by A'zayler
“You probably think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“Hell yeah, I do.”
She snickered while pinching the skin just above my collarbone. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I promise I’m not. I feel you, beautiful.”
Her head tilted to the side as she smiled up at me through curled lashes. “Will you promise me something?”
“Anything.” I didn’t need to hear what she was going to ask because, whatever it was, I was going to do it.
“When the time is right, you and me, we’re going to leave Miami and never look back. No baggage, no destination, no family, just us. We’re going to take all of your money, hop a flight, and never look back.”
“All you have to do is say the word.”
Her eyes squinted some, probably trying to discern my sincerity. “You promise? No objections, no wait a few days, no not right now’s, just you and me leaving it all behind?”
“I won’t even take my cell phone. It’ll be us. We don’t have to tell a soul.”
She smiled and grabbed my face. Her tongue slid right into my mouth, and I welcomed it because I needed to feel her. All of the words we’d exchanged had me feeling like shedding a few tears myself.
“Hold on, baby.” I pulled out of our kiss and grabbed both of her hands. “Who makes the call? When it’s time, who calls it?”
Her face was serious, eye contact never wavering. “Whoever is ready first.”
I scratched my head. “So, if I come home one day while you’re watching TV, or studying for a test, on the phone with your mama, or anything like that and say, ‘Breen, it’s our time,’ you with it?”
“On our love, if you tell me it’s our time, I’m dropping whatever I’m doing and following you out of Florida.”
I smiled and pecked her nose. “Bet.”
“So, ‘it’s our time,’ that’s our go phrase?”
I nodded.
“Bet.” She laughed after using my lingo.
“Crazy ass.” I grabbed her by the back of her neck. “Come give me some pussy in this cold ass water.”
She was all laughs as I pulled her on top of me and guided her down my dick. Apparently, my agreement put her at ease because she rode my dick like a champion. No tears in sight, just water and us. Passion and more feelings than I could ever put into words. It was a good thing; I didn’t even desire to try and explain what we had. If you couldn’t feel that shit, it wasn’t meant for you. We weren’t meant for you.
Chapter Twelve
-Azayna
The sound of Chris Brown’s voice eased my mind as I kneeled on all fours in the middle of Egypt’s living room floor trying my best to catch my breath. I loved me some Breezy, and apparently so did Zon. I’d been darn near suffocating all morning due to him being so far up, and my current position and song were the only thing that had him showing me enough sympathy not to take my life.
I was so over being pregnant that I didn’t know what to do. Sharing my body had brought about more aches and pain than I cared to deal with while lying down only made them worse. You’d think that if my feet, back, and ass hurt bad enough, then I should rest it. Tuh! Zon’s little stubborn ass didn’t care one bit. If I stood up, it hurt. If I laid down, it hurt. Lord forbid I sat down longer than two minutes. Whatever it was, whatever I could think of, whatever I couldn’t think of, Zon had beat me to it and beat my ass all the way.
“Ugh!” I groaned while simultaneously dropping my head. “Zon, damn!” My eyes watered.
On top of all of the aching that I had to endure on a daily, the crying was at an all-time high. I seriously didn’t know how much I had left in me. Everybody had made pregnancy seem so easy, but with me, it was anything but. I’d been sick from the beginning and aching every day since. No amount of money or love would ever make me do this again. I meant that from the bottom of my heart.
I was rocking back and forth when I heard my phone ringing. I looked to the side of me at the sofa and tried to snatch it from the cushion. A pain so deep shot up my butt and through my back that I thought I was dying. I screamed so loud that I was sure the neighbors next door had heard me.
“Owww,” I whimpered while trying to catch my breath.
The pain had been so unbearable, it had literally taken my breath away. Afraid to move a muscle, I kneeled as still as I could and moaned to myself. The constant ringing of my phone had begun to irritate me because I needed silence. Too much noise might reignite the pain, and I was deathly afraid of that. Oh, where was my Egypt? I needed him. He was good with stuff like this. He’d rubbed my feet the night before, and I felt like I’d been skipping in clouds for hours.
“Oh my god, whatttt!” I screamed when my phone began ringing again.
With just my eyes, not even my whole head, I looked at the screen to see it was Pat. I wasn’t sure if it had been him the whole time, but I knew for a fact I’d already missed two calls. Scared to death, I slowly reached for my phone. When I had it in my hand, I slid it across the floor and answered it.
“He-hello,” I gritted out.
“Azayna, what’s wrong, baby girl? You alright?” The concern is his voice brought more tears to my eyes.
I was crying again and didn’t even know why. “No, I’m at home stuck. I can’t move because it hurts too bad. Egypt’s not here, and I can’t breathe.” Tears had me next to blind while my face grew wetter with each word I spoke.
“Aww, it’s okay, baby girl. You’re going to be okay. I’m about to call Egypt and see where he’s at. If he’s not close, I’ll come get you, okay?”
I nodded.
“Azayna, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, well stop crying. You’re alright. It’s just the baby growing. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll call you right back.”
I didn’t move to hang the phone up. Instead, I took a few deep breaths, trying to get myself together. After one deep exhale after the next, I readied myself to make a move. When I finally got enough courage to move, I tried to sit back on my haunches and nearly killed myself. The same pain came again, and it hurt so bad that I could do nothing more than grab my stomach with one hand and hold onto it.
“Yeah, I just walked in the door. I see her.” Egypt’s voice came from behind me. I wanted to look over my shoulder and see him, but fear gripped me like a vice. “Let me check on her. I’ll hit you back.”
“Azayna…” Egypt was next to me, kneeling down and rubbing my back. “What’s the matter, boo? What happened? Did you fall?”
“No, I couldn’t breathe. This was the only way.” More tears came. “I tried to move, but every time I do, another pain comes. Now I’m scared.”
I could tell he was clueless for a minute because he didn’t say anything. He just sat there looking at me, probably trying to figure the shit out just like I’d been doing.
“Egypt,” I whined, “I don’t want to be pregnant no more.” I moved my hand to wipe my face. “He needs to come out.”
Egypt scooted closer so that his knees were beneath my belly. Next, his hands circled around my body. I was so afraid for him to move me, but even though he hadn’t done anything, just his touch was already making it better. When I felt myself being moved, I nearly panicked to death.
“Calm down, calm down, I got you.” His soft voice reassured me. “Breathe,” he instructed, and I listened.
My body moved backward until I was resting between his thighs. My back to his chest with both of his legs stretched out around me. One of his arms circled around my neck while the other hand rubbed up and down my large stomach.
“Zon, you got to chill, man. What you doing in there? You trying to kill her, ain’t you?”
My head rested back on Egypt’s shoulder with my eyes closed and my breathing calming down.
“You got the rest of your life to wear her out. Calm your little ass down while you in there.”
I smiled as I listened to Egypt talk to our baby. I loved them both so much.
/>
“You feeling any better?”
I opened my eyes when I assumed he was talking to me. “Yeah, a lot better.” I was still a little tired from all the mess I’d just gone through, but I felt better.
“You think you need to go to the doctor?”
“No, it hurts like this all the time. I can hardly ever breathe.”
Egypt tightened his grip around my neck while continuing to rub my belly. His lips eventually found their way to my face and forehead.
“It’s almost over. He’ll be here soon.”
“I’m never having another baby in my life.”
“You have to because I want a daughter.”
I huffed and rolled my eyes back closed. “Fuck you.”
His laughter shook my body as I lay against him trying to rest. I wanted to laugh too, but I just didn’t have the energy.
“I was just about to come scoop you to take a ride with me. You all fucked up right now, though. You might need to stay at home.”
That got me to move, or at least try to. “No, I want to go. I’ll be okay. I just needed a minute.”
“You sure? I can do that real quick then come back home with you.”
Home. I smiled; his house was our home. I sighed and thanked God for answering prayers. I’d been praying for my own family since my grandma passed and being with Egypt and Zon was finally making that come true. I didn’t care how tired or worn out that damn baby had me, I was riding with my man.
“I’m going with you.”
“Aight, come on.” He stood to his feet behind me before bending down to help me from the floor.
The normal aches and pains were still there, but the gut-wrenching one was nowhere to be found, thank God. Once I was on my feet in front of him, he hugged me and kissed the side of my face. I melted into his embrace, savoring the compassion he had toward me.
“You’re handling this pregnancy thing like a G. You got my respect for real. I know it can’t be easy to carry that heavy ass baby around all day.” He pecked my forehead. “I know this is hard, but I appreciate you for doing it anyway, even when I wasn’t here to help you with it.”
When the water rose in my eyes, he smiled and wiped the tears away before they could fall. “Stop that shit. You too tough to be crying all the time. What happened to Dream? Wherever she went, you need to go find her ass, because she would have been cussing that damn baby out.”
I laughed simply because he was so stupid for saying that.
“Dream was a savage. I don’t know about Azayna. She’s all domestic and crying and shit.”
Again, I laughed while pushing him away from me so I could walk away.
“Fuck you, Egypt,” I yelled to him as I made my way down the hallway to his room.
I was already wearing another bodycon dress and needed to slide my feet into some sandals. I’d just finished and was putting more lip gloss on when he came to the door and stood there watching me. The white tank top and red gym shorts was simple but looked extra sexy to me because I loved when he looked relaxed. Egypt was always so piped up in the streets, and when he was able to relax, it made me happy.
“You must be in love with me.” I looked at him. “Standing there watching me get dressed and stuff, I think I can see the stars in your eye from over here.”
A shy smile spread across his face, followed by a quick shake of his dreaded head.
“I just want you to bring your ass on.”
I walked toward him with my purse on my arm. “Nah, you’re in love. I see it all over you. Come on, I won’t tell nobody you fell for the prostitute.”
Like I’d expected, his laughter resonated from behind me. My smile was just as big as his as we left the house and headed to wherever he’d planned to take me. The ride was cool and so relaxing. Riding shotgun with my man, music blasting, warm air brushing over our skin… it was the life. I didn’t think I could ask for anything more than that. Or so I’d thought.
When I looked up and noticed we were in the hood, near the gas station, I looked over at Egypt. “Why are we here?”
“I told you I had few stops to make. You scared?”
I shook my head. “Hell no, I just assumed you probably wouldn’t want nobody to see us together.”
He frowned at me like I was stupid. “Fuck these people, and fuck that. You mine, fuck them.” He grabbed his gun from beneath the seat and tucked it behind his back. “Plus, they already know what’s up. After that shit in the park that day, they been real quiet around me, and that’s their best bet,” he told me while messing with the clip in his Mac before tucking it under his arm. “I’m itching to bless one of these niggas.”
I nodded and just watched him as he moved around in his seat, preparing to get out. When he finally stopped moving, he sat back on his seat and looked out of his windshield. He looked worried, and I was just about to ask why before he told me.
“I talked to Auto this morning.”
“What’d he say?”
“Same shit, except this time, he sounded all positive. Talking about an alliance with the gangs and doing these things to please God instead of our flesh and a bunch of other stuff that my sister always says.”
I turned in my seat to look at him.
“He’s always talking like that, but this time it was just different. He sounded happy and excited when he told me about God. Like, almost like, he really believes it.” Egypt looked at me and grabbed my hand. “He told me he got baptized by one of the li’l ministers that be coming up there, and I just don’t know, man.” He shook his head.
“What don’t you know?”
Egypt scratched his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I mean, I know who I am and what I’m about, I just don’t know if this is what I want to be anymore.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I know how my mama raised me, and it wasn’t this shit.” He pulled at Mac holster, referencing ‘the shit’ he’d been speaking of. “This is who I am, though. I love this shit.” He smiled, and so did I. “What you think?”
I was shocked to hear him wanting my opinion. I had a lot of input, but I didn’t want to overload his already cluttered mind, so I kept it light.
“I think you should follow the pull that’s on you. This isn’t the first time you’d talked to me about God and the streets, so it’s obviously something that needs to be explored. My grandma always told me that whatever is instilled in you will eventually come out. Your parents raised you in the church. Don’t run from who you are.”
His eyes were on me, staring intently as I spoke. The beautiful eyebrows were scrunched together as he listened.
“You always tell me you like my thug shit too, though. You gon’ still love me if I start being a church boy?”
Egypt kept me laughing. Well, our laughter was kind of a two-way street. He and I were both good at making the other laugh.
“I’ll still love you, Egypt. Just don’t start wearing suits and stuff. Stick to these kind of clothes, and you got me.”
His smile grew as he leaned across the large seat of his old school and ushered me toward him. “Give me a kiss.”
Our lips met, and our worlds grew solid. We didn’t kiss long, but it was long enough to get me going. My body was on fire, and even with us having just talked about God, I wanted some sex.
“Can you give me some before we get out?” I asked against his lips.
I felt him smile more than I saw it, but I definitely heard that nigga tell me no. Even though pouting was my go-to thing when I wanted something from Egypt, I didn’t push it this time.
“What you need to do over here?”
“Get some money. Come on.”
I sat still for a minute before getting out. I did my best to catch my breath while walking around to meet him at the front of the car. When I got to him, and he grabbed my hand, I had to look over at him because he was really showing out. I didn’t complain, though. Hand in hand, we walked up to the gas station where Quez and Myeisha were standing.
I could see the ugly looks on their faces before we got to them, and that was good because I was ready for some shit. Myeisha was staring the hardest. Quez had looked and turned his eyes to Egypt.
“What up, blood?” he held his hand out and dapped Egypt up. “This who you been hiding?”
Egypt and Quez’s eyes both came to me. I smiled bashfully while instinctively leaning into Egypt’s side.
“How you doing? I’m Quez.” He stuck his hand out toward me, and I frowned at it.
Was he serious?
“Damn, she cold like you.” Quez laughed, and all Egypt did was smile.
“Nigga, you acting like she’s somebody new.” Myeisha’s girly side came out.
Mad ass hoe. I looked at her and turned my nose up. See, that bitch had been at the park that day, so she’d probably seen that shit go down. I didn’t remember seeing Quez around that time.
“Azayna, this is Quez,” Egypt interrupted her envious comments.
Quez stood there looking lost as hell. All I could do was snicker.
“Dream, fool,” Myeisha added.
Quez’s head came back to me so fast, I laughed out loud. His reaction was comical as hell. His eyes were squinted as he scratched the top of his head.
“Dream Dream?” he said my name twice as if that would make any difference.
“Yeah, bruh.” Egypt laughed.
“That’s your baby too?”
“Hell yeah.”
Quez was truly blown away, and I really couldn’t stop laughing. After a few seconds of laughing alone, he and Egypt both joined. Myeisha, on the other hand, did not.
“I remember seeing you at the hospital, but I swear on my mama, I ain’t know who you were.” He smirked. “Ain’t this some shit? I figured you were probably his old lady by the way you were crying when they told us he hadn’t made it.”
“That sh—”
“They told y’all I didn’t make it?” Egypt questioned with a frown on his face.
All three of us nodded at him because they had. To that day it was still one of the worst moments of my life.
“What the fuck?”
“Well, the girl came out and told us you hadn’t made it, but before she could even walk away, a black doctor came running toward us and told us you’d made it and would be in recovery,” I told Egypt as I thought back to that day. “He looked like he wanted to break her neck for talking to us.”
