Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
CASH
M y sleep had been horrible lately, so I’d been sleeping with my phone on airplane mode.
The last thing I wanted or needed was for a call to come through when I finally did get to sleep.
This morning, I slept in later than expected.
I still felt like shit when I got up and started my day and realized it was either my allergies since it was about to be April, or I was getting a fucking cold.
Neither were acceptable, so I was going to go to Mama’s house to get some allergy and cold pills just to play it safe.
After I took care of my hygiene and dressed, I grabbed my phone to call her and realized I had a missed call from Sugar.
Finally .
Instead of calling her back immediately, I called Ma. She answered almost instantly with, “Hey, Son.”
“Morning,” I grumbled, heading toward the kitchen.
“Oh no. You sound horrible. ”
“I know. I need some medicine.”
She chuckled. “You gon’ pass like ten stores just to get to my medicine cabinet?”
“Yeah. I’on know what to get.”
She laughed again. “I got you. Just let me know when you’re on your way. Or are you coming now? I was about to head to the shop to get my hair done.”
“That’s cool. I’ma just get some tea and come over when you get done.”
“Okay, Son. Hopefully you’ll be feeling better by then. If not, Mama got you.”
“Aight, I luh you.”
“I love you too.”
After ending the call, I leaned against the refrigerator and inhaled a deep breath. My nose was running like crazy, but I wasn’t sneezing or coughing yet, which was a sign that it might just be the change in weather.
As I called Sugar baby, I decided to go to Starbucks to get their medicine ball tea in case I did start coughing.
“H-hello?” she answered hesitantly, making me smile.
“You nervous?”
“N-no.”
“Then why you stuttering?”
Sugar sighed, and I had to hold my laugh back from how easily irritated she could get. We had that in common. Sometimes, it felt like she was the feminine version of me. “Are you going to make this difficult?”
“Make what difficult?”
“Cassius.”
“Sugar Baby.”
“Ugh.”
She hung up, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I got in the car. Once I had it turned on and pulled out of my garage, I called her back.
“Yes?” she answered after three rings.
“You hang up on me again and I’ma assume you want me to pull up.”
“Wait. Why do you sound like that?”
“I don’t know. It’s either my allergies or I’m getting a cold.”
“Oh no. Do you have some medicine?”
“I’ma go to my mama house and get some a lil later. For now, I’m finna get some tea from Starbucks.”
“Well that’s fine, but unless you’re coughing, that’s not going to really do anything. What other symptoms do you have other than what sounds like a stuffed and runny nose?”
“That’s it. I feel tired and like shit, but I’m not coughing and sneezing.”
“Hmm . . . might just be your allergies. I know a way to find out. Send me your address.”
“You finally gon’ come to a nigga house?”
She giggled. “Yes, if you’ll let me.”
“Of course, Suge.”
“Hey, um . . . I’m sorry. I should have tried to remain calm enough to figure out what was going on instead of jumping to conclusions. You know I’m protective of my cousin, but that was no excuse for me to put my hands on you.”
“It’s cool. I know how you come behind him. Let that be the last time you put your hands on me though. I’ll never put my hands on you because I know the damage I will do, so I need the same from you.”
“I can do that. And thank you for looking out for him. He told me about you offering to pay for him to go to college. Thank you, Cassius.”
“It’s all love.”
She chuckled. “Stop downplaying how great that is. How great and generous you are.” I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just remained silent.
“I guess just text me your address and let me know when you get home since you’re about to do the weirdo silent treatment thing to keep me from thanking you too much. ”
I laughed because that was absolutely true. “I will, Suge. You might as well pack a bag, ’cause I ain’t letting you go when you get to my home.”
I don’t know what I was expecting to happen when Sugar came over, but her taking care of me certainly wasn’t it.
She made me fresh squeezed orange juice and hooked some kind of air filter up that was supposed to purify the air.
Even though I told her I hated lying around while the sun was up, she made me get back in bed to see if that would stop my nose up.
It wasn’t until we both were in my bed that my mind felt clear enough to go through the last few days.
I remembered stopping by a lemonade stand yesterday.
It was outside and the grass had been freshly cut, which was probably why I didn’t pay much attention to the pollen.
But now that I’d remembered that, I knew it was my allergies.
Sugar ordered me some allergy pills and made me take them as soon as they were delivered.
I ended up falling right asleep, and when I woke up, I felt like myself.
After peeing, taking a quick shower, and washing my face and brushing my teeth, I found her moving around my kitchen like she belonged there.
She hummed a tune under her breath that I was unfamiliar with as she chopped greens.
At the sound of my feet shuffling into the kitchen, she looked up with a smile.
No lie—the sight of her smile and the sun shining through the windows gave her a glow that made me want to see it every day for the rest of my life.
“Hey, sleepy head. How you feeling?”
“Good thanks to you.”
“Good. I love your condo. And the fact that you have beach views in your kitchen, living room, and bedroom,” her head shook in awe as she turned and looked out of the window, “you’re so lucky.”
“Nah, I’m not lucky. I’m blessed. And if you like the view so much . . ., why don’t you move in?”
“Oh, you’re actually asking me to? Because I expected when we got to that phase of our relationship, you’d just tell me we were moving in together like you told me I was your woman.”
“I considered that, but I know how much staying in The Belly means to you, so I figured I’d ask.”
Sugar giggled as I took her into my arms. “How about I just spend a couple of nights over here a week? You might get sick of me and not want me to come back.”
“Nah, never that.” I kissed her neck and resisted the urge to set her on the island and eat her fat, gushy pussy. “I got more than enough rooms to put you out of mine if you get on my nerves.”
After her laughter died down, she confessed, “I missed you, Cassius.”
“I missed you too, Suge, and I’m sorry I went black and canceled our date. My energy was off, and I knew I wouldn’t feel like myself until I figured out what was going on. I didn’t want you to have to experience that side of me yet. Or at all if I can help it.”
“Well, if you’re going to be in my life for the long run I’m going to see it eventually. As long as you don’t take it out on me, I’ll be good.”
She returned her attention to the greens, prompting me to ask, “What’s on the menu?”
“Your favorites.”
I refused to believe she was fixing my favorites on a random day. I knew she loved pasta, and I shared with her that I loved soul food. Specifically, Thanksgiving food. That was also my favorite holiday. Hers was Christmas.
“Which ones? ’Cause I know you ain’t cooking everything I told you I loved.”
“I am,” she almost whispered with a smile. “I remembered you said you like your greens separate not mixed, so you’ll have a small pot of collards and mustard greens. I’m doing mac and cheese, yams, spaghetti, and smothered turkey wings. Oh, and ham.”
“What’s for dessert besides you?”
“Caramel cake.”
A low hum escaped me as my dick hardened. “You want me to get a moving company to bring your things here now?”
She giggled as I pressed myself against her, but when she felt my dick, it turned into a moan. “Get out or don’t distract me, Cassius. I have a lot to get done for dinner.”
“I’ma fuck this shit up, but you know you ain’t have to do all this right? All I needed was an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and you promising not to do it again.”
“I know, but I wanted to do it anyway. So get out so I can focus. ”
“Aight, aight. I’m about to lay back down. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied before puckering her lips for a kiss that I gave instantly.
As I headed back to my room, I couldn’t help but smile.
I was happy as fuck to have her back. She probably thought I was playing, but as soon as I got comfortable, I started looking at moving companies.
Even if I didn’t have all her shit moved in this week, I was going to bring as much as her ass would comfortably allow.
She fucked up coming over here and taking care of me while I was sick, and she sealed her fate cooking my favorite foods.
Her ass wasn’t going home no time soon. Not to sleep there at least.