12. Kingsley
KINGSLEY
Once everyone left, Treasure and I found ourselves alone in their family room on the couch.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a moment of déjà vu.
Just a little over two weeks ago, we were in this very spot, feeling like it was the beginning of something beautiful.
She’d given herself to me, saying we could finally be a couple. The very next day changed that.
I was uncomfortable. I had my arm around her, but I was doing my best to not think about the conversation we had earlier.
My dick would surely get hard . . . hard as fuck, and I wouldn’t be able to contain him.
Ever since we talked about it, I couldn’t keep it off my mind.
The thought of connecting with her sexually, feeling her insides, was trying to consume my thoughts.
“King, you okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You’re kind of quiet.”
“Sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting up and turning toward me.
When she grabbed my hand and stared into my eyes, I couldn’t lie to her.
“I know what you said about not walking on eggshells around you, but I don’t know any other way to be.
It’s gonna take time for me to be able to just totally relax.
Although it’s something I’ve wanted with you for a long time, I’m scared.
I don’t want to ever make you feel a way about anything I say or do. ”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “I understand.”
She sat back against the couch. I could tell she was hurt by what I said, but it was the truth. I loved Treasure with all of me, but I didn’t want to jump in too soon and have a repeat of what happened last time. If she ever attempted suicide again, she would probably be successful.
“Do you really?”
“I do.”
I pulled her hand to me and kissed it, then held it as we stared at the TV. It was on, but I didn’t believe either of us was actually watching it. It was serving as a distraction.
“What are y’all watching?” Epic asked as he flopped on the couch next to Treasure.
When neither of us answered him, he sat up and stared at us. “My bad. I’m interrupting y’all’s alone time.”
“No. You’re fine Epic. We weren’t really watching it. I think we’re both in our heads,” Treasure said as she glanced at me.
He frowned slightly and nodded, then still got up and left us alone again.
“Treasure, I’m sorry. I guess I’m thinking too hard.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been behaving that way for over two years, almost three.
You’ve been following my lead. Well, the last time you followed my lead, you almost lost me.
I promise, I understand your hesitancy with this.
I just wasn’t prepared for it. I just thought you would be all in, because I know it’s something you’ve craved for so long.
I didn’t think about how my suicide attempt could have fucked all that shit up. ”
“Treasure—”
“No. It’s okay, King. I’m trying to move too fast. I guess I’m expecting things to just immediately relax. It’s foolish thinking. I was just so excited.”
I licked my lips, then lifted my hand to her face, then slid it to the back of her head, pulling her to me.
I pecked her lips, then stared into her eyes for a second, hoping she didn’t tell me to stop.
I went back to her and kissed her softly, allowing it to linger.
Doing my best to relax, I deepened the kiss and eased my tongue to hers.
I had to relax, because I surely couldn’t take seeing her hurt.
She lifted her hands to my face, holding me to her as she gave me her tongue in return.
When she pulled away, I gently sucked her bottom lip.
That was the sweetest kiss we had ever shared.
However, now my dick was hard, as I knew it would be.
I turned my body slightly, doing my best to hide it.
She glanced at me, and I was pretty sure she knew what I was doing. She stayed quiet about it though.
“That was nice, Kingsley. Thank you.”
I frowned. “What are you thanking me for?”
“Relaxing a little to give me more, although you’re uncomfortable.”
I put my arm back around her and did my absolute best to relax again. “Can I tell you something, baby? Can I be open and vulnerable?”
She sat up again. “Yes, please.”
“I’m scared as fuck. My worst fear is losing you, and that shit almost came true.
I’m going to do my best to follow your lead and be conscious about what you need from me.
Just please be patient with me. I swear, if anything ever happened to you and you left this world behind, I would be right behind you.
I can’t live this life without you. I was barely hanging on while you were in the hospital.
Not talking to you was hard and had me sinking into depression.
So, whatever I have to do to make sure you’re at your best in all areas, that’s what I’m gon’ do. ”
She nodded, then leaned in and kissed my lips again, sliding her tongue to mine.
Jesus. I wanted to fuck her up so bad. I slid my hand to her face and through her hair, gently palming the back of her head as I made love to her mouth.
When I pulled away, I quickly scooted away from her. She glanced down at my crotch.
When she smiled at me, my eyebrows lifted. She had better quit playing with me. I swore I was gonna blast off in my pants unassisted.
“I want to be well. I want you to know that I’m trying. We can take it slow, but please tell me that you’ll be trying as well.”
“I’m going to do my best. In the meantime, can I properly date you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean take you out on dates and do things in public together.”
“Yes.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Okay, so can I take you to dinner tomorrow evening?”
“Yes. Can we go to Cheddar’s?”
I chuckled. “You’ve been having Cheddar’s on your mind for a while, huh?”
“Yeeeeessss. I swear whenever I scroll Facebook, I see that Monte Cristo. It’s like they’re reading my thoughts.”
“Tell me about it,” I said and chuckled.
When my phone vibrated, it put me on edge. After what happened last week, I was waiting for a phone call for them to say my dad had been arrested. He was adamant about not giving those people a single cent. His actual words were, fuck those grimy muthafuckas.
I was seeing a side of him that I had never seen. When KJ, Karima, Kane, and I were alone, KJ had said, “That crazy muthafucka is back.”
I’d heard all the stories from KJ about how our dad used to be.
He’d always been low-key. However, his crazy side could emerge without notice when he was provoked.
KJ said he had seen it come out with Mama when they weren’t getting along, when Reggie was fucking with them, and when Kendrick’s mom had killed him.
Dad was ready to find that bitch and fuck her all the way up.
All that was before I was born. He was angry when Grandpa got killed, but he didn’t seem to be unhinged. Actually, he seemed really calm. Maybe that was what his unhinged looked like. In that recording, Rhodes said he sounded extremely calm while he broke that muthafucka’s neck.
I took my phone from my pocket to see that Bali was in labor. Before I could say a word, Mrs. Harper came running down the stairs. “Legend Storm Henderson is coming!”
I frowned and slowly shook my head. “Lord have mercy. Isn’t Majestic’s middle name Storm?”
Mrs. Harper laughed. “Yes. They love their father.”
Treasure hopped up from the couch, and said, “Let me get my shoes!”
She ran up the stairs, and I went toward the back door near Mrs. Harper. She smiled at me and hugged me. “I believe our baby is making a comeback.”
“I believe so too. I can’t wait to really get to know this version of her.”
She gave me a tight smile. “You’ve been around for so long I forget that you really didn’t know her like that before the incident.”
I nodded as Treasure came running down the stairs. Mr. Legend and Epic were right behind her. “Let’s go welcome my namesake into the world, so I can fuck with Storm about my name being first.”
“Oh Lord,” Mrs. Harper said.
Once we were outside and Mr. Legend had locked up, I grabbed Treasure’s hand and asked, “Are you riding with me?”
She took a deep breath, then nodded. “Yes.”
I swore I was turning cartwheels on the inside.
I quickly led her to my truck and helped her inside, then made my way to the driver’s side.
I quickly backed out of their driveway and took off to Highway 90 to make it to the clinic.
I already knew it would be an entire mess between Uncle Storm and Mr. Legend.
They should be entertaining enough just in case Bali was in labor for a long time.
Knowing her ass, she was probably having contractions while she was here, knowing that she was getting close.
I could see Treasure staring at me in my peripheral as I drove.
I reached for her hand as Mr. Legend sped past us.
She slid it in mine, and I could feel the tremble.
When I looked at her, she was taking deep breaths, steadying her nerves.
“I’m okay, King. I promise,” she said, then opened her eyes. “This is going to be a battle, but I’m strapped and got on all my gear. I’m going to win.”
“I believe that, baby.”
I kissed her hand and continued to Nome with a big ass smile on my face.
“She told us to get the fuck out of her room. She better be glad she in labor, or she would have gotten a few choice words,” Seven said.
I slowly shook my head as Treasure chuckled. Bali was about six centimeters, so we had a little while to wait. I opened my house for the Semiens, as did Maui, in case they wanted to get some rest and still be close.
“You weren’t going to say shit. Bali would have fucked you up, and you know it,” Royal said, responding to Seven.
Treasure was sitting close to me, her arm looped around mine. While she seemed like she was scared, there was a big smile on her face. She was trying to be okay, and I could appreciate her effort. I leaned over and kissed her forehead as Mr. Legend smiled at me.
“You okay, baby?”
“Yes. Thank you.”