by Charae Lewis
Asia sat in the NICU watching the nurse change Mila’s feeding tube. It had been a very stressful day since the baby suddenly developed a fever. Asia had been on pins and needles as the doctor tried to regulate her body temperature. Once the doctor figured out which medication would be most effective, Mila’s fever went away. Having a sick child was one of the most stressful things Asia had ever experienced. To make matters worse, Dinero had been ignoring her all week. He was still angry that she had invited Trystan to the hospital. Most days, he wouldn’t say two words to Asia, and it was killing her. She hated to be ignored, and Dinero knew that. At first, she wasn’t bothered by his little attitude, but as days passed, she couldn’t stand it. Dinero had even gone as far as waiting until she left the NICU before he would visit the baby.
Asia was surprised when Dinero walked through the door carrying a shopping bag. He walked over to the nurse, whispered something in her ear, and handed her the bag. She nodded and walked out of the room. He took a seat on the opposite side of the incubator.
“What was in the bag?” Asia asked him.
“Clothes.”
“What kind of clothes?”
“Baby clothes,” he spat with much attitude.
“Why the fuck do you still have an attitude? All I did was ask a simple question.”
“And I told your ass not to ask me shit.”
Asia got up from her seat and stormed out of the room. She was sick and tired of Dinero’s immature demeanor. She walked down to the cafeteria and took a seat. She pulled out her phone, deciding to call Kylie since it had been a couple days since she’d last spoken to her.
“Hey, Asia. How’s my little boo boo doing?”
“She’s okay right now. It’s her damn daddy who’s giving me hell.”
“Oh Lord. What is he doing now?”
“He’s upset with me because I invited Trystan to the hospital. I met him down in the lobby, but Dinero ended up coming down there. Now he’s ignoring me.”
“So why are you mad? I thought you would enjoy him not talking to you.”
Asia exhaled. “Well, I don’t. I actually hate it.”
“Asia, just admit it. You still love Dinero because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have a problem with him ignoring you.”
“I do love him. I never denied that. I just didn’t want to be with him anymore.”
“Well, do you want to be with him now?” Kylie quizzed.
“Honestly, right now I just want my child to get well and come home. I'm not even thinking about being with anyone,” Asia lied. The truth was that she often thought about her and Dinero getting back together. It was a thought that she’d never expressed to anyone.
“I understand, boo. Well, how about you just bite the bullet and apologize to Dinero. It wouldn’t hurt.”
Asia rolled her eyes at the idea. “I’ll think about it.”
Kylie laughed. “Don’t be so prideful. Just do it. I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Asia hung up and grabbed an apple juice from the vending machine. She made her way back upstairs to see Dinero sitting in his same spot. She sat and watched him closely.
“Dinero, if I hurt your feelings by telling Trystan to come here, then I'm sorry.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that shit no more,” he spat.
“Why do you have to act like an ass? I'm trying to apologize to you.”
“Asia, fuck your apology. Just stop fuckin’ talking to me.”
“So you're really going to sit up here and act like that?”
“Hell yeah. I told you that I'm done with you and I meant it. Shit, this is what you wanted anyway.”
“Oh, so I wanted you to ignore me?”
“Didn’t you ask me to let you go and leave you alone? Well, I granted you your wish. I don’t give a fuck what you do anymore. Just leave my daughter out of your bullshit.”
Asia couldn’t stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She jumped up and flew out of the room. The harsh way that Dinero had spoken to her broke her heart. She did request for him to let her go, but now that the circumstances had changed, she didn’t feel the same way. She was fearful that she may have pushed Dinero away for good, and she didn’t want that. Even if they never got back together, Asia still wanted them to share a friendship. She didn’t want them to develop a co-parenting relationship wherein they only discussed Mila. That would break her heart.
Chapter Fourteen
Trystan waited for Danica to answer her door. After a couple seconds, she did, wearing a white t-shirt and jogging pants. Without saying a word, she hugged him, and then led him into her apartment. When Trystan walked inside, he saw a couple of boxes on her floor.
“You're packing already?”
“Yeah, but it’s just my books and small things. I'm not taking any of my furniture. My brother is going to buy me all new stuff.”
“That’s what's up,” Trystan replied and took a seat on the couch.
Things between the two of them had been a little rocky. They still talked sometimes, but it seemed forced. Even his conversations with Asia had been weird lately. He knew that she was going through a lot because her baby was in the hospital, but he still wanted to be there for her. Asia refused to allow him to come visit her and Mila, though, and Trystan couldn’t do anything but respect that.
“So how does your mom feel about you moving away?”
“She doesn’t want me to leave, especially since we’ve become closer. She cried, and it made me cry.”
“I'm sure that it probably hurts her since she missed out on a lot of your upbringing.”
“Yeah, I know. I damn near changed my mind when she started crying. You don’t know how bad I felt.”
“I'm happy for you, though. Texas is the shit, especially Houston.”
“I heard. Hopefully, I can catch me a Texas man,” she said as she danced.
Trystan scoffed. “Chill out.”
Danica waved her hand dismissively. “Boy, please. I may meet my husband who’ll give me the three little girls I want so much,” she teased.
“Why are you tryin’ to piss me off? Don’t do that.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “What's been up with you? How’s the album coming along?”
“It’s good. That shit goes hard too. Are you going to come to my release party?”
“You know I will. I'm your biggest cheerleader. Oh, wait… That may be Asia now.” She giggled.
Trystan laughed. “You always gotta add some extra shit. Right now Asia’s going through some stuff. She can’t be here for me right now.”
She took a seat next to him “I didn’t want to bring it up, but I heard she had a baby by Dinero. What's crazy is she didn’t even look pregnant in Miami.”
“I know,” he agreed. “I was trippin’ when she told me. And I got into it with her punk-ass baby daddy at the hospital.”
Danica chuckled. “Big said that Dinero still loves her. I don’t think he will let you have her, especially now that they have a baby together.”
“Fuck that dude,” he spat.
“If you and Dinero are going to be in Asia’s life, you guys have to come to some type of agreement. Y’all can’t be arguing every time you two see each other.”
“Man, I'm not about to be arguing with his stupid ass. I got too much going for myself to be doing that. I don’t even wanna talk about this shit right now. Are you going to let me come visit you in Texas?” he asked as he pulled Danica close.
“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”
“Damn, it’s like that? You ain't shit.”
“I'm just playing,” she said and then turned to face him. “I would love for you to visit me.”
Danica leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Trystan pulled her close, pressing his body against hers. He and Danica hadn't been intimate in months, but today would be different. He was horny and in need of her. So when she climbed on his lap, he did nothing to stop her. He found h
is hands roaming all over her ass as her lips voyaged down to his neck.
“Can I sit on that dick?” Danica purred his ear.
“You know you can.”
Danica released his brick hard dick from his jeans. Trystan grabbed a condom out of his pocket and slid it on. Danica stood from his lap and took her clothes off seductively. Her chocolate skin looked delectable. He bit his lip as he watched her full breasts escape her bra. He couldn’t resist the urge to lick them. He pulled each nipple into his mouth one at a time as he massaged her breasts.
Trystan’s manhood was begging him to enter Danica’s center, so he turned her around and guided her onto his dick. They both released a moan, relishing the way their bodies felt, connecting. Danica began to bounce up and down on Trystan’s dick as he gripped her waist.
“Trystan, you feel so good inside of me,” Danica moaned, finally speaking.
“Let me see that ass bounce.”
Danica then began to bounce faster and harder while he pinched her nipples. He bit his lip as he watched her juicy ass swallow his dick. She had always been talented in the bedroom, and Trystan wanted to kick himself for depriving his rod from her good pussy.
“Wait, baby. Hold on,” Trystan grunted, but it was too late.
He filled the condom with his juices as she continued to pounce on him. Seconds later, her body began to convulse like she had the chills. After her toe curling orgasm, Danica leaned back and rested against Trystan.
“Damn, I needed that,” she spoke breathlessly.
“Shit! Who you telling? I was backed up like a mothafucka.”
She turned around and kissed him. “I'm going to miss you.”
“No, you won’t. I’ll be in Texas too much for you to miss me.”
“How? Your schedule is ridiculously jam-packed.”
“Don’t I make time for you now?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you don’t have anything to worry about. I’ll be down there to visit you.”
Trystan thought about the reality of his best friend moving to another state. He was so used to Danica being at his beck and call that it would be a huge adjustment for her not to be in Milwaukee anymore. He truly didn’t want her to go, but he also didn’t want to stop her from pursuing her goals. Danica’s departure would be a tough pill to swallow for Trystan. Despite what she thought, he loved her like no other. They’d been riding for each other for years, and he couldn’t fathom the thought of her not being in his life. Trystan was confused, and he knew he had some serious decisions to make when it came to Danica and Asia.
****
“Aye, the pussy was so whack, I stopped the bitch and asked for some head,” Jimmy said, laughing.
Dinero and Dom broke out into a fit of laughter. They were chilling at Dom’s house. Hearing Jimmy describe his sexual rendezvous with Carlotta had Dinero in tears.
“Damn, it was that bad?” Dinero questioned, still laughing.
“Man, bad ain't the word to describe it. That shit is awful. I can’t believe she’s walking around like she’s the shit with that dry ass pussy of hers.”
“I can’t breathe,” Dinero declared, holding his stomach.
“I'm sorry that you're going through all of that, but I need you to continue what you're doing for the next few weeks,” Dom explained.
“Aw, fuck no,” Jimmy groaned. “I don’t wanna deal with her money hungry ass. I'm tired of faking the funk.”
“I know, man. That’s why I'm going to hook you up when all of this is over,” Dom promised.
Jimmy eyed him with a mean scowl on his face. “Shit, man, I'm ready to say fuck everything and go back to my normal life.”
“Didn’t we tell your Rerun looking ass that we’re gonna take care of you?” Dinero snapped.
“Fuck you. I’ll moonwalk outta this shit with the quickness. Keep on fucking with me,” Jimmy warned.
“All right. Chill, Jimmy. I'm putting everything into motion so you won’t be needed much longer.” Dom turned to Dinero. “How is Mila doing?”
“She’s getting better. The doctor said that if she keeps improving and gaining weight, she’ll be ready to come home in a few weeks.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Sorry to hear about your daughter, nephew,” Jimmy acknowledged.
Dinero nodded without saying a word. When his phone rang, he checked the screen and saw that his lawyer was calling him. He got up from his seat and walked to the hallway, so he could have some privacy.
“Hello?”
“Hi. Can I speak with Dinero?”
“This is me.”
“Hey, it’s Nick. I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that the plaintiff dropped the charges. The bad news is that the only way the DA will suspend your case is if you’ll agree to go to counseling for anger management.”
Dinero’s nostrils immediately flared. “Fuck no.”
“You have to if you don’t want to go to trial and possibly be convicted for domestic abuse.”
“But I didn’t do shit to that bitch,” Dinero gritted.
“I know, but it’s your word against hers. You have to do this, Dinero.”
Dinero wanted to throw his phone because he was so pissed. He didn’t need counseling and didn’t want to attend. He prayed that whatever Dom had up his sleeve would be satisfying enough for him because Dinero was ready to go put a bullet in Cadence’s head.
“So there's no way that I can get out of this counseling shit?”
“I'm sorry, but I don’t think so. It won’t be that bad. It’s only for six weeks.”
“I don’t care about that shit,” Dinero huffed and then took a long pause. “A’ight, man, I’ll do it. When do I start?”
“I’ll have the details for you later this week,” his lawyer assured him.
“A’ight.” Dinero hung up and went back into the room where Dom and Jimmy were. The news he’d just received caused him to have a major attitude.
“What happened?” Dom asked.
“My lawyer said Cadence dropped the charges, but I have to attend counseling.”
Jimmy chuckled. “Man, the state kills me with that bullshit. Always tryin’ to hold on to somebody.”
“At least you don’t have to go to trial,” Dom offered.
“I still don’t wanna go to no damn counseling,” Dinero griped.
“It’ll do your angry ass some good. So stop complaining about the shit and just do it,” Dom commanded with finality.
Dinero heard his father loud and clear. He decided not to respond. Instead, he listened to Dom inform them about his plan for Cadence and Carlotta.
****
Two weeks later…
Asia and Dinero were walking into her home with baby Mila in tow. She’d finally been released from the hospital, and Asia couldn’t have been more elated. Mila’s health had improved drastically, but they still had to watch her carefully to ensure that her heart was working properly. She’d also been prescribed some medication that she would need to take for a while. Since she was sleeping in her carrier, Asia picked her up and took her into the room where DJ usually slept. When she walked in, she was pleasantly surprised to see that it was fully furnished. The walls had been painted in a light shade of green, and the furniture, which consisted of a crib, dresser, changing table, and rocking chair, was white. Asia was so warmed by the gesture, and she knew that there was only one person responsible for it.
“Do you like her room?” Dinero asked as he stood in the doorway.
She looked at him and smiled. “Yes, I love it. When did you do all of this?”
“I didn’t really do shit. I gave Aimee and my mama some money to get all of the shit done.”
“Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. I didn’t have anything for her.”
Dinero walked over and gently removed Mila from her arms. He laid her in the crib and removed all of the stuffed animals. Things between Dinero and Asia were still strained. They only spoke to each
other when it involved the baby.
“You can go take a nap if you want. I’ll sit in here with her,” he told her.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
“Cool.”
Asia walked into her bedroom with her dog on her heels. He’d missed her, and she had truly missed him. They both climbed onto bed where he settled by her feet like he usually did. It took no time for Asia to drift off into a deep slumber.
An hour later…
“Asia!”
Asia hopped from her sleep when she heard Dinero yell her name. Thinking that something may be wrong with Mila, she ran toward her bedroom. In the process of running, she hit her toe on the corner of her dresser.
“Oww, shit!” she complained and rubbed her toe.
She hopped to the room where Dinero was holding Mila at arm’s length. It appeared that the baby had a stinky diaper and the contents had splattered up her back.
“Why the hell are you screaming my name like you're crazy?”
“Man, look. She’s got shit all up her back,” he snapped right before he gagged.
“Dinero, you can’t be calling my name all dramatic like that. I thought something was wrong with her.”
“It is something wrong. Her ass stanks. Here, change her lil’ stanky ass.”
Asia took Mila and glared at Dinero. “Give me my damn baby and stop acting like she’s got the plague.”
He tucked the lower half of his face inside the neck hole of his shirt. “I'm not acting like shit. Ain’t no way she should be smelling like a grown-ass woman. Daddy loves you Mila, but you stank.”
Asia walked out of the room and took the baby to the bathroom and gave her a bath. In the midst of cleaning her up, Rochelle walked in.
“Hey, Granny’s baby. Is your mommy giving you a bath?” she cooed and kissed her head.
“Yeah, she shitted, and your son acted like he was about to pass out. He’s so childish,” Asia huffed.
Rochelle laughed. “So he made you clean her up?”
“Yes.”
Asia walked to Mila’s bedroom to get her dressed. After she finished, she prepared her for feeding time.
“Hey, Rochelle, I want to breast feed but my eczema has flared up on one of my breasts. Do you think it’ll still be okay?”
