Chapter 15
VASIAH
Ican’t believe I told her that I loved her ass.
I watched her stir beside me, bonnet on and bare underneath one of my T-shirts.
She was beautiful any other time, but right now she was ethereal to me.
She spent the night after our movie night, and we wore each other out.
Then, I bathed her and ordered dinner. My Pops called, and they got a chance to meet on FaceTime, and I planned to bring her to meet him face to face soon.
Today, I was going with her to her friend Chewy’s juice bar grand opening.
If there was one thing that I admired about Reina, it was the way that she loved on her friends.
She was so caring and talked about them constantly. I was also meeting Reign today.
“You nervous?” she asked, holding my hand as we drove to the spot.
I thought about it. “While it's my hope that they like me, my only concern is if you like me. So nah, not nervous.”
“Good. Those niggas ain’t nothing to be afraid of.
Chewy plays a lot and will likely have something outrageous to say.
Domo and Linx are cool; they’re more on the quiet side and closer to Cherrice and Joyy.
Speaking of the twins, I know you’re familiar with them because of their store, but they are really a good time in general.
Joyy is the wild card, and Cherrice is the more chill one.
Then there’s my bestie, Rae. Rawest woman I ever met and so damn sweet.
But she’s spicy too, though she’s mellowed out over the last year.
And then Reign… he’s probably the most stoic outta everybody and won’t say much. You kinda the first man he’s ever met.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like a lively crew. Imma be on my best behavior,” I joked.
“They might not be,” she muttered. I parked, then walked to her side to open her door.
Hand in hand, we walked to the street the business was on, which was blocked off.
The Juice Boxx was in big, bold yellow letters, and the smell of ribs permeated through the air.
There were a couple of bouncy houses, an inflatable water slide, and a lady passing out snow cones, while another one was face painting.
Through the distance, I heard Yung Joc blaring over the speakers, and people were all outside and inside, drinking a variety of colorful juices.
We walked over to a mixed group of people, and immediately, the bullshit started.
“Pay up niggas!” the one whom I assumed was Chewy yelled to the crowd surrounding him. Begrudgingly, Cherrice, Joyy, Rae, and who I assumed were Reign, Linx, and Domo each handed him a one-hundred-dollar bill. Reina dropped hands with me and scowled at them all.
“What the fuck did ya’ll bet on?”
“Well…. Chewy betted that you would show up with him, and we all said you wouldn’t,” Joyy said sheepishly. Reina rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“Vasiah… these are the treacherous ass people I call my friends and family.” She put names to faces, and I dapped them all, saving her brother for last. She was correct about his stoic nature, but the women of the crew, plus Chewy were lively enough for us all.
“You into anime?” the guy Domo questioned, looking at my shirt.
It was a One Time graphic tee that I got in Japan when I was studying abroad a few years ago.
I confirmed that I was, and he shared that he was too, which sparked an easy-flowing conversation.
All the while, my eyes followed Reina, who was bouncing around the parking lot, making plates, dancing to whatever the DJ was playing, and truly enjoying herself.
I smiled when our eyes locked, and she blew me a kiss.
“TEE-TEE REINAAAAAA,” a group of young girls yelled and rushed her, hugging all over her legs, and she crouched, giving them all the tightest hugs.
“My kids love her, man,” Chewy said with pride outta nowhere.
“They all yours?”
“Yeah. Four girls and one boy.”
Damn. I couldn’t even imagine taking care of a goldfish, let alone five kids. But damn if watching her interact with Chewy’s girls didn’t make me wonder what a mini her that was half of me would look like.
“You got kids, bro?”
“Hell nah,” I blurted. Chewy smirked, obviously not offended.
“Good. That damn girl is a handful all on her own.”
I looked curiously at him. “Whatchu mean by that?”
“Nothing major, bro. Just that to some, LaReina may be too much or a handful. She don’t need nobody that would try to dim her light or make her feel like her being her is a burden.”
I nodded. I could tell that Chewy cared for Reina a lot, and he was absolutely right in the way that she was perceived.
“Never that, man. I love that girl, and yes, she can be a handful…but that’s why I got two.”
Chewy’s head jerked in my direction, surprised that I admitted my love for her, and I ain’t even know him from a can of paint.
“You love that girl? Did she force you to say that? Blink twice if you need help!” This nigga was silly as hell, man.
We shared a chuckle, and then he dapped me, leaving to tend to his guests.
I watched Reina get barefoot and jump a game of Double Dutch, looking happy and carefree. Watching her made my heart throb.
“I ain’t seen her this happy in a minute,” A gravelly voice said from beside me. I ain’t even see nor hear this nigga Reign coming. I turned to him, giving him my undivided attention. I figured this was the part where he would threaten my life when it came to his sister.
“I really wanna make her happy,” I said without pause. I searched his face to see if he was affected by what I said, but he was hard to read, like his sister at times. Its like he waited on me to finish my thought, so I did.
“Why you wanna make her happy?”
“She deserves it.”
He paused. “Yeah… that she does.”
“So… wassup, Reign? Ain’t this the part where you threaten my life if I hurt her?” I joked. This nigga ain’t crack a smile.
“You know… Chewy told me that you said you love her. And I know Reina, because not only did we share a womb, but I also molded her into who you see today. Gave her some rules to live by. An average nigga would fold. Now Ion know shit about you and don’t really care to…
yet. My sister don’t keep niggas around long though. ”
“Good thing I’m not just niggas, and I’m in it for the long run then,” I shrugged, my annoyance growing by the minute.
Nothing pissed me off more than being doubted or underestimated, especially by mothafuckas who didn’t know me.
I was almost 33 years old, and it ain’t been a day in my life where I’ve felt I’ve had to prove myself to niggas, and I wouldn’t start today.
Reign flicked his nose and squinted. “I hear you talking, dawg. I just know my sister. I ain’t gotta make a verbal threat because if you do some shit to her, she gone fuck you up before I ever get a chance to.”
I stared back at him, stone-faced.
“Baby?” Rae came over, handing him a plate, and Reina followed closely behind her with mine. His eyes softened as he looked down on her, taking the plate and kissing her on the forehead as she wrapped her arm around his waist. Reina looked between Reign and me and instantly felt the tension.
“Reign…” she dragged out slowly. “I just know you ain’t fix yo lips to say nothing crazy to Vasiah.”
He scoffed, then took a bite out of his rib. Rae’s eyes darted between all three of us, and she sighed, shaking her head. “I ain’t say nothing crazy.”
“You a fuckin lie! Vasiah, what did he say to you?” She whipped her head towards me.
“Words between men, Hayami. Ain’t nobody scared of yo brother.” I scoffed. Reign stilled, and inwardly, I smirked. I had gotten under his skin.
“Reign,” Rae commanded, her voice slicing through the tension. His stare didn’t waver as he scowled at me. I looked dully at him, every so often eating a bite of potato salad.
“Reign, get a fuckin’ grip and have some decorum when it comes to me and mine. Like I keep telling you, you ain’t my fuckin’ daddy. I didn’t treat Desiraè in any type of way when y’all started feeling each other. Please show me the same respect!” Reina snapped.
“You ain’t have to treat Rae no type of way because you already knew her. I knew how she was coming from day one. You been fuckin’ with this nigga for what, a month tops? La Reina, please. Don’t ever compare me and my wife to whatever the fuck you got going on.”
Her head jerked back, and she got in Reign’s face. I grabbed her arm, but she shook me off.
“It's best if you don’t get in the middle of them,” Rae sighed. I frowned because brother or not, my woman wasn’t getting in a niggas’ face while I was present. I’d whoop Reign’s big ass.
“Reign. It seems to me that you forget that I’m a grown-ass woman – with hair on my pussy and I pay all my own bills, bitch!
I don’t give a fuck if I only knew him for 24 hours; I ain’t never brought no nigga around you before, so obviously this one is vetted very well.
You act like you the only one who can find love around this mufucka!
Is Rae not sucking your dick enough or something? !”
“Wait, now why am I in it?” Rae’s head jerked up.
Reina softened. “Sorry, bestie. Your bitch ass husband is acting a fool though, and I hope you curse him the fuck out when you get home. And force him to sleep on the couch or whatever it is that married people do. Vasiah! Let’s go!
” She spun on her heel and stomped away.
Silently, I nodded at the couple and followed behind her.
We rode in silence for a while, my right hand gripping her thigh softly. Pulling up to my crib, I looked at her while she was deep in thought, typing angrily on her phone.
“Hayami.”
“Hmm?”
“I think that went well,” I smirked. She rolled her eyes and reached for the door handle, and I glared at her. She fell back in her seat, pouting.
“Trust me, baby…that went better than you think,” I assured her, but deep down inside, I didn’t give a damn if her brother liked me or not. LaReina did, and that’s all that mattered to me.