by B. Love
They exchanged goodbyes, then Christian disconnected the call.
On the rest of the drive to her home, Christian let the sounds of Tink and K. Michelle distract her mind.
When they made it in, Nash wasted no time taking care of her. He started by running her a bath that she soaked in until the water grew cold. After she had on her bra and panties, he massaged her body with her Jo Loves Pomelo body crème. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her body this exposed because they’d gone swimming together before… but this was the first time his hands had been on her bare body before.
And God did it feel good.
They were large and rough yet smooth. He took his time, slowly gripping and caressing every inch of her body. Lord knows she wanted to spread her legs and have him go there, but she resisted. Things were good between them, and Christian didn’t want to say or do anything to cause tension.
His massaged had her so relaxed her eyes were heavy. She wanted to go to sleep immediately but when Nash offered to fix her a quick lunch she forced herself to stay up. There was leftover shrimp from the last meal she made, so she asked for a shrimp salad and garlic bread. Of course, she had to have dessert, so they ate a few cookies as well.
When they were done with dinner, Nash undressed and joined her in bed. As he massaged her shoulders and placed soft kisses on her cheek, temple, and neck, he asked her what was on her mind. She appreciated his care and concern, knowing having a clear mind would allow her to sleep better.
She told him about her anxiety over Money. While she wasn’t in fear, it was driving her crazy not knowing if and when he would strike. Then, there was Tyrell. Well, not Tyrell, but Trent. She was missing him already and hated that their relationship would have to suffer because she was no longer with Tyrell. Christian had added Trent to her good morning text rotation, and he’d asked her this morning when he would see her again. At that point, she had no idea what to tell him, so she said she would let him know.
The main thing on her mind was Maria. Even though it looked like she would be okay physically, Christian was worried about how Vincent’s betrayal would affect her mentally and emotionally. She already had a hard time dealing with men… there was no doubt in Christian’s mind that this would make it worse.
Nash assured her that Jax would help with that, and between his faith in Jax and hands on her body that was enough to relax Christian enough for her to fall asleep.
Nash
They spent the afternoon at the hospital when Christian woke up, and when Porsha started to put them all out for the evening, Nash asked Christian if she wanted to grab something to eat. They ended up going to Crazy Crabs for a late dinner then headed to Finley’s for their open mic night. Music and sweets were always the way to Christian’s heart, so Nash almost always tried to incorporate those things into their time together.
Nash couldn’t help but stare at her as she held onto his hand and rocked from side to side. The man on the stage was singing his own soulful rendition of “Emotional” by Carl Thomas. Lord knows he was trying to take things slow since they were just now getting back to their friendship, but a part of Nash wanted to act quickly while she was single. Women like Christian weren’t single for too long. If they were going to ever take things to the next level, he would need to act now.
There was, of course, the option of Christian shutting down because of her fear. If she did, he would take it to the chin and let the idea of them go. But there was a part of him that felt as if their brief time apart from each other had taught Christian a lesson. Nash was fully aware of her fear of loving and losing, of being hurt, but she didn’t have to worry about either of those things happening with him. If he got her, he’d never let her go, and he would for damn sure value her enough to never cheat on her or lie to her.
Lifting her hand to his lips, Nash placed a kiss on it that had her turning in his direction with a smile. She winked at him and started to return her attention to the stage, but when Nash kissed her a second time she looked at him again. This time, there was no smile on her face. In fact, her lips were parted slightly in desire as her eyes lowered. His eyes descended, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. The rapid beating of her heart. How it caused the cursive name plate on her necklace to thump.
“What you scared for?”
She smiled softly and shook her head. “I’m not scared, Nash.”
“Then why your heart beating so fast?”
Covering the necklace with her hand absently, she looked away. True, she had Mitral Valve Prolapse, but her heart didn’t palpitate unless she was scared, out of breath, or stressed. She couldn’t be out of breath, there was no reason for her to be stressed right now… so there was only one other option.
Tugging her attention back to him with her hand, Nash silently demanded her eyes and an answer.
“Because I’m scared.” She chuckled quietly before tugging her ear gently. “Nothing puts fear in my heart, but the thought of you… us… scares the fuck out of me, Nash.”
“Why, Christian? What have I ever said or done to make you feel as if you couldn’t trust me with all of you?”
Her mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Swallowing hard, Christian looked towards the ceiling then back at him. “Nothing, but…”
“No buts. Yo daddy ain’t got shit to do with me and yo mama ain’t got shit to do with you. If we do this, our love will be our own.”
Her eyes softened, but Nash knew her heart was still filled with worry. Releasing her hand, Nash sat back in his seat and returned his attention to the stage.
“Hold my hand,” she ordered in a soft, whiney voice that Nash couldn’t resist, but he tried to anyway.
“I’m good, Gucci.”
“Hold my hand,” she repeated, a little louder this time, taking his hand into hers.
“Spoiled ass.”
Smiling, she leaned into his side and squeezed his hand. They listened to the next two performers in their own worlds. When they had a five-minute intercession, Nash decided to try to speak to Christian in her true language. It was this or nothing. Standing, Nash released a hard exhale as he walked over to the DJ. Christian sat up in her seat, watching his every move with her eyes. Nash checked to see if had the karaoke version of “Best Friend” by The HamilTones. He did, so Nash requested that before going onto the stage.
“Nash,” she whispered loudly, leaping out of her seat. Those around her chuckled as she quickly plopped back down. “OMG. You cannot sing!”
“I gotta prove my love,” he replied, getting a few cheers from the crowd.
Covering her face, she shook her head and giggled as the music began to play. As soon as she caught on to the song, her hands lowered and eyes widened as she stared at him.
“Now I call you in the day and late at night. You give me advice, you tell me to hold on. Everything’s gonna be alright, baby. When I’m hungry you feed me. When I’m stressed you relive me. And I know you’re the one cause God showed me yesterday, with your smile like the sun.”
Her mouth dropped, unable to believe the sound that was coming out of his mouth. For all these years, he’d pretended he couldn’t sing to get a smile and laugh out of her. Now that she was actually hearing his real singing voice, pure surprise had covered her face and filled her eyes.
“And when I’m down out and low I want you and need you so bad. And when I’m weak and lonely you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
With watery eyes, Christian stood as her head tilted. Clutching her heart, her lips trembled as her head shook.
“I will never leave you lonely cause then I’d be a fool. I don’t mind working a job while I’m hustlin’ too. I’d give you the whole wide world, and darling I’ll be good to you. And I know you’re the one cause God showed me yesterday, babe. With your smile just like the sun.”
Stepping from behind the table, she slowly made her way to the stage.
“And when I’m down out and low I want you and need you so bad. And when I’m weak
and lonely you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Her hands were cupped under her chin as she stared at him in awe.
“The only girl I’ve ever loved like this. Feel it more and more every time we kiss, and I know that it’s real the way that I feel. Cause when I’m down out and low I want you and need you so bad. And when I’m weak and lonely you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Everyone began to clap and cheer, but Nash was only focused on Christian. She began to lowly sing, only to him, “Flaws and All” by Beyoncé. He made his way down to the front of the stage. She wrapped his arms around her and placed her hands on his chest as she continued. The entire room grew silent to listen to her.
By the time she was done and the applause settled one woman yelled out, “Girl if you don’t get with that man I will!”
Her face instantly covered with a mug as she looked into the crowd to see who it was, but Nash gripped her chin and pulled her focus back to him.
“You ain’t got shit to worry about. I will always, only, have eyes for you.”
With her lip slightly poked out, Christian stood on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
“You want to be with me?” she asked just as quietly.
“I do.”
“I wanna be with you too.”
Nash pulled back to look into her eyes. “You do?”
Smiling softly, she nodded. “I do.”
He cupped her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. “Then I’m yours, and you’re mine.”
Her shoulders lifted as she squealed and pushed her body further into his. “Are we really doing this, Nash?”
He thought over it for a few seconds before agreeing with, “Yea… we are.”
Christian
On the entire ride home, Christian dreaded this moment. This… goodbye. The first goodbye of their new… relationship. Relationship. With Nash. Christian was in a whole relationship with Nash. Every time she thought about that she’d chuckle and shake her head.
Unsure of what to do, what to say, if anything would be different, Christian decided to follow his lead as she did with a lot of things.
Christian waited for him to open her door. Nash boldly stared her frame over as she got out. He had a way of making her bashfully blush in a way that no other man could.
“Nash,” she sang, pushing her hair off her shoulder as she walked in front of him.
“I can look.” Biting down on his bottom lip, Nash grabbed a handful of her ass and pulled her into his frame. “And touch.” His voice lowered as he added, “You mine now,” before placing a soft kiss to the side of her neck that made her body shudder. “Gone walk your sexy ass to the door so I can watch that thang jiggle.”
Unfamiliar with the sound that seeped from between her lips, Christian bit down on her bottom lip and slowly walked away as her pussy pulsed – being sure to put an extra sway in her hips. Leaning against her door, she watched as Nash slowly sauntered over to her. His eyes began to lift from her body to her face with a shake of his head, and that small gesture was enough to boost her confidence, not that it was lacking.
“What have I gotten myself into with you?” she asked, inhaling a deep breath as he pressed his body into hers.
“The time of your life.”
There was no part of her that didn’t believe that. Her smile slowly began to fade when Nash pulled her off the door and into his arms.
“You gonna kiss me?” she asked, looking up at him.
“I was until you ruined the mood.”
Chuckling, Christian shook her head and wrapped her thumbs around his belt buckles. “You can still kiss me. It doesn’t have to be romantic.”
He smiled and pulled her hair gently, tilting her head back. “You deserve that. I want all of our firsts as a couple to be special.”
“I still can’t believe we’re in a relationship.”
“I can’t believe it took this long.”
She let a few seconds pass before she asked, “So you knew we would always get to this point?”
“I had faith, and just prayed that you wouldn’t let your fear fuck it up.”
Christian buried her head in his chest as she smiled. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“Gimme some suga.”
With a giggle, Christian lifted her head and looked into his eyes. As much as she wanted this and had been waiting for this moment, as she stared into his eyes, she felt no need to rush. Her giggle settled into a comfortable smile as he slowly lowered himself to her lips. But he didn’t kiss her right away. Instead, Nash brushed his nose against hers as he palmed her hair. Tilting her head back, he placed a kiss to the center of her neck that had her eyes fluttering closed.
Gripping his wrists, Christian’s lips parted slightly as she inhaled a deep breath. The feel of his lips on her jaw and cheek caused her nipples to harden. And when they made their way to her nose, she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth in anticipation.
“I need that shit,” he demanded, lowering his right hand to her ass and squeezing.
Christian released her bottom lip, and as soon as she did… Nash pulled it between his. Unable to resist, she melted into him and moaned quietly, enjoying the feel of his lips connected with hers. As he pecked, sucked, and nibbled… Nash’s hands made rounds against her body. By the time he slipped his tongue inside of her mouth, her pussy was wet as fuck and anxious to feel his lips on her bottom set.
But they couldn’t go that far.
Not this soon.
Releasing her, Nash clenched his jaw as his nostrils flared.
“Let me get up outta here before I fuck the shit outta you.”
Christian laughed, even though she could tell he was serious by his expression and the tone of his voice. He gave her a quick, sloppy kiss before heading back to his car.
“Let me know when you make it home,” she requested, unlocking her door and turning the knob.
“Aight, Gucci. I love you, sweetheart.”
Smiling so hard her eyes turned into slits, she replied with, “I love you too, boo.”
About two weeks had passed since Ransom had found out about the baby. Since, he’d been popping up on Leigh literally every day. He’d stocked her entire refrigerator with every fruit, vegetable, and juice he could find and thrown out all the snacks she’d hidden. Which led to a huge argument that ended with him buying several bags of Rap Snacks to make up for it.
He couldn’t really settle into his excitement in the beginning because of everything that had come with her pregnancy announcement. Not only was she unsure of if she wanted to be in the baby’s life, but they also found out that her sister had been shot and was on the way to the hospital. Now that life had slowly began to settle down again, Ransom was unable to contain his excitement.
Every book, magazine, article, video, or show he could watch on babies, birthing, and parenthood he ingested. It was so cute it was sickening.
He was always offering to do things for her and asking if she was okay. In the beginning, Leigh wanted to take full advantage of it, but now… it was starting to get on her nerves. Not because she was tired of him being nice and catering to her, but because she felt like he was doing it only because she was pregnant. For that reason, it didn’t feel genuine, and she couldn’t fake the funk with Ransom or anyone else.
After putting on her silver Fendi jogging pants and the matching white and silver sports bra, Leigh slipped into her silver slides and headed towards the kitchen. Even though she smelled bacon she knew it wasn’t for her. She loved bacon but had been trying to cut back on her pork and beef intake, so she’d been eating turkey bacon and chicken sausage instead.
When she walked into the kitchen and saw Ransom bobbing his head to whatever was in his AirPods she couldn’t help but smile. He was just as handsome, if not more, than he was the day they met years ago with his yellowish-brow
n skin, tattoo covered arms, neck, and chest, tapered fade and baby face.
As she walked over to him, Ransom removed one of his AirPods. He lowered himself and placed a kiss to her temple before greeting her with, “Mornin’.”
“Morning. What you cooking?”
“Bacon, that nasty ass chicken sausage for you, eggs, pancakes, and I got you some fruit already on the table.”
Rolling her eyes, Leigh walked over to the table with a pout. “I’m sick of fruit.”
“Well, you gon’ have to eat that shit until after you have our baby.”
Leigh plopped down in the chair as she looked his frame over. When things first went left between them, she would have given anything to wake up to Ransom fixing her breakfast. Now, she couldn’t wait for him to leave. No matter how much she enjoyed his presence… it would never feel right anymore. He wasn’t here for her – he was here because of their baby.
“Can we talk?”
He looked over at her briefly before nodding and returning his attention to the stove. “What’s on your mind?”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to be nice to me just because I’m pregnant. If you still don’t want to fuck with me, I’ve accepted that.”
Ransom didn’t reply right away. He separated the eggs on his plate and hers then carried hers over to her since that was the last thing he was waiting on. Sitting across from her, Ransom pushed his plate to the side – as if his appetite had been ruined already. Running his hands over his face, he inhaled deeply then stared into her eyes. Leigh had no idea what he was about to say, but she for sure wasn’t expecting it to be…
“Are you sure the baby is mine?”
Scoffing, Leigh sat back in her seat after tossing her fork onto her plate. “Are you serious right now, Ransom? Of course the baby is yours!”
“I had to ask. You fucked another nigga around the time you said you got pregnant.”
“Nigga! We used a condom, and the nigga barely nutted before I was slicing his fucking throat.”
