Chapter 17 #2
“You’re really my best friend out here, Mo.” Aria was emotional. “I just want good things for you. I want you to be okay. I want you to be safe and happy, and I want these babies to be okay.”
“We will be. I promise,” Morgan reassured.
She wasn’t confident that this was the truth, and her voice frayed at the edges, softening into something wounded.
Aria’s eyes went wet. These women, ride or die, one band, one sound, desperately wanted to align, but life was requesting them to be present in two different places.
Morgan would need to hang up her stilettos for motherhood in this next season, while Aria was destined for somebody’s stage.
“I would never forgive myself if you gave up this dream to stick around here. One of us has to be a bad bitch,” Morgan said, laughing through the purest emotion.
Nobody acknowledged the love between friends.
Morgan had sought pure loyalty, family, and love through many means, but she would be remiss if she didn’t recognize that Aria had given her that from day one.
Through every season since the day she had stumbled into a rec center dance studio, Aria had shown her friendship.
There were no prerequisites, no moments of doubt, no jealousy, no subtle shade, or moments where Aria tried to humble or shrink her, no silent competitions, or making Morgan feel different, just connection.
Aria exemplified sisterhood. Aria was a version of Raven that she never got to have.
It was like Raven had handpicked Aria herself.
Aria was solid, to the point where she was willing to delay her dream to stay by Morgan’s side.
Morgan could never let her. True friendship allowed her to root for Aria, to watch her win, even in a season where Morgan felt like she was taking losses. Morgan put Messari down, and he grabbed onto her leg as she faced her best friend in the entire world.
“I’ve never told you this before, but thank you, Aria.
For showing me that this friendship is probably the most important relationship I get to choose in my life.
I’m not talking about my kids or my family.
I choose you, and you choose me back through all the bullshit I come with.
I love you, Aria, and I’m so proud of you.
I’m grateful to have you as my best friend. ”
“Bitch, fuck youuuu!” Aria cried, dipping her head back dramatically and crying real tears. Morgan fell into laughter as she hugged Aria.
“Why you got to get all mature and emotional on me?” Aria wailed. “I’m already leaving my nigga, now you giving me Dear John letters, too!” Aria was a mess, and the pair hugged, finding amusement in the moment, too.
“We got a lifetime, my girl. You go live and don’t feel bad about it. We’ll be here when you’re done,” Morgan reassured.
“I’d feel so much better if I knew Meek was here with you,” Aria said. “Are you going to call him? Yolly is his heart…he should know…”
“Yara is with her daddy,” Morgan said. The thought of Ahmeek hollowed Morgan. “I hit him, Aria.”
“Girl, the shit probably turned him the fuck on. Call that man! You literally can do no wrong in his eyes,” Aria said. “He’ll never forgive you if you don’t let him support you through this.”
“I am wrong, though. I’m so wrong, and with everything that’s happening, I can’t bring Meek around. Messiah needs this time with Yolly, and Meek is with Livi.”
“Girlllluh!” Aria huffed. “He is not with that girl!”
“She’s pregnant with his kid. That’s close e-fucking-nough.” Morgan couldn’t even stomach the thought. “We all just got to move on. It’s over; let it be over. I’ve got bigger shit on my plate now. I can’t focus on who isn’t here.”
Aria dropped it. Morgan knew she had more to say, but she appreciated Aria knowing when to let things go. Morgan didn’t want to be pushed right now. She was dealing with enough without dealing with her feelings about her fallout with Ahmeek.
Their moment was interrupted anyway by a car pulling up in the driveway.
“Oh, it’s fine nigga Friday over here,” Aria snickered under her breath as Nyair parked and emerged from the vehicle.
Morgan shook her head, smiling as Nyair approached.
“Bitch, it ain’t even Friday,” Morgan cackled.
“Missionary Monday then, heaux. I’ll let that nigga put me on my back.” Aria was thirsty for the good pastor.
“Ha!” Morgan was highly amused. Morgan felt Aria’s pain.
When she had first laid eyes on Nyair, she thought he was beautiful.
Nyair just had a classic ‘90s-era appeal. His furrowed brow of concern made Aria swoon. But Nyair had become family, and once it was discovered that he was Ethic’s brother, she couldn’t unsee the relation.
She watched other women fawn over him, constantly, however.
It didn’t matter where he went, women gave Nyair his moment.
She didn’t know if it was residual energy from his professional football playing days, or if his aura was just that magnetic, but the spell Aria lived under when she saw Nyair was the reaction women gave him on a daily.
“What’s up, man?” Nyair rustled the top of Messari’s head and then held out his palm for a firm shake before moving to Morgan in one smooth motion.
“Hey, Mo.” His voice was like velvet, smooth and soft, soothing to her battered soul, as he rubbed her upper back reassuringly.
Morgan choked up, finding so much support in his hold.
“We got this. God isn’t taking His hand off you, Mo.
This I know.” Morgan nodded over his shoulder, and he held her a few seconds longer before letting go.
“How you doing, Aria?” he greeted, giving her a formal and quick side hug.
“Good,” Aria said. “And you?”
“Any day my feet hit the ground is a good day, even when it’s a hard one,” Nyair said. “Got to make sure the devil say, ‘damn’ when a nigga opens his eyes cuz he already know how I’m coming. Ethic inside?”
Morgan nodded.
“Let me go bend his ear,” Nyair stated. “It was good seeing you, Aria. I’ma spin by the hospital later, Mo.”
“Bitch, raw,” Aria gasped as she placed two dramatic hands over her heart as Nyair walked away. “Final answer.”
Mo and Aria heard the front door open, and Bella emerged from the house.
“Hey, Mo, can I talk to you real quick?” Bella asked.
“Of course, B. Why do you sound like something’s wrong?” Morgan asked.
“I heard Henny’s in some trouble, and I want to go see him,” Bella admitted.
Morgan sighed. “Bella, did you ask Ethic?”
“You know what he’s going to say, Mo. I just need a ride up there. I just need to see him. He’s doing stupid shit, adding time to his sentence. I need him to not give up. I have a plan for us. I just need to see him,” Bella reasoned.
Morgan and Aria looked at Bella with so much empathy. They understood the ways her young heart worked. They had been there; hell, they were still there. Trapped between what they knew they were too good for and what their hearts craved regardless.
“Bella, Henny’s four hours away. I can’t make that drive. I need to get back to Yolly,” Morgan whispered. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t, B. Ethic would never allow you to be running back and forth to that prison. You’re better than that.”
“Please don’t lecture me, Mo. You’re the last person who can lead by example,” Bella sniped.
“Oop,” Aria gasped. “Way too hot, Bella girl. Dial it back.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Morgan asked.
Ethic stepped out onto the doorstep. “Y’all good out here?”
“Yeah, Daddy, we’re good. I didn’t want to bother you. I forgot I signed up for a campus tour with student council. With everything that’s going on, it slipped my mind. I want to go, but I know I’m needed here,” Bella said.
Morgan looked at Bella in shock. The lie had rolled off her tongue effortlessly.
“I don’t recall you mentioning this,” Ethic said.
Bella pulled out her phone and went to the student council’s social media page.
She held up the screen for her father to see.
“See, they just got there. One of my friends texted me, saying I’m missing out.
I told you about this a while ago, but it was when Ma wasn’t awake. It wasn’t really a priority then.”
“I’m sorry, baby girl. I know it’s been hectic around here. I haven’t been on my A-game with you,” Ethic said.
“You’ve been the best, Daddy,” Bella said sincerely. It was the one truth she had told in this entire exchange. “I know everybody has something going on, but would you mind if I went? Aria said she’ll take me,” Bella said eagerly.
Ethic’s eyes landed on Aria, and she smiled while thinking, What the fuck? Aria was ride or die, though. She wasn’t going to leave Bella out on a limb.
“Unless you need me to watch over True,” Bella said.
Ethic shook his head. “No, baby girl. She’s not your responsibility. You can go. Keep your locations on. Will you need a ride back?”
“No, I can bring her back. It’s no problem,” Aria volunteered.
“Make sure your locations stay on,” Ethic said.
“I will, Daddy! Love you,” Bella beamed.
“I love you,” Ethic returned. He deadpanned at Aria. “Keep an eye on her, please.”
She froze. The way she had a whole crush on this grown-ass nigga. Oh my fucking god, the ways I would fuck the shit out of Mo’s daddy, Aria thought. I’m in love with himmmm.
Aria felt like a fangirl as she fawned over him in her mind. He was everything. I would be the best sugar baby on the planet for this nigga.
If it weren’t for her kind of liking his wife, Aria would have just had to fight Morgan about her daddy, because she would have thrown it at Ethic.
She was crushing hard as she replied, “She’s in safe hands. I promise.” Aria may as well have had hearts floating around her head she was cheesing so hard.
Ethic nodded. “You have your credit card?” he grilled.
“Yes, Daddy,” Bella said.
“You got your pepper spray?” he asked.
“I do; it’s in my purse.” Bella unzipped it and showed him.
“Your phone is charged, and you have your portable?”
“Daddy, yes,” Bella sighed.