Lost In You (The Henderson Family Saga #26)

Prologue

ASHANNI

“I would really prefer if we kept this between us for now. Okay?”

“Mm-hmm. But why? We both single, baby. I’ve been watching you for a while, wanting to get at’chu.”

“I know. I noticed. I’m a lil hesitant, because your son’s mother and I have a past. I fucked her up in high school. Ever since then, shit been a lil tight between us.”

“Aww, fuck.”

“Right. I think you’re a good person, Asad.

I just . . . I move too quickly sometimes.

I need to be cautious with you. My family got enough shit going on.

I’m not tryna add to it with Mila’s bullshit.

Unlike my mama, Aunt Tiff, and Jessica, I would prefer to just avoid bullshit.

If she confronts me, though, I will beat her ass again without hesitation. ”

“So why you wanna fuck me then? You willing to risk the drama that could result?”

I released a sigh. I wanted this nigga so bad.

Asad was fine as hell. I hated that he chose Mila to have a child with.

I couldn’t stand that stupid bitch. I didn’t understand why men let pussy get them fucked up.

I knew he loved her at some point. I could remember them being a couple and going to Bali and Noni’s graduation from Spelman.

She was giving me fucked up looks, and he was giving me ‘come fuck me’ looks.

She wasn’t stupid enough to come for me though.

She knew my family would jump all the way in her shit and kill her ass.

I didn’t bother anybody. That girl was jealous of me.

I inherited all my parents’ good genes. My mama was a curvy size eighteen.

All those sick ass curves were passed down to me.

My daddy hated that shit, but he definitely loved it on Chasity Pollard-Henderson.

I inherited his chill demeanor, but like him, once I got mad, that was it.

I was ready to pull out my lil pistol and fuck shit up.

I even hit the blunt with him every now and then.

That was probably why I stayed so calm. Milana had me wanting to fuck some people up, especially her punk ass ex-boyfriend.

I was glad Ace got rid of his ass, because he wasn’t gonna stop fucking with her until somebody took his pitiful ass out of here.

“Asad, I’ve been wanting you for a while too. It’s becoming unbearable. Now that you’ll be coming around more, I just can’t resist. I need to know what you feel like.”

He pulled me to him and hugged me. “Meet me at my place tonight. I’ll text you my address. What’s your number?”

I said my number aloud for him to save in his phone later.

My people were so damn nosy. Had they even seen us trading numbers with our phones in hand, the word would circulate through Nome like wildfire that Asad and I were dating.

Mr. Red and my daddy were extremely tight and my mama and Mrs. Shana, Asad’s stepmom, were cool too.

I quickly pulled away from him and left the diner, wishing I could openly date him.

Noni and Bali would be ready to kill my ass if they knew I was doing this.

They witnessed the fight between Mila and me.

That ho was bad mouthing me all over the school, accusing me of fucking with her ugly ass nigga.

His ass was making it worse by making it seem like he’d slept with me.

My lil brother, Royal, was only in ninth grade at the time, but he fucked that nigga all the way up.

When I got to my car, my phone chimed with a text. I opened it to see, Lock me in, baby.

I huffed and slid my hand down my face, then saved Asad’s number.

I loved sex. My problem was that I caught feelings too easily.

I fucked around quite a bit last summer.

I wasn’t trying to do that shit this summer or any other summer.

If the wind blew just right, I was ready to slide down somebody’s son’s dick.

My parents didn’t raise me that way. Chas would have a fucking fit if she knew about my heaux phase.

My daddy would be so disappointed. Even at my big age of twenty-four, I was still his princess and could do no evil.

I responded to him. Got it, suga.

Before I could drive away, my phone rang. When I saw Maui’s number, I answered. “Hey, boo. You still at the diner?”

“Yeah, and I was watching you. Are you sure about what you’re doing?”

Nosy ass Hendersons. “No. I like Asad so damn much, but that bitch gives me pause. Is he worth the possible drama she could cause? I don’t know, because you know how much I hate drama.”

“Please think about it, Shani . . . with your brain and not what’s between your legs. She got a mind of her own.”

“I will. Thanks, Maui. I love you, girl.”

“You know I love you too. This will be between us as always, okay?”

“Okay.”

Maui was my day one. The twins were way too rowdy for me.

My birthday was between theirs and Maui’s, but because my birthday came later in the year, Maui and I ended up in the same grade.

She was so chill and always my voice of reason.

She was kind of like Karima without the spiritual aspect, until somebody pissed her off.

Then that Storm Henderson showed up and showed the fuck out.

If she was trying to warn me about this, maybe I should probably leave it alone. She witnessed the fight, too, and knew now that I was older and stronger, I could probably kill that ho with my hands. Yeah. Maui’s right. Keep your pussy to yourself, Shani.

“Ooooooh fuuuuuck, Asad. Yes, baby.”

I obviously didn’t listen to Maui or myself.

When eight o’clock rolled around, it was like my body went into autopilot trying to get to Asad.

This nigga was dicking me down so good. I didn’t know how I resisted him for so long.

Jesus! The way he had my shit juicing all over the place needed to be studied.

“Yeah, baby. I been fiending for this shit. Ashanni, shit!”

He smacked my ass, then leaned over and gripped my neck as he fucked me into next week.

When he bit my shoulder, I came all over the fucking place.

I could feel the warm fluids leave me as my body jerked uncontrollably.

My arch completely fell, and I was lying flat on my stomach on his bed as he continued to fuck my world up.

His dick was working magic, and I didn’t know how I would do without him now.

“Ashanni, I’m about to nut, baby. Fuck!”

Not even a minute after he came, there was loud banging at the door.

I rolled my eyes. This was what I got for letting my pussy lead the way.

I already knew this shit wouldn’t be good.

He sprang from the bed as he glanced at me.

I did the same as I shook my head. This shit was so fucking good.

Now I was about to have to fuck somebody up over it.

“Asad, you still fucking that bitch? Tell me the truth, so I don’t look like a fool.”

“No. I haven’t fucked her since we broke up almost a year ago. For real.”

I nodded as I slid on my underwear and jeans. I had to hop up and down to get that shit over my hips. He licked his lips as he watched me, clearly in a trance, until we heard glass shatter.

“What the fuck!” he yelled.

He left the room in his shorts, and I quickly put on my bra and T-shirt. This ho wasn’t about to find me in here naked. Sure enough, the door flung open, and her ass was standing there huffing. “I know you fucking lying, Asad! You chose this slut to fuck?”

I lowered my head for a minute, trying to calm my nerves and practice restraint as Asad tried to get her to leave without hurting her.

My lip felt like it was bleeding, because I was biting it so hard.

The lil bit of Jasper Henderson that I had inside of me was wishing I would have taken my gun out of the car.

I lifted my head, and said, “I’m a grown ass woman, Mila, but I will make eight years ago a reality in this bitch and having you think you were in twelfth grade all over again. ”

“Bitch—”

Before she could get the rest of her sentence out, I grabbed that bitch by the hair and slammed her head to the wall, knocking her the hell out.

My breathing was erratic, and my hands were trembling.

I wasn’t nervous. I wanted to wake her ass up and fuck her up some more.

I looked up at Asad and said, “This was my biggest fear. See you around.”

“Ashanni, wait,” he said as I walked past him toward the front door.

I turned to him, seeing how red his skin had turned.

“I’m not going to stop trying to get at’chu.

I’m going to file a restraining order on her ass and call the police.

She broke into my house. Baby, please. I need you in my life, girl.

I knew that shit before she and I broke up. I wanna love you, Ashanni. Please.”

I looked away from him, trying to keep my tears at bay. After swallowing hard, I said, “I’m sorry. I can’t. Mila gon’ end up making me commit murder. I can’t throw my life away like that.”

I walked away from him and went to my G-Wagon barefooted.

I’d left my damn shoes in the house. Fuck.

Those were my LV tennis shoes too. Hopefully, he’d get them back to me somehow.

I couldn’t concern myself with that though.

I grabbed my phone and called my sounding board as I peeled out of his driveway.

“Hello?”

“You were right. This was all fucked up, Maui. I’m done. I’m fucking done.”