Chapter 10
I admired the beautifully designed balloon arch that framed the double doors leading into the center. Nearly every child who passed me on my way in wore a smile on their face. There was this glimmer of excitement in their eyes that couldn’t be ignored. Even before I finally made it inside the gym, I knew Lovie was right about what this event meant to her community.
Glancing up, I admired the many decorations covering every inch of the gym, turning it into a scene from Frozen . There was a mixture of children, teenagers, and adults scattered from one wall to the next. Some danced in the middle of the room while others were scouring the table of food, looking for their next treat. In the far corner, there were some chairs for people to sit on, and they were occupied too.
“Oh, you made it!” Lovie’s voice mixed in with the thumping music.
I turned just as she walked up. I wasted no time snatching her to my body and taking a deep whiff of her perfume.
“Of course, I made it. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” I tucked one of the curls framing her face behind her ear. “You look so beautiful. I love your hair out of your face like this. I can see all of you.”
Her cheeks plumped up as she tried her best to fight a smile. She took my hand in hers and tucked it against her chest. I felt her heart beatboxing against the back.
“Stop trying to butter me up. I was already planning to end the night choking on your dick.”
My dick jumped at the thought. Lovie definitely knew what to do with those juicy lips and slick tongue.
“You’re lucky you’re needed here, or we’d be ending the night right fucking now.”
She released the cutest laugh before turning to pull me behind her. She said something about wanting to introduce me to some people, but all I could focus on was the shape of her perfect body in her red ball gown. She knew what she was doing wearing red. It looked amazing against her brown skin. Not to mention, her ass jiggled every time she walked. I was so fascinated by her body, I had to force myself to focus on the moment. This was about the kids and not what I was going to do to Lovie once this event was over.
I made it through introductions with a level head. It was fun to see Lovie in her element. She was so passionate and caring that everyone seemed to gravitate toward her. She was a beacon of light in their dark world, and I loved that she was that in every way. People were afraid of that fire in her, but it was what drew me in. It could be blinding and all encompassing, but that dulled in comparison to the way her warmth wrapped around you like a much-needed hug. I found myself even fighting feelings of jealousy because so much of her attention was divided between me and the kids.
“Wassup? You Romani?” A nigga I didn’t know questioned as he walked up to me.
I was leaning against the wall, babysitting a cup of lemonade and watching Lovie socialize like the pretty little butterfly she was. I stood to my full height as he came to stand in front of me.
“Depends on who’s asking and why?”
Squaring my shoulders, I prepared myself for whatever could come next. I didn’t know this nigga from a can of paint. What could he possibly want with me?
He chuckled lightheartedly. “Calm down, killa.” The smile on his face loosened some of my tension but not completely. I was still at a loss on who he was. “I’m Lovie’s brother, Mercy.”
It wasn’t until he mentioned it that I could see the slight resemblance in their features.
“Oh, damn. My bad. I thought we had beef I ain’t know about. It’s nice to meet you.” I extended a hand that he met with his own.
“Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he shared as he came to stand beside me.
“I hope good things.”
He smirked. “Good enough to interest that crazy ass sister of mine. It’s only right that I ask about your intentions with my baby. Lovie is a handful and comes off as bitchy, but she’s really a sweetheart and deserves the best.”
I nodded. “I agree. My intention is to continue getting to know her. I’m open to wherever that leads, but I feel like I already know all roads will lead me back to her.”
Even as I spoke, my eyes surfed the crowd looking for my brave girl. Tonight, I found myself hunting for her a little longer without her hair all wild and untamed. After a few more seconds of searching, I realized I couldn’t find her because she wasn’t in the gym anymore.
I returned my attention to Mercy. He watched me pensively. Eventually, he began to nod his head.
“I can respect that. You promise not to hurt her?”
My eyes drifted to the doors, wondering about Lovie again. There was this feeling in my gut I couldn’t shake. It took a while for my attention to return to Mercy.
“I’m not the type of man to make promises I can’t keep, but I will promise to never intentionally hurt her. I’m human and will make mistakes, even if I have her best interests in mind.”
He chuckled then tipped his cup backward, downing whatever was inside in one gulp.
“You aight with me. I can tell you’re not a nigga to bullshit around. If you take care of my baby, then we’re good.”
“Never have been and never will be. She’ll always be taken care of with me.” That odd feeling rushed through me again making me pause. “Speaking of which, let me go see where she’s disappeared to.”
He nodded. “Shit, I’ll walk with you. I need to go back to the car and refill my cup.”
I began walking away with him right on my heels before he eventually moved beside me. Soon as we walked through the double doors leading to the hallway, we noticed some kids running outside. I already knew that was never anything good and picked up my pace.
When we made it outside, we were slapped with a gush of cold air. The crowd was easy to find because they were literally right outside the door. Mercy pushed through with me to find Lovie standing between two teenage boys who looked ready to go blow for blow. They were exchanging words with their whole chests. The crowd was egging it on, ready to see something pop off. I knew shit could go left quickly and didn’t want to risk it.
I started toward Lovie just as the boys started getting antsy. One went to swing on the other, barely missing Lovie, and caused her to fall to the ground in the process. I was to her in seconds.
“You good, Trouble?” I questioned while inspecting her for myself. She had some tiny rocks buried in her hands but was okay overall.
By the time I helped her up, Mercy and some other men managed to tear the boys apart. Now that I knew my girl was good, I focused on them. Marching over I kept Lovie’s hand in mine.
“Y’all must’ve lost your damn minds putting hands on my woman, the woman who has gone out of her way for weeks to put together something memorable for y’all to remember that life gets better, and this is how you repay her?” I could feel myself getting pissed off. This was exactly what they expected from us when we got together.
“I’m disappointed that y’all would turn a beautiful night into a stereotype. They already think we can never come together, and when you show up ready to pop it, you prove them right.” I ran a hand down my face and let Lovie’s hand go as I stepped closer. “I don’t know what the issue is, but from this day forward when you step foot on these premises, your beef doesn’t fucking exist. Most of the time, it doesn’t even matter for real. This is a place where everyone respects each other, and that starts by keeping our hands to ourselves. Now, y’all owe my woman an apology for ruining her special night and pushing her down.”
By the time I was finished, they both had their heads low. Each rumbled off a half-hearted apology. Before I could correct them, Mercy beat me to the point.
“Lift your fucking heads up. Apologize with the same loud voices y’all were using to argue with. Y’all crossed a line and better pray I don’t start handing out ass whuppings for putting hands on my sister. I don’t give a fuck how old y’all are either.”
“Oh, my God.” Lovie groaned from behind me and slapped her forehead. “It’s okay, you two. I swear I’m fine.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s not okay. Too many of our people have died fighting. As a man, our strength is physical. What if you hit your head when you fell? Accountability is important at their age because all actions have consequences.”
“And some last a lifetime,” Mercy chimed in. I could tell we were going to get along. We had similar mindsets.
The second set of apologies were more genuine and audible. We didn’t force them to shake on it or anything, but the crowd dispersed within seconds. I sighed, hoping nothing else like this happened.
“That one is a keeper, sis, so act like you got some damn sense!” Mercy yelled before he walked toward the parking lot. He was getting that drink now. I might’ve needed to follow him because I needed something stronger than lemonade.
“Fuck you, Mercy!” she yelled back while giving him the finger. Turning to me, she smiled shyly.
I shook my head. “You love sticking up that damn finger, Trouble.”
“Because people always have me fucked up.”
I stepped closer, pulling her into my chest. Hooking her chin, I forced her face up to me.
“I don’t wanna have you fucked up… just fucked actually.”
The challenge in her eyes intrigued me. I could imagine her pussy getting hot and gushy as we stood there. Lovie’s passion definitely spilled over into the bedroom. I was ready to feel it washing over me with every stroke.
“We can make that happen,” she whispered. “Oh! This is my song. I gotta teach these kids something right quick.”
She squealed in excitement as “Crank Dat Roy” began to play inside the gym.
“Will you come dance with me?”
“Of course, I will. Anything to see that smile.”
She giggled, grabbed my hand, and headed back inside. When we got to the door, I felt a chill run down my spine. Glancing over my shoulder, I tried to find the cause but came up empty. I wanted to shake it off, but I couldn’t. Something was coming, and it wouldn’t be good.