From Friends to Lovers - Book IV, Love Grows

Chapter 4 - Next Level Bromance - May

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Chris points at the bedroom's double doors when Giovonni and Clay stare blankly at him, he becomes irate.

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... GET THE FUCK OUT!

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Giovonni adjusts himself as he stomps his way towards the door, Clay grabs his bathrobe and goes after Giovonni. Clay stops Giovonni in the foyer and tries to convince him that he didn't tell Chris his secret.

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Clay: hey, what the fuck was that about? I didn't tell him about what you told me. He was pissed at me, now you acting like this.

Giovonni: What y'all do to me last ...

Clay: [offended at what he thinks Giovonni was about to say, cutting Giovonni off] ... nigga, look. We took care of your drunk ass. That's what we did to you. [poking Giovonni in the chest]

... If you think that I ... that we'd do some shit like that to you? You can go ahead and kill whatever ideas you got. What that nigga did to you was fucked up, but we ain't like that. And I'm tired of all y'all fucking niggas thinking that every gay or bi man is trying to get with you.

Giovonni: [feeling ashamed of himself for questioning Clay and Chris] ... look, I found out some fucked up shit bout someone I thought was ... and the way I woke up. You know you'd think something happened to you.

Clay: I wouldn't do nothing you didn't want.

Giovonni: [scoffs] I don't want "nothing" to happen, so don't say it like that. I need to go.

Clay: [giving Giovonni that "c'mon man" look] you know what I ... yeah, I think you need to go too.

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When Giovonni leaves, he was so upset that he forgets that his daughter was over there. Erica comes from the twin's room, followed by MJ (Michael Jayden), CJ (Christian Jayson), and Gabby (Gabriella Starr). Leading the twins and Gabby to the kitchen to Chris, who was waiting in the kitchen. Erica begins to prepare breakfast for the children as Chris keeps them entertainment.

After scowling at Giovonni as he walked down the driveway. Clay heads towards the sounds of children laughing in the kitchen. When Clay sees Gabby, he tells Chris and Erica that Giovonni just left. Erica looks at Chris, who shrugs his shoulders and continues to play with all three kids.

About a minute later, Giovonni comes back in to get his daughter. He tries to avoid looking Clay, Chris, and especially Erica in the eyes, out of embarrassment.

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Giovonni: [chuckling at his huge lapse of memory] my bad, daddy wasn't gonna leave you ... [finally looks at the judging stares he's getting from Erica, Chris, and Clay]

... not for long. [taking his daughter from Erica, Giovonni mouths "thank you" and kisses her on the cheek before leaving again]

Chris: [looking at Erica] after they're finished eating, can you get them ready for the bounce house?

Erica: of course.

Chris: [turns towards Clay] I'm going to wait for the Richmond Police to call. Not that I remember anything, anyway.

Clay: okay. [bites his lip to keep himself from saying anything about the attack on Chris]

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Chris goes to the living room to wait for the call in private. He sits and waits for about thirty minutes before getting upset because the detective didn't call in at the scheduled time. When Chris loses his patience, he calls the phone number on the business card that Addison left for him. When he calls, the detective said he was finishing up on some paperwork because they arrested someone. The detective told Chris that they had someone in custody and that he had already confessed to being on the bus.