by D. Camille
“I’m not going to chase Miles.” Liv said plainly. “I don’t have that much stamina.”
“Maybe he’ll chase you back.”
Liv laughed. “Miles doesn’t chase.”
“He’s never had someone who’s worth it.” Taylor pointed out.
“That’s my Sis.”
“You know you’re worth it.”
“I do.” Liv replied. “I’m priceless.”
Taylor agreed. “Then let him know that.”
Liv glanced up at the game being played on the television while she balanced her thoughts.
“You’re right.” She finally said slowly. “I can’t just walk away.”
“Now, that’s my sister.”
“Colonel Jones didn’t raise no punks…” Liv said jokingly.
“I’m sure that’s one thing he’d agree with you on...” Taylor replied.
“KeKe too.” She added. “She also says congratulations on your engagement.”
Taylor chuckled. “How’s KeKe?”
“She’s good.” Liv answered. “After she picked me up at the airport, we talked.”
“Did you tell her about Miles?”
“I did.”
“What did she say?”
Liv rolled her eyes. “I should call him and keep things connected to see what happens.”
“Why not Liv? You clearly still want him.”
“I’m stubborn as hell, and I don’t want him to think I’m like all the other women in his life.” She replied. “I need to be different.”
“Then tell him that.” Taylor argued. “He might agree.”
Putting her feet up, Liv sat back.
“Taylor, Miles is between another woman’s legs right now. I’d put money on it.” Liv said quietly. “To him, we’re interchangeable. Which is why I told him what I did…”
“Khayla told me that Miles’ brother, Lance, was the same way before they got together.” Taylor shared. “Now, they’re married with two kids, running businesses all over the city.”
Liv touched her face.
“I met them.” She said with a smile. “They’re amazing.”
“Miles can be amazing, too…”
“Miles is amazing.” Liv said firmly. “I wouldn’t even be contemplating him, if he wasn’t.”
“Then call him…”
“Fine!” Liv yelled. “I will call him.”
She got to her feet after reluctantly agreeing.
“Let me know what happens.” Taylor said, then hung up.
Liv looked at her phone.
“Damn, I didn’t say I’d call right now.”
Shrugging, she then said, “What the hell? Might as well get it over with.”
Deliberately choosing to make a video call, Liv pressed his name. If he was actually with someone else, or working on business...he wouldn’t answer and she could just hang up and be done with it. The phone rang once, then twice…
Then his handsome face appeared.
“Hey, Liv…”
She smiled before she could stop herself.
“Hi, Miles…”
“You’re back in Dallas?” he asked.
“Yeah...home sweet home.” Liv answered and saw a soft curl of smoke float past his head. “What are you doing?”
He held up the cigar.
“Relaxing...it’s been a long ass day.” He told her. “A little sexy woman with red hair has kept me up for the last two days.”
“Should I apologize?”
“Nah…”
She watched him take a puff.
“How was your flight?” He asked after exhaling.
“Good.” She replied. “How was the rest of your day?”
He sighed. “Fucked up.”
“What happened?”
His dark brown eyes held hers.
“You really want to know?” he questioned.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
“A woman I used to mess with, came to the studio talking about after I ghosted her, she was pregnant…”
“What!” Liv cut him off.
“Yeah...she’s fucking lying.”
“How do you know that?”
He stared at her.
“I checked up on that shit.” Miles told her. “She’s trying to get back at me.”
“I mean a paternity test would settle that easily.”
“I don’t need a paternity test. She says that she lost the baby.”
Liv looked sad.
“I’m sorry…”
“There was no damn baby!” Miles corrected. “Her ass lied.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“Positive.”
“So what are you going to do about her?” Live inquired.
He frowned. “Watch her ass closely.”
“What would you have done if she really was pregnant?”
Miles studied Liv’s face on the screen.
“I don’t know. That’s not something I used to plan for…being somebody’s Baby Daddy,” he answered honestly. “But that shit really has me thinking now.”
“About?”
“About who I want to be procreating with…”
Liv looked thoughtful.
“I hear you…” she said softly. “Even though I never had sex with Ty...I can’t imagine having that Negro’s baby. He’s crazy as hell.”
Miles’ eyes narrowed.
“You’ve heard from him again?”
“He was at my place tonight.” Liv told him. “I went and got my gun for him.”
“Did you call the police?” Miles asked.
She shook her head.
“No. I think that would’ve just made the situation worse. He says that if I leave him alone, he’ll leave me alone.”
Miles shook his head.
“Nah, I don’t like that.” He told her.
“Taylor at least wants me to file a report.”
“Hell yeah…” Miles agreed. “What’s his full name, Liv?”
Liv frowned. “Miles…”
“What’s his name?” Miles demanded.
“What are you going to do?” Liv asked suspiciously.
“Damn Liv! What’s that nigga’s name?”
Her eyes widened at his tone and she felt a warmth at his protective side.
“Are you going to come whip his ass?”
“You want me to?”
She smiled softly. “Would you do it?”
He stared at her, then said slowly. “Hell...yeah.”
“His name is Tyler Cooks. He works at the High School in Dallas and he lives in McKinney.” Liv reported.
Miles laughed at how quickly she replied.
“Thank you. Now don’t worry about his ass.”
“Your thug sounds authentic…” Liv told him.
“It is.”
“A gangster documentarian?” she teased.
Nodding, Miles said, “Check my street cred...you’d be surprised.”
“You’ve surprised me a lot already.”
He took another puff, then said, “Yeah...so have you.”
“I was surprised when you even answered this call.” Liv said softly.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I thought you’d be busy with your rotation.”
Miles chuckled. “Maybe you wore me out.”
“I doubt that.” She gave him a look.
“Yeah...I think I’m putting the rotation on halt for a minute.” He told her.
Liv lifted a brow. “What brought that on?”
“I just got a lot going on.”
“Work?”
“Yeah…and other stuff,” Miles replied. “So I guess I’ll just be watching a movie for a little bit.”
Giving him a sexy smile, Liv asked, “Is it the same one I’ll be watching?”
“The only one I have.”
“Me, too...but it’s the best one I’ve ever seen.”
He agreed. “It’s fire.”
They stared at one another i
n silence.
“Are you ready to go back to work?” Miles asked breaking their spell.
“Yes. Only two more weeks of school.” She answered. “Then, I need to figure out if I’m going to volunteer for the summer months. I’ve done it for the past few years, but I think I need to do something different.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know yet. I’d thought about coming to hang out with Taylor, but now she’s engaged and I don’t want to be a third wheel, so I guess I’ll hang down here with my girl, KeKe.”
“You said that she’s a teacher, too?”
Liv looked surprised.
“You listened to me?” she asked.
Miles finished his cigar and put it out in a special ashtray.
“You talked. I listened.” He told her.
“What else did I tell you?” Liv prodded.
“Verbally?”
“Let’s start there…”
Sitting back, he watched her as he talked.
“You told me how you love teaching science and watching the kids learn about nature.” He watched while she nodded. “You told me that you like to watch true crime shows.”
She laughed. “I do.”
“And let’s see...you told me that you hated being the youngest in your family because you always had to fight, just to be heard…”
Liv paused. “I told you that?”
“Yeah…”
“Wow...I shared a lot more than my body with you.”
His eyes held hers.
“I wanted a lot more than that.”
“Do you really want to keep in touch?” Liv asked.
“You were the one scared.”
She sighed. “I still should be…”
“No. You shouldn’t.”
“I mean...I’m here, you’re there.”
“Three hours, baby.”
Liv closed her eyes.
“That simple?” she whispered.
“That simple.” Miles replied firmly. “If you want it to be…”
“Damn…” Liv whispered in awe and opened her eyes.
“What?”
“I miss you already…”
Chapter 14
A week later, Miles was entering his mother’s house with breakfast when his phone rang.
“Good morning, baby…” he answered.
Liv smiled at him over the screen.
“I can’t believe that you’ve got me doing good morning baby calls.”
Miles laughed as he walked inside.
“I call you at night.” He reminded her.
“You do.”
“Mama! I’m here!” He yelled and Liv frowned at him. “What?”
“Why do you scream for your Mama like that?”
He continued to the kitchen laughing.
“To make her get her ass up.” He answered.
“Does it work?” Liv questioned.
Miles paused. “I don’t think so.”
Now, she laughed at him.
“Are you on your way to school?” Miles asked.
“Yes. You know it’s KeKe’s week to drive, so I’m waiting for her to pick me up.”
He smiled at her. “You look pretty.”
“Thank you. So do you.”
That made him frown and she chuckled.
“You look very handsome this morning and every morning.”
“That’s better.” He told her as his mother entered the kitchen.
“Hey Liv!” She got into the camera’s range and waved.
“Hi, Ms. Johnson.” Liv said happily. “Good morning.”
She moved away and reached for plates.
“Mama, I’ve got it.” Miles told her.
“You just talk to Liv.”
Liv looked distressed. “Go help your mother. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I’ll call you tonight.” Miles promised.
“Okay…have a good day, Miles.”
“You, too.” He touched her face on the screen and Liv blew a kiss at him.
With a smile, he ended the call and put his phone away, before joining his mother at the table.
“I like her.” Pat told him. “I’m glad you’re still talking to her.”
“You didn’t think I would?”
Pat shrugged. “After she went back to Texas, I didn’t know. You don’t keep them around for long.”
“I didn’t.” He agreed.
“Well I’m glad you’re keeping her.”
Miles reached for a plate and simply said, “She’s worth keeping.”
******
Liv entered KeKe’s car with a sappy smile on her face.
“Just talked to Miles?”
Liv kept smiling. “Yes, I delivered his good morning baby call.”
“You two…” KeKe shook her head and drove off.
“He was taking his Mama her breakfast.” Liv told her.
“Now, I have to admit...that’s sweet.”
Liv nodded. “Miles is sweet.”
“Aren’t you glad that you didn’t let your stubborn pride keep you from calling him?” KeKe asked.
Making a face, Liv replied, “Yes, I am. We’ve talked every day and night since I’ve been back.”
“When are you going back?”
“Who said I’m going back?” Liv asked.
KeKe groaned. “Liv…”
“What?” Liv asked. “I’m not just rolling up on him in Detroit.”
“He hasn’t invited you back?”
“No.”
KeKe frowned. “Have you offered?”
“Hell no.”
“You two…” KeKe repeated and shook her head again.
“What?” Liv asked again.
“I’ll let y’all figure that out.”
Liv watched her friend as she drove toward the school.
“Are you still coming to the party?” KeKe asked.
“For the teachers night out?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course.” Liv said excitedly. “The school year will be over and we can turn all the way up!”
KeKe glanced at her. “You know it’s for all the teachers in the district.”
“I know.”
“Uh...what about Ty?”
Liv frowned. “As long as he doesn’t come near me...we’re good.”
“You did file a report on him, right?”
“I didn’t need to.”
“Why not?”
Smiling, Liv said, “Miles had some kind of connect down here and after I gave him Ty’s info, I got a call from the DPD the next day, telling me that I didn’t have to worry about Ty.”
KeKe turned to her. “What kind of connect was that?”
“I don’t know, but he’s got some Detroit thug in him.”
“Lawd...only you could find that.”
Liv laughed and turned to look out the window.
“It’s sexy,” she commented.
“I’m still waiting to see this beautiful movie…” KeKe teased.
“Never.” Liv promised.
“I like beautiful movies, too.”
Liv gently hit her arm. “Stop, before I hurt you for real.”
KeKe laughed loudly.
“I still can’t believe you did that.”
“I can’t wait to make another one.” Liv said naughtily.
“I bet your nasty ass can’t wait…”
Liv grinned. “If you saw Miles, you’d be nasty too.”
“You haven’t even shown me a picture of him.” KeKe said with a frown.
“I know.”
“Come on, Liv.”
Shaking her head, Liv said, “Nope, I’m keeping him all to myself.”
“Girl, show me a damn picture.”
Laughing, Liv took out her phone.
“I do have one…” she admitted. “He didn’t want me to take it.”
“Where’d you take it?”
“You’ll see.”
Liv retrieved the picture, then turned her phone to
KeKe, who glanced over then almost crashed.
“KeKe!” Liv shouted as KeKe hit the brakes. “What the hell?”
“Girl!” KeKe shouted. “That needs to come with a warning.”
Looking at the photo, Liv smiled.
“That’s why I didn’t show you.”
After they arrived at school, KeKe turned to her.
“Let me see it again, now that we’re safe.”
Liv opened the phone and handed it to KeKe.
“Damn, Liv…”
“I know…” Liv sighed.
“And you weren’t going to call him?”
Smirking, Liv said, “Hell yeah, I was eventually going to call him. Look at him…”
KeKe looked at the photo of Miles with his shirt off, relaxing on the bed. His slumberous dark brown eyes were staring at her, calling her to join him.
“I hate you.” KeKe said, handing her the phone back.
Liv laughed. “You should.”
Chuckling, they both climbed out and headed toward the building.
“Please don’t show that picture to these women here.” KeKe warned.
“Are you crazy? You don’t flaunt your bull to single cows.”
“You’re so damn country.” KeKe laughed.
“It’s true though.”
******
“What up doe, LJ!” Miles yelled as he entered his brother’s house and scooped up a little boy.
“What up doe, Uncle Miles!”
Lance laughed as he walked in carrying his other son.
“It’s my long lost brother.” Lance teased as Miles greeted his other nephew with a kiss on the head.
The brothers then hugged after Miles sat the toddler back on his feet.
“What up doe?” Lance told him.
When Corvus followed, Miles grinned.
“I should’ve known if I saw Lance, I’d see you.” Miles said, giving him a manshake.
“What’s up, little Miles?” Corvus greeted. “You still turning these women out?”
Miles smiled. “You know how I do.”
“Let me take the boys up to their Mama, then we can sit down and talk.” Lance told them.
“Talk?” Corvus asked.
Lance looked at Miles.
“My brother is at my house, unannounced, first thing in the morning.” Lance pointed out. “He needs to talk.”
Corvus turned to Miles.
“Okay…” Corvus said slowly.
Lance took his son’s hand and left the room with both boys.
“I hear you’re working with the Neo Negus.” Corvus said, taking a seat.
“Yeah, Malachi called me in…”
“Undercover work?”
Miles nodded. “Yeah, with John Campbell. I’m meeting with him later today.”