Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Baby: They said yes!!!
Me: Good. You knew they would.
Baby:
Baby: What did your brothers say?
Me: They said yes too.
Baby: It’s all working like we planned. I love you and I’ll be there later. We are finishing, so I can leave in an hour.
Me: Stay there. I’m coming.
Baby: No. You have to work tomorrow, that doesn’t make sense.
Me: Makes sense to me. Stay, baby.
Baby: OK
“Damn, bruh, I can see all thirty-two from here,” Deuce says when I look up from my phone.
“I know that look. It’s wifey. The party’s over,” Quintus says, then chuckles.
“Bruh, we’re leaving anyway,” I say, then stand. “I gotta tell her y’all niggas said yes to being my groomsmen.”
I laugh and so do they. I didn’t even have to ask them.
I just go along with her because I’ll do anything to see that pretty smile on her face.
Tonight was our normal bullshitting, eating, drinking, and smoking night.
I just started it by telling them I asked and she said yes.
That’s all they needed to know. What’s understood doesn’t have to be explained.
They are my brothers; of course they are standing beside me when I marry my baby. No ask is needed.
“Congrats again, bruh,” Ace says before embracing me. He daps our brothers next then heads out.
“Yeah, Sis is a good look for you,” Deuce adds.
“’Preciate that,” I tell him and we dap.
“I’m happy for you,” he says before leaving the booth. It’s Friday night and almost ten. The bar is starting to get packed; he’s gotta get back to work.
Tre follows Deuce and I turn to Quintus. “You staying in Diamond Falls tonight?” I ask.
“Nah, I’m going to get my wife and stay at the condo with her since Niya’s with Shuga.”
“Then roll with me. We don’t need to drive two whips. I can follow you to your crib then you ride with me.”
“Bet. That’s better but I’ll drive your truck. I’m sober. Your ass isn’t.”
“I’m straight but you can fo’ sure drive. I’m tired as shit from today. I opened and closed. Tre’s going to open in the morning for me but he can’t do shit under the hood.”
“I’m going to see what we can do for Niko because that situation is crazy. I’ll put one of my junior associates on it Monday.”
“Definitely ’preciate that, not just for the shop but for him. Since he’s been out, he ain’t been doing nothing but working and staying out of trouble. That shit that went down was foul as fuck.”
We exit Deuce’s private booth then leave.
I follow him to his crib, and after he puts his truck in his garage, I move to the passenger side and he slides into my ride.
I only had one glass of brown tonight, so I’m nowhere near lit but I am tired as fuck.
My eyes are heavy as hell and struggling to stay open as he drives to Crescent Falls.
When we make it, Sis is still at Kyrah’s.
She hugs me for so damn long as soon as she sees me.
“You did so good. Her ring is gorgeous,” Mireya gushes. “It’s just as precious as her, so you better treat her right.”
“I don’t know how to treat her any other way,” I admit.
“Good answer because we are family and I would hate to have to fuck you up.”
“Ay, why you always threatening me? Quintus, get yo’ shit talking wife,” I tease.
“Whose side do you think he’s on?” she fires back.
“Yours, kyau,” Quintus says as he steps behind her. “I’m always on your side. Are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready. My bags and basket are right there. I even got you something to eat if you’re hungry,” she tells him and he releases her to get her stuff.
After Kyrah and Mireya hug and say their goodbyes, I walk Quintus and Mireya out and thank my brother again for tonight.
When I close the door, my baby walks into my arms, throws her arms around me, and kisses me like she’s been missing me.
The smile on her face when our lips part is as beautiful as she is.
“I love you,” she says with a simper.
“You’re drunk,” I comment.
“No. Not tonight. Well, not off liquor at least. I only had one and a half margaritas. I’m just truly happy, thanks to you and my friends, but mostly you,” she gushes.
“And you are a little drunk,” I add because she clearly is. Her eyes are squinted and her smile is pretty but big as hell. I love when she’s tipsy like this.
“Okay. Maybe just a little bit but I’m still truly happy. Aren’t you?”
“Baby, I’m with you; I’m happy,” I say and she damn near blushes. She’s drunk.
“Are you hungry? Did you eat with your brothers? I have some food for you. They made the ribs and they taste just like the ones you had in Maui, better actually. Let me warm them up for you.”
“You need to get to bed. Your eyes are barely open. I can warm them.”
“No, I’m good. I want to make sure you eat before I go to bed. Plus, you can tell me about tonight. Please, let me stay up,” she says in her extra syrupy tipsy tone.
“Come on, baby, with yo’ not drunk self.” I chuckle.
With my arms wrapped around her, we walk to her kitchen and she sits at the island while I warm a few of the ribs from the large container. When the ribs are done, I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and join her at the island.
“I don’t want anything. You eat,” she says, still smiling hard. Her hand lands on the back of my neck and she caresses it softly. Her eyes stay glued to me as I take my first bite. “I love you so much,” she mumbles.
“I love you too, baby.”
“No, I really, really love you,” she insists, almost whining, and I just smile.
“When you are drunk, I swear you fall in love with me all over again,” I say and she frowns then pouts.
“Shiro, I never stop. Never, okay? Okay?”
One and a half margaritas…that’s a lie.
She’s gone and it’s cute as fuck.
After kissing her lips, I tell her, “I know, baby. Never. Okay. Take that frown off your face.”
She nods then kisses the side of my arm. “I want to make love to you tonight,” she says, then yawns.
“I can’t wait,” I say and shake my head. She might not know it but I do. She’s going to be out as soon as I get her upstairs if she doesn’t knock out while I finish these ribs. “I’m glad you enjoyed your girls tonight.”
“Not my girls. My sisters,” she insists. “I love them and they are going to be right by my side when I tell you I do. I can’t wait to tell Shuga tomorrow. She’s going to be happy. Right? She’s going to be happy, right?”
“Yeah, baby. She’s gon’ be real happy. She’s been telling me to marry you. She loves you, probably more than she loves me,” I tease but her smile drops again and she shakes her head slowly. Then, a tear falls from her eye, fucking me up. “Ay. What’s wrong?” I ask as I thumb the tear from her cheek.
“Your momma loves me but my own doesn’t,” she cries.
“Yo’ mother loves you. Everybody that knows you loves you, baby.”
“I wish that was true,” she mumbles. Her sadness fills the kitchen and breaks me down. “Why can’t she see I was hurt?”
“She will, baby, and listen, everybody loves you. I promise. Come on now; stop crying. Your mother loves you; she’s just not showing you that shit right now,” I tell her and she nods but her tears don’t stop. “Let’s go upstairs.”
After wiping her new tears, I clean the counter then help her off the stool. I practically carry her up the stairs then lay her down on her bed. She reaches for me, and of course, I sit beside her. I’ll do and be anything she wants or needs.
“Lay down with me,” she requests. “Just hold me until I fall asleep.”
I remove my shoes then hers and ease back on the bed. She inches on top of me and I wrap my arms around her. Her cries are silent but I hear her sniffling and swear my entire body tenses.
Her momma’s shit is fucking with her.
I need to figure out how to fix it.
“Shiro, I swear. We don’t have to go. I can just grab myself something to eat and you can leave. I know how busy you are at the shop. You’re already late; sitting down and eating with me is only going to make you later,” Kyrah insists as I put on my shirt.
“You said you were hungry. We’re going to eat then I’m going back. Tre is opening. Black feels better; he’s there too. I’m already missing dinner with you and Shuga because I’m closing. It’s cool.”
After crying herself to sleep last night, she woke up early and her damn stomach was growling. Although she doesn’t really remember how her night ended, she remembers barely eating and woke up hungry, so I’m going to feed her before I head back to Diamond Falls.
“Shiro,” she pleads but I’m not changing my mind.
“Finish getting dressed, baby, so we can go. You said it’s crowded as hell for breakfast,” I remind her.
“Alright. Okay,” she says, then gets off the bed. “I’m eating fast though so you can leave.”
While she’s in the bathroom, I sit on the bed and put on my Ones.
Her words about her mom last night are still in my damn head and fucking with me.
All of my family knows and loves Kyrah but I haven’t met her mom yet.
I understand now, after hearing about her sister, and I accepted that she’s distancing herself from them.
But after last night, I realize she might not really want that distance from her mom.
She’s hurt but it’s obvious she loves her mom and misses her.
I’ve really got to fix this before we get married.
“I don’t feel like putting on any makeup,” she says when she walks out of the bathroom.
“You don’t need that shit anyway. You look beautiful with or without,” I tell her. She walks over and steps between my legs. “You ready?”
“Yes. My fiancé says I look good, so I’m definitely ready. You can tell me how it went with your brothers last night.”
“Baby, I told you twice,” I reply as I grab her ass.
“I was tired.”
“You were drunk.”
“You swear I get drunk. I’m never drunk; just tipsy.”
“Yeah. A’ight,” I say, then chuckle. “Let’s go get these damn croquettes you’ve been talking about since yo’ loud ass stomach woke me up.”
She laughs then lightly hits my chest. “Don’t do that,” she says. “It wasn’t loud like that.”