Chapter Sincere Bellamy
SINCERE BELLAMY
After Zahra made her announcement, me, Reek, Big A, Icon, and Legend closed in around him, patting his back, pulling him into quick hugs, and talking over each other.
“Welcome to the club,” Legend said, grinning hard. “Fatherhood gon’ humble your ass.”
Saint laughed, still holding that onesie like it was a trophy. “Man, you still in a league of your own with all them damn kids. Don’t welcome me to shit. You run the whole department.”
Big A shook his head. “Legend got enough kids for a football team.”
“I’m telling y’all right now,” Saint said still laughing. “I’m not having that many kids.”
I looked at Legend, taunting him. “You sure it ain’t twins this time?”
Legend’s smile dropped into a frown. “Don’t jinx us like that, bro. There was only one baby on the 3D ultrasound.”
Icon’s eyes cut to him. “Y’all only saw one baby on all the ultrasounds last time too.”
Legend stared at Icon like he wanted to punch his ass. “Aria not letting that happen again.”
“How you know?” I asked.
“Because she’s been on the ultrasound techs’ asses,” Legend replied. “Every appointment, she’s telling them to look in every nook and cranny of her uterus for a hidden baby. She don’t trust nothing or nobody.”
Saint laughed, wiping his face like he was still trying to pull himself together. “So, when y’all finding out what the sex is?”
“We’re doing the gender reveal at her baby shower next month.”
Saint looked down at the onesie again, shook his head, and muttered, “I’m really about to be somebody daddy.” Saint grinned and didn’t hide how emotional he was. “I’m about to love my wife and kid so bad. Y’all don’t even understand.”
Legend laughed. “We understand.”
Suddenly, Icon got our attention with the way he was staring at his phone with his brows touching together.
“What’s going on, bro?” Legend asked.
Icon looked up, as if he finally remembered that he was in a room full of people. “I just got a text from Jamir. Kai was just found murdered.”
My eyes bucked, but Saint and Legend looked unbothered.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He was found in his condo shot to death.”
“That had to be the Crown,” Legend said.
“But you all got rid of them,” I replied.
“We got rid of the head,” Icon told me, “But there are probably some members still around who are mad their king is dead and feel like Kai is to blame.”
Saint shrugged. “Shit, that’s the game he chose to play when he got in business with the streets.”
It was wild to me how unbothered these men could be about death, but then I reminded myself how unbothered I was when it came to defending what I felt like was mine.
Just then, one of Rhythm’s favorite Lucky Daye songs came on.
I started searching for her as I left the group.
I went straight to where the women were gathered.
Rhythm stood in a circle with Aria, Tempo, Livia, and Zahra.
She was smiling, listening, and rubbing Aria’s big belly like she was already family.
I watched her hand move over Aria’s stomach and pictured that being her.
I pictured my baby in her body, her looking up at me with that soft pride women get when they feel life growing inside them.
The thought didn’t scare me. It didn’t make me hesitate.
It made me want it.
When I felt that anticipation, I understood even more that she was it. Rhythm was going to be my forever.
I walked up behind her and slipped my hand into hers. She turned and her face lit up when she saw me. “Hey.”
“Come here,” I said.
Livia made a face. “Don’t be coming over here interrupting us. Damn.”
Rhythm smiled, but she didn’t let go. She stepped away with me, still holding my hand.
Once we made it to open space in the room, I pulled her closer and started slow dancing with her right there.
She looked up. “I know I’ve already told you many times, but congratulations.”
I kissed her forehead. “Thank you. This is just the beginning, but at least we got the green light.” I exhaled and let my eyes close for a second.
“Now we gotta move fast. We still gotta keep motherfuckas from trying to throw rocks at it from the outside. Just because the vote passed don’t mean the pressure gone. ”
Rhythm’s hand slid up my arm. “Sincere.”
I opened my eyes.
“Not tonight,” she told me with a smile. “I know your mind never stops, but you did what you needed to do today. You got the win. You got the green light. Right now, relax and enjoy what you just pulled off. Let your people celebrate you. Let me celebrate you.”
I stared down at her and lost myself in her eyes. We held eye contact too long for it to be comfortable for anyone else in the room.
Finally, she blushed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I’m thinking,” I admitted.
“About what?”
I slid my hand down her back and kept her close. “About you being my wife one day.”
Her eyes widened just slightly, and I saw her swallow.
“Despite my past relationship, I trust you. I trust what we got. I trust that you’re the one.”
Rhythm’s lips parted like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t have the words yet.
“I found what I needed,” I told her. “I found what I prayed for, and I’m not letting it go.”
She blinked, and her eyes grew glassy.
Then she nodded once, slow, like she was letting herself believe it too. “Okay,” she whispered.
I kissed her forehead and kept dancing, holding her in the middle of that room like it was already done, like everybody watching could get used to her being around, because I refused to let her go.