Page 174 of When a Soul Cries

She caught me.

Her eyes narrowed immediately. “What?”

I leaned against the counter and smiled. “Nothing.”

“Then stop looking at me.”

“Can’t.”

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought she might hurt herself. “Boy, bye.”

I smiled wider.

A hard palm smacked the back of my head.

“OW!” I spun around. “What the fuck?”

Rome was already walking back toward the living room with the baby against his chest.

“Come on, goofy-ass nigga,” he said over his shoulder. “Let’s talk about this contract while you got googly eyes behind that girl.”

Zari laughed behind me.

I rubbed the back of my head and followed him.

“I don’t have no damn googly eyes.”

“You almost walked into a wall looking at her.”

“That did not happen.”

“It was about to.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

Rome sat down again. “Sit down, Khalil.”

I dropped into the chair across from him, still rubbing the back of my head.

Then I looked at the baby.

Then Rome.

I couldn’t help it.

The visual was fucking with me.

My brother looked like somebody’s daddy.

And judging by how comfortable that baby was, apparently nobody had bothered to tell her he wasn’t.

I reached slowly for my phone.

Rome’s eyes immediately cut toward my hand.

“Don’t.”

I stopped.