Free Back to the Streets by Treasure Hernandez Page B

it up. The material swallowed her tiny frame, and she rolled the sleeves up before she walked out of the room. She found Maury sitting in the living room, waiting for her. She stood in the doorway.
    He looked up when he felt her presence behind him. “Make yourself comfortable. I ain’t gon’ bite you, ma.” He patted the seat beside him. “Then again, looks like you didn’t need me to tell you to make yourself comfortable at all, now did you?”
    Halleigh rolled her eyes and took the seat next to him.
    He smirked at how timid she seemed to be. “I don’t know why you acting all shy now. You already slept in a nigga’s bed and everything,” he joked.
    A smile graced her lips. “I didn’t know that was your room. I wasn’t trying to be all up in your space.”
    â€œI’m not complaining. A beautiful woman waiting at home for me ain’t exactly what I would call a bad thing,” he stated, admiring her lovely features.
    Halleigh felt his imposing stare and pulled her legs in, tucking them underneath the oversized shirt. “Now here you go,” she stated in exasperation. She could smell Maury’s game from a mile away. His compliments came out as if they had been used a million times before.
    â€œWhat? I’m not lying, ma,” he stated, a mischievous grin on his face.
    â€œWhatever.” Halleigh stood because she didn’t want to be so close to Maury. Men made her wary, and being alone in the house with someone she barely knew didn’t sit too well with her. She didn’t know what it was like to be at ease around a man. The only person she’d ever trusted was Malek, and he left her high and dry at a time when she needed him most.
    â€œDid Tasha say when she’d be back? I’m not trying to put you out or nothing,” she said.
    Maury smiled. He could see that he made Halleigh nervous. “Why are you nervous?” he asked.
    Halleigh frowned. “I’m not. I just don’t like the fact that Tasha left me up in here knowing that I don’t know you. I don’t trust everybody, so this is kind of awkward for me.”
    â€œYou can trust me, ma. I ain’t gon’ kidnap you or nothing.” Maury stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the kitchen. “You ate?”
    She shook her head and allowed him to lead her to a barstool that sat in front of the kitchen island. She sat down and watched him walk over to the refrigerator. She had to admit that Maury was fine. His baggy jeans and thuggish swagger made him sexy. He wore a red fitted hat, baggy jeans, and a black Sean John hoodie. Halleigh’s eyes followed his every move as he stood with one hand on his belt buckle.
    He looked back at her and turned his mouth up in a half smile when he caught her staring. “What you want to eat, ma?” he asked.
    â€œWhatever you have is fine.” Halleigh tried to hide the fact that she was blushing.
    Maury frowned as he stared into the refrigerator. “Let’s see, I got old lettuce.” He pulled out a brown head of lettuce and set it on the counter. “I got some Gatorade, some eggs, but I don’t know how long these been in here.”
    â€œThat’s okay. I’m not that hungry after all,” she stated, laughter in her voice.
    â€œYou want to go out and grab something?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t have any clothes to put on, thanks to your sister.”
    â€œOkay then, let’s see.” He rubbed his hands together and thought for a moment. “You eat Chinese?”
    Halleigh nodded.
    â€œWe can have them deliver it, and I’ll put in a movie,” he offered.
    â€œYeah, that sounds good.”
    Maury retrieved a Chinese restaurant menu he had hanging on his refrigerator. After asking Halleigh what she liked, he placed an order for their food.
    When the food arrived, Maury grabbed a blanket and two pillows from the closet, and they sat