Page 40 of Quasim II: King Inferno

“I said that I love you, and ain’t heard nothing from you.”

He smirked and grabbed me around my neck – always gentle. “Stop playing with me… I told you that you don’t run shit around here. Come wash me up and get on this dick again so you can go be a good host for the girls.”

I climbed off him and grabbed the shirt that was draped on the edge of the bed. “I want to show you something first.”

He sat up and watched me. “Oh yeah, what?”

I quickly ran into the closet and grabbed what I saved from the fire. Elijah had given it to me when I came to the lake house. He told me he was keeping it safe for me, and since Sim had barely been at the house, he hadn’t seen it.

These items were special and meant the world to him, so they meant the world to me. I took my time and washed and folded the blankets, and made sure the pictures were in each of the pockets in the photo album. Between trying to keep Pyro from sleeping on it and making sure she didn’t dart out to the back; I had forgotten to give it to him.

He had put his briefs back on and was sitting on the sofa, looking down at his hands. When I came out the closet, he lifted his gaze and sat up when he saw what I held in my arms. Tears pricked my eyes as I saw the emotion fill his eyes.

“Anjo,” his voice was low.

I sat next to him and put Harley’s items in his hands. “I couldn’t leave that house without you having a piece of your baby.”

He heldher blanket in his hands and smelled it. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he held onto the blanket with his entirelife. The room was quiet, and his sobs pulled me out the stillness that we had fallen into.

“Baby, come here,” I pulled him into my arms, and he further broke down while holding the blanket in his arms. “I knew you were holding it all inside… Simmy, you don’t need to be strong with me. I’m here… let me be strong for you sometimes.”

He continued to cry as I kissed his head and allowed him to get everything out. “You so fucking hardheaded, Blair.” I allowed him to lift me up and he pulled me into his arms, kissing me on the lips.

Tasting the saltiness of his tears, I hugged him tightly. “Well, you knew that when you fell in love with me.” I smiled, wiping his tears away.

“Don’t ever leave me, baby.”

“I don’t ever have plans on doing so… you make sure you do the same, okay?” He kissed my lips and hugged me.

“Thank you, my love,” he whispered into my ear as we held each other.

Quasim

“Yeah,open the door. I brought Chinese food because I know you need to eat.” Havoc came into the house, kicked his sneakers off, and followed me into the living room.

I was tired from going to a specialist three hours away for Harley, just for them to tell me nothing. They couldn’t save her, and I was feeling closer to ending myself the minute my baby took her last breath. How was I supposed to live without her?

They taught us how to care for children, but nobody taught us how to live without them. You never thought that your child would be leaving the earth before you. Harley was supposed to go to college and do everything that she wanted to in life. When it was my time, she was supposed to cry, tell me how much she loved me, and it was time for me to let go.

It wasn’t supposed to be reversed for me.

“Egg roll?” Havoc called from the kitchen, and I nodded.

I sat staring at the TV, feeling depleted. What else was there for me to do in life? I wasn’t going to ever fall in love again or have any more children. Blaze was going to carry on the Inferno blood, not me.

Havoc handed me the plate and sat on the couch across from me. “Eat, Sim.”

I pushed the rice around as he started to eat his food. “How did the appointment go?”

“Waste of time.”

“Sorry.”

I paused from eating and looked at Havoc. “Hamza, how the fuck am I supposed to continue with life? I already fucking scarred Blaze with the shit he walked into… feel like a fucking bitch… weak. My brother saw me that way.”

Havoc put his food down and looked at me. “Weak would have been pulling that trigger. It took strength to put that gun down and listen to him, Quasim. You stayed for us, King. Shit not easy, and I respect and understand that. No matter what, you got the Gods, and we gonna hold you down.” He held his hand out and I placed mine in his, as he stood, pulling me up with him, hugging me.

“I can’t lose her.”

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