Sylvia #3
“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who should be sorry. I married his stupid ass and didn’t think he would end up like this.”
Hassan took my chin in his hand forcing me to look at him.
“What I tell you about apologizing for other people’s bullshit, Sisi?
It ain’t on you so it ain’t for you to carry.
Nobody is worrying about that nigga. Least of all me.
They better drag his ass to the hospital to get them ribs looked at that.
Muthafucka gone have trouble breathing for a few months. ”
“That’s easy to say. To not feel bad I mean.” ‘Cause god only knew I couldn’t add anything to his comment about Dave’s injuries.
“It’s easy to do too when I’m your man. Stop playing with me.” He squeezed my ass like he wasn’t just whoppin’ Dave’s and as crazy as the last ten minutes had been I stopped feeling bad about it.
“Hopefully he learned his lesson and will just keep it cute going forward.”
“He can do that or end up with a bullet I couldn’t give a damn either way.” Hassan spoke that threat so smoothly I had to wonder just how much moonshine my daddy had given him.
“Hassan?”
“Fine, Sisi I’ll make that shit a blank on the strength of the kids.” He sounded so annoyed at the request I now had a hundred questions running through my head.
“Hassan?”
“Yeah, Sisi.”
“How do you know Jada Cunningham’s boyfriend?”
His face broke into a grin as he looked over his shoulder at the stoic man who looked as though he were scanning the crowed for threats. “Smoke? He’s a coworker.”
“A coworker?”
His grin was playful but I knew he wasn’t lying. I just didn’t know what the hell he meant.“Yeah.”
“Is that all I get?”
“Do I need to say much more?” He gave me a look communicating that my not knowing was necessary for now. As crazy as it was I wasn’t bothered by it because I trusted Hassan.
“You good, fam?” Casanova Beacon came over to check on his cousin and I tried to step back and give them space but Hassan kept me pressed close to his side.
“Did you not watch me knock that nigga out and not even wrinkle my damn shirt?”
“Did. He earned it too. What’s good cuz.” Cass nodded at me and smiled and I just waved back because I still had a dozen questions but couldn’t help that him calling me cuz gave me butterflies.
“Speaking of, you got that for me?”
Cass’s brows shot up in surprise as he smiled. “Right now?”
Hassan laugh and held out his hand. “Hell yeah. I think I’ve earned that shit.”
I just knew they were about to smoke and I wasn’t about to interrupt their session. “I can—”
“Sisi, stay your pretty ass right here until I tell you to move.” Hassan dared me to say anything else and I just folded my lip and hide myself smile because we both knew I wasn’t going to disobey his fine ass.
“It’s like that? Then yeah I got that.” He pulled something out of his pocket before putting it in Hassan’s open palm. I couldn’t see what it was because Hassan closed his fist too fast. Cass stepped back and Hassan turned toward me.
“This ain’t even how any of this was supposed to go but your daddy gave me the green light.”
“My daddy?” I knew my granddaddy had taken up crazy habits since he’d retired but I couldn’t imagine him out here smoking reefer.
“Yeah. I told him that you meant everything in the world to me and that I would spend the rest of my life proving it to you if you let me.” The sun his his eyes at the right angle to make the amber in his left and the cloudiness of his right sparkle like two beautifully colored marbles.
“Hassan—”
“You gone marry me , Sisi?”
Hassan pulled out a ring box and lifted the lid to reveal a diamond that rivaled something a movie star would wear.
The brilliance caught the sunlight and the attention of everyone who’d been watching the fight because I could hear the whispers of everyone around us before they suddenly faded away.
I took in the face of the man who’d come into my life and made so much that was stressful calm.
Who made me feel cherished, delicate and was happy for me to be capable but still wanted to spoil me anyway.
Who cared about my kids, claimed them as his own and spent time with them without me having to nag.
He was a teenager’s dream turned into a grown woman’s reality and I couldn’t believe he was real.
“Are you asking me?”
“No. I’m begging you. These nosy ass folks are watching and no matter what your answer is they’re going to have something to say.
But I love you, on some real shit. You, Dorian and Selene and the baby my granny swears you carrying right now.
But I’m not asking you because of that. I’m asking you to be mine because I don’t want to go another day with you agreeing to be my wife.
So what you say? And just so you know, they’ll probably call us all kinds of crazy for doing this so soon but I don’t care. ”
I felt the tears blur my vision but not enough that I couldn’t see the love for me in Hassan’s face. “Me either. Let’s give them something to talk about.”
The End