Why did she text Hook?

Desperation? Loneliness? Stupidness?

It had been a week since she left him and broke up with him. She missed him. She hated staying at her parents' house. They constantly wanted to be in her business. She did not miss staying in his cramped apartment though. Her parents' house had everything including a pool she liked to dip into every night. It was nice for hot summer June nights.

She missed laying next to him and making out with him, and sex with him. And of course his food. Neither of her parents were good cooks, and eating their food made her creations seem like meals from those cooking shows Hook made her watch. Well, not really, but she didn't think she was as bad as her parents.

She thought of him when she was forced to eat their dinner. It reminded her of how she tried forcing her food on Hook. He was always rude and wouldn't even try it, even if she slaved in the kitchen over it. But whenever he cooked, everything was so perfect with no burnt parts, or raw middle or crunchy pasta, or salty mac n cheese. She thought if you put too much sugar in mac n cheese, adding extra salt would balance it out. You live and learn!

She was not surprised when he did not call her. He hated her right now. She didn't blame him. She hated herself. Just because she couldn't handle his kids did not mean she couldn't handle him.

"Ugh!" She was so frustrated she did not know what to do. She held her phone and stared at it all night, willing him to call, text, something.

She dozed off and then her phone vibrated and she excitedly grabbed it up, only to see it was Jared FaceTiming her

"Hey." She lay back down in the bed. Nevermind she looked a mess, with no makeup, hair wrapped up and tied down in a scarf, no bra, and wearing an old t-shirt.

"You're in bed at nine o'clock p.m? Ok, grandma." It looked like he was walking outside somewhere.

"Where are you?"

"So," he said, all extra dramatic, "Girl! I'm at Westport with bae right. Mph! His fine self. We were at Kobe Steakhouse, and guess who goes sitting at our little table thingy?"

"Umm, an ex-boyfriend?"

"Not mine honey, yours. I mean, technically he still your man...or not, I'm confused, so yeah, your was-band."

"Matthew?" This was not a shock to her. She was sure he had some pretty young thing on his arm. "How old was his date?"

"Girl! She looked about nineteen, twenty, but Black doesn't crack so she might be your damn age, I don't know. She was ca-yute!"

"You telling me that like I care. I'm glad he has someone. Maybe he will leave me the hell alone. I want to go back to my house and I don't know if I feel safe there."

"He asked about you."

"Of course he did."

"I ain't say shit to him. Kept it moving like I didn't know the bastard. And I know he knew I was going to come back and tell you everything. He was all kissy-face with that heffa and feeding each other. Ugh! He better stop playing girl and get this divorce over."

"My dad's working on it."

"So you in for the night? Wanta come hang with me and bae and get some drinks?"

She held up her bottle of wine to him. "Me and this all night, I'm good. You have fun."

Jared let out a loud sigh. "Call Hook."

"Why do I have to call that man?"

"Cuz you miss his sexy ass and you were wrong. Bye bitch."

Jared was right, but she was too much of a chicken to call him. Texting in hopes that he would make the next move was her only shot. She continued to stare at the phone till she fell asleep, with no call from Hook.

**************************

The next day, she was fed up, she gathered her things and headed to her house.  She had not been there in three weeks, except to grab some things she needed and leave quickly. If Matthew had a new girlfriend, he had to be done trying to get her back.

She spent the better part of the day just cleaning and laundry and getting her place to feel like her place again. She had to throw out things in the kitchen and go shopping soon. There was little to no food in there. Guess tonight was going to be an Uber Eats night.

She ordered something and then went downstairs to watch some TV. She was flicking through the channels when she passed the Food Network. She stopped to watch a bit. It was Hook's favorite show, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Why did he love this show when it just made her hungry?

She looked at the time. Hook was probably home and watching it too.

Oh, what the hell!

She called him and hoped he would answer.

"Hey," he simply said.

She bit her lip nervously. Why the hell did she call? She low-key hoped he wouldn't pick up.

"Uh, hey," she said back. "What are you doing?"

"Watching Triple D."

She smiled. She knew her man so well. "Me too."

"So you like my show now?"

"I mean, the food always looks good. I just don't get why you watch all this good food and not want to eat it all and weigh three hundred pounds."

"Guy balances it by eating healthy most of the time. Cooking your own food as he does is better than always eating out."

"But he's always eating out! This show is always on."

"You do know it's just recorded and there's like a million seasons on repeat," he said with a chuckle.

She liked hearing him laugh. She liked just talking with him.

"You should be on one of those cooking shows, you're so into it."

"Naw," he said.

She did not know what else to say. He was talking to her and that was great, but what else was she going to say to him?

"I miss you," she said.

"No, you don't. If you missed me you wouldn't have left when shit got real."

"Hook, I'm sorry, but it was too much. Staying at your place, hiding out. That whole ordeal...Matthew, I don't know, I just..."

"You could have tried talking to me, telling me how you felt."

"I know."

"And you tripping about my girls. I told you my girls are my world, you want me, you get them."

"I know, but-"

"Maybe you're looking for a different type of brother. Someone like your ex that treats you like shit than a man that wants to treat you like a queen. Damnit, Angel, I can't fucking keep doing this with you."

"Hook you are a great guy and I don't deserve you. I mean, I'm all fucked up. I can understand if you never want to deal with me again."

Her doorbell rang signaling her food was here.

"Hold on, someone is at my door."

"You're at home? Why would you go home Angel when that motherfucker still gunning for you?"

"He's not. It's my food, I ordered food," she said, making her way upstairs.

"Woman don't open that door unless you are sure that ain't him or he standing by somewhere. Why would you go home, by yourself? Where's your sister? Where's Jared?"

She looked out the window and saw it was just the delivery person. To be sure, she looked all around to make sure no one else was lurking. This man had her scared now.

"Hook, stop worrying. I'm hungry," she said, opening the door.

"Here you go ma'am," the delivery person said, handing her the bag of food.

"Thank you." She closed the door and locked it. "See! No worries. Got my food and nothing happened."

"I just want you to be smart. Be on the lookout. Notice your surroundings. He could be staking out your place."

"Paranoid much?" She went to her kitchen and started pulling out her containers of Sugarfire barbecue. "I went to my parents after I left your place. I just got back here today and there is no food in my house."

"What did you order?"

"Sugarfire."

"You trying to start something huh?"

She smiled, knowing he loved any kind of barbecue, especially St. Louis fave Sugarfire.

"I have ribs, brisket, and pulled pork...those pork belly hush puppies you like, fries, potato salad..."

"Now you know if I drive all the way out there, it ain't gonna be for just some damn food."

"I have dessert too."

"Keep it warm for me, I'm on my way."

She smiled. He was going to drive thirty-five minutes to eat some damn barbecue? Naa! He was going to eat her.

A/N: You think Angel is trying to use Hook just for sex again or she ready to be real with this man?

XOXO
Kimberly