Free Simply Amazing by Hadley Raydeen Page B

damn it. You are already chasing me down the damn street! For what, Blake! You think I’m going to let you take me home and fuck me!” She was screaming at the wrong man and she knew it. Blake had never hurt her. Always a friend, he had her back regardless. She knew he wanted her, but she always brushed it aside. Always going after those big-shot, successful brothas, she never had time for Blake. Now she had been burned by one of those men, and who was here for her once again? Blake.
    He flinched at her last comment. “You know me better than that. I would never…” He shook his head. “I was there, Doni. I know he broke you apart back there. ”
    “You don’t have to be my safety net.” She refused to look at him. “I’m strong. I’ll pull through.”
    “No doubt,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I wanted to talk to you about something tonight. Things got out of hand before I had a chance.”
    “Can we talk later, Blake? I’m drained, really. I just want to go home, get a shower, and sulk.”
    His eyes, beautiful jade green, darkened. “I’ll drive you.”

Chapter Three
    Two weeks later, Donia sat at a booth in her favorite bistro sipping a vanilla chai. She hadn’t heard from Blake since that night, which was unlike him. He usually called, e-mailed, or texted her at least twice a week. Oddly, the one man she usually looked over, she missed the most right now. She hadn’t thought about her no-good man since the night he’d made a scene at the bar.
    The bell on the front door chimed and a group of her friends piled in. Blake wasn’t among them. She put on a cheerful grin as they joined her.
    “Hey, girl, you look nice.” Lana sat next to her and hugged her.
    “Thanks, honey,” she said, squeezing her friend back. She waited for the rest of the gang to cozy in before she gave the question to the group.
    “Have any of you heard from Blake?” The silence annoyed her at first, and then frightened her. “What’s going on?” she asked looking at Lana.
    “Blake moved, honey.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “He received a promotion at the firm…in Baltimore. He left yesterday.”
    Her heart dropped. “Why didn’t he say anything? He drove me home that night…” She remembered he wanted to talk to her, but she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. She was too busy sulking.
    “He knew you were going through your own stuff. He said he would call once he settled in.”
    “He called us this morning.” Her friend Steve picked up a beer and took a drink.
    Lana shot him a warning glance. “I’m sure he will call you,” she said giving her friend a reassuring nod.
    “He said he needed to talk to me. Was it about that?”
    “Among other things,” Lana answered.
    “Well, what other things?”
    “He said he would call. You really should hear it from him.”
    “Lana, if you know what is going on you should just say. I’m not into guessing games and I sure as hell am not into waiting for a phone call. I know you guys know what he wants. Someone could at least give me a heads-up.”
    “He wants to talk about how he feels about you, Doni.” Lana finally gave in.
    That’s what she was afraid of. Doni didn’t want to ruin a good friendship by muddying the waters with a romantic relationship. She couldn’t keep avoiding the conversation with him, though.
    All eyes were on her. She didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea, and she didn’t want anyone going back to him telling him anything she said. They all waited for her to respond. “I guess I will have to wait for his phone call.”

Chapter Four
    The phone rang on her bedside table that night around ten, just when she snuggled in on her soft Egyptian cotton sheets. She hesitated when she saw the unfamiliar number on her caller ID, but decided to answer, “Hello?”
    “Did I wake you?”
    “I haven’t fallen asleep yet.”
    “But you are in bed?”
    “Yes”
    “Can I ask what you’re