"Girl he was so mad, acting as if my mom lives hours away. Like she isn't even an hour away. I knew that was a bad idea." I said as I put some groceries up.

Mink rolled her eyes as she started to help me to take groceries out the bags. "Aria, you are single. It wasn't a bad idea. He was just mad cause another nigga was on you. He still wants you so he acts like a fucking child."

I knew she was right. "I'm just not trying to deal with no bullshit." I stopped putting groceries away to look at her. "Like I do have to parent with him for another seventeen years Mink."

She brought her eyebrows in as she paused on taking groceries out. "You're making this a bigger deal than it is. It's not that deep. He'll get over it." She paused for a second as she watched me, I quickly averted my gaze and went back to putting up groceries. "You still like Landon?" She questioned as she crossed her arms.

I rolled my eyes as I put some milk up, "stop it."

Mink squinted her eyes, "Aria, I know you do not still have the hots for him."

"I don't." I quickly answered as I grabbed another item to put up "Then look at me and say it with a straight face."

I looked at her as a small smile played on my face, "I don't Mink. And the only reason I'm smiling is because you told me not to! I'm no good when people say that."

"Aria! I'm being forreal." She let out. I coached myself to keep a straight face, "I am too, I don't have the hots for him. But are my feelings for him all the way gone? No they aren't. Are you happy now?" I questioned.

"Wow." She let out as she went back to taking groceries out. "Are you judging me?" I asked. Mink quickly shook her head no, "not at all, but don't play with Quay if you're thinking about going back down that road with Landon again."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I paused once again to look at her. "I never said I wanted to get back with Landon or that I was thinking about it. I just said I wasn't completely over him yet. And that's a big ass difference."

"So you don't think you'll get back with Landon?" She questioned. "Absolutely not." I easily responded. Had the thought crossed my mind a time or two? Maybe, but at this point in time with everything that went down it was a hard no.

A knock came through on my door before she could respond. I wasn't expecting company so I was clueless to who it could be. I looked at her with confusion as she returned the same look.

I opened the door coming face to face with Quay, it was definitely a surprise. "Oh hey!" I smiled.

He sensed the surprise in my voice. He chuckled putting his phone up. "I texted you and told you I was over here so I was going to stop by."

"Oh!" I turned around looking for my phone, realizing that I must've left in my car. "I think it's in my car, but's it cool. Come in," I stated as I walked in and he followed as he closed my door.

He looked over seeing Mink as he smiled, "what's up girl?"  She smiled, "hey Quay!" She took the groceries out the last bag before stating she would be heading out. " I'll give you two some alone time." She smiled as she grabbed her purse and keys.

Quay quickly shook his head, "you were here first you don't have to do all that, I was just dropping by checking on shawty."

I smiled as I finished putting up the groceries. "Well I appreciate it. All is well over here." I responded. My mind went back to my phone knowing I needed to go get my phone out the car. Landon had Ava and I knew he would be coming at any point since I let him know when I left the store. "I'm going to go get my phone real quick," I stated as I looked between the both of them.

"Alright," Quay stated as he pulled out his phone and took a seat. "I'm going to walk with you," she stated as she still had her items in her hand, "still want to give you two some time," she said with a smile causing Quay to chuckle.

We walked out as a smile played on her face, I rolled my eyes, "girl get out my face." She laughed, "do you like him honestly?" She asked. I nodded my head, "I do." I smiled. I opened my car door as I grabbed my phone. I tapped the screen seeing all the notifications pop up, missed call and text from Quay as well as a missed call and two messages from Landon. He still had an slight attitude with me about everything that went down so shit hadn't been the best between us.

Just as I about to respond to him Kennedy called me. Mink looked down at my phone and rolled her eyes, I had never seen Mink this mad at Kennedy for this long. It was seemed as if the friendship was dead which I hated because the two of them were truly my best friends. Shit, I knew Mink because of Kennedy. "Well, I'll let you get that. I guess I'll finally go and talk to Jodie." I smiled as my phone continued to ring, "oh is that right?"

She rolled her eyes, "stop the dramatics."

"Question," I started getting off the topic of Jodie and back to Kennedy as my phone stopped ringing, I would call her back later. "Are you ever going to be cool with Kennedy again? She was dead wrong but every time we talk she's asking about you."

Mink shrugged her shoulders, "I'm good on her right now. Her loyalty is too iffy and I don't like that. I went hard as fuck for that girl and when the tables turned she was soft as fuck. So I honestly don't know."

"It isn't weird living with her?" I questioned.

Mink shook her head no, "I don't say shit to her, she be trying speak and shit but I either ignore her or just look at her like she stupid when she starts talking a lot like we cool." She chuckled as I shook my head. "But don't leave that man waiting in there, bye girl!" She smiled as she made her way to her car.

I made my way back into the house as Quay still sat where I left him. He locked his phone and put it up once he saw me. Anytime we were together he always put his phone up, one part of me felt like it was him giving me his undivided attention, another part made me feel like he was hiding something. But I could blame Landon for my trust issues in that department.

"Everything good with you?" He questioned as he took a seat.

"Yeah," I smiled as I took a seat beside him. "No bullshit with your baby daddy about me taking you out right?" He questioned with one eyebrow raised as he put an arm behind me.

"No," I lied. He looked at me as if he trying to read me to make sure I wasn't lying. He nodded his head as I averted my gaze as my phone rang again, Landon was calling, reminding me that I didn't respond to his message. He asked if I was home.

I sighed not answering as a message quickly came through. I know you home at this point, my mom is still out so I'm about to drop her back off my dad in town and we're going to get a drink.

My eyes widened slightly, knowing this wouldn't be good if he came right now. "What's wrong?" Quay questioned sensing something change in me.

I locked my phone as I shook my head, "nothing."

"Aria, this shit isn't going to work if you always lying." I looked at him wondering what he meant by that. Did he know I was lying when I said Landon didn't trip? I licked my lips as I nervously giggled, he was right. "Landon's about to drop Ava off and ..." I trailed off hoping he caught the drift but he sat there still looking at me. "And what?" He questioned.

I sighed, "I just don't want it to be no shit with him dropping her off and you being here."

He lightly chuckled, "you said there was no bullshit with him when it came to me right?"

I nodded my head, "yeah, but with the baby. I know he'll feel some type of way with another nigga being around her he hasn't met, or we simply haven't even talked about."

Quay nodded his head, "I get that. But I'm not going to be running from this nigga Aria." I nodded as I crossed my arms, "I know." My text tone went off again as I quickly read it, down the street.

My heartbeat quickened. I finally responded saying okay as I looked up at Quay as he placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I'm taking you out tomorrow after you get out of class," he stated causing me to smile. "But I'm going to get at you later."

"Okay," I stated as he walked towards the door my heart slowing back down. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding once the door closed. I was scared, I knew how Landon got last time he came face to face with a nigga I was dealing with and I didn't need that shit and I knew it would be worse Ava being in tow.

A knock came through on the door not even a minute later as I quickly went to open the door.

He had a scowl on his face. "So you had that nigga in here?" He questioned.

I rolled my eyes, I clearly wasn't quick enough. I wasn't in the mood for this shit. I turned around walking back towards my living room. "You don't hear me?" He questioned as he followed behind me. I sat down as he sat the diaper bag down and put Ava on the floor as she crawled to the couch pulling herself up, smiling. I smiled down at her. "Hey mamas!" I cooed as she smiled even harder.

"Aria, don't play with me."

I looked up at him as I crossed my arms. "Landon what?"

"I saw that nigga and I know he was leaving from here."

He was right like what the hell did he want me to say? I just looked at him. "I pay bills in this bitch," he let angrily. "And I'm here all the fucking time so when this shit start? When you think to tell me?"

Me and Quay were fresh as hell. Mink and I had ran into him one day while just out and about. I gave him my number and we were just texting, we went out two times before Landon saw us in the bar.

"Like you walking around here giving a nigga some hope on us getting back together and then you pull this shit."

"Wait," I put my hand up. "The fuck are you talking about Landon? Yes I'm getting past the shit but I never said anything about getting back together and I don't owe you shit. The only time you need to know if I'm dealing with a nigga is when I plan on bringing him around my daughter and we aren't there yet."

"And y'all not going to fucking get there." He let out. I rolled my eyes ignoring the comment.

"Don't you need to meet your dad?" I questioned changing the subject. I still wasn't a fan of his father, while his mother apologized for the rude shit they hit me with in the beginning his father did not. And it was clear he had a slight problem with me but I didn't do shit to him so I didn't care.

He smacked his teeth. "So we not going to talk about this shit?"

"Talk about what Landon? Did you talk to me when you started dating Ashley back then?" I questioned as I crossed my arms.

"Really?" He asked. "We doing that?"

"Just stating facts Landon, asking real questions."

"We have a child now Aria, I don't just want anybody around her and Ashley was never around her since we going there."

"And that's why I said when the time comes you'll be informed before it happens. Quay hasn't been around her either."

He crossed his arms as he kept his eyes on me. "So you really moving on?"

I laughed, not intentionally. "Was I supposed to just stay stuck Landon?"

"I don't want to see you with nobody else. And especially not no nigga like that. My daughter isn't about to be around no shit like that."

I rolled my eyes as I stood up. "Then you should have thought about that before you decided to continue to play with me even after we were living together. And what are you talking about a nigga like that?"

"A nigga deep in the drug game and -" he stopped talking as he looked at Ava his eyes wide and a smile coming to his face as I looked over at her, she was taking her first steps. She had her eyes on Landon as she took small steps to get to him a smile on her face. "Good job baby girl," he let out as he bent down, "come to daddy." She took two more steps before falling as we both excitedly smiled and clapped as she got back up to do it again. Her walking changed the whole mood and atmosphere. She fell a couple more times but she made it to Landon as he picked her up showering her with kisses and smiles as she laughed.

I walked over rubbing my hand across her head as I laid a kiss on her forehead, a big smile on my face. I was so nervous with her being so late with walking, but she did it nonetheless. Landon looked at me with a smile on his face, "you were worried for nothing."

He put her back down, "back up," he said to me before focusing his attention to Ava. "Walk to mama."

She looked at him with a big smile as he told her to go ahead just as his phone went off. He looked at it before answering, "Hey pops, I'm about to be on the way. Ava just took her first steps."

He smiled letting me know his dad's response was good. They exchanged a couple more words before he hung up as Ava was making her towards me as I cheered her on. Once she made it to me I scooped her up as Landon smiled. "I'm heading out, but we not done with that conversation. This a happy moment so I'm not about to ruin that shit." He walked over placing a kiss on Ava's forehead before walking out the door.

As soon as he left Ava started crying for him, I rolled my eyes. She was such a daddy's girl.