Chapter 9
The ride to the hotel was quiet except for my thoughts racing and King’s ghost sitting next to me like this shit was normal. This time, he wasn’t see-through. He had one arm draped over the seat and his eyes on me like he used to when he was trying to read my whole soul.
“You still drive like a mad woman,” he said with a light chuckle.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. “Maybe I am.”
He smirked. “Ain’t no maybe about it.” The way he talked was all smooth and calm like death hadn’t even slowed his confidence. It had my chest tight. I pulled into the hotel lot, threw the car in park, and just sat there. My hands were still shaking. “You gon’ sit here all night?” he asked.
“I don’t even know what the hell I’m doin’,” I muttered. “This is… insane, Kamari.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said, leaning closer. “But you need to trust me. Trust your heart. Your mind.” I swallowed hard and nodded once before getting out.
The hotel was mid-level fancy, one of those places Rome used for quick flips and business meets, which made me feel even sicker being there.
I checked in fast, kept my head down, and went straight up to the room.
As soon as I closed the door, I let out a breath that felt like it’d been stuck in me for months.
King sat on the bed, and I kicked off my Uggs, tossing my purse down at the same time. I collapsed into the chair by the window and dropped my head into my hands, sniffing.
“I can’t do this shit, King,” I whispered. “I can’t keep seein’ you and knowin’ I can’t touch you for real.”
He leaned back on his hands, looking at me with that half-grin that used to make me weak. “You can touch a nigga all you want.”
“Don’t start,” I said, voice cracking. “This ain’t the time for your jokes.”
He studied me for a minute, then nodded slowly. “Aight. So you want the truth, or you want comfort?”
I lifted my head. “What?”
“The truth hurts. Comfort lies. Which one you want?”
My lips trembled. “Truth.”
King nodded once. “Bet.” He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the Halloween lights flickering on the diner across the street. Then, he turned back to me. “Rome set me up,” he said flatly, no hesitation. “He didn’t pull the trigger, but he made sure mahfuckas knew where I was.”
“How?”
“He was the one that called me but he ain’t really want shit. Just asked where I was at. I thank God you wasn’t on that corner with me. Remember, I told you to start walkin’ towards the party?”
Tears burned my eyes again as I covered my mouth. “You mean to tell me, all this time… Rome knew?”
“Knew? Sky, I’m tellin’ you this snake mahfucka planned the shit. He wanted my spot, my throne, and you. He been wantin’ you. Don’t act like you ain’t see how the nigga used to look at you.”
“I thought I was imaginin’ it,” I said weakly. “I thought he was just tryna be there for me.”
King gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, he was there aight. Waitin’ for his chance. And you gave it to him.”
I looked up, eyes flashing. “Don’t do that. Don’t make it seem like I wanted him. You died, King. You died. I was broken. Rome showed up when nobody else did.”
He stared at me hard. “And you let him touch what was mine.”
I stood up fast, tears and anger mixing. “What the fuck was I supposed to do? Crawl in your grave and die too?”
He took a step toward me, jaw clenched, voice rough. “Nah. You supposed to remember who the fuck you were.”
Silence filled the room, thick and electric. I dropped my head, tears falling. “You think this shits been easy for me? Huh?”
He exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. “Nah. I know it ain’t. I just—” He stopped, eyes softening. “I just hate that he got to hold what I built.”
That broke me. I turned away, grabbed my weed bag from my purse, and started rolling a blunt with shaky hands.
My tears kept falling onto the leaf, making it harder to close.
King sat back down on the bed, watching me now.
When the blunt was rolled, I lit it and took a long pull.
The smoke filled my lungs and calmed my shaking just a little.
I exhaled slowly and wiped my face. “I never stopped lovin’ you,” I whispered.
King nodded like he heard that in his bones. He leaned back on his hands again. “You remember the day we got married?”
A sad little laugh slipped out. “How could I forget?”
He smirked. “You had that short ass white dress on, hair slicked back, lashes crazy. Your mama cussin’ my ass out.”
I smiled through the tears. “You showed up late with your niggas drunk off Casamigos.”
He chuckled. “And Reverend Alton still did his thing. We said them vows and then the whole hood pulled up to the reception. Even Miss Carol’s old ass from the community center was droppin’ that ass on the dance floor.” Laughing, I closed my eyes and my memory took me back there.
The music was blasting. The night air smelled like jerk chicken and liquor. King had me on his lap, grinning like a kid as everybody clapped when we kissed. He whispered in my ear, “You my forever, you hear me? Even when I’m dead and gone, I’m still gon’ find my way back.”
I laughed, swatting his chest playfully. “Don’t say shit like that.”
He grinned. “I meant that shit, though. I’ll love you even when I’m gone, Sky Pie.”
I opened my eyes, staring at the smoke floating up to the ceiling. I passed the blunt toward him. “Still twirl them like a pro.”
He grinned. “‘Cause you learned from the best, baby.”
I took it back, another drag, tears falling again. “I’m gonna make sure Rome pays. For everything. For you.”
He leaned forward, eyes glinting. “He’s gon’ get his, baby.”
We stared at each other, breathing heavily, hearts racing, and then suddenly we were on each other. King gripped the back of my head, and I fisted his hoodie as we kissed like we were starving for each other. It felt so real, and I couldn't help but wonder how.
Between kisses and moans, I gasped, “What are we doin’? Can this even happen?”
His lips found my neck, and he licked, sucked, and bit me.
“I don’t even know, but I fuckin’ miss this pussy so much.
” That was all it took. Our clothes were off within seconds.
I couldn’t stop squirming, lips parted, breath stuck in my throat as he looked at me with his eyes low.
“Damn, baby,” he muttered, voice deep and rough as his fingers found their way to my pussy.
“Wet ass pussy. You drippin’ for me like I never left. ”
I let out a shaky moan, hips bucking up into his hand. He kissed me hard as his fingers circled my clit slowly. I clutched the back of his neck and rolled my hips. “Shit, King…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“That feel good?” he asked low, lips brushing mine, eyes locked on me, watching every damn reaction.
I nodded, breathless. “You know I miss you.”
He slid two fingers deep inside me, and I gasped, damn near folded on the spot. My nails scratched down his back as he curled them just right and brought his thumb back to my clit. I was already cumming. He still knew what to do to me.
“Look at you,” he growled, eyes flicking down to where I was dripping all over his fingers. “I can’t believe you let this nigga touch this. He ain’t deserve it.”
“I know, baby. I know. I’m sorry…”
He kissed down my stomach, tongue hot against my skin, taking his damn time. My thighs were trembling, my hands tangled in his braids, and when he spread my legs wide and buried his face between them, I damn near screamed.
“Kamari… oh my God…”
He sucked my clit hungrily, humming like he missed the taste, like this was his first meal in three years and he was feasting. His tongue flicked, swirled, licked me in circles that had my eyes rolling back and my mouth falling open in pure fucking bliss.
I gripped the sheets, moaning out his name, legs wrapped around his shoulders. “Babe, I’m gonna… oh, shiiiit…”
“Mmhmm,” he said, voice dark and smooth, not stopping for a second. “You know what the fuck to do.”
I came so hard, I felt like I was going to blackout. My whole body shook with it, my back arched, breath ragged as I fell apart on his tongue. Before I could even catch it, King was kissing his way up my body. Then, he lifted me onto his lap.
“Ride this dick like you miss it, baby,” he growled, his hard dick rubbing against my folds, thick and throbbing and ready.
I nodded fast, still coming down from the high but already needing more. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’mma ride the fuck outta this dick.”
“That’s my baby.” In one swift motion, he slid in deep, making me bite into his shoulder to keep from screaming. My pussy clenched around him instantly. He groaned low in my ear, voice damn near demonic. “Oh, my God. I fuckin’ miss you.”
We moved slowly at first. Deep. Sensual. His hands gripped my ass while I rode him, forehead pressed to his, eyes closed like we were trying to memorize this moment for good. I could feel every inch of him, feel him stretching me, loving me, owning me.
He grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me messily, tongue all in my mouth. “You deserve happiness, baby,” he grunted between kisses.
“I love you,” I moaned back.
King flipped me over onto my back, dick still inside, and pinned my wrists above my head as he started stroking again.
This time, his strokes were harder, deeper, and rougher.
The kind of strokes I missed more than anything.
My moans filled the room, bouncing off the walls.
His chain smacked against my chest. His sweat dripped down onto my skin.
I swear it felt like he was trying to fuck his soul back into my body.
“You feel me?” he asked low, hips snapping harder.
“Yessss! You know I do!”
“Fuck. I don’t want this shit to end.”
I shook my head fast, crying now. “Never. I swear to God, babe… never.” He slowed down, but went deeper, pulling my leg over his shoulder and hitting that spot that had me clawing at the sheets. My voice cracked with every moan. “Fuuuckkk!!!”
“Nut on this dick, baby,” he said, watching me like a man possessed. “Lemme feel that sweet shit.”
He reached for my left nipple and pinched it just right, knowing nipple play drove me fucking crazy. “I’m cum… I… oh my Godddd! Kamari!!!”
He pounded into me with that hood power stroke that had my body convulsing.
He bit his bottom lip and watched me unravel, his name the only thing I could scream as I lost control all over again.
He pulled out and nutted all over the sheets, professing his love.
“I love you, Skylah. Fuck, baby. I love you so much,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “A nigga don’t wanna let you go.”
“I… I love you too,” I breathed, weak and shaking under him.
“Why you pull out?” Propping myself up on my elbows, I watched King climb off the bed and yank the sheets off before.
He got back on the bed and pulled me into his chest. I could barely breathe, still floating.
Still questioning. “I know you heard me, Kamari.”
And right before sleep took me, I heard him whisper back, “Get some sleep, baby.”