Zoya #2
I smiled and rubbed her arm. “You make my brother the happiest I’ve seen him. He loves you so much, Pooh,” I teased.
My heart always grew in size when I saw the way Navy and her family loved on him.
It wasn’t just Landon, though. It was all of us.
Don had always craved a love like the one he had with her.
Navy didn’t give a damn that she was marrying into a family who was worth billions.
Her concern was and had always been Landon Caselli, and no one else.
I’d never get any nieces and nephews from them, but that was their choice and right.
I’d accept whatever furry nieces and nephews they had.
She blushed. “I love him so much… cannot wait for him to come here. I just know he’s gonna put me—”
“I’ll flip that lounge chair over, Navy.”
“I’m sorry… sue me for missing my fiancé… you probably be over there missing Goon, too. Writing little love notes in your notes app. I know you’re a romantic, Zoya… I will pull it out of you.”
I sighed and sat my book down next to me. “I’m a real nigga, Navy. You gotta know that I don’t do that mushy shit.”
We stared at each other until we couldn’t hold in our laughter anymore. “I really cannot stand you!”
I wasn’t the kind of person that could set up my camera and record myself talking to my phone.
However, I needed to stop being stuck in my ways and try new things if I ever wanted to grow as a person.
I was going to be someone’s mama, and I didn’t want to past my toxic ways to my child.
I also didn’t want to be the kind of parent that my child needed healing from once they were older.
So, I had to expand my horizons a bit, even if it scared me.
How could I complain about my circumstances, but do nothing to change?
If I couldn’t be real with myself via camera, then what the fuck was all of this for?
When Navy asked why I was so angry, it caused me to quickly reevaluate myself. I knew she was joking, but was that how people viewed me? The angry fat bitch who always had to get her way?
Well, yes.
I always had to have my way, so that wasn’t anything that would be changing.
If I was president of this fuck ass country, every woman would always get their way.
We put up with enough shit, so why not? Every relationship a woman enters should be on her terms and should end the same.
Men didn’t go through nearly as much shit as women for them to be getting the best end of the deal.
Give dick, spend money, and speak when spoken to.
Except, I was pregnant by a nigga who would only do two out of three, and it wasn’t speaking when spoken to.
As much as Goo complained about me being spoiled and having an attitude problem, I could bet both my hands and feet that he would continue to let me have my way.
Long as that respect was there, he would give me the world.
Not flying off the handle and saying whatever I wanted was going to be an adjustment, but it was one I was willing to make.
He was a leader, but dammit, it was hard following a man’s lead. I didn’t even listen to my own brothers, and I was expected to follow Gerald’s lead?
Alaia made it look so damn easy. Capp could tell her no to something and she understood. Never questioned him and knew he was telling her no for a reason. I guess the beauty in marriage and love was that blind trust and love.
Respect too.
You loved your partner and trusted them so much that you knew they would never steer you wrong. That was hard for a woman like me to grasp. Especially since every man I dated or messed around with would lead me into a shitty asshole.
“He’s finally down for the night… he’s teething and it’s very annoying.”
Me and Navy both winced. “He bites your nipples?”
Stevie plopped down on the edge of my lounger. “Straight pulls at them like they are a teething ring. Sometimes he doesn’t even want milk, he just wants to latch because it soothes him. Mouth on one while the other hand is holding onto the other.”
“Fuck Stevie, that sounds like a nightmare… I am so sorry,” Navy apologized, and Stevie stared at her like something was wrong.
As much as it was something that may have bothered her, Stevie was meant to be a mother. I loved watching how she loved on her son, and how much Menace loved watching them both.
“For you, yes. You don’t want to contribute to keeping the Caselli name going.” Stevie giggled. “I get overstimulated at times and that’s when Mavie comes and gets him.” She sighed.
“Miss him, huh?”
“So much… just want to know he’s safe. I haven’t heard from Duke in two days. Hard not to think the worst.”
I rubbed her hand. “If I know anything about my brother, he’s never giving up easily.”
“If it makes you feel better, the lights back home are back on… could be a good si—”
Stevie wasn’t listening to anything that Navy was talking about. She was looking out at the water and stood up. I watched as she held the sides of her glasses like it would help her see better.
“Oh Dolly, they have returned from the war,” she spoke in old English, confusing the fuck out of me and Navy. “Oh, Papa has returned from the war!” she hollered, taking off running along the beach.
I leaned up, confused. “Wait… that’s them.”
Navy was now on her feet. “I’mma cum for the Don tonight, Dolly!” she mimicked Stevie who was in a full sprint towards the dock.
My stomach felt like it was on fire with how excited I was. I did feel like an old housewife watching her soldier come back from the war. I got up from the lounge chair, as I watched Erin sprint from their villa towards the dock.
“Kangggg! The Kang home!” Kobe’s high ass was tripping over his feet as he rushed out the villa, with Syn right on his heels.
I rushed behind them, as the workers pulled the boat in and anchored it. Menace didn’t wait, he hopped over the side of the boat onto the dock and sprinted down the dock towards Stevie.
She had tears falling down her face as they both crashed into each other. He held her face, kissing all over it, and then spinning her around. “Wonder.”
“Mavie,” she held his face, and looked into his eyes. “You need sleep… what have you eaten? That look in your eyes.” She spit one observation right after the other, as she looked over her husband.
Menace did look like he was zoned out. He held onto his wife like he didn’t think she was real. His beard was overgrown, and I could tell sleep didn’t exist while he was away from Stevie.
“Steve-O, he hasn’t eaten shit… some pretzels maybe. Had to force his ass to drink water because you know… nigga might die.” Duke got off the boat. “Damn!” he hollered when Capri and Blair both shoved past him.
“My babies, Duke… sorry!” Blair yelled over her shoulder, as she continued towards the villas.
Capri was still on a mission as she rushed into me, tossing her arms around me. “Zoya!”
“I missed you hoes so damn bad. How were things, Pri?”
She stared me in the eyes, and without using words, I could understand everything. Capri was never bothered after she had to drill some shit. This time, as she stared me in the eyes, I could tell that whatever happened was huge.
“I just wanna see my babies right now and have girl talk… let’s leave what happened back home.”
“Villa right there in the middle… go kiss on your babies.” I smiled, as she gave me another squeeze and then rushed off towards the villa.
Blair blew me a kiss, as she ran right past me, running behind Capri. I didn’t blame her one bit. This was new territory for Blair, so if this had Capri feeling that way, I could only imagine that Blair felt it ten times more.
“Turn the fuck around,” Menace barked.
Everybody looked at him like he was crazy. “Pooh, come here!” Don ignored our brother and went right to his fiancée.
She jumped right into his arms and he held her up, as she held his face and kissed him. Erin kissed Capone all over his face while asking about his health while he was gone. Cappadonna held his wife from behind in a big bear hug, as they walked slowly and he kissed her neck.
My girls were right where they wanted to be.
Quameer walked off the boat holding a carrier with Pyro and reached for a hug. “Awe, you looking like yo’ daddy told you to wait on the porch and didn’t come to scoop you.”
I shoved him, because I couldn’t stand either Inferno brother. Everyone saw Quasim and knew he was quiet. He was just as much an asshole as his brother. “Move with your stinky ass cat.”
He was real deal offended I shoved both him and his little homeless whore cat. “She don’t fucking stink.”
“Quasim, fuck your cat… where’s Goo?”
Quameer held Beretta in his arms. “She fucking pissed… don’t y’all even start calling my baby girl names, either.”
“Oh, we on nicknames now… what happened to Gerald.” Quasim was still teasing me, but once he saw that I was no longer joking, his face changed.
“He’s good, Zoy… said he had to do something.”
My hands were shaking. “And you all left him behind? Y’all fucking killed my husband? Said he’s a dead man walking?” I was panicked.
With the way Capri looked, I knew nothing good took place back home. Then, to be told that Gerald stayed back... I was ten minutes from taking the boat to drag his big ass back here myself.
“He’s a grown ass man, Bean. He gave me his word he was behind us… ight?”
I looked out onto the water. “The storm is getting worse… Papa might not make it onto ye land.”
“Zoya, what the fuck?” Don blurted.
Meer pulled me into his arms. “If I know anything about the Jamaican Hulk, that nigga is determined. Stop stressing… he’s coming.”
“Okay.” Meer’s soft rubs on my back made me feel a little better. I sniffed and then backed up from him. “You smell like piss, Meer.”