36. Wyn #2
His cane is nowhere in sight. There was a time doctors told him he’d be lucky to even be able to stand without assistance, and now he’s gliding across the stage, shining under the overhead lights and the praise of his people.
It’s no industry people here. Friends and family only were invited, and Turkey, Auty, and I are the only people in attendance who aren’t East Kentonians.
Cochise shouts me out before our song “Bonded” plays.
It was his idea, just like it was mine to decline performing with him.
An intricate story about our lifelong bond from our accident, he pays homage to his friend Donny who was driving that night, as well as proclaiming that we’ll always be bonded, no matter what.
The song alludes to us being broken up, and the blogs were supposed to report that he was engaged, but now it’s the last song on his album, a remix of his first ever single “First Nation Prince,” featuring Grime and PC, and the future Mrs. Beverly still isn’t here.
My phone vibrates, and my lips quirk reading Rico’s text. He’s outside, ready whenever I am, but my nosey ass wants to see who locked the prince down.
After Cochise is done, the DJ throws on one of my songs, and everyone begins to dance. Auty sidles up to me, holding out her hand.
Shaking my head, I can’t fight my smile as I grab it and let her bring me into a two-step.
“Aw shit,” I hear Turkey bellow. I hate dancing, and Auty knows that. Yet and still, every party we go to except one, I end up dancing with her.
She twirls me around then brings me back, just as my song blends into the Snoop Dogg song it sampled. Even in her heels, she G slides as she hypes me up.
“Da Coldest bitch foreal!” she hollers, before bringing me to her. Usually, I would feel calmer. Our spat hasn’t lasted, and she’s not mad anymore.
But I’m still worried. My heart is still beating fast. And my head begins to hurt as I think back on all the times Auty’s mood has gone up and down. All the times she’s lashed out, some memories incomplete, some so visceral, it’s like it’s happening again.
I lean back and try to search her eyes as the colored lights bounce around the room, but I can’t see anything different. I don’t even know what the hell I’m supposed to be looking for.
“Are you okay, Auty?” I ask. My voice is so low, I can’t even hear myself over the music, can’t feel the vibration of my voice over my heartbeat.
Auty reads my lips perfectly, still. Just for half a second, her mask slips. Fear I’ve never seen before, mixed with the usual melancholy, flashes, before it’s gone, and she grins, showing all of her teeth.
“I’m okay, Wynnie.”
“Ty coming in. I’on know why, nigga missed the whole show.”
Auty’s head whips toward the front doors, done with the conversation. I clench my fist to keep from getting another piece of gum out of my clutch. It’ll be just my luck my jaw is too sore to suck some dick tonight.
Slowly, the crowd begins to part. Security by the VIP ropes are the last to move, revealing a beautiful woman.
She has long jet black hair, curled and swooped into an updo in the front, down and flipped in the back.
Her gown is blood red, and when she walks into the section, slits in her dress make themselves known, going all the way up her thighs.
Her right one has a red bandana tattooed on it, and I know exactly who she is.
“Oh my God,” Patience screams over the music. The woman–Cochise’s fiancée, spares Patience a glance before meeting my gaze.
She doesn’t falter, doesn’t stop, nor does she come toward me.
I smile at her, hoping it comes off friendly.
I’d heard she came up to the studio after I left my first day back, and acted a complete fool on Cochise in the lobby before he dragged her into a supply closet for thirty minutes.
Now that I see she’s truly from the other side, I bet she really is giving him a run for his money.
Her lips twitch, and she winks at me before turning and walking right up to Apache Beverly, Grimey, and Cochise a few feet away.
The way he looks at her… I’ve seen this look before, but not on him.
I have no doubt Cochise loved me. Not only did he tell me, he showed it every day, even when I didn’t deserve it.
But seeing this smoldering look on his face, even though it’s dim and the room is beginning to fill with smoke, I know for certain Cochise was never in love with me. Not like how he is in love with her.
My heart eases, just a little, and a smile blooms on my face. My tummy tightens when I realize where I have seen that look before.
Every time Rico looks at me.
“So that’s his fiancée? She was just in Palace with us,” Turkey says.
“She refuses to come to Daddy’s House, or set foot in East Kenton, so I couldn’t connect the dots,” Patience replies.
“Sounds like Dy. She’s putting him through it,” another girl snickers. I glance to my right, and see we’re not alone anymore.
Tyree’s here, with his new wife, Emiko. Auty raves about her, and how she knew her when she was a kid.
Her red hair falls in voluminous curls around her face, and she looks just as young as Cochise’s fiancée does.
In fact, she looks the exact opposite of Tyree’s type.
Her black dress is short and tight on her bottom heavy frame, but next to her friend and her black dress, it’s easy to see she either hasn’t learned or refrains from showing off her God-given assets.
I can’t wait to pick her brain. She’s been interesting to me ever since Auty let it slip that he married her after tripping on shrooms, and while I’d never tell him to his face, I’ve always felt a little protective of Tyree, from way back when he and Rico had it out on my front lawn.
I shift my attention back to Cochise and his fiancée. Apache looks like his usual constipated self, and offense pours out of him as the woman brings Cochise’s lips to hers and begins making out with him, right there, in front of everyone.
“She’s just what he needs.” Cochise could always keep his father at bay, but Apache Beverly needs more than to be placated. He needs someone to cuss his ass out and threaten him to treat his son right or else. And Little Miss Bloody Princess seems like the one to do it.
I unlock my phone and tell Rico I’m on my way out, before turning to Emiko. “Hopefully one day soon I can meet you foreal. Congrats though, and welcome to the family.”
I blow her a kiss before turning to Turkey. “Walk me out.”
He nods, and says something to Patience while I hug Auty.
“You’re leaving?” she asks. I nod against her neck before ending our hug.
“You have fun tonight. I’ll come over tomorrow and we can talk about what’s going on with you.”
“Wyn–”
“Nope. The twin realm is all messed up, and it’s not me. Something’s wrong, and you are gonna tell me what it is. Just us. Okay?”
She rolls her eyes, but nods, and only then do I lean over and hug Patience.
Feeling bold, and wanting to make sure we’re good, I walk over to Grime, Cochise, and his fiancée. She chucks up her chin, and I can practically hear her armor go up.
“You outta here?” Grime asks.
I nod, keeping my eyes on the woman. Moving my clutch and phone to my left hand, I wave with my right.
“Hi, I’m Wynter. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
She blinks, clearly caught off guard. She looks at Cochise, who just smirks down at her, trying to lick her gloss off his lips.
“Uh, hi. I’m… Dayeli.”
“Never heard yo slob ass this flustered,” Grimey cackles, but I pay him no mind.
I also don’t let her either, pulling her into a hug before she can think.
“He’s lucky to have you,” I whisper. “Congrats, seriously. We don’t have to be friends, but I want you to know how happy I am to meet you.”
When I let go of her, she’s even more bewildered. I wave to Cochise, congratulate him on his album again, and let Turkey guide me out of Geronimo Land toward the side exit.
Rico’s waiting for me, in his new classic Impala. He nods at Turkey, before unlocking his doors for me to slide inside.
As soon as my seatbelt is on, he drives off. Delicious aromas waft into the front seat, and when I look back, I see tacos from one of our favorite places.
Stapling my lips with my teeth does nothing to hide my smile. So I just settle into my seat and enjoy the ride.
“Just text Auty and give into her ego like you usually do. You know she starts tripping when it’s too many changes, and she’s never seen me like this with a guy.” I push the rest of my last taco into my mouth, moaning at both the cheesy goodness, and Rico rubbing my feet in his lap.
We’re at a view, deep in East Kenton, near the edge of the city. There’s nothing out here but wildlife.
“And how exactly are you different with me? You don’t even claim me, foreal.” His thumb digs into the sole of my right foot, and I swear it’s a straight shot to my pussy.
“Why would I claim community dick? How do I know you’re not using that extra key I know you swiped for the cock lock?” I use my other foot to rub across where his dick should be, grinning when I feel the plastic of the cock lock encasing my favorite toy.
“Community dick and homie hopper sounds like a power couple to me–”
I lean over and throw my trash at him, snatching my feet back. He slowly grabs the empty containers and cardboard box, folding it up before placing it in the bag the food came in.
“You always do too much,” he seethes. “I just got my shit detailed.”
“I don’t give a fuck! Don’t call me a homie hopper!”
“Well, that’s what you are,” he says, cutting his eyes to me as he picks up cheese and crumbs one by one from his hoodie. “Ain’t nobody tell you to go fuck my nigga on some get back shit. Shoulda just held it down until I came back.”
“Ha!” I pull my legs under me and lean back on the passenger window. “Whether I fucked Set or not, I was never holding it down for yo dirty dick ass.”