Chapter 4 #2
“I’m sorry, girl,” I said softly. “I didn’t see you there.”
“I see…why your head hangin’ low, what did Love do?”
“He didn’t do anything, and I didn’t call him.”
Deja sucked her teeth and shook her head. “I know you didn’t do what I think you did.”
I swallowed hard. “I talked to Gio and set up a meeting.”
“Islah! I know you not dumb, but damn, girl.”
I exhaled. “I don’t want Love to get hurt. Gio is moving a lil’ wild.”
“Girllll…Love is that soft nigga with you, that’s a side of him I never heard anybody speak on. The Love I know—the Love the whole ATL knows—is a fuckin’ menace. Gio can’t hurt him, but Love will kill him.”
Her comment made my skin crawl. “I don’t want it to get that far. I just want him to go in peace.”
Deja shook her head as she cuffed my arms under hers, and we walked up the hall. “That nigga is gonna go in pieces, he keeps fuckin’ with Love.”
I continued the rest of my shift, trying to focus on my patients and not think too hard.
By the time my shift was over and I made it back to the locker room, I was exhausted mentally and physically. My girls tried to get me to go out with them, and I declined, making them look at me crazy.
“I want to go home, cook, and lay up under my man. It’s been a long day.”
They each rolled their eyes in sync.
“Friday, bitch,” Kenya yelled out. “We are going out! Tell ya man to go out with his niggas…and meet us wherever we go so I can get one!”
I laughed as I changed my clothes and grabbed my things. “I got you, I love y’all ladies.”
As I headed out of the hospital, saying goodnight to other nurses in passing and picking up my big ass flower arrangement, I called Love to see what he was up to and didn’t get a response.
I tried not to think the worst, but my mind went there instantly.
“Hey, baby,” I said, leaving a voicemail. “I’m just getting off and heading to the store to pick up some things to cook. See you at home, I love you.”
I hung up, slid my phone into my back pocket, and hopped on the elevator. Once I made it to the parking garage, a big gust of wind came through, making me shiver a little bit. I didn’t know if it was the weather changing or a sign of something coming.
Once I got in my car, I let out a deep breath before pulling out, turning on some music to help calm my never-ending nerves.
I drove around the corner to a grocery store, checked my surroundings before hopping out of the car, and walked into the store with a little pep in my step.
The store was a little crowded; we were all just getting off work and trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.
I grabbed what I needed without taking too long.
Steak, rice, fresh vegetables, wine, and a few snacks Love liked to keep around the penthouse.
By the time I got home, the city lights were glowing through the windows, making the house look soft and expensive.
But it was empty.
I set the bags and my flowers on the counter and looked around for a second before shaking it off.
I marinated my steaks as I cut up onions. My eyes kept drifting up toward the door every time I heard movement out in the hallway, expecting Love to walk through the door, but he didn’t.
I sucked my teeth softly and went back to seasoning my food, placed the meat to the side, washed my hands, leaned against the counter, and called him again.
The phone rang and rang, then the voicemail picked up again.
My stomach tightened a little. I knew Love was a busy nigga.
He had a few stores around the city, not to mention fixing what Gio fucked up at his store.
He could be busy making business moves, meeting with Keith and his staff, working on a custom piece for some rappers, but the slight chance that he wasn’t made the hair on my arms stand up.
Once all my prep was done, I walked up the hall to our room. A hot shower was more than needed before I drove myself crazy.
The steam filled the bathroom quickly while I stood under the water, letting it hit my shoulders and beat the tension outta them. I got out, lotioned up, changed into my milkmaid dress, and sprayed on the Burberry perfume he bought me.
When I walked outta the room, I was hoping to hear the living room TV on or smell his weed smoke in the air, but I didn’t. It was still silent, and just me. I turned on some music to combat the silence and poured myself some wine before starting to cook.
I got my veggies steaming with some seasoning, my rice water boiling, while I seared my steak before popping them in the oven. The house smelled amazing. I started to set the table when I heard the door open, and I felt like I could actually breathe.
I walked over toward the hall, arms folded, watching him walk toward me with a grin on his face and somebody behind him.
I had every intention of giving him the business for not answering my calls until I saw that the person behind him was his son, Amir.
My whole expression softened immediately.
This was my first time seeing Amir in person, and he looked just like his daddy, same eyes, same nose, and the way he walked was just like him, too.
“Hey, baby,” he said.
“Hey…” I responded slowly, still staring.
Love smirked slightly at my reaction before resting his hand on Amir’s shoulders.
“I know you’ve seen pictures, but this is my baby boy, Amir.”
Amir smiled at me, and my heart melted a little. I couldn’t even fully process that I was meeting my stepson when he walked over to me and pulled some flowers from behind his back.
“These are for you,” he said politely.
I looked up at Love, and that nigga looked way too proud of himself.
I laughed softly. “Thank you, baby.”
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should open my arms wide and hug him or walk away with the flowers and put them in water. I didn’t want to overstep or do too much, but Amir decided for me when he wrapped his arms around my waist.
My heart melted.
I hugged him back, and it took every bad thing I was thinking out of my body instantly.
“Okay now, you bout to make me cry all over your head.”
Amir laughed as he pulled away.
Love also laughed as he was undoing his watch and put his keys on the entryway table and his Glock in the drawer.
“That’s lil’ man, teaching him how he comes home when he’s been MIA for the day.”
I smirked as Amir looked around.
“It smells good in here,” he voiced.
“I was in the middle of cooking dinner.”
“For me?” Love asked.
I rolled my eyes. “No, nigga, for the neighbors.”
He grinned as he walked toward us. “Is it enough for everybody since I surprised you?”
I looked over at Amir before looking back at Love. “Of course,” I said to Love. “You will always get a plate from me,” I said, looking at Amir.
“See,” Love said, tapping Amir on the shoulder. “That’s one reason why I’m marrying her.”
I laughed as I walked over to the stove to check on the food.
“Go get changed, the food is almost ready.”
Love nodded, and before he disappeared up the hall, he walked over to me, wrapped me in his arms, and kissed me, leaving a smile on my face.
I turned my attention to the food when Amir came over and took a seat at the island, watching me closely.
“You really gonna be my stepmom?”
I nearly folded right there.
I smiled and looked him in his eyes. “Only if that’s okay with you.”
He nodded his head, just like his daddy. “Yeahh, it’s cool with me. My daddy really loves you, and I think you’re cool already.”
That sealed it for me. That lil’ boy was gonna have me wrapped around his finger.
By the time I started to plate our food, me and Amir were talking and laughing like I had known him all his life.
I was placing the food on the table with Amir following behind me, taking a seat, when I saw Love walking toward us in a wife-beater and some gray sweatpants, and caught us talking and laughing.
The look on his face was soft as hell, the first time I saw his face this soft since he proposed to me, but he didn’t speak on it.
Dinner ended up feeling warm and easy, letting Amir carry the conversation. I could tell he was comfortable, just by the way he openly talked. He was smart, not just book smart either. He was aware.
The well-spoken type who showed me that Love wasn’t just a dad who popped in and out; he was a father who was showing his son how to be a man.
At one point during dinner, Love and I were smiling softly at each other. Even without words, the nigga still made me blush, and Amir caught it.
“So what I’ma be in the wedding? And Dad, you know my suit betta hit like yours!”
We both laughed.
“Your role, nigga? What do you mean?”
“I gotta have a role. I need a big entrance like y’all,” he said through bites of rice. “I can’t just be standin’ around, we are a fly family.”
Love pointed his fork at Amir. “See, that’s why I fuck with you, lil’ nigga. You already know presentation matters.”
Amir grinned hard. “Exactly! I can’t come in regular when my daddy is a Zone 6 legend.”
Amir and Love dapped each other up, and I laughed while shaking my head. “Oh shit, I am in for it with y’all two.”
“Three,” Love said calmly. “Cause once we’re married, it’s gonna be another Love Jr. Around this bitch.”
I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile too hard while Amir laughed.
“So again, what is my role?” Amir asked again. “Carrying rings is for babies, a lil’ cousin can do that. I don’t want no weak role.”
Love leaned back in his chair like he was considering what his son was saying.
“You might have to walk me down the aisle.”
Amir’s eyes lit up instantly. “For real?!”
“Yeah,” Love responded. “You are my right hand, and I—we want your blessing and for you to feel included.”
Love looked at me, and I nodded, agreeing.
Amir sat up straighter at the table like he had just been promoted to CEO.
“I can do that!” he said seriously. “But I want to be in all black, with a gold iced-out chain.”
We laughed, and Love agreed, then they shook on it.
Dinner kept going after that, easy and smooth. The type of dinner that made everything outside the house nonexistent.