Chapter 12 #3
“See, she feels bad and doesn’t want to hurt your feelings like that. Good looking out for my boy, baby girl.” Vega smirked and waited for Dix to pull Ria into his arms followed by a kiss before he let her go to rack the balls again. “Nah, she knows I’m the gotdamn truth. You’re just cheating.”
Joi smiled at the three. Ria seemed happy, back to her old self and not the shell of a person she used to see in photos Ria would take with Lue.
She was only pulled away by her phone vibrating in her hand with a call and she rolled her eyes at the name, ignoring it.
It vibrated again right after and she hit ignore one more time before turning her attention back to the pool table.
That only lasted for a brief moment because East walked up on her, scaring the shit out of Joi when she felt his body behind hers and smelled his cologne.
“You can’t talk to me?” The deep tenor and rasp in his voice caused Joi’s body to betray her. Her pulse quickened and she felt a wave of warmth rise beneath her skin.
“I could ask the same thing.” Joi’s tone was sharp, which East expected, so he wasn’t moved by it.
“Who are you here with, Vega?”
Joi frowned at him before angling her head back just enough to be blessed with a visual of his handsome face.
East was still behind her with his body pressed to hers and didn’t move when he had her attention.
The sad thing was that as angry as she was, she didn’t want him to.
Joi missed him. The way he looked, the way he smelled, the way he made her feel.
“Why would you think I was here with Vega?”
East’s expression was neutral. He didn’t seem bothered by the question even if Joi delivered it with venom on her tongue.
Instead, he stepped from behind her only to wedge his body between her legs, pushing her thighs open enough to cause his dick to jump from the memory of the last time he was in the same position.
Shaking the thought, East folded his arms across his chest, bringing Joi’s attention to the muscles and ink that covered them before she was able to look at his face.
“Who the fuck else would you be here with? And if I recall, you liked hopping in the car with that muthafucker.” This time East’s tone was sharp. He didn’t mean to sound bothered by Joi being there with Vega, even if he was.
“My friend Ria. She’s over there with Vega and Dix. I’m just here so she wouldn’t have to come alone.”
East relaxed a little now that he knew it wasn’t a double date type of situation, but he still didn’t like Joi being in the current environment.
“You always looking out for your girls but who’s looking out for you?”
“Vega.” It rolled off her tongue so quickly that East couldn’t control the hard look he gave because of it.
Joi knew it would piss him off. It was exactly what she intended and smiled inwardly celebrating success.
“He’s been keeping an eye on me since I got here.
He said he had me and nobody would fuck with me, so I didn’t have to worry,” she finished with a smug grin, causing the veins in East’s neck to pulse.
Vega didn’t need to do shit for Joi, she was his to protect, even if he hadn’t been acting right or proving it like he should have.
“Word, so y’all are tight like that? How does your girl feel about Vega making sure you’re good?”
“I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it, but since that’s how you see me, then get the fuck away from me. I’m sure your little friend might appreciate your attention, but I don’t.” Joi was heated. She read right into his meaning and it pissed her off.
She could also feel Nae across the room burning holes through them both. If Joi had to guess, she was the reason East was here in the first place. It damn sure wasn’t because he expected to see her.
East smirked and leaned into Joi, spreading her legs wider while his minty breath reached her ear.
“My attention is right where it needs to be. We both know that, don’t we?
” Joi’s breath hitched and it took her a minute to calm herself.
East had a way of setting off every alarm in her body and she hated it.
“East, I’m not doing this with you. You already showed your hand and I’m not mad about it. Two grown ass consenting adults, right?”
He knew exactly what she was referring to and didn’t like what she was insinuating.
He hadn’t played her or at least not on purpose.
East prided himself on being upfront with anyone he dealt with, especially women.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy with Joi, she had him fighting something he didn’t even understand himself.
“Did you drive?”
“No.”
“Aight bet, go tell your girl you’re leaving. I need you to take a ride with me.”
Joi cocked her head to the side quickly and stared at East like he was crazy. She knew good and damn well he didn’t think she was leaving with him.
“You really are interesting. How is that supposed to work, East? We leave, have sex, then you disappear on me again? No thank you. It was good but not that damn good and that’s not who I am.
Go see your little friend over there. I’m sure you could fuck me right here on this stool and still get her to leave with you after you were done. ”
East grinned and glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough Nae was shooting death rays at them. That was her problem. Your silly ass sent me right to Joi.
“You’re right, I could, and she would, but I’m not here for her.
I’m here for you. And don’t play yourself, it was that good.
That’s why you’re in your feelings right now.
Well… part of the reason. The rest is on me and I want to remedy that.
I’m not trying to go have sex with you, Joi.
I just want to talk. I owe you that much and after, if you still don’t want to fuck with me, cool.
I’ll fall back but don’t lie on my dick.
He didn’t do a damn thing to you but make you feel good. ”
Joi wanted to slap the smug grin off of East’s face.
He was right, the sex was more than just good.
It was so good in fact that she had been exploring her body since that night trying to recreate the feeling.
Unfortunately there was only one East and none of her toys were a match for what he was holding.
When it took too long for Joi to respond, East tried another approach, something he didn’t do, it was too damn close to begging. “Don’t think too hard, shawty. Just roll with me for a minute. I know I fucked up and I want to explain. Can I get that, please?”
“God, I know I’m about to regret this,” she mumbled, pushing her hands into his chest so he would allow her room to get down.
East watched Joi, and as soon as she made it to the pool table where her girl was, Nae beelined straight to him.
East expected it, knowing she wouldn’t risk being embarrassed again in front of Joi.
The separation while Joi talked to her girl gave Nae the opportunity to cry about a situation she couldn’t change.
“So you’re okay with her fucking Vega?” was the first thing out of Nae’s mouth. After watching their interaction, she knew it was just friendly, but assumed she captured enough shots to make East think otherwise.
He chuckled and kept his eyes on Joi who was speaking to her girl but occasionally watching him. He didn’t want Joi to change her mind about leaving so he made sure not to give her an out by entertaining Nae.
“She’s not fucking Vega.”
“You sure about that? They were really close before you got here. Did you get my pictures?”
Since she was begging for it, East granted Nae his attention but only long enough to make sure she understood his position. “I’m positive and you know how I know for sure?”
When Nae didn’t answer he gave her one. “Because she’s been with me.
You know what that’s like, don’t you? You of all people are very understanding of what I’m capable of.
There’s nothing left but disappointment after you’ve been with me, right?
Stop trying to change some shit that you can’t change and stop coming for her before you piss me off.
You don’t want that, Nae. She hasn’t done a damn thing to you other than get my attention and keep it.
Something you couldn’t do. Take that L and deal with it. ”
East looked toward the pool tables only to see Joi heading his way with Vega behind her. As soon as they reached him, Nae bowed out.
“What’s good, fam?” Vega dapped East before glancing at Joi. “I kept an eye on her while she was here. I told baby girl this isn’t the type of place she needs to be.”
East looked down at Joi then up at Vega. “Yeah I’ll holla at her about that. You good?”
“Gucci.” East offered a nod. He had no issue with Vega and wasn’t worried about him as far as Joi was concerned.
“She good with him?” East nodded at Ria. Knowing she was important to Joi made it his responsibility to assure her wellbeing. East barely knew Vega but he didn’t know Dix at all.
“Yeah she’s straight. They’re about to be out anyway.” East and Vega shared a look of understanding.
“Aight, be easy.” East dropped his arm around Joi, tucking her body under his, and walked away. Nothing else there was his concern so his focus was on handling his own situation.