Chapter 11 Valleigh
VALLEIGH
After locking up my house, I raced toward Sym’s purring Benz.
He was leaning against the passenger side, waiting for me with the door open.
I puckered my lips for a kiss before I even made it to him.
After a quick smooch, I settled in my seat while he closed me in.
Iylah squealed from the backseat when she saw me.
“Hey, Doodle Bop!” I greeted her cheerily.
“Hey, Ms. A!” she replied with just as much excitement.
Sym climbed in the driver’s seat, and then we were off to the park.
We held hands on the drive over to the park at Lake Whisper.
Since Rhap’s admission into the facility, Sym and I were going out of our way to make sure Iylah was adjusting well to life without her father’s presence.
There were highs and lows. Sometimes, she’d burst into tears at random, and other times, she was perfectly fine.
We rode the wave of her emotions, managing to keep her spirits high for the majority of the time.
My heart ached for her because she was missing Rhapsody something serious.
I was proud of Sym for the way he stepped in as her guardian.
He was granted temporary custody pretty easily.
He wasn’t on tour or fulfilling any obligations for his label, so he not only had money, but he also had the time to tend to Iylah.
Who would’ve thought the most-known Playboy in the industry could settle into a simple life in Solaire?
I slowly turned to glance at him. He looked so relaxed while maneuvering us in and out of traffic safely.
I smiled because he made me feel so at peace.
And he was such a baby. Not a day went by that this man didn’t need cuddles.
I loved that about him . . . Even though it contradicted every lyric to every song I’d ever heard him sing.
He had the toxic, lover boy theme down pact, but there was a softness to him, and if I were honest, he wasn’t nearly as toxic as he portrayed.
According to him, it required more energy to be that way than to just lean into who he naturally was.
There wasn’t much I could say, because I was reaping the benefits of the lover boy.
We pulled up to the park, and while I got Iylah out of her car seat, Sym went into the trunk for the picnic basket and blanket.
We found an area for our picnic first before walking her over to the playground.
We wanted her to know where to find us in case she needed us.
She completely forgot about us the second she took off running toward the jungle gym.
“Come over when you’re ready for something to eat, Doodle!” Sym yelled after her, but she was on a mission.
Sym held out a hand for me, which I accepted as we made our way toward the waiting blanket.
I sat with my legs tucked under me while Sym took the time to pull everything out.
He pulled out containers of fruit, cheese, and crackers, but my favorite was the forty-piece of buffalo lemon pepper wings from Al’s.
My stomach grumbled in anticipation. Grabbing my phone, I turned on the playlist we were building together to catch a vibe.
He set plates in front of us, and we both grabbed what we wanted. I was already biting into a wing when he poured us glasses of champagne. He pointed to the white box. “It’s a puzzle for us to work on,” he shared with me.
“Hmm.” I’d never seen a puzzle where you couldn’t see the picture on the box.
As if he could read my mind, he justified the blank canvas. “It’s supposed to be more difficult to not see the picture. Also, more fun when you get the result because you have no clue what it’s going to be.”
I shrugged because it was a cute concept, and I loved a good challenge. “Okay,” I said cheerily. I used one of the napkins to clean my hands. Reaching for the box, I flipped the pieces onto the blanket, then began sorting them out. Sym scooted closer but only to watch me work.
The wind began to blow softly, reminding me that there were wings to eat. I went back and forth between eating my wings and putting pieces of the puzzle together. “You are going to have sauce everywhere,” Sym fussed.
I giggled while licking my fingers one by one. “Sorry, babe. I’m just excited to see what it is. Get over here and help me anyway.”
I looked up to find him shaking his head.
He was lying on his elbow with one leg bent and the other extended straight out.
He put a buffalo wing to his mouth and took a huge bite.
“Nope. I’m rather enjoying watching you figure it out.
You’re so cute when you’re focused. You get this little wrinkle between your eyebrows. ”
I rolled my eyes. “What are you good for?” I asked sarcastically.
“Singing, dancing, making your pussy squ—” he jokingly rattled off a list but was cut off by me slapping my hand over his mouth.
“Boy, shut your mouth.” I giggled with a shake of my head. Glancing around, I smiled politely at the couple walking by on the trail. Once they were a little farther down the path, I let him go.
“Gahdamn, you trying to suffocate me, Squirt? I’d rather you do that by sitting on my face than with your hands.” He side-eyed me with a mug like he was disturbed by my actions. I couldn’t help but laugh.
With a giggle, I went back to putting the puzzle together.
I couldn’t tell much so far, but it had something to do with a sunset.
That much, I knew, and it encouraged me to keep going.
Sym finished his food, then pulled out some wet wipes to clean his hands.
He busied himself with rolling up a blunt after his fingers were free of buffalo sauce.
When he was finished, he came closer to me and lit it up.
He held it to my lips to allow me the chance to pull from it.
I started coughing so hard that my eyes watered.
I shook my head while holding my chest. He understood the signal as he placed it to his lips instead.
He lay back on the blanket, staring up at the sky, while I continued working on the puzzle.
I started to see some words coming together and began working faster.
Tears flooded my vision when I saw the completed picture of the puzzle.
It was the image of a rose garden at sunset, with the words ‘will you be my girlfriend?’ in a pretty, red font.
I sniffled then turned to look at Sym. He was too busy smoking to notice I’d figured out his little scheme.
I straddled his lap, and he immediately focused on me. Bending down, I kissed him passionately. He allowed me to stick my tongue in his mouth. We took turns sucking each other’s lips and tongues before I finally said, “Yes.”
He sat up with me cradled to his chest. “Wait. You finished?”
I nodded quickly. “I did. You’re so sweet.”
He smiled bashfully. “I had a feeling you would like that. So, you’re in? It’s officially me and you against the world?”
I held up two fingers, causing him to grin excitedly. He tapped his two fingers against mine; we wrapped them around each other, then met in the middle for a sweet kiss.
“Us against the world,” I answered him when we separated.
At that very moment, the beat for “Fashion Killa” began to play.
Sym bobbed his head to the song. When the lyrics began, he started to rap the song to me.
I could only watch him as he put on a mini show for me.
I loved everything about that man. It felt good to know he was serious enough about me to officially ask me to be his girlfriend.
It was at that moment that I realized I owed Tau some food. She called the shit like she was some kind of psychic or something. Taking out my phone, I snapped a picture and sent it to Tau.
Me: I guess you were right
Her response came through almost immediately.
Tau Baby: I told you! I be knowing these things. I’ll take my free meal whenever you’re available.
I giggled before hugging my phone to my chest. Tossing my phone aside, I began to crawl over to Sym. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked after licking his lips.
I could only offer a lazy shrug while climbing on his lap. “You’ll see when we’re all alone.”
Leaning against the wall, I smacked my whip against my hand while I patiently waited for Sym to join me. He was occupied, putting Doodle down for bed. I’d retreated to our bedroom to prepare for an evening of burlesque-inspired fun.
I was wearing a black corset bodysuit with black, lace stockings, leading into a pair of black Louboutin. The bunny rabbit ears brought my look together, along with the tail poof on the back of my bodysuit. Sym was going to drool all over himself when he saw me.
I heard him coming before he appeared in the doorway. He didn’t notice the ambiance at first, but I could tell when he did. The candles and lowered lights created shadows on the wall that somehow moved in sync with the music playing softly. Finally, his eyes found me.
He licked his lips salaciously, eyeing me from head to toe.
Stepping deeper into the room, he pushed the door closed, then locked it for good measure.
Doodle usually slept through the night, but better safe than sorry.
Baby girl did not need to know anything about what was happening within these four walls.
With slow strides, I closed the distance between us. I trailed my fingers across the front of Sym’s chest. I saw the chills racing down his body as he fought to remain still. Taking his hand in mine, I walked him over to the bed, then forcefully pushed him back on it.
Leaving no time for recovery, I straddled his lap and gripped his face in my hands. With controlled movements, I wound my hips to the beat of the song. He was instantly bricked up underneath me. “Kiss me,” I ordered him in a low voice.
He pushed my hair back and then crashed his lips into mine. An uncontrollable blaze sprouted up in my core. I bit down on his bottom lip, making him hiss. “Fuck, what was that for?”