Epilogue
SEVEN
TWO WEEKS LATER . . .
“Everything still cool in Liberty?” I asked Ali.
“Yep. It’s gon’ be a slow process, though, because agents are all over the place.
I nodded. Things had been quiet around Nome.
It hadn’t been the same without my boy being around though.
PJ was definitely missed around here. Aunt Kema had been staying to herself.
Aunt Tiff spent as much time with her as she could.
I didn’t know how she was able to do that when she knew the truth, though.
Kiana, PJ’s youngest sister, had gone back to Houston to start a summer session at TSU.
Lema was outside, but her light was gone.
I really wished they could know what was going on.
Apparently, Uncle Philly still didn’t tell them.
Today was my sisters’ wedding, and I was tired as fuck.
My dad had me moving all kinds of shit to make sure their day was special.
They would be getting married in about three hours, and I still had to go take a shower and get to the family barn within an hour.
The ladies were already at the barn. The men were all meeting at Maui and Mythic’s house, so the ladies could have the privacy they needed.
I went to my parents’ house and took a quick shower, then grabbed the bag with my suit and shit, then headed to their house. I couldn’t wait until my house was done, so I could be closer to everyone else. Nothing was far apart in Nome, but my parents lived on the opposite end.
When I got there, Royal was outside, pacing. I frowned slightly but eventually made my way to him. I wasn’t trying to hear no bullshit. I was ready to see how beautiful Iesha was going to look in her dress.
Plus, her whole family would be coming and meeting my family.
Her sisters had met some of them, but not nearly everybody.
Her mom met my mama and some of my aunts yesterday.
She helped with the decorations. When my mama found out she had a side business doing that very thing, she was overjoyed.
From what I could tell, it looked amazing.
When I got to Royal, I said, “Aye, what’s up wit’chu?”
He stopped pacing and closed his eyes. He stared at me for a second and said, “You wanna know who the other possible father could be?”
“Who?”
“PJ.”
My eyebrows lifted. “I know you fucking lying! What the fuck?”
“Man, I wanna take Aaliyah and ring her fucking neck. PJ didn’t know we were sleeping together, just like I didn’t know they were fucking around.
Aaliyah and I didn’t talk about who else we fucked, but she knows we run in the same fucking crew.
I’m scared that when I see her ass I’m gon’ wanna fuck her up. ”
He was red as hell. I had never really seen Royal this angry. He looked like he was ready to commit murder. “Who told you that?”
“Ryder J said PJ was talking about fucking her. When I asked her about it, she had the fucking audacity to pop off and ask me, ‘Would you be upset if he was the father?’. What kind of bullshit is she on? Huh?”
He started pacing again.
“Let me go get you something to smoke, man. You can’t be bringing this energy to the wedding. Storm Henderson will fuck you all the way up. He interrupts everybody’s wedding, but I promise, if somebody try to fuck up Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and Alice’s wedding, it’s gon’ be hell to pay.”
He rolled his eyes as I walked into the house. “Nigga it’s about time you got here,” Mythic said.
“You got something rolled up?”
He frowned slightly. “I always do. Why?”
“Royal need that shit. I can’t have my nigga fucking up y’all wedding.”
He frowned. Red Squared walked over to us and asked, “Why would he do that?”
“Yo’ sister, man. You wanna know details, talk to her,” I said as Mythic handed me a blunt.
His frown deepened as I walked outside and handed Royal the blunt. His dad was the damn plug. He should’ve had some smoke on him already. He practically snatched it from me and lit up immediately.
“Chill out, man. I gotta go in here and get dressed. I’ma call Crew to come chill with you.”
“Naw. I’m finna go home. I may not be there later. I can’t be around her ass right now.”
I watched him walk to his newly built house, then went inside. When I saw Ryder J, I went right to him. “Why would you tell that nigga that?”
“You don’t think he needed to know?”
“Hell fucking naw! Is PJ here? All you did was cause confusion. He didn’t need to know that. He knows the babies aren’t his. That shit wasn’t his business.”
“Man, whatever.”
“Whatever my ass. Don’t have me jacking yo’ ass up before the wedding.”
“Aye, y’all cool out,” Mythic said.
Carter and Red came and stood between us. Carter said, “Ryder, he’s right, man. You didn’t have to tell him. PJ ain’t even here to claim them.”
He nodded and walked out. I slowly shook my head.
“Why would he tell Royal that shit? I think he really cares for Aaliyah. Knowing she could be pregnant for him, he was all in, ready to make her his,” Red said. “I gotta talk to my sister, man. That was fucked up.”
“The way he said that shit, I don’t know if she really admitted to anything.
She asked him if he would be mad if the babies were PJ’s.
That ain’t admitting guilt. She could have been fucking with him.
We don’t know what went down between them when they finally talked after finding out his DNA wasn’t a match,” I said.
Carter nodded. “You right.”
Asad slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe Aaliyah would be that careless. It just doesn’t seem like her to be that way.”
“If it helps you to know, Royal said the condom broke on a couple of occasions. I think he really likes Aaliyah. He just knew what they agreed to. They were both fucking around. If she was truly fucking both of them, she wrong as fuck,” Epic added.
“Yeah, well, let me get dressed. Y’all niggas ain’t finna blame me if we’re late,” I said as I disappeared to a bedroom.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent Iesha a text.
I can’t wait to see you, baby. I miss you already.
“I’m gon’ take you in one of these conference rooms and fuck the shit out of you. Why you didn’t let me see this shit you got on before the wedding?” I said in a low voice near Iesha’s ear. “Who you advertising for? You already mine. I don’t need convincing.”
Her face was red as she giggled. “Seven, your sister picked out this dress.”
“Which one?”
“Maui.”
“Mm-hmm. Wait ’til I see her lil ass. They not going on a honeymoon. She’s due in a lil while.” I side-eyed her, then said, “You fine as fuck, even though you got my titties on display like they for sale to the highest bidder and shit.”
She giggled again as Kingsley and Treasure walked in before us.
Milana and Ferris were behind us. They would be the last ones to walk in.
We would be standing closest to Maui and Mythic, along with Ashanni and Asad.
Epic, Cachet, Kingsley, and Treasure would be standing closest to Carter and Bali, and Aaliyah, Remy, Milana, and Ferris would be standing closest to Red and Noni.
They’d put Maui and Mythic in the middle, and surprisingly, that was Bali and Noni’s idea.
Iesha slid her hand through the crook of my arm as Aunt Syn and Aunt Vida nodded at us to proceed down the aisle.
As we walked in, I saw Iesha’s people seated on the left side toward the back.
She smiled their way as we continued down the aisle.
Once there and we went our separate ways, me standing next to Asad, I saw my mama crying.
I didn’t know how my dad was going to walk all three of them down the aisle at once.
Once Milana and Ferris had come down the aisle, Jacey, Ember, and Cadence were flower girls, and Renzo, Jayceon, and Baylor were ring bearers.
I knew Mythic’s son, Caleb, would have been one had he been old enough.
It was getting harder and harder to keep up with all these kids.
These six belonged to Jess, Nesha, Christian, Rylan, and Asad.
Nesha had a flower girl and a ring bearer in the wedding.
The funny part was Jakari asking the twins if they wanted JJ to be in it. He got cussed smooth out.
When the doors closed, the music changed, prompting the crowd to stand.
My dad was standing there between the twins and there was something tied around his waist. I frowned, trying to figure out what type of bullshit they had going on.
He lifted his hand and said, “Rev, I know I normally give you a hard time, but we really have to move quickly. Maui is having contractions. She’s getting close. ”
Everyone gasped and whispered as they came down the aisle.
I realized the cloth tied around his waist was attached to a wagon.
Maui was doing her best to sit up, but she looked to be in pain.
The minute he reached the front, the preacher did his spiel about anyone objecting.
My dad and I looked around, and Rev. White proceeded.
My dad stood in front of all three of his daughters with tears streaming down his face.
“Don’t let these tears fool y’all. I’m just extra sensitive giving my three pregnant daughters away all at once.
Just know, I’ll destroy the world for them, even if it means I go up in flames with it.
They are my pride and joy. I’m trusting the three of you to love and protect them just as I would.
You ever slack off, you won’t have a chance to apologize. ”
With that, he kissed each of them and handed them over individually.
As Mythic helped my dad get Maui to the altar, Rev.
White started with Bali and Carter. As Dad requested, he was only on each couple for about five minutes.
When he told them all to kiss their brides, Mythic leaned over and kissed Maui, not pulling away until she screamed.
“My water broke!”
Everyone started cheering as we all ran out, and the photographer took pictures of the chaos. During the transition, I could see Royal eyeballing Aaliyah. I was grateful he was able to keep his cool during the wedding. I still wanted to fuck Ryder J up for that.
When we got to my SUV, I helped Iesha in, then got in the driver’s seat.
“I guess the wedding reception is being moved to the clinic. All of the brides needed to be there.”
I glanced down at her cleavage, and said, “Uh huh, but we don’t have to go in right away.”
She frowned slightly. “My parents are here, Seven.”
“So. We grown. I don’t know how many times I gotta tell you. I get what the fuck I want, baby.”
I slid my hand between her legs, and she widened them for me so I could reach her hot spot. “Mmm, I suppose you do.”
I nodded repeatedly, then drove around to the back of the clinic, only to see Royal and Aaliyah already back here in his SUV fucking the shit out of each other.
How the fuck he go from wanting to choke her ass to choking her ass?
His hand was around her neck and the other was resting on her stomach as she bounced on him.
Those muthafuckas were bold, knowing he didn’t have blacked-out tint.
I glanced over at Iesha as her eyes widened. “Shiiiid, you can’t beat ’em, might as well join ’em.”
The End