Is This the Life We Really Want?

brain hadn't caught

t it for a while and wondered what had just happened inside. The

's boss? He sig

hand me a flyer. I didn't hear a thing. Not really. Just the s

and turned the corner be

. But I knew I couldn't carry it alone.

his with me? Jordan? He'd mi

and scrolled straigh

et it without trying to fix

g. Two.

" Rose's voice, light

you," I said.

was a

? You

know. I don't even kn

me to co

eady on

me at the library.

brary is not for gists." I said, trying to

ka

there i

e said. "I

e was my person. She never need

s running from something, except I wasn't

ing gold between the buildings. Students moved around like t

he'd be, perched on the low sto

ark lipstick on like armor, one hand scrolling throu

w me, she d

u just walked out

g with a sigh a

her head. "

t me finish. Don't say

seri

or

ght. You ha

into Big G's office with his lunch bag, to the moment I locked eyes with Malik sitt

usion that punches holes through your chest. How Malik look

e I walked out without looking bac

blinked. "Hold on. Malik Malik? Like...

"Yup. Th

at? The CEO? Yo

And neither

ir

in, then let out

e Tyler Perry plot

. I just looke

part of those that sponsored the creativity conference, who you said handed

ded a

nce from the information. "Oh, girl. This some

. "Nothing is making sense to me again. I

can't tel

led you. I couldn't talk to

look. "And how you

n't ready to say out lo

ng sharp. "You like him? You ain't cat

st... I just.. I don't know." I st

e a suspic

tted. "He listens. He sees me. He belie

rdan do

ade me

Lately it's like he's more into what

se said flatly. "I've seen it. He loves you, b

I mut

This is exactly the kinda mess that can get blurry real fast. I mean, look at it. He's powerful. He's old

wasn'

"It can sweet talk its way into places it don't belong. Just 'cause

ide of my cheek. I knew she me

k I'm bei

we love you. But hearts don't come with smoke detectors. Someti

hink he meant h

hell sometimes, but that boy got real love for you. Real. Broke-college-stud

ey matter. He asks questions no one else does. It's not just

oked at

think Jor

n't a

al. And maybe he really means well. But don't confuse investment with love. J

landed in

through whatever. But if you let a dude like Malik get close, just be sure it ain't 'cause you'r

t part I hadn'

med?" I said. "What if I'm re

maybe your gut's trying to spe

e. A breeze blew across

talk to Jorda

kno

your

now he'd los

s to know.

d. I wasn't ready. I didn't ev

h to argue, but

a beep on my phone. I stared

said, already read

di

el

er

vo

li

yes snap to me,

?" Rose w

I said und

an eyebrow