by Sephiri J
He turned to look at me, and a smile broke out on his face.
“Uh huh,” he said and came over to give me a hug.
He was a sweetheart. Regardless of how ridiculous his mother acted, I knew he was an innocent child who didn’t ask to be put in the middle of this, so I would never take my dislike for his mother out on him.
“Come on,” I said and led him to a chair then pushed him up to the table when he sat down.
Greg came in with the glasses of orange juice just then.
“Little man, you washed your hands?” he asked, and Brandon nodded his head fast. Greg chuckled. “Aight, let’s eat.”
The three of us sat back, and for the next twenty minutes, we ate and chatted. Brandon told me about what he was doing in school and about a talent show they had coming up in two weeks.
“Will you come, Sade?” he asked me, and I smiled at him.
“Of course,” I said.
When he was done, Greg told him to take his plate to the kitchen and then to go watch TV for a minute. I cleared up the rest of the plates, and Greg followed me into the kitchen.
“So, I gotta talk to you,” he said then looked back outside at Brandon.
He was busy looking at the television and not paying us any mind.
What’s up, babe?” I asked as I washed the dishes.
“Summer is in a situation,” he started, and I rolled my eyes.
“Hear me out, Sade,” he said. “I know you mad, and you have all rights to be. But, just listen for a minute, okay?”
I turned to look at him. “I’m listening.”
He exhaled and put his hands in his pockets. “Summer is about to get evicted,” he started, and I cocked my head to the side.
“She’s behind on her rent like three months, and they say she gotta pay $4,700 to get reinstated or get out by the end of the week,” he continued. “I ain’t got it like that to help her cuz the shops been slow lately. And I can’t have her or my son on the street. So, she and Brandon are gonna stay here for a few weeks until she can figure something out.”
I listened to him in a daze, but when he said that she would be staying here too, my head snapped back.
“You must be out of your mind, Greg,” I said and pushed up from the counter that I was leaning against then folded my hands in front of my chest. He stared down at the floor; his ass couldn’t even look at me.
“Why would you ever think I’d agree to you moving the bitch you cheated on me with and knocked up again into the house that I share with you?” I asked. My words were shaking because I was so angry.
“Sade, please. I don’t want my son to hear us argue about this,” he said in a low voice, but I could hear that he was upset.
“Brandon can stay here, but Summer isn’t living in this house with me,” I said, shaking my head. He had to be crazy to even suggest some shit like that.
“She’s pregnant with my kid, Sade. I’m not having her live in a shelter or on the streets. That shit isn’t healthy, and I’m not putting my unborn kid’s life in danger. Plus, how the fuck is Brandon gonna feel to know his mom is living somewhere else from him?” Greg asked.
I shook my head because I was so angry.
“Why can’t she find somewhere else to live?” I asked.
“You know she doesn’t have family here. She’s from Michigan. She has nowhere else to go,” he explained.
“So, what’s the plan then? She’s going to move in and stay till when? You just said she has no money and nowhere to go. I’m not about to be a sister wife,” I said. Just the fact that I had to explain this to him was crazy to me.
“Her sister is supposed to be moving down here for a job in four weeks. She said once she comes down, the two of them will find a place. The sister has three kids so it will be good for them all to be together,” he said.
I walked toward the cabinets to put the dishes up, but my mind was racing. “She doesn’t respect me, but you want me to be okay with you moving her in here? She’s disrespectful as fuck, and I’m not about to fight her ass again. Where is she going to sleep? How do you expect me to be okay with this? She’s pregnant for you when I’ve been trying for a year. You don’t think about how that will make me feel?” I asked.
I was loud now, but I couldn’t help it. This wasn’t fair.
“I know, Sade. I talked to her, and she knows she can’t talk to you crazy. Maybe the two of you need to have a conversation or something. I think that will help. I know I fucked up, but I don’t want Summer. She’s gonna stay in the guest room with Brandon, and it’s only four weeks. And as far as our situation, I’m going all in with trying to figure out what’s going on with you. I’ll even do the sperm count thing if you want to cover all the bases. I want a baby with you, I want to be married to you. I’ve been saving for a ring, but money has just been tight. I didn’t want to tell you none of that because I wanted it to be a surprise. But I’m telling you now, so you can see how serious I am about this. I want to marry you by the end of the year so we can make this legit. And I’m gonna do everything we can so you can get pregnant because I know that’s what you want. If we gotta do IVF, we will figure out the money. I just want you to be happy, you feel me?” he said.
I was crying hard as hell now because I was overcome with emotion. I wished he had said all these things to me a month ago, six months ago. Shit, two weeks ago. But now, after all this with Summer, it was bittersweet.
“I feel like shit that I hurt you. Dead ass. I’m calling a doctor today, so we can go in and do my tests, and then we can get the info we need to do IVF or whatever. I want you to be happy, and I don’t want you feeling like you come second to no bitch. You my number one, you hear me? Number one. I promise you. On Brandon. I will do whatever I need to do so you know that,” he said.
I nodded and sniffled, trying to dry my tears with my hands. But he did it for me and kissed my forehead.
“It’s just for four weeks, okay?” he said.
“Okay,” I said, giving in.
I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t fight him on this. The bitch was pregnant for him. What kind of person would I be to make him choose? She had nowhere else to go, and I wasn’t leaving. I didn’t trust her at all, and I knew if I left to stay with my dad, she would feel like she won. Just the thought of her and Greg living here with their unborn child and Brandon like they were a whole happy family made me sick to my stomach. Hell no, I wasn’t going anywhere. I would suck it up for the next four weeks and throw a goddamn party when her ass left.
“I’m gonna go to Publix to pick up a couple things,” I said and walked out of the kitchen. I needed some space and some air. I needed to get my mind right. I’d been home just a couple days, but things were changing so much already.
Jumping in my car, I got to Publix ten minutes later. I knew we needed milk and some more orange juice, plus I wanted to pick up something to make for dinner later tonight. If Brandon was staying at the house too, I wanted to get some snacks for him or something. I was in my own world and didn’t even notice someone come up behind me.
“What’s up, Sade?” I heard a deep voice say, and I jumped.
I turned to see Guwop’s dark skin and long dreads. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Damn, nigga. You snuck up on me like a ninja. I didn’t even hear you,” I said and hit him playfully on the arm.
He chuckled. “As big as I am, you think I could do some sneaking? That just shows how distracted your ass is,” he said.
I shrugged. He was probably right.
“How you been? You threw me out, but it's all good. I’m still gon check on you when I see you,” he said.
“I’m okay,” I said with a smile, but I knew my smile was fake as fuck.
He looked at me and raised his eyebrows, which let me know that he knew I was lying. But he didn’t push it.
“I’m ’bout to go get some lunch at the Panera Bread next door then head back to my shop. You wanna chill with me for a second?” he asked
me.
“I just stepped out for a few minutes. I should get back to the house,” I hesitated.
“Aight no worries,” he said and shrugged. “Hit me up whenever, aight?”
I nodded and watched him walk away. “Hey, Guwop, hold on,” I said as I walked up behind him.
I wasn’t trying to talk to him about what I was going through, but having some human company that wasn’t Greg would be nice, even if it was just for thirty minutes.
He turned back and looked at me. “Sup?” he asked.
“I don’t have to be back home this second,” I said and looked back at my cart. I could come back when I was done with lunch and get the rest of those things.
He grinned at me, showing those pearly whites.
“Cool. Come on,” he said, and I walked behind him out of Publix and next door to Panera.
I wasn’t hungry because I had just eaten, but I ordered some coffee, and Guwop got a sandwich and some soup. We walked to a table in the corner.
“How’s the shop?” I asked as I got comfortable.
“We good. Busy as fuck, though. Thinkin’ ’bout hirin’ some more people. Probably open another shop in a couple of months. I got the business,” he said.
I nodded. “Good for you. Sounds like you’ve been busy,” I added.
He chuckled. “Yeah, something like that. What about you? When are you done with school?”
“I have a year and a half left then I’m done,” I said. “I can’t wait. It’s taken me a little longer than I wanted because I was going part-time so I could work and contribute. But I’ll be done soon, and then I can work full time.”
“That’s what’s up,” he said and nodded at me. “I like that about you, though. You got a good head on your shoulders and know what you want. And you ’bout to be done with school so you can live your dream. That’s some grown woman shit.”
I smiled and looked down at my lap. I couldn’t help feeling proud when he put it like that.
“Although, to be honest, you got a whole nigga who works and is supposed to be taking care of home. So, if you needed to go to school full time and lay off the job for a minute, he should’ve supported you in that. Real talk,” he said.
I shrugged, not really wanting to get into that. “I worked because I wanted to. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“I hear you, ma,” he said and took another bite from his sandwich.
“You love this nigga? You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to. I’m just curious,” he said.
“I do,” I quickly said.
“I feel like you sayin’ that shit because you feel like you have to. Like you been answering that way for years, so you feel like that’s what you supposed to say. I’m asking you to think about that shit. You love that nigga or are you just comfortable?” he asked.
I looked over at him and didn’t know what to say.
“I already answered,” I said after a while. “Why? You don’t believe me?”
“Nah,” he said and finished his sandwich then put his napkin down. “Something in your eyes ain’t right. Like, I see your sadness, and I know it’s gotta be because of this nigga. I don’t know how to explain the shit, I just see it. Just cuz you been with him for years don’t mean you have to be with him for years more.”
“I love him,” I answered again and looked away from Guwop. This conversation was making me uncomfortable, and I was ready to change the subject.
“Okay, Sade. I hear you,” Guwop said and stood up.
I didn’t know if I should feel relieved or what when he stood, but I stood as well and walked behind him out the door.
“I gotta head back to the shop, but thanks for keeping me company,” he said and stopped outside the store.
“Thanks for inviting me. I appreciate it,” I said as I looked up at him. He was really close to me, and his proximity was making me breathe a little harder. I took a step back.
“You know you can call me whenever, right?” he asked, and I could feel his eyes staring down at me.
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
Looking back up at him, I couldn’t help but notice how juicy his lips were. My mind wandered back to that night he was inside me. My pussy started to jump just from the thought. I looked away from him and tried to think about anything other than what he had in his jeans.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Sade,” he said and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.
I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t help the fact that I turned my head. His lips grazed mine, and I didn’t move. He didn’t move either, and we both lingered with our lips pressed together. Then he kissed me, and I melted.
“Mmmm,” I said as his tongue slipped into my mouth.
I grabbed his dreads and kissed him back. The energy we had was something crazy, I didn’t want to stop, but I made myself pull away.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, shaking my head.
This was wrong. I had a whole man at home, and even though we were going through shit, I had no right kissing another man in the streets. That wasn’t right.
“My bad,” he said and ran his hands through his dreads.
“I’ll catch you later, Guwop,” I hurriedly said and walked back inside Publix.
Quickly, I grabbed the things I had on my list, and twenty minutes later, I was driving back to the house.
“I’m back, babe,” I said as I opened the door with the bags in my hand.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw Summer sitting on the couch beside Brandon.
“Hello,” I said coolly as I walked inside and closed the door.
“Hey,” she said back to me.
“Where’s Greg?” I asked as I walked past her into the kitchen.
“I think he went to take a shower,” she said.
I wanted to snatch her face off so bad, but I knew that I couldn’t do that. I shook my head and unpacked the groceries that I bought. Greg couldn’t even wait twenty-four hours before bringing her here? Maybe it was selfish, I don’t know, but I would have appreciated a heads up before I came to my home and saw a bitch who I couldn’t stand sitting on my couch eating my potato chips.
This was the worst situation I could have ever imagined. Guwop came to my thoughts again, and I pushed him out. He was a cool guy, and I liked our vibe, but I was with Greg and had been with him for years. So, it was a no for me right now. I would just have to figure out a way to get past this mess that I was in with a smile on my face.
13
Later that night
Bo
I pulled up to the club in an Uber that City called for me while drinking from a red Solo cup with Cîroc inside. Monica was jamming beside me as we had the Uber driver bumping some Cardi B. We were both looking like money, and I knew we were going to turn heads. Since me and Sade were on the outs, I wanted Monica to meet City so I could have someone to talk to about our relationship.
At first, when I mentioned going out tonight with Monica, she hadn’t been too much up for it. Her job at the hospital is demanding, and she said she had a twelve-hour shift tomorrow. But when I told her I wanted her to meet my boo, and maybe we could hook her up with one of his friends, she changed her mind real quick.
The line for the club was already down the street. Stepping out of the car, I immediately felt eyes on me. I knew I looked good in a gold and black dress that showed off my cleavage, hugged my hips and waist, and stopped at my knees. The four-inch heels I wore made my legs look extra-long, and I had my hair down in soft waves. Monica stepped out beside me looking bad as hell too in a black dress that barely covered her ass and red bottoms on her feet.
We walked over to VIP like City said I should, and soon, we were inside the packed club. I was hype to be there because I’d been hearing about this party for weeks. I was ready to get a couple of drinks with my man and turn up. He was still stressed because of the situation with his dad, but I was hopeful that he would turn around. Until then, all we could do was wait and live our lives the bes
t way we could.
I sent off a quick text to City that I was inside and made my way up to VIP where I knew he would be. As I was walking, I felt Monica pull on my hand. I turned around, and she motioned toward the bathroom.
Leaning into me, she said, “I’m gonna stop in here for a quick minute.”
“I’ll come,” I said and turned to follow her, but she waved her hands no.
“It’s okay. I’ll find you. Go find your man,” she said.
I shrugged and turned back toward the roped off VIP section. After showing the security my wristband that we got at the entrance, he let me through, and I walked in, searching the area for City. Some guy pulled on my hand as I walked by him.
“I’m good,” I said and shrugged him off me, but he grabbed me again and pulled me to him.
“Aye, ma, you fine as fuck. Let me holla at you for a minute,” he said and pulled me up to his face.
I could smell the Henny on his breath and knew he was drunk as fuck.
“Get off me. I’m good,” I said and pulled away from him.
“Let me just talk to you, ma. What you drinkin’?” he asked and smiling down at me while trying to lean forward to whisper in my ear.
I sucked my teeth and turned to walk away when I felt him grab my ass.
“The fuck!” I yelled then turned and pushed him back hard. He stumbled back and almost fell. “Don’t fucking touch me. I don’t know you,” I said angrily. I hated that shit.
“Bitch, I don’t want your stuck up ass anyway,” he said as he got in my face.
For a minute, I thought he might try to put his hands on me. But as he was getting up to me, I felt someone step from behind me. I turned, and City gently pushed me back and stood in front of this drunk nigga.
“Get the fuck back before I knock the black off you, bruh,” City said.
The guy paused and took a step back.
“Oh, shit, nigga. My bad. This you?” he asked.
His whole demeanor had changed, and I rolled my eyes.
“The fuck you think she wants with a bum nigga like you, bruh? Apologize to my girl before I throw your ass out,” he said angrily.
