, and I took this time to really see her. She seemed so sad in the eyes and a bit empty. I knew this woman, inside and out. Something wasn’t right, I could tell. I also knew it would be hell getting shit from her.