14. Six
Six
“ M mm.” Cambrie swallowed the red wine from the glass goblet in her hand while sailing into the kitchen. “There you are. What you doing hiding in here?”
The purple silk gown hugged her wide hips, with a slit stopping just near her thigh.
Her bob flowed in waves to her shoulders as she paused at the island where I was stuffing my face with hors d’oeuvres while seated on one of the stools.
She paused at my side and observed me with glossy eyes. It was obvious she’d had a few drinks.
“Girl, I ain’t trying to sit out there with all of them pretentious ass people. I needed a minute to myself anyway. I knew I should have just stayed upstairs and not bothered with this. Marcella and Rossi both gave me that option. I was the one who wanted to make an appearance.”
“Are you OK?” she asked, picking up some puff-looking thing off a tray and examining it before popping it in her mouth. “I mean, obviously not, you’ve had a lot going on the last couple of days.” She chewed quietly.
“Okay? Hmm . . . let’s see. My mother is dead, sister is dead, and the son of a bitch that tried to sell me off to who knows where is also dead. Oh, and I got to witness all of it. I haven’t slept through the night in two days, and my boyfriend won’t fuck me.”
“Damn, girl. When you put it like that?—”
“Cam, I’m trying not to lose it right now,” I huffed.
She grabbed another puff and nodded to the open terrace doors a few steps away.
“Come on. Sounds like you need a therapy session. Let me refill my glass.” She held up the champagne flute to one of the waiters from the catering staff that Marcella ordered. When the skinny redhead lifted the champagne bottle to pour, Cambrie reached for it.
“You know what, never mind. Just give me this whole thing. I got a feeling it’s going to be needed. Come on. Let’s go.” She waved me to the door, and we stepped out into the breezy night.
The stars had the navy sky lit up beautifully as we made our way poolside to sit at one of the tables near the glistening water. It was vacant out here, and I was grateful. When I was around people lately, I got recognized, and that GirlSix shit got played out.
“So, talk to me.” She grabbed her flute and filled it to the top with the champagne.
“Talk about what exactly? How I don’t have any family? Or about the fact that this whole thing with Brick started on some superficial shit, and now I don’t know if we’re even going to make it.”
“If that’s what’s on your mind.” Cambrie shrugged and tipped the glass to her pouty lips once again. “I’m not going to hold anything against you, Six. This is your session, and you are allowed to vent however you want.”
“When all that shit went down with Darlene and Leni . . . we came back here and I was ready. I’d never felt more ready, but Brick shut me down.
He completely rejected me, and shit has just been tense between us ever since.
I’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom, and from day one, we’ve been sleeping in the same bed but not doing anything. ”
“When is the last time you tried to talk to him about it, Six? Or are you both just sweeping it under the rug, acting like nothing happened?”
Sheepish, I lowered my eyes, and she nodded.
“Thought so. See, we all tend to get so caught up in how we feel and how we think someone else will respond to some shit that we start avoiding, and that’s never good.
You have to face situations head-on. Trust me, I have to talk to myself in these situations too because we are all human and subjected to the same behaviors. ”
“So, talk to him . . . that’s your suggestion?” I hiked a brow and reached for the champagne bottle.
“I mean, what else are you going to do? Do you love him?”
After swallowing the bubbly liquid, I took a breath, still gripping the bottle and examining the expensive-looking gold label.
“I’m not exactly the kind of girl that goes around dreaming of falling in love, being swept off my feet, or none of that shit. Brick’s the only man that’s ever put in time or effort to be with me, and a lot of that was for show.”
Cambrie tilted her head and gave me a questionable stare.
“Now, Six, you are not going to sit there and tell me that man doesn’t care about you.
I may not have known Brick as long as you, but it’s obvious you mean everything to him.
It might have started with the followers and all that shit, but it’s clear to anyone who sees him with you and how he handles you that it’s beyond that. ”
“I can’t stop thinking about him. I wake up with him on my mind, go to bed with him there.
When I see the future . . . he’s in it. This is the first time I’ve ever felt ready to give myself to a man in that way.
I pray for him, even though I’m not the most religious person .
. . and the last couple of times my life was hanging in the balance, he was the only thing on my mind.
I may not have any family, but Brick brought me into his and I’ve never felt more welcome.
Staten and Ivo treat me like a sister. Rossi is like the mother I never had, and Sol is one of the best people I know. ”
“Oh, so what am I . . . chopped liver?”
“Girl, you already know we locked in. We talk every single day.”
“The person you need to be talking to is Brick. Tell him how you feel, listen to him and how he feels. Don’t let the fear of losing him keep you from what you deserve .
. . and you do deserve this, Six.” Cambrie leaned forward, her expression serious while studying me.
“Don’t ever doubt that. I don’t care about your mother, or that sick ass nigga Skully.
You are a good person with a good heart, and you deserve to be loved, provided for, and all that shit. ”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Brick’s deep, rugged voice alarmed me.
Glancing past Cambrie, I spotted him and Staten coming up to us.
Immediately, I sat up in my chair, wondering just how much he’d heard.
Cambrie and Staten locked eyes and got all lovey-dovey with one another as he came up behind her.
Pausing, he reached down to cuff her neck, and she tipped her head back to look at him.
He knelt over, stealing a sweet kiss, and eventually their tongues moved into one another’s mouths.
Brick sparked the blunt he gripped in his hand and took a deep pull.
“Mmm, let’s give them a minute.” Cambrie stood, and Staten hooked his arm around her and brought her closer.
“Why you out here hiding?” Brick asked, taking Cambrie’s seat as she and Staten moved to the other side of the pool.
“Just needed a minute to myself,” I answered, glancing off and admiring the way the moon reflected off the pool water.
“This the last night we spending apart, Six.” Brick examined the blunt, took another puff, and held it out to me across the table.
“Ain’t no more of that you in the next room shit.
I gave you your space because I know you needed it.
You probably still got some shit to work through, but you ain’t doing it alone.
From here on out, my family is yours. Shit, Rossi already fuck with you hard.
So we not doing this separate bedroom shit. ”
“You don’t get to just decide?—”
“I get to do whatever the fuck I want as your man. Don’t get none of that fucked up. That’s who the fuck I am, and I don’t care what you do to try and push me away. We locked in, and I ain’t letting you run from it either. So you decide how you want this night to go.”
He wasn’t aggressive, more so confident and determined, which was sexy. His slanted orbs bounced over me carefully as I puffed on the blunt and squinted at him through the smoke.
“Do I really even have a choice?”
“The only decisions you making tonight is what position you most comfortable in,” he countered, tongue swiping across his lips while his hooded eyes focused intensely on me.
He had no idea the flood he had ignited between my legs as my walls clenched when I crossed one leg over the other.
There was a twinkle behind his gaze, like he knew what he was doing, before he brought himself to his feet.
Holding his hand out, he waited for me to place mine in it.
His orange silk shirt matched my velvet and lace mermaid scoop gown with a train that swayed behind me when I walked.
I’d paired it with a pair of strappy gold heels and a simple Cartier bracelet with matching diamond earrings.
My new wig install was melted to perfection, and I sported a high ponytail with a swoop bang in front.
Brick pressed his thumb against my chin and tipped my head so that his eyes burned into mine.
I wanted nothing more than to be in his arms and feel his lips all over me.
He had no problem making me cum off just his mouth, but I was anxious to feel him inside me.
“Ain’t no turning back from this, Six. You mine, and we locked in for life.” His hand pressed against the small of my back before sliding down to my ass and cuffing it.
“How can you be sure this is what you want, Brick?”
“I knew I wanted you the minute I laid eyes on you, Six.”
“You mean when I was talking shit to you?” I tittered.
“Even then. Shit was sexy and had my dick hard.”
“Shut up!” I slapped his chest, and he grabbed my hand to press against his growing third leg.
“I’mma teach you how to handle this shit, and that pussy gon’ only know the curve of my dick.
First and last, mama. I’m letting you know now how I’m coming behind you.
I shoot niggas and bitches behind mine. A nigga get too close to even smell you and he gon’ be taking that dirt nap. So don’t play with me.”
Standing on my toes, I pressed my lips into his and passionately fed him my tongue.
“Come on.” Grabbing my hand, he led me into the house, past the party, and up the stairs to his bedroom.