Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Amir
“Ay, hurry up, man. I’m not trying to be here all day.
” Learah was working my last nerve but I couldn’t really say shit.
I was the one who’d kept pushing her to hit up the mall and now she was out here doing the most after she damn near threw a fit because she didn’t want to come in the first place.
“Don’t rush me. This was your idea.” She was quick to throw that shit in my face, which had me grinning as I walked up on her.
When my chest made contact with her back, I damn near felt her body smiling.
Yeah, her whole fucking body. I kept my hands at my sides but leaned in enough to reach her ear.
“I’m not rushing you, shorty. I just want you to hurry the fuck up.”
When I kissed her temple, she sucked her teeth and glanced at me over her shoulder, smiling big as shit.
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Nah, not really. One is me pushing the issue, the other is you respecting the fact that I’m ready to go, so you expedite this shit. The end result is us getting up out of here so I can eat. I’m hungry as hell.”
“When aren’t you?”
My mind went in a totally different direction, which she immediately picked up on.
“For food, smart ass.”
Laughing as I stepped away, Learah rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the same time.
“We can go. I’m kinda over this too.”
“Aight bet, what you got a taste for?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Nah, don’t hit me with that. Every time you say it doesn’t matter and I decide you complain the entire time about what they don’t have that you wanted.”
Learah laughed, rolling her eyes as I draped my arm over her shoulder so we could leave the store. I was happy as hell that we had already unloaded our first round of bags so we were traveling light with the two smaller ones she held.
“Fine, burgers then.”
“See, I was straight up about to say seafood and your little ass would have been pouting.”
“And you would have found a way to fix it.”
“You’re right but now I don’t have to.”
As soon as we stepped out of the store, I heard a bunch of yelling and cursing, which led us toward the crowd a few feet away. Two security guards struggled with one guy while a woman yelled in his face.
“You got me all the way fucked up! This the last time you put your hands on me!” she screamed, bringing my attention to her face.
“Ay, ain’t that your girl?”
Lear laughed, shaking her head. “She isn’t my anything, but yeah, that’s her.”
“Damn, I hope he didn’t do that shit.”
“Apparently he did.”
Her eye was swollen, which led me to believe that was the reason security had ol’ boy hemmed up. Their ignorant asses were out here in some domestic violence shit right in the middle of the mall.
“They get down like that?” I asked as we moved past them.
Ol’ girl cut her eyes our way and did a double take when she realized who we were.
I chuckled at the salty look on her face.
The last time we crossed paths was when we showed up to clear Learah’s stuff from the apartment they shared.
That had gone smoothly because I made it clear that was the only way it was going to go.
She had her damn nose in the air though, like she was on some better shit since Lear was moving out.
I knew better. Shorty was running game because she was still trying to get at me even then.
It all made sense now, ’cause if ol’ boy was putting hands on her, she damn sure would have jumped at the chance of being on my team. I just wasn’t with the shits.
“I guess. I don’t really know what they do and don’t care as long as they stay the hell away from me.”
“I feel you. Karma is a bitch sometimes.”
I left that thought there because my life was good.
I had no interest in running up on karma and I was pretty sure Learah didn’t either.
Since we both were tired, we decided to grab our food to-go and head back to the apartment.
We didn’t have shit else to do for the day, so we were chilling.
There was a time when I had to be out in the middle of everything, but since Learah and I had been kicking it, I was perfectly content with being at home up under her.
Crazy how doing nothing could feel like everything and that’s exactly where I was with our relationship.
“Didn’t I tell you to order onion rings?
” I cut my eyes at Lear whose hand stopped mid-air, holding the food she swiped from my plate inches from her mouth.
Smiling slyly, she shrugged just before half of it disappeared into her mouth.
Chewing enough to finish the rest, she reached for another but I snatched my plate away.
“Nah, lil homie. I done told you about ordering what you want.”
“Don’t be mean. You have enough to share,” she pouted but I wasn’t playing them games with her. Lear was greedy as hell but always for whatever was on my plate.
“I’m not being mean. I told you to get some when I ordered mine.”
“I didn’t want them at first but they cooked them just right.”
“You never want shit until it’s on my plate. Spoiled ass,” I groaned, shoving my plate her way. She lifted three more of the oversized onion rings, dropping them onto her plate, smiling big as hell in the process.
“You said you would give me the world.”
“Yeah I did but that don’t mean take advantage of my generosity. You’re abusing the privilege.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “I am not.”
When I peered at her, she rolled her eyes again. “Okay, maybe a little bit, but at least you know I’ll return the favor.”
“You’re damn right you will. Got me all hungry and shit because you stealing my food. You’re gonna feed me later.” I winked at Lear at the same time I removed my phone from my pocket, frowning at the unsaved number.
“Yo,” I answered, face tight, waiting to see who was interrupting my evening.
“Uh, Amir, is that you?”
My scowl deepened as I sat up and I felt Lear burning a hole through the side of my face.
“How you dialing a number and you don’t know who the fuck you calling?”
She laughed nervously, pushing out a short sigh. “I apologize. I just, my husband gave me your number. It’s Mrs. Marshall, Learah’s mom.”
My brows dipped in more but I relaxed when my eyes shot over to Learah who looked like she was seconds from snatching my phone outta my hand. I smirked and didn’t tell her shit because I knew she was thinking the worst.
“Nah, it’s cool. What’s up?”
“I hope I’m not bothering you but I wanted to invite you two over for dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, I mean, if you don’t mind. I understand that I haven’t been the best when it comes to you but you have to understand this whole thing is taking some getting used to.
I want to apologize and that’s sort of why I called you instead of my daughter.
I didn’t want you to feel like I was inviting her and allowing you to tag along. It’s a sincere invitation.”
“Yeah aight, I feel you. That’s cool. I can do that.”
I smirked when I looked over at Learah, whose face was tight as hell.
“Perfect. If you’ll just tell me what your favorite food is, then I can get a list ready.”
“My favorite food.” I smiled harder. She was really trying to make amends, which was cool. Lear tried to act hard when it came to her parents, but since her father’s surgery and being around them, I could tell she missed having them in her life. She was still struggling with things with her sister.
“Yes, like do you have any requests?”
“Nah, I eat pretty much anything.”
Out of my periphery, I saw Learah reaching for my phone but I hopped up and stepped away from the sofa, so she couldn’t, which only made matters worse.
“Who the hell are you talking to?”
I grinned hard, trying my best not to laugh. She was hot to death until I fessed up.
“Your mother, now chill.”
“My mother?”
“Yeah, man. She’s inviting us to dinner.”
“Then why didn’t she call me?”
“Because she wanted me to know my invite wasn’t secondary. Now calm your hostile ass down.”
She sucked her teeth, face still tight, but she sat still.
“Is she upset?”
I chuckled. “Nah, she good. I know how to handle her.”
“Ahh, oh, um well, I won’t hold you but if you have any special request for dinner. You can just…”
“Nah, whatever you make is cool. Just hit me up and let me know when.”
“Sounds good. Tell Learah I’ll call her soon.”
“Aight, I got you. Later.”
I ended the call as Lear gave me a death stare. “Since when did she start calling you?”
“Since your pops gave her my number so she could apologize and try to get on my good side.”
“She’s just trying to use you to get to me.”
“Nah, she just wants to connect to something that’s important to you, so y’all can mend the shit broken between you. There’s a difference and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“If she’s using you there’s a lot wrong with that.”
I grabbed both of our plates and set them to the side before I filled the space next to Lear, lifting her into my lap.
When she got comfy facing me, I spoke my piece.
“She can’t use me if I know her intentions ain’t truthful.
I really think it’s deeper than that for all of you.
I can tell how different you are around them.
You miss your parents and that’s cool. Shit happened that changed your relationship but you love both of them and they love you.
You’re just handling it in different ways.
Your mom didn’t really give a fuck about me.
She might even like me but not what I’m about.
When it comes to you, if she has to tolerate me to be in your life, then that’s just what she’s gonna do.
I don’t see anything wrong with how she’s moving as long as you don’t get hurt in the process.
It’s okay to forgive, baby. You have something I wish I still had, so take it from me, they might not be perfect but they’re here.
If you don’t appreciate anything else, at least consider that. ”
She sat staring at me, face hard and eyes tight. I could tell she wanted to be mad but she was feeling what I was saying so she couldn’t.
“I don’t hate them.”
“I know you don’t. It’s okay for you to show them you don’t.” My hands cuffed the back of her head enough for me to bring her toward me for a kiss.
“So you’re my therapist now?” That pretty ass smile of hers was in place, which had me lowering my eyes to hers.
“I’m all things to you. Whatever you need me to be, I’mma be that, always.”
“You promise?”
“Hell yeah, with everything that I am and my word is solid, Lear.”
“Amongst other things.” Her eyes lowered and I bit down on my lip, shaking my head.
“You trying to do something about that?”
She smiled softly, lifting enough to scoot back. “If you’re all things to me, it only makes sense that I’m all things to you, right?”
“I won’t argue that point.”
She laughed, easing off my lap completely before kneeling between my legs.
“I figured you wouldn’t.” Her little hands were busy as she removed me from my jeans.
The minute I felt her mouth on me and her tongue swipe across the head, mine met with the back of the sofa and my eyes closed.
She knew just the right amount of everything to have me cumming in a matter of minutes and that was exactly what she did, followed up by stripping down and sinking down on me, which had my tongue in her mouth and me warning her to prepare for a long night.