by A'zayler
The look on Egypt’s face was unreadable, but I could tell that it was news to him.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
We all stood around quietly for a few more minutes before Myeisha got his attention. “I got that money in the car for you, but Master said he needs to see you about the rest of it.”
Egypt’s head came up slowly as he nodded like he knew something the rest of us didn’t. “I figured it was going to be some shit. That’s why I came here. He’s been on some bullshit for a while now.” Egypt made eye contact with a smiling Myeisha, “The fuck is so funny?”
Myeisha held her hands up in surrender with a taunting smile on her lips. “I’m only the messenger.”
I hated her. She was such a bitch. It didn’t matter how bad she wanted to be a nigga, she was a hoe at heart, and it showed at the worst times. Egypt was so busy fuming that he probably hadn’t paid her any attention. I saw it, though. She was happy that he was being fucked over.
“You one hating ass bitch,” I said before I could stop myself.
“What?” she asked too aggressively for my liking.
I took a step toward her. “You heard me, bitch. You like this shit. You better be glad I’m pregnant, or I’d beat your ass.”
Egypt pulled me back, trying to calm me down, while Myeisha stood there laughing. She just didn’t know, I would mop the floor with her ass. Just because she dressed like a man didn’t mean she could fight like one.
“I’ll dust her muthafucking ass,” I yelled over Egypt’s shoulder as he pushed me back toward his car.
“Get in the car and calm down. I’ll be right back. Don’t you get out.”
I sat in the front seat fuming with my arms folded across my chest. I wouldn’t get out, but if she got close to me again, I was going to at least slap her stupid ass. Still angry as hell, I sat in the front seat watching Egypt walk with Myeisha to her trunk. I couldn’t understand why or how Egypt was so calm about any of this. They were blatantly disrespecting him, and he was allowing it. Even if he allowed Master to slide, Myeisha’s ass didn’t deserve the same courtesy. Just the sight of her irritated me. I wanted to do something so bad and couldn’t. I was thinking of any and everything too.
“I know what I’m finna do,” I spoke to myself while grabbing my phone and calling Master.
I wasn’t surprised that he answered on the first ring. “It must be a holiday if my baby is calling.”
“You better keep Myeisha away from me before I kill her.”
The line was quiet, almost like he was hesitating to respond.
“Master?”
“Aight, baby. I got you. What happened?”
“She’s just low down. I hate her.”
“She said something to you?”
I frowned a little because I didn’t care for the way he sounded, but I disregarded it and kept on talking.
“Nah, to Egypt, but I’ll clock her ass about him too.”
Master was quiet again before responding. “Just chill, I’ll call her. Don’t stress about it, and don’t be out here getting into shit behind that nigga.”
The distaste in his voice made me hang up on him too. I was tired of people coming for Egypt on my watch. That shit was dead. When he finally finished and got back in the car, I was mad enough to cry.
“Azayna, don’t let that girl get to you. You know what this is about. She wanted you first.”
I shook her head. “Nah, it’s deeper than that. I can feel it. Something about her just doesn’t sit right with me.”
“What do you think it is? It’s probably just me.”
I looked at him and wiped my tears away. “It is you, they all hate you, and I hate them!” I yelled through my emotions.
“I don’t give a fuck who hates me as long as it’s not you.” His hand squeezed my thigh. “Stop crying, I’m finna take you to get some food. Will that make you feel better?”
I nodded, trying to calm myself down even though I was still in my feelings about my man.
“Egypt, I think it really is time for you to consider another life.” I sniffed hard. “This one doesn’t love you.”
He was quiet, just looking out of the window as he backed out and drove down the street.
“Do you?”
“Do I what?” I looked over at the side of his face.
“Love me?”
“To death.”
He held my hand up and kissed the back of it. “That’s all I need.”
As important as my love was to him, and as much as I wanted to believe it was enough, it wasn’t. My spirit was not settled at all, and I’d be watching Egypt and protecting him the best I could until I found my peace, and there was no telling when that would be.
Chapter Thirteen
-Zebrina
I could get used to all of the sun and cultural music playing around me as BB and I perused up and down the streets of Mexico. It was so peaceful and welcoming. All of the people were so nice and beautiful. The women and children all rendered smiles and some form of greeting, while the men were fresher than the niggas in Dade.
I thought it was comical, but BB felt no such thing. All day, he’d been frowning at any man who opened a door, complimented, or even waved at me. He was hilarious, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Ever since we’d discussed my feelings in the bathtub on our first day there, I’d been on a high that not even I could explain. Just knowing that I was on the same page as my lover sent me over the moon.
To promise another person that you’d leave behind your entire life at the drop of a dime took some serious commitment and love, both of which I knew BB harbored for me.
“You want to stop and eat here?” BB was holding my hand but pointed to the large pink and green building with his other one.
“Yes, I’m starving.” I followed him to the entrance of the outdoor restaurant.
The gorgeous lady with cinnamon-colored skin welcomed us with menus and spicy salsa dip. Once we were seated, another girl came over with a smile and a couple bottles of water. I didn’t even let mine touch the table. I was so thirsty that I pretty much swallowed the whole bottle in one gulp.
When I looked up, my handsome husband was watching me with that sexy look he had. I wiped the excess water from my lip and raised my eyebrows at him.
“What, baby?”
“You thirsty?”
I burst out laughing, and he joined in, grabbing my hand in the process. “Aye, look at me.”
I looked up, still giggling to myself. He was smiling but wasn’t laughing anymore. “You look fucking beautiful pregnant.”
Dang. Busted. I stopped laughing and looked at him in bewilderment. “What?”
BB leaned over the table, still holding my hand, and smiled as big as I’ve ever seen him before in my life.
“You heard me. Say you ain’t,” he challenged.
“Why would you say that? I’m not pregnant.”
BB’s cool demeanor was normally hard to read, but his happiness was all over him. He’d been smiling pretty much all day, so I’d known it was something, but I had no clue it was this. I just figured he and I were both on the same page about leaving everything behind us, never this.
“I been watching you. You’ve been moving a little bit different lately. The clothes you’ve been wearing ain’t as tight, you’ve stopped drinking, and the other night when I tried to give you that sushi, you almost broke my arm.” BB nodded his head assuredly. “Then I heard you telling Azayna the other day that you wanted to go to the maternity store with her. I picked up on the little shit. I don’t know why you would think I’d let this get past me.”
I sat stunned because he was right. He caught everything. I hadn’t even paid that much attention to myself.
“I hate you, B.”
“No, you don’t. You love me. That’s why you’re sitting over there pregnant as hell right now, ain’t you?”
I exhaled and nodded. “Yesssss, Blaze, dang!”
I swear, when my baby hopped out
of his chair smiling and raising his arms in the air like he’d just won something, I died laughing. I couldn’t even stop myself from smiling at him. BB was such a dream. Beyond my wildest imagination, he was there. The happiness that he exhibited right then made me wish I’d told him sooner. It had been on me to tell him in some big, extravagant way, but I should have known my husband better than that.
He never let anything go over his head. BB paid such close attention to me that me being pregnant had probably stuck out like a sore thumb to him.
“Sit down, crazy boy.” I pulled at his shirt until he sat back in his chair.
The people sitting around us were smiling or laughing as he danced in his seat. His reaction was for the books.
“I knew it.” He wagged his finger in my direction. “I know you, Breen. I wouldn’t be who I am if I’d let my wife walk around me pregnant and didn’t see it.”
“How long have you known?”
He stuck a salsa drenched chip into his mouth before answering me. “Well, I been speculating for about a week now, but after your whole crying fit in the tub the other day, I knew it was something else. You’re real emotional, but not like that.”
I gasped and grabbed my chest. “So, you mean to tell me that my love for you wouldn’t make me want to cry?”
“I ain’t saying that at all because I’d cry about you too, but I still knew it was something else.”
I palmed my forehead and peeked at him through my fingers. He was still in his chair smiling at me like some sort of creep.
“You want a boy or a girl, bae?”
I moved my hand and shrugged. “I don’t really care either way, but I guess a girl since Egypt and Azayna are having a boy.”
“Our baby ain’t got nothing to do with theirs.”
“Yes, it does. We’re all so close that it’ll be like we have both. A son and a daughter.”
BB’s smile grew again. He obviously didn’t care about my logic, but he was so happy that he agreed with me anyway.
“I can’t believe you about to have a baby by me.”
“Why? All we do is have unprotected sex.”
He was laughing again. Another sign of his happiness. BB never laughed that much. He wasn’t grumpy, but he was always too chill to really show any emotions.
“We’re husband and wife, Breen. That’s what we’re supposed to do. It took so long, I just thought maybe we couldn’t have kids.”
“You say anything.” I laughed just as our waitress appeared at our table again.
BB ordered us a few pork tacos and some more water to drink before giving me his full attention again.
“So, even with you being pregnant by me, you still would pick up and leave at the drop of a dime?”
“Yep.”
“You don’t think you’ll need no help with the baby? Like figuring out what to do for it and stuff? Like shit you’ll need your mama for?”
I thought about it and still shook my head. “As long as I have you, we’ll figure it out.”
BB’s expression was one of awe and adoration.
“I think you’re like the smartest man on the planet, BB. Even if there was something that I didn’t know, I’m positive that you’d find the answer for me. You and I together can do anything. We might be new to the parenting thing, but I doubt we’d be bad at it.”
“You really are one of a kind, Breen.” he picked my hand up and kissed the back of it. “I can’t believe God sent you my way. Out of all the niggas on the planet, you wanted my skinny ass.”
I smiled at his beautiful face. “You’re the only one for me. There’s not another soul on this planet who could be with me the way you do. I’m who I am because of who you are.”
His smile mirrored mine as we sat staring at each another. Our lunch went by rather quickly, giving us even more time to hold hands and walk the strip. Him being much taller than me, he could see ahead of us, protecting me from anything I might miss while sightseeing.
“When I first found out I was sick, I used to blame God all the time because I didn’t understand the point of something like that happening to me.” He paused and continued to look around. “But the more I learned to manage it, my anger simmered some. Then, when he sent me you,” BB looked at me and continued with feeling. “I knew everything that I thought I’d lost by being sick, he’d given it back double time. I’m sure you probably already know this because I tell you all the time, but I think the world of you, Breen.” He squeezed my hand as we walked. “As cliché as this is about to sound, if God never does another thing for me, putting you in my life is enough. I was just out here, head first in the streets, but meeting and marrying you made me want to be a better man. Shid, I am a better man because of you.”
I looked up at him to see a light sheen of water in his eyes. “Aww, B.” I stopped and wrapped my arms around his waist while looking up at him. “I love you too, baby.”
He wiped his eyes and sniffed hard. “I know you do, gorgeous. I love you too.” He leaned over and pecked the top of my head. “I feel like God is drawing me to him through you.”
“What you mean?”
“I mean, if I can love somebody as much as I love you, then surely I have to love the person who created you.” BB looked down at me and ran his hand through my hair. “I kind of think that the way we love each other, how pure and limitless it is, has to be the way that God loves us. I read in the Bible that a husband should love his wife the way Christ loved the church, and baby, if God loves the church half as much as I love you, then I know when I do die, I’m in good hands.”
My heart dropped when he mentioned dying. I hated to hear that kind of stuff, even if it was true.
“B,” I said his name with a warning.
“I know you don’t like to think about me dying, but we’re all going to die one day, and now that I have you, I can die knowing what it felt like to genuinely and truly love and be loved. Thank you for that.”
“I should be thanking you.”
He smiled before tonguing me down in the middle of the busy walkway. I lived and died in that kiss. If I’d never felt my man before, I felt him then. That feeling was one I’d never let go… ever.
Chapter Fourteen
-BB
“So, what you want to tell me?” I asked Egypt.
He and I were on the back deck of my house drinking beers and kicking shit. He’d come over as soon as Zebrina and I touched down and had been here since. I had been watching him all morning, and from one jittery movement to the next, I could tell he had something on his mind. All the small talk in the world couldn’t hide whatever was clearly bothering Egypt.
I didn’t like jittery Egypt. I liked self-assured, about his business, ready for whatever Egypt. I’d been observing him quietly the entire time he’d been talking, and from the moment he’d walked through my front door until now, nothing about his posture had eased up.
“Huh?”
He looked up at me like he wasn’t sure what I was talking about, so I enlightened him.
“Sit your ass still, and tell me what’s on your mind,” I told him coolly.
He dropped his head again and took a few deep breaths before raising it. “I’ma kill Master tonight.”
My facial expression didn’t change, but I did move around in my seat some, waiting for him to expound on what he’d just told me. I wasn’t too bothered by it, but I would like his train of thought before he made any impromptu decisions.
“That nigga Pat kind of pointed me in his direction when we were talking about me getting shot at. He told me it had something to do with Azayna and some other disrespectful shit.”
“Word?” That was news to me.
Hell, I’d been trying to figure it out on my own too and hadn’t had much luck. Now with this shit dropping into my lap, I had to side with my li’l homie and get down with whatever he was down with.
“And, you want to kill him?”
Egypt nodded.
“You sure Pat ain’t th
rowing you a smoke screen?”
Egypt’s head shook adamantly. “Nah, I don’t really get that from him. You know I can read motive, but that just wasn’t what I got from him. I ain’t saying the fool wouldn’t try no lowdown shit like that, but it ain’t him. I can feel it in my gut. I’d already been off with that fool since I’d been serious with Azayna, he wasn’t feeling that shit, and the other day he purposely shorted my money and gon’ tell Myeisha to tell me he’d hit me up later.” He shook his head “He’s not about to play with me, and he’s not about to let a bitch like Myeisha do it either.”
I nodded, lost in my own thoughts. I was listening to Egypt but looking at Zebrina. She’d just walked out of the house in some shorts and one of my tank tops. She was chilling, we both were, had been laid up in the house all day, and now that we had company, we were both trying to get our lives together. I was up handling street shit with my li’l homie while she was busy sweeping off the patio.
Nothing about her looked pregnant to the visible eye, but just the fact that I knew my little one was growing inside of her made me happy. I was happy as hell to be a daddy, and since finding out, I’d been really considering my life and time in the streets. Nothing really seemed worth my life anymore. Zebrina’s and my conversations in Mexico had been heavy on my mind for days, and I sincerely felt everything she’d said. Being with her and our baby was all I wanted to do.
“I know it’ll probably get messy, but I can’t let this one slide.”
I looked from Zebrina back to Egypt. I was rubbing my chin and nodding my head because even though I didn’t really want to do it, I agreed with Egypt. That type of thing couldn’t go unpunished.
“It’ll only get messy if you don’t know what you’re doing, and I know that’s never the case when it comes to you.”
Egypt finally lifted his head to make eye contact with me. “So, you good with me doing that?”
