Chapter 4 #2
“He used to crack jokes on me all the time when I came home. Always made sure I was good, though.”
Cyren remembered the first time Dre hit her up when she was a freshman and wired her a couple hundred dollars through Walmart.
Every few months, Dre would call to ask how her grades were looking and whether she was enjoying college life.
He never had plans to attend, but he loved seeing his little cousin chase after her dreams. It was nothing to line her pockets.
“Yeah,” Heavy agreed in a mumble. “That’s just how he was. Always making sure people felt their best around him, even if he did get on their nerves.”
Cyren chuckled under her breath. She could listen to him talk all day.
Heavy had ventured off, giving her more details. “He was really just a stand-up dude who loved life.”
Out of the loop and out of the way, Cyren wasn’t privy to the life Dre or Heavy lived.
She’d hear bits and pieces from Gabi, who had more than a few friends back home.
Cyren couldn’t picture that version of him.
Not of Heavy either, but she wasn’t na?ve.
He had street nigga written all over him.
Literally. It was woven in intricate ink along his chiseled arms.
“Same with my mama. Her and Dre were more like mother and son, rather than auntie and nephew,” Cyren said.
She’d FaceTime her mama on a random weekday, and she and Dre would be out running the streets together.
He was considered Nicole’s first baby after Nia became a mother, and she didn’t play about him.
People naturally gravitated to them both.
They could go anywhere, and somehow someone knew them.
And if they didn’t know them, it felt like it by the time they left.
“Aye. No lie... yo’ mama had us into some wild shit one year for their birthday,” Heavy stated, chuckling.
“I don’t even want to know,” she said, laughing. “I can only imagine. Dang.”
Her dejected tone put him on alert. “What’s wrong?”
“I wish I had gotten up earlier today so I could have at least gotten her a cake or something.”
A wave of sadness washed over her but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Scooting out of her seat, Cyren grabbed her purse.
“Ooh. I have to use the restroom. Be right back,” she rushed off, but quickly pivoted, making Heavy squint with amusement.
“Don’t leave me,” she asserted, pointing her French-tipped index finger his way.
Heavy smirked. “That was never in my plans, sweetheart.”
Satisfied with his answer, she scurried off to the back of the lounge where the restroom sign hung from the ceiling.
Heavy kept his eyes trained in her direction, and they stayed there even as he made a quick phone call.
He hadn’t looked at his phone all evening for a reason.
The tons of notifications were ignored as he dialed the one person he knew would answer.
“Nun, un. Don’t be calling my phone now. You ain’t seen me blowing that bitch down?”
Heavy smirked, always amused by her feistiness. “Man, shut up. I been busy. You at Big Dre’s?”
“Where else I’ma be?”
“I need you to do me a favor right quick.”
He ignored the suck of her teeth.
“What the hell is right quick, man? I just rolled a fresh blunt, and here you go wanting something. You better be lucky I love your waterhead ass.”
Heavy smirked and ran down what he needed.
In his mind, it was simple, but of course, it was last-minute, so he was pushing it.
Just as he was finishing up the call, Cyren eased out of the bathroom, fluffing her hair and rubbing her glossed lips.
Heavy had watched her walk away from him earlier, and gotdamn!
The view from the front was even better. He forgot he was even on the phone.
“Is that all!” the caller yelled into his ear.
“Yeah, man. Don’t be yelling like you running shit. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Bye, negro.”
The call disconnected, and Cyren sat down, releasing a satisfied huff.
“You good?” Heavy asked.
“Yep. You?”
Her question was queried with a smile. Heavy matched her expression.
“Couldn’t be better. I’ma hit the restroom right quick. You wanna slide somewhere with me when we leave here?”
She figured that was his unintentional way of letting her know he was ready to go. That was fine with her because she was, too.
“You sure your girlfriend or whoever won’t mind?”
Cyren hadn’t missed the tail end of his conversation, yet Heavy didn’t seem to be trying to hide the fact that he’d been on the phone either.
“I don’t know. You wanna call her back and ask?”
She batted her lashes, deciding to play along since he was clearly in a joking mood.
“Sure,” Cyren replied, with her hand out.
Smirking, Heavy unlocked his phone, redialed the number he’d just called, and handed it to her. They stared one another down until the woman answered.
“What do you want now? I did what you asked me to do.”
“Hello. Is this Heavy’s girlfriend?” Cyren asked, sweetly.
Laughter flowed through the speaker. “Cyren?”
Her smile dropped, and her gaze hardened. “Who is this?”
“Girl, your damn cousin. This Boobie, Dre’s sister. I know you ain’t sneak and call me,” Boobie was still laughing as Cyren’s nerves settled.
Unashamed, she shrugged. “Oh, hey girl.” She giggled. “No, he’s sitting right here. He must’ve told you I was with him.”
“Yeah... something like that. Y’all on the way here?”
She didn’t know where here was, but she figured it had to be the same place Heavy was trying to slide to.
“Mhm. We’re about to leave here now.”
“Okay. See y’all in a lil’ bit. Aye! They on the way!” Boobie yelled before hanging up.
Grinning, Cyren handed him his phone back.
“Did she mind? I can drop you off at the crib,” Heavy asked in jest.
“I thought you had to use the restroom, sir?” she shot back, grinning.
Heavy eased out of the booth, forcing Cyren’s head to fall back to look up at him. Him towering over her and the liquor in her system were a dangerous combination.
“I do, and when I get back, make whatever questions you have for me, direct. You’ll get more out of me that way.”
Heavy bent down to whisper the last part in her ear, and Cyren’s heart thumped right along with her pussy.
She’d tried giving her girl a pep talk in the restroom, and clearly, he had overheard it, because she was betraying her.
Heavy had dampened the panties he could’ve laughed her right on out of.
Maybe sliding with him somewhere wasn’t a good idea.
But what was life when you played everything safe?