Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
King
“That’s it, cuz! Run me my Doe Ray Meh!” Hussle exclaimed.
I shook my head then leaned back in my chair, watching my cousin Hussle effortlessly snatch niggas’ money in a dice game. He was an expert since grade school when it came to gambling. Dice hit the concrete, bounced, and somehow always landed in his favor.
We were all over his house today for his birthday. Normally Hussle threw parties that would shut the whole damn city down. His birthdays used to be wild as hell, music blasting, liquor flowing, freaky strippers everywhere, and hoes crawling all over the place.
His wife Territa stepped into his world and changed all of that. They still had their ups and downs, but Territa knew how to get his ass together whenever he started drifting back into his old habits.
I knew this nigga was different when he decided to throw a small kickback instead of going all out for his birthday last year.
A few of his homies crowded around the table playing dice and cards while Territa was in the kitchen throwing down.
Big bottles of liquor was in constant rotation, and the smell of weed filled the air, as my thoughts kept drifting somewhere else entirely.
“Nigga let’s play something else,” Byron groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. “My girl gone kill me when I get home broke.”
Byron had lost the most money so far. He took a long swig of his beer, then slumped into his chair. Hussle laughed loud as hell.
“Y’all already know I’m the king of dice!” he bragged. “A nigga done cleared over thirty bands tonight. Y’all niggas playing too small today! Show a brother some love!”
Hussle talked more shit than anybody I knew but the nigga could back it all up.
We were still joking and talking shit when Territa walked out carrying a huge platter piled high with BBQ wings, hot wings, teriyaki…
and a couple other flavors I couldn’t even name.
Her friend Sharessa was right behind her with a big tray full of sides.
The smell alone made my stomach growl. She set the platter down in front of us before turning around and coming back with another tray stacked with fries and dipping sauces. The moment she disappeared; we all jumped on the food like starved dogs.
My phone pinged in the middle of the chaos. I paused mid-bite not giving a damn how hungry I still was. I wiped my hands then picked my phone up quickly. Layloni had sent a message saying we needed to talk. Another message followed with her texting her full address.
For some reason that text made my dick instantly swell. Talking could come later. Right now, I just needed her.
“I gotta slide,” I said casually, grabbing my jacket. “My girl just texted me.” The words came out so smooth I didn’t even realize what I had said.
Hussle stopped chewing, he struggled swallowing down the remainder of his food just so he could quickly turn to me with a huge grin spreading across his face.
“Hold up,” he said loudly. “What girl?” He raised his brows.
It seemed like everybody outside was waiting for me to answer him. I rubbed the back of my neck before standing up.
“I just know this nigga talking bout one of his jump offs.” Byron chuckled out.
I shrugged but quickly shook my head no. They all should have known that I would never refer to a hoe as my girl.
“My baby momma,” I said simply.
The entire table froze.
“Baby momma?!” Everybody at the table shouted at the same time.
Hussle shot up out his chair so fast it scraped the floor. I ran my hand down my waves and waited for him to start clowning me.
“Nigga you got a girl pregnant?” he yelled. “Man, that’s unbelievable!”
The whole table started laughing.
“I need to see doctor paperwork,” Hussle continued dramatically. “She put voodoo on you or something. You good cuz? On hood if you not okay just say something, I can fix this.”
I couldn’t even laugh because this nigga looked dead serious. Hussle way of fixing something was getting rid of it. Layloni was a good problem to have, the kind I never wanted to see go.
“I actually like this girl,” I admitted honestly. “She just a lil selfish like myself.” I snorted.
Every woman I dealt with knew the rules. Layloni didn’t give a damn about rules. She would be the one to bring me down to my fucking knees. I felt weak as fuck without her. Even when I chose to give her ass space, I craved the fuck out of her.
She didn’t give a damn about the terms and conditions that meant she belonged to me and only me. That shit didn’t stick if I was still messing with other females and not fully claiming her. Layloni was making me work for it, and I liked that shit a whole lot.
She still entertained that Monty nigga when she knew that shit was a dangerous game to play with me. She wasn’t dumb enough to give that nigga no pussy. It was her sending me a clear message. A message that I accepted and was ready to put action behind after tonight.
“Change ain’t always bad.” Hussle broke through my thoughts.
He leaned against the table and looked me straight in my eyes.
“It’s too many ratchet bitches out here. When you find a real one you gotta hold onto her.” He stated seriously.
“Look at my baby mama Chari,” he continued. “Me and Rita got full custody of my daughter now cause Chari out on the track hoeing.”
He shook his head in disgust.
“Imagine if I would’ve let Territa walk away just to chase after Chari and all the other hoes I switched out…I’d be a single father, looking stupid as fuck.” He shook his head, passing his blunt off to Byron.
“I didn’t settle for Rita because of my kid…
I settled and married her because she brought out the good in me.
That’s the type of shit a good ass woman will do…
They bring light to your darkness… peace to your chaos…
It’s hard to find a soul mate that helps ground and balance you.
We pour into each other so the well never runs dry. ” He smiled proudly.
“That’s deep as fuck,” I responded without second thought.
“When I’m out in the streets all day, I be dying to get home to my family. That’s a man’s safe place.” He chuckled.
“I had my slip-ups with other women too… but one day I realized some real shit.” He grabbed his chest and shook his head.
“I’m sleeping with my girl… then sleeping with these hoes…
and I don’t feel shit for them. They don’t even hold a candle to my girl…
then I thought about her doing the same foul shit and felt sick to my gut…
I can’t be expecting loyalty and not giving it.
” Hussle eyes shifted towards the sliding glass as if Rita could hear him.
Byron passed him the blunt back just as I tried to shift gears in the conversation so I could excuse myself smoothly to go see about Layloni. Hussle took a long pull from his blunt then continued his sermon that was hitting home for me.
“Last time Rita left me for three months,” Hussle gasped out for air dramatically.
“A nigga couldn’t breathe…. I couldn’t—”
“Nigga what the fuck is your point?” I snapped cutting him off.
“I’m tryna leave,” I complained. “You see me standing ready to go and you going on and on.” I frowned.
“Oh yeah,” Hussle smirked mischiviously.
“She the one nigga, make sure you don’t fuck it up is where I was getting to in my conversation…
I detoxed from hoes and focus solely on my wife, kids, and money.
If you don’t want to feel like I did when Rita left me, you better do right by her…
Now get the fuck on, ruining my birthday with this simp ass shit. ”
I pulled up to Layloni’s new house and cut the engine. I sat still in my car for a while just taking in her neighborhood and the outside of her house.
I couldn’t even lie, I was impressed.
The neighborhood was quiet, clean… the type of area where you didn’t hear sirens or helicopters. I didn’t see niggas posted outside watching every car that drove by. Her lawn was trimmed neatly, and she had fresh flowers planted along the walkway leading up to the porch.
It looked like a nice family home, peaceful and stable. This was the type of environment a woman about to have a baby would want.
I climbed out the car and walked up to the door. The moment she opened the door; I had to check myself mentally.
Relax, nigga.
Layloni had changed her hair again, and that alone had my mind drifting to places it shouldn’t have been.
Her natural hair was pressed out straight, flowing past her shoulders with honey blonde streaks in it.
I loved the smell of fresh pressed hair.
That along with the smell of her soft floral perfume caused my loins to stir.
Her brown skin was glistened like she was fresh out the tub.
Layloni smiled and blushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears nervously. I pulled her in for a hug and made sure to grab a handful of ass before smacking the top of her ass hard. Her breathing became choppy as I inhaled her deeply.
“Breathe, baby,” I murmured low.
I leaned down, pecked her on those sexy juicy lips then stepped inside.
I watched her close the door and took her all the way in.
Layloni was sexy as hell without putting much effort into the shit.
She had on one of them Walmart cotton night gowns that stopped midthigh.
Her nipples poked through the material and her creamy soft thigh were on full display. My hands twitched.
I was ready to grab her thick ass by the hips and bend her over the couch. Instead, I clasped my hands behind my back to keep from touching her. I was trying to have good self-control so she wouldn’t think all I wanted to do was fuck her fine ass.
“I’m glad you came, Hussle. I missed you.” She said softly.
“I missed you too, your house is nice.” I complimented her, sitting down on her plush sofa. I patted the empty spot next to me ready to get down to business.
“Come sit next to me.” I instructed.