Chapter 2 #2
I rode through and saw where Gio was parked, and was able to park beside him.
I hopped out, grabbed our food and drinks, and took a pack of blunts out of the box for him.
By the time I was closing the door, that car was pulling into the parking lot.
I clocked it and took my time walking over to the ball court.
I want that nigga to see where I was going.
As I got closer to the court, I felt eyes behind me, and saw Gio on the court talkin’ to Kronic and Bully.
My eyes never left him, but when he looked around and saw me, he stopped mid-sentence and gave me a lil’ nod.
I smirked and started to unpack our food, and took a sip of my water when I felt a tug on my arm, making me spill my water.
“Bitch, you think you somebody out here, carrying money like a nigga won’t rob your lil’ ass,” he spat at me.
“Get the fuck off me!” I yelled out, getting Gio’s attention.
The nigga tried to pull me away but stopped when he heard yellin’ coming from a distance.
“Aye!” Gio yelled out while showing his Glock in his waistband. “Get the fuck off my girl.”
The nigga chuckled. “Nigga, this ain’t your bitch, you just tryna be some neighborhood hero. You better walk the fuck off and let me get at this shorty for disrespectin’ me!”
Without a word, Gio stepped closer, took my arm, and pulled me away from him.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?!” he asked Gio.
With a smirk on Gio’s face, he pushed me behind him with one hand and reached for his Glock in the other, shooting dude in the foot. The nigga let out a blood-curdling scream as he dropped to the ground, holding his foot and looking up at us in disbelief.
“I’m the Don around the streets, nigga, you betta ask about me,” Gio said.
The nigga screamed some more while Gio laughed. “Let the limp you finna have be a reminder, when you see her, you see me, and if it’s a next time, nigga…I’ma make it fatal. You understand?”
The nigga nodded as he scrambled to get up. We turned around, and a gang of niggas was still standing there.
“That nigga ain’t want no smoke, y’all.”
They all nodded and walked off while Gio turned his attention to me, lookin’ me over.
“You okay? What the fuck was that?”
I let out a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m good. That nigga followed me here from the store. He tried to pay for my shit and got mad at my bands.”
Gio laughed and pulled me back to the table where our food was.
“Clown ass nigga, you should have shot his ass.”
I rolled my eyes as I handed him his container of food. “Nah, baby, I just led him to my gorilla.”
Gio agreed. “You led that nigga to his demise. You know I don’t play about you.”
I smiled, leaned over the table, and kissed him.
“I know you don’t, that’s why I love you so much.”
“And you know I love you, mamas—”
Before he could finish his sentence, his phone started to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, looking at his alert.
“Damn,” he said low.
“What is it?”
He stared at his phone a lil’ bit longer, not responding to me, then said, “T want me to come through for a drop.”
I tilted my head. “I thought you were meeting with OG,” I questioned.
“I am,” he shot back. “It looks like he just wants me to do a drop.”
I nodded slowly and started to eat my food. As I did, Gio talked to me about his day and how much money he had already made.
“Why don’t you go ahead and start lookin’ at places,” he said like I was leading this mission.
“Baby, I have been doing that.” I pulled my phone out and sent him a few that I’ve had my eye on. “I like these.”
He looked them over quickly, then placed his phone down. “I’ll check them out in a few.”
I sighed and ate my food.
Once we finished, Gio threw our shit away and took me into his arms as I embraced him back.
“You know I love you, right?” he asked softly.
I nodded my head against his chest. “Yes, baby, I know.”
“Good,” he said, pulling away from me and slapping my ass. “Go ahead and take your ass home before I gotta shoot another nigga out here over you.”
I laughed and gave him one last kiss. “See you in a lil’ bit.”
Gio licked his lips as I pulled away. “You know it.”
I left the park and drove home with a smile on my face.
That man is something else.
By the time I got home, the sun was starting to drop low over Crenshaw. I carried the bags in, slipped into something comfortable, turned on some music, lit a blunt, and started dinner for my man.
The bass from the speaker filled the kitchen, something smooth by Jhené Aiko played while I stood over the stove.
The blunt burned slowly between my fingers, while smoke from the hot grease curled up to the ceiling.
I liked to cook for him. It made me feel grounded, like no matter how crazy shit got in the street with him, in here, it was ours.
I got the chicken fried, the yellow rice done, and sautéed green beans all on the plate by the time I heard the front door open.
“Honey! I’m home!!” I heard coming from around the corner. I placed the food on the table and walked out to greet my man.
“How was the rest of your day, baby?” I asked as I kissed his lips.
“Shit, it was good, baby, but it wasn’t shit compared to this.”
Gio took my hand and led me to the table, and we sat down and tore up the bomb ass dinner I made. After dinner, Gio went by the front door and grabbed the duffel bag I sent him out with and dropped it on the table.
“Here’s the down payment on our house. I want you to put that shit up for me, and I don’t want to hear shit else about our plans, you hear me?”
I smirked and nodded.
He nodded back at me, reaching out his hand. “Come on, I’ma run a shower for us and take care of that body.”
This was the side of Gio that I loved. The side of him that nobody else gets.
He led us to the bathroom, started the shower, and took his time undressing me as the steam crept around us, and he kissed all over me.
“You want to know something?”
“What?” I asked with a slight smirk.
“My favorite part of the day is coming home to you and holding you at night.”
We got into the shower and let the water run over our bodies as he held me, swaying my body side to side.
He washed my body, then I washed his, and after the shower, he oiled my body, and we got dressed. I hopped into the bed before him and opened my arms wide for him to dive in, wrapping his arms around me, laying his head on my chest.
“My favorite part of the day is this,” I said softly, “Getting the side of you that nobody else gets but me.”
Gio looked up and kissed me.
“Always and forever, baby.”