Crazy Love Read Free Page B

sweeter?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou stop playin’ and admit I’m your man. You ready for that?”
    â€œMmmph, the question really is, are you ready?” I smile.
    â€œYeah, okay. I’ve been ready. You the one stallin’. Stop frontin’, Miyah. Are you ready to be my girl or not?”
    â€œMaybe, maybe not . . .” I laugh. “I’ll let you know after I see my gift.”
    â€œYeah, a’ight. You already know what it is.”
    â€œOh yeah? And what’s that?”
    â€œYou’re mine. So make sure you come through as soon as you get home so we can make it official.”
    Um, the way he says that sounds like he’s telling me to be at his house, instead of asking me to. But I’ma let it go. I can tell Sincere thinks he’s running things, but he has another think coming.
    â€œWhat you doing tonight?” I ask, changing the subject.
    â€œI don’t know yet. Probably chill. Think about you.”
    I smile. “Awww, how sweet.”
    â€œYou already know. I told you you’re mine. So what’s my baby getting ready to get into?”
    I tell him I’m waiting for my mom to get here. That we’re going to Medieval Times to have dinner. Then when I get back, Zahara, Ameerah, and Brittani are coming over to spend the night.
    â€œOh, word? And what y’all gonna get into?”
    â€œChill, watch movies, and probably eat all this birthday cake up; nothing major.”
    â€œDamn, save me some.”
    â€œI got you,” I tell him, cheesing it up. Whew, this boy’s voice makes me feel tingly all over.
    â€œThat’s wassup. Let me find out you got some dudes all up over there, too; there’s gonna be consequences and repercussions.”
    Um, hello, helloooooo . . . how in the world did we go from saving you some cake to dudes being all up in my space? That’s what I hear myself saying in my head. I suck my teeth instead. “Ain’t no boys gonna be over here, biscuit head.” I get up off the bed when I hear a car. I peek through my curtains. My bedroom faces the front of Daddy’s townhouse, so I have a perfect view of who’s coming and going. It’s my mom pulling up in the driveway. Late and wrong, as usual!
    He laughs. “Yeah, a’ight. I got your biscuit head all right. But you heard what I said.”
    â€œWhatever. My dad is not playing that,” I tell him as I watch my mom flip down her sun visor—to freshen up her lipstick or make sure she doesn’t have a hair out of place, I’m sure. It takes her five minutes and thirty-seven seconds—I know because I timed her—to do whatever it is she’s doing before she finally steps out of her Benz, looking like she’s preparing for a photo shoot. That’s how we Nichols women do it. Always fresh, always fly, and always fine! Yes, high maintenance, you already know. She still gets on my nerves, though. But that’s a whole other story. “The only boy he seems to like is you,” I add, shaking my head. For some reason, Daddy’s really taken a liking to Sincere. Probably ’cause he’s a freshman in college, plays basketball, and is interested in pledging Daddy’s beloved fraternity. So of course Daddy is gonna like him. Oh, Daddy’s all about his frat. And he’s dragged me and my sister to all of his alma mater’s homecoming and step-show events every chance he’s gotten, which is why I know so much about all the different sororities and whatnot. Anywaaayz, my boo says he’s gonna pledge next year.
    I watch Mom as she walks up to my new car, taking it all in. Of course she knows it’s mine ’cause it has a big red bow on the front of the grill. I see her shaking her head. I already know what that means. She’s going to try and give Daddy the business about the car. She’s such a hater! I step away from the window, then go into my bathroom to