“Uh, I don’t know,” he said bewildered. Ernelle came racing through the doors.

“What happened! The guys just said they saw you hitting someone,” Ernelle said and then noticed Regina’s face.

“Who was it!” she said angrily.

“He’s laying on the sidewalk, it was Benny, but I took care of it.” Regina replied smiling and then wincing because of her cheek. Ernelle looked over to Benny and when she saw he was standing she threw the tomato in her hand at the back of his head. It hit its target.

“That’s right boy, and if you come back here again I’m calling the goddamn cops!” Ernelle shouted. Benny took off running and didn’t look back.

“Are you okay?” Ernelle asked turning back to Regina.

“Yeah, I’m fine, but I think I scared the shit out of him though,” Regina replied laughing slightly and looking up at Em.

“That’s why she don’t want to date no more,” Ernelle said climbing the stairs.

“Yeah, partly,” Regina laughed following her. When she didn’t hear Em following her she turned around and said,

“You coming back to the party?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah, I’m coming,” he replied still confused as hell as to what was happening.

When she got back inside there was a loud cheer going up from the living room.

“Holy shit girl! You were fucking awesome!” Proof shouted jumping up and down.

“He was like twice your size, how the hell did you manage to do that?” Bizarre asked. Regina just shrugged and smiled.

“Eh, just don’t get me pissed off.”

“She’s definitely got enough street cred,” Kon remarked.

“Yeah, she does.” Dre nodded.

“I’m just gonna go patch this up guys, I’ll be right back,” Regina replied walking to the bathroom. She didn’t close the door behind her and was startled when she heard it close. She turned and Em was standing there starring at her.

“I thought you might need some help,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” she replied turning back to the cabinet and pulling out a bottle of antiseptic and some Band-Aids. He stepped in front of her and grabbed the towel on the counter, poured a little of the antiseptic on it and took her chin in his hand.

“He must have had a ring on when he hit,” Em said gently touching the gash on her cheek. She sucked in a breath.

“Yeah, that did hurt.” She replied. “So is he the reason you don’t want to date anymore?” he asked, continuing to gently wipe away the blood on her face.

“Part of it. He was the first guy I’d been serious about since I was married. He basically ripped my heart out and stomped on it.”

“You were married?” he asked.

“Mm hm, yeah, when I was sixteen, we got divorced when were twenty, he was the boy next door literally.” Regina laughed.

“What happened, with the ex-husband I mean,” Em added quickly. He put down the cloth and picked up the box of bandages.

“I don’t like to talk about it,” she replied looking away from him.

“He was that bad?” he asked.

“No, it wasn’t him. He really couldn’t haven’t been a better man to me.” She replied in a low voice.

“Then what was it?” he asked again, he pulled out two strips of bandage and closed the box.

“I got pregnant. She came three months early, and well, after three months in the hospital, she died. They say marriages in which you lose a child rarely last. We’d wanted her so much too, she wasn’t an accident either.” Regina replied softly. Em immediately felt bad about asking her to tell him. He placed the first bandage on her face.

“What did you want to talk about before?” she asked changing the subject.

“Us, that’s all,” he replied putting the second bandage on her face.

“What, about us?” she asked again.

“Were you really just using me?” he asked.

“For what Em, I didn’t even know where this was going,” she replied looking at him.

“That answers my question enough.”

“I hope so.”

“But look Regina, I don’t do this often, but I guess, I don’t know, I’d like to see where this goes,” he replied looking directly in her eyes.

“Em, we just met what, three days ago. We don’t even know each other.”

“But what if I want to get to know you,” he said steadily, reflecting that in his gaze. She looked at him, tired of denying her own want to get to know him. So maybe it wasn’t just sex after all?

“I’m not looking to get hurt again, Em,” she replied.

“Look, I’m just asking you to try, for a little while. I haven’t wanted to ask a woman out in a long time.” She paused a moment and thought. He had been nice to her in the last few days, and she had been telling herself it was just sex to keep the idea away that he might be interested in her.

“I don’t know, I promised myself I’d never let myself be that vulnerable again.” She replied.

“All right, fine. I guess it was too much to ask someone else to do it when I can’t even do it myself,” he mumbled shaking his head. They were quiet a moment while they both thought about the last three days.

“Aw fuck it. I mean, in the last three days, more good things have happened to me than in the past five years combined. And it's been all because of you. So look, I’ll make you a deal, if you’re willing to put up with me, I’ll go along, for how ever long, this thing goes. But no friggen promises, all right?” she asked. He looked back at her and nodded.

“All right, I can deal with that.”

“Good, now can we get out of here, I’m getting claustrophobic,” Regina said laughing.

“Yeah, all right, yeah.”