Chapter 2 #3
“Yeah, whatever. I don’t like that girlie shit, but I’ll let you slide because you’re my favorite.
” He kissed the top of my head, and I couldn’t help but look up at him.
Everything about Nauri was rough, but when we were together, I saw a different side of him.
There was a softness to him that I never saw him display with anyone else besides his little sister.
I wondered if that was what he saw me as.
Family. The thought alone made me sick to my stomach because I wanted to be something else.
“What’s on your mind? I could tell you were in your feelings earlier.” I lifted my head from his arm to face him. A part of me debated whether I would address my issues, but I decided to get it off my chest.
“Did you fuck her?” The words blurted out like vomit, and I instantly regretted it.
“Do you really want to know? You know we don’t keep secrets from each other, so if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
“I guess that was enough of an answer.”
My head turned away from him so he couldn’t see my face. I couldn’t hide my feelings like I usually would, and it bothered me. It wasn’t my place to be upset, but I was.
“Aye, look at me.” Keynauri moved my chin so we were facing each other again.
“Tell me why you’re upset.”
The sincerity in his tone almost made me feel bad, but then I remembered something.
“I’m upset because what you did was disrespectful.” My tone shocked even me, but it was necessary.
“Whoa, how did I disrespect you? I didn’t fuck the bitch in front of you.
Shit, I needed to make sure you got a new phone, so I did what I had to do in order to make that happen.
It wasn’t anything outside of the norm because that’s how I’m able to use Shamya’s car the way I do.
They want something from me, and I need something from them.
” He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.
“Oh yeah? If I made you wait outside while I fucked another nigga to get something for you, would you have been okay with that?”
Keynauri pulled away from me with a frown etched on his handsome face.
“If you ever did some shit like that, I would make you watch me beat that nigga’s ass until he was unconscious. Don’t you ever try me like that.” He stood up, pacing my floor as if I had offended him.
“Wait, I thought you were a virgin. Are you fuckin’, Cocoa Puffs? ’Cause I promise that nigga is a dead man walking,” Nauri fumed, with his bushy eyebrows bunched together. I found his reaction laughable because the double standard was insane.
“Why would that be any of your business?” I challenged. Keynauri’s head whipped in my direction as he gave me an icy glare.
“I promise you don’t want to play this game with me,” Keynauri warned. The veins in his forehead looked as if they were about to burst at any moment, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.
“No, Keynauri. I’m not fucking anyone. I was simply trying to get you to understand where I was coming from.
I’m not ungrateful by any means, but you could have told me to wait at the house if you were gonna do all of that.
It was awkward, and I didn’t like standing out there looking crazy.
What you do in your romantic life is none of my business, and I would like to keep it that way,” I asserted.
“I apologize, Cocoa. I never considered your feelings, and you know I would never do anything to hurt you. At the time, the only thing on my mind was that you needed a phone, and I needed some wheels in order to get you one. I’m sorry.
” Keynauri stood between my legs, bending down with his hands planted on each side of my thigh.
We were basically nose to nose, and my body felt as if it were overheating as I tried to calm myself.
“I love you. You know that, right?” His face was so close to mine, I could smell the spearmint flavor from his gum.
“I know you do.”
“Then understand that nobody comes before you. Outside of Lyric, you’re the only other girl who has my heart.
I’ll do anything and everything to make sure you’re straight.
” His forehead rested on mine. My heart beat wildly, and I wondered if he could hear it.
We held that position for a while longer before he took a step back.
He reclaimed his seat on my bed, only this time, Keynauri lifted me onto his lap.
I shifted a little, but I could still feel his dick underneath me.
I never understood how any of those girls managed to walk after fucking him because I knew it was big.
The thought alone caused my nipples to harden.
Silence loomed over us as I listened to him hum a song he probably made.
My friend was so talented, and I couldn’t wait for the day the world got a chance to experience him the way I did.
“Have you been writing lately?” I asked while resting my head on his chest.
“Always. I’ve been thinking about booking some studio time, but I’m not sure yet.” I tilted my head to look up at him.
“What is there to think about? You have notebooks full of songs just taking up space in your room. You need to stop playing and record your music. What’s the point of having a gift if you aren’t going to use it?”
“I don’t know. The music shit kind of took a back burner because I needed some money.
Things are fucked up on the home front, and I’m tryna get my shit together so I can get my own car and crib.
Rapping won’t bring in the kind of money I need right now, so it’ll remain a hobby until I can afford to invest in myself. ”
“Speaking of money. I noticed you pulled a bankroll out of your pocket earlier. It seems like a lot of money for someone who is only working odd jobs around the city.”
Keynauri wrapped his arms around me, but he didn’t say anything right away. The longer he remained silent, the more nervous I became.
“I broke my promise,” he murmured. I tried to break free from his hold, but he held me closer.
“Keynauri, you promised. You said you weren’t going to follow in your father’s footsteps, and that’s exactly what you’re doing!” I yelled, forgetting that everyone else was downstairs. Keynauri dropped his head as I folded my arms around my chest.
“I know, and I don’t plan on doing this long-term.
However, I need the money. Tone has been playing games lately, and I can’t rely on him to take care of my sister and me.
Hell, we aren’t his responsibility, and I’m not about to beg another mothafucka to do shit for me.
I ran into Gunna a while back, and he offered to front me some work to see how fast I could sell it.
He was impressed with my hustle, so he’s been looking out for me.
I know I promised I would never sell drugs, but I gotta do what I gotta do for now.
I need you to trust me.” He cupped my face in his hands, peering into my eyes.
I tried to wipe my tears, but they wouldn’t stop falling.
His mind was obviously made up, and there was nothing I could do to change things.
“Stop crying, love. You know what that shit does to me,” Keynauri whispered while I buried my face deeper into his chest. Many boys in our neighborhood resorted to the streets to take care of themselves. The problem with that was that they were often killed or ended up in jail.
“Look, I don’t want you to worry about me.
I’m being careful, and I don’t plan to do this forever.
I need to save up enough money for me to get a place and a car.
Once I secure everything we need and stack up for a few months, I’m gonna find a way to invest in my music.
Right now, I have to make sure we’re straight. ”
“I don’t like this,” I admitted. Keynauri was one of the few people I could count on in the world, and I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost him.
“I get it. This wasn’t a part of the plan, but I have to make sure you, Lyric, and I are taken care of.
My momma has been drinking more and more lately, and shit at the house ain’t been right in a while.
I’m tryna prepare for the worst because I don’t know what’s gonna happen next.
” His reasoning made all the sense in the world, but it did nothing to make me feel better.
“And you promise you’re gonna stop once you save the money you need?”
“You have my word.” Keynauri’s word was bond, so I would accept it for now, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t gonna be praying he quit sooner rather than later.
“I love you, Keynauri. Don’t do anything stupid that could take you away from me.”
“I won’t do that. I could never live without you, so I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure I’m wherever you are.
” I nestled deeper into his arms, allowing him to rock me to sleep.
I had never felt so secure with anyone in my life.
It was deeper than friendship. In my mind, Keynauri was my soulmate, and no one could convince me otherwise.
Even if we never became anything more than friends, no man would ever love me or protect me the way he did.
My eyes fluttered, and I drifted off to sleep with so many thoughts in my head.
I trusted him to keep his promise to me, but there was still a lingering feeling that things weren’t gonna go as planned.
I shook those out of my head, allowing my dreams to take over.
In my dreams, our lives were perfect, and we never had to worry about anything.
Maybe one day those dreams would become a reality.