Love's Neutral Zone by Love Belvin

Author:Love Belvin [Belvin, Love]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950014705
Publisher: MKT Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-12-27T18:30:00+00:00

“So, you down here babysittin’ him?” Willie asked as we ate at the table.

Jeremy and Shirley had taken their food inside to eat. That left me with Maaz, Willie, and Richie at the table. Just minutes into the meal, I could confirm the last two were checking for me. It was a woman’s intuition and also understandable. Oftentimes, southern men, especially those from the likes of Exile, South Carolina, were enamored by northern, city women. That, and the short shorts I wore today with a fitted BSU hoodie and Asè Garb sneakers. My thighs were out in this country air polluted with blood-sucking bugs. Richie tried to stare on the low. Willie didn’t give a fuck about me catching him more times than what was necessary. But I was good. Safety wasn’t an issue with them for me.

“Babysitting,” I threw back at him as Maaz snorted while chewing and gazing into his phone. I grabbed my bottle of Corona and sucked it back. “That man is rich. He could afford a more qualified chaperone. But wait: why does he need supervision?” I smiled.

Maaz glanced up from his phone and scoffed, “This nigga.”

“That’s you?” Richie teased. “Z, man, I ain’t know.” He laughed.

“I ‘on’t know what this nigga’s talking about.”

“Nah,” the southern intonation was slightly detectable in Willie’s delivery. “My cuh a straight up cat. Know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?” He chuckled, staring at Maaz, whose attention hadn’t left his phone much since eating. “Got good grades. Played all types of ball⁠—”

“Just mopped your ass in hoops,” Maaz’s flex wasn’t more than a murmur minus the eye contact. “Check.”

“You best on that green, though. You were a decent student. Always obeyed your parents.” He shrugged. “Okay. Maybe I’m shitting on cuh a little.” He laughed at his own joke. “You’s a good one! But…” He palmed the table in a drum roll, causing Maaz to glance up expectantly. “There was that time—” Willie peered and pointed my way. “—this is why I asked about you babysitting him for Aunt Cheryl. There was that time when I was up north on Christmas break. I was nineteen and you were like twenty. You and Mellie were broken up again,” he sighed, playfully rolling his eyes, expressing exhaustion.

“Not again!” Richie cracked up.

If you knew the couple, you’d know Maaz and Mellie broke up a lot. That child had temper tantrums like nobody’s business.

“Right!” Willie laughed with Richie. “We’re all family here. This is the only time I can discuss my famous football playing cuh. Folks be asking me about him and Mellie, and I just say I really don’t know. But Richie, you my cuh on my momma side, so you family here. And Sundryia know everything but she a gangsta. She going to the grave with all the scoop.” The two guys found that hilarious, too.

“A’ight.” Willie managed to get back on track. “But there was this one year I was up there with cuh, and he would wait until crazy late, thinking I was sleep, and sneak out.

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