Chapter 12 #2
"Talk to me. Don't sit there quiet now because you've always been outspoken since the first day you grilled me, and that's what I loved about you the most."
"I've already told you about my ex. His mom always tried to run a wedge between us.
From talking about how I dressed or my gold grill, it was never anything good.
I found myself pretending to talk a certain way, changing who I was all because I loved her son, and he loved his mom. I wanted to make everyone happy."
"Your happiness matters the most, and if you have to pretend to be someone else, then you were never giving your ex the real you.
The person he was falling for wasn't Naomi.
It was the person Naomi thought he wanted.
That's not love. It's like putting on a face full of makeup and going out into the world pretending to be perfect.
People are calling you beautiful, and you are taking it all in until you get home and have to take that shit off.
Then, you are back hating yourself because you are going out of your way to get everyone to accept the made-up image of you, leaving you to deal with the real you alone.
Don't give me that made up you. I want you.
Naomi London, raw and uncut. That BET After Dark is what I want. "
I know this moment was serious, but I couldn't contain my laughter when he said that.
"When we go to my parents' house, don't worry about shit.
My mom is cool, and my pops is even cooler.
They still think they are in their twenties and travel the world like they are, too.
She's going to love you, every single thing about you.
All she wants is for her son to be happy and give her a shit load of grandbabies.
" Sin laughed, but my heart sunk into my damaged uterus.
"Let's go because if we are late, she will cuss our asses out. "
Getting up, I grabbed my bag and followed him out the door.
During the entire ride to his parents' house, Sin held my hand. It was almost like he was still trying to reassure me that everything would be fine. When he pulled up, I looked at him, then back at their big ass mansion that the gates were opening up to.
"Are you sure yo' folks' not still into that Godfather shit?"
Laughing, Sin got out of the car and came around to my side.
"I promise, everything we do is legit now.
This is old money you are looking at. My parents didn't go wild.
They invested and did what they had to do to make sure everyone was straight.
Now stop trying to find reasons to take yo' ass home. "
Kissing me on the forehead, Sin took my hand and walked me up the steps. Before he could open the door, a short, beautiful woman with a smile as wide as Lil' Kim's ass appeared at the door.
"Damn, son, she is just as beautiful as you said she was." That came from the mouth of a man that looked like an older version of Sin.
"I agree. She is beautiful."
"Thank you, guys, so much," I mumbled like a fool. Although Sin said his mom wouldn't have a problem with my grill, my stupid ass was still trying to hide it.
"Come on in. The food is getting cold," his mom stated before turning to go back to go inside. When they turned around, Sin pulled me back out the door.
"Baby, didn't we just talk about this?"
"What I do?"
"What you do?" he dragged. I knew exactly what I did, but I wasn't admitting that shit. "You up here talking like Kanye."
I fell into a fit of laughter. "I promise, it was not intentional. It was like my mind immediately went to bitch, hide that shit as long as you can. I'm sorry, for real."
"If you want to get talked about, do that shit again.
She will call you out on it. I told you she's cool, and they've looked at all your pictures online already.
Your grill is something that my mama has already seen and didn't say a single thing about it.
Leave that other old bat's bullshit out of this house because you gon' love it over here, baby. "
"Psst... Psst."
We looked around for the sound we heard. Someone waved nothing but their hand up on the other side of the porch. Sin stalked over there, and I couldn't help but notice how his hand went to the small of his back for his gun.
"Nigga, you really gon' shoot me?" His cousin popped up from the ground, looking as if he was really waiting on an answer.
"Zoo! The fuck you doing?"
"I just want a plate. Tell Auntie I'm sorry."
"Bye, man. If you want a plate, then come inside. I ain't bringing shit to you."
"But you was gon' leave Brooklyn's plate on the patio for him. Do it. I bet I eat 'dat shit." Sin started laughing and then walked back toward me.
"If you're hungry, come eat, Zoo." He hopped the side of the porch so quick and was inside the house before Sin and I could get in.
The table was set, and dinner was going smoothly.
I stopped talking like all my teeth were missing and ended up having a good time.
Sin's family was so funny, and it was worse when their cousin, Brooklyn, showed up for his plate after Sin's mom called him over.
He and Zoo argued the entire time, and my stomach hurt so bad from laughing at them.
"I told you that you would love it over here," Sin whispered in my ear. Smiling, I winked at him, and I had to agree. I did love being there.
"I'm going to get dessert and more drinks." Seeing his mom push back from the table, I decided to step away from the guys to join her, taking a bit of initiative to get to know her more.
"I'll help you, Mrs. Smith," I offered.
"Aww yeah, I'm going to love you. Call me Mama. Jamison already told me you were going to be his wife, so we may as well get the formal shit out of the way now."
"And you can call me Zaddy."
"Pops don't even play like that," Sin scolded.
"Aight, I'ma call yo' ass an ambulance. Keep on playing wit'cha life, Jaxon." Mrs. Smith was short but wasn't scared to pop her shit at all and dared Mr. Smith to say something else. "Come on, baby."
I followed her into the kitchen, and instead of pulling out dessert, Mrs. Smith pulled out a blender, some margarita mix, and liquor."
"Frozen or on the rocks?" she asked while pulling out ice.
"I'm sorry, but I don't drink during the season."
Mrs. Smith looked back at me like I had just cursed her out. "Frozen or on the rocks, sweet pea?"
"Frozen, please."
Turning toward me, she took a seat.
"Never do that. Regardless of who it is, what they are offering, or how they may feel about you afterward, never compromise what you believe in, lower your standards, or fake the funk just so you wouldn't upset someone.
If you don't drink during the season, then you should have said that shit again and stood on it, you hear me? " she schooled.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Remember that even when it comes to my son. No, is and can be a complete sentence. Stick around, and I'll teach you everything I how about these Smith men."
"Ma, how long you gon' keep my girl hostage? She's gotta get back home soon so she can get some rest for practice in the morning."
"Well, hell, I was just schooling her. I'm sure standing a few more hours wouldn't hurt her."
"No, ma'am, Sin is right. I do need to be going." Sin looked at me with a worried look. Meanwhile, his mom winked at me.
"That was a test," his mom told me before reaching in for a hug. "You are going to be just fine with our family." When she released me, I reached out and hugged her again. That hug was filled with so much of what I'd always wanted... acceptance. That alone broke every wall that I had up.