8. Omiri
Omiri
“ I ’m fucked up. How long you gonna be?”
“I’m like a mile away on thirteenth avenue. Calm the fuck down and I hope you know this is the last time I get out of bed to come get your ass. You’ve been partying for a month, O. It’s time to chill with all that.”
I grinned lazily at my brother’s words while I tracked the woman approaching me. She was cute, her ass was fat and her skirt was short. I could probably fuck her in the bathroom right quick before O’Rion got here.
“I won my first Super Bowl, I’m ’bout to party until I have another ring sitting next to this one.”
“I hope the fuck not because if that’s the case you damn sure won’t make that happen.”
I chuckled and dropped my eyes to where ol’ girl stepped between my legs and placed a hand on my dick. “Ay, don’t touch my shit unless you’re prepared to let me fuck something.”
“I’m down. Where are we going?”
“O, shut that down. I’m about to pull up and she isn’t going with us. So unless you can get your nut in the next couple minutes at that club then it’s not happening.”
I grinned and lifted her hand. “Sorry, baby, I’m heading out. My brother’s about to pull up.”
“Brothers sound fun. I’m game.”
Shit, that could be a good way to end my night…but I knew better.
“He don’t get down like that.”
She shrugged. “Then tell him I can be your ride then I can ride you.”
“O, I mean it. If I pull up and you’re not outside, I’m leaving yo’ ass.”
My eyes dropped to her ass and I grinned, knowing I was going to pass. O’Rion would damn sure leave me right the fuck here and I was ready to head home. “You could be but not tonight. Another time.”
“Your loss.” She smiled and stepped away.
“Yo, I’m about to send you a picture of how nice she is. I’m missing out.”
“Nah, I’m saving you from getting robbed. You know how these women stay running scams and you’re drunk as hell. I’m at the light around the corner. Be there in a…fuck.”
I frowned and lifted from where I was posted up at the bar near the front entrance. Just that one word had my body tight. “What’s wrong, Rion?”
“Get out the gotdamn car or I’mma vent your fucking head.”
The voice was muffled but I heard what was said loud and clear. I was moving before I realized my body was in motion.
“Rion, what the fuck is going on?”
“These muthafuckers are trying to take my shit…”
I blinked, trying to clear my head as I pushed past the crowd coming into the club, knocking somebody over. As soon as I felt the chill from the air outside hit my face, I took off running.
“Rion…”
His voice was distant and I could hear him arguing with somebody which had me sprinting faster.
“Rion, what the fuck, yo? Let them have that shit. It isn’t worth it…” The words rushed out but too damn late. I heard three gunshots back to back, voices again, then screeching tires right before the line went dead.
My heart was pounding because I felt it. He was gone. I fucking knew…
When I rounded the corner my mind blanked at the sight of a body in the street. They shot my brother. They fucking shot him and he’s gone…
My eyes flew open and I felt my heart racing while I tried to pull myself out of the messed up space the dream left me in.
The closer I got to the day, the more the dream stayed in rotation.
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to shake the memory.
A few seconds later my phone was vibrating with a call.
I groaned and threw my arm out to the side, reaching for it.
When I couldn’t find it, I rolled over in my bed and almost crash landed on the floor because I wasn’t in my bed.
I was on the sofa at Makari’s place. I quickly shifted and narrowed my eyes at the tiny body next to me.
Her brows were pinched while she kicked her feet, trying to grab them with uncoordinated swings of her arms.
“You’re supposed to be asleep, shorty.”
I leaned down, kissed her stomach, and grabbed my phone.
“Yo.”
“Where you at, I was gonna pull up?”
I jerked a hand down my face, scooped Avi up in one arm, and dropped back on the sofa, watching her while she tried to grab my beard with one hand and my nose with the other. Seeing her helped me push past the fucked up shit my mind was just working through.
“I’m not home,” I mumbled and dropped my head back, letting my eyes close for a brief moment.
“Where you at?”
I pulled my phone from my face and checked the time. “About to head downtown. I have to meet Tony.”
“I didn’t ask where you were heading. I asked where your ass was at.”
I kissed Avi on the forehead, giving her enough access and time to lock her little fingers around my beard.
“I’m where the hell I am and we’re not fucking so don’t be clocking my moves.”
“Bruh, don’t even joke like that.” I chuckled and he added, “But I know exactly where you are. You might as well move all your shit to her crib the way you stay up at her place.”
“You got a problem with me being a father to my kid?”
“Nah, I’m glad you’re working that shit out. I guess I’m officially the godfather since I’m the one who convinced you to stop being a pussy and admit you want to be a father.”
Was I working this out or just going through the motions?
I had been running that narrative through my mind for the past two weeks since I had basically been camped out at Makari’s house but I knew the answer.
I had known since I held Avi. I wasn’t doing this because I felt obligated or because I was trying to prove something.
She didn’t ask to be here so I wasn’t going to make her miss out because I had shit with me that I refused to work through.
“Nah, I’m gonna have to pass on that. She needs better role models in her life.”
“Hell I’m better than you.”
“Barely, which is my point. Neither of us is shit.”
He laughed and I adjusted Avi in my arms. “I’mma hit you later though. I need to go find Makari so I can head out.”
“Aight, I’ll just swing by your place tomorrow and we can go over the game footage from?—”
“Not this week. I’ll be with Kari and Avi.”
He was quiet for a minute and I already knew where Ryland’s mind went before he spoke the thought out loud. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
Being around them while I fucking spiral because it was damn sure going to happen…
“It’s better than me being alone and having a repeat of last year. Before you give me your unsolicited advice, I’m good. Being with them is probably the best thing for me.”
“Aight, I fuck with it, but if you change your mind, just hit my line.”
“Yeah…”
I ended the call knowing I wouldn’t be hitting his line or anyone else’s.
I also wouldn’t be with Makari or Avi because he was right, being around them wasn’t a good look.
I planned on blazing something strong and drinking until my mind was blank because that was the only fucking way I was going to survive the night.
But I damn sure wasn’t about to tell Ryland or anyone else my plans.
“Let’s go see where your mother is.” I lifted with Avi in my arms and stretched my back.
As comfortable as the sofa was, sharing it with my baby girl made it an awkward fit.
I still had no idea how I crashed anyway.
I was supposed to be chilling with Avi so Makari could handle something with a client but I guess we both tapped out and she woke up before I did.
I checked the kitchen first and found it empty, so her room was next. She was sitting at the foot of the bed, folding clothes and Avi went crazy in my arms when she saw her mother.
“You finally up?” she asked.
I glanced down to my chest at my baby girl. “I wasn’t sleep, she was.”
“Nope, you both were out. I finished my call, washed three loads of clothes, and had time to fold them.”
I looked at the piles and nodded. “I can get somebody to come a couple times a week to take care of that if you want.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I don’t really want people in and out of my space like that.”
I nodded and Makari searched my face then frowned. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m straight, why?”
Her brows pinched as she studied me for a minute longer. “I don’t know, you just seem off or upset.”
“I’m just tired. She really fucks up my sleep patterns.”
I kissed Avi’s cheek and Makari frowned again. “You sure you’re okay?”
“You sure you don’t want me to hook you up with somebody to help with that?” I didn’t have the energy to have her playing twenty questions ’bout my damn mood so I gave her something else to focus on.
“No, I can handle it.”
I tossed my chin. “Aight, if you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will.”
I wanted to make the decision and set that up because Makari was working her ass off trying to handle Avi, her clients, and everything around here, but I was learning to pick my battles.
Makari didn’t like asking for help but she was getting better with it.
She would occasionally ask if I could handle Avi so she could work or do shit around the house but when I offered an easier solution—like paying somebody so she could relax while I spent time with Avi—she always shut it down.
I fell back with the topic for now, but was going to have to make some changes because the more I was around, the more I realized just how much she was juggling.
“I have a meeting with my agent downtown. I’m about to head out then I’m going to swing by my place when I’m done but I’ll be back in time for her appointment. It’s at four, right?”
“Yes, but it’s just a well baby visit. You don’t have to come.” I lifted Avi and frowned when I moved her close to my face to do a diaper check because something smelled.
“Oh you’re foul for that, shorty.” I kissed her stomach and she squealed when I focused on Makari. “It’s cool. I want to be there.”
Makari nodded then lifted a stack of clothes from the bed and lowered them into a basket.
“Who’s about to make money off your face?”
“Energy drink, I think. I don’t really remember. My agent set it up.”
“Interesting considering you have no energy,” she said and grinned.