“I don’t know, I just thought you were staying here.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then why you acting so stuck up?”
She looked off toward the group of men huddled around Pat, talking.
“You must don’t want your lil’ nigga to see me?”
Forever’s head whipped in his direction.
“Don’t be stupid.”
“Shit, you don’t be stupid. You the one clammed up as soon as I asked about him.”
Forever huffed and shook her head, making the smell of her long hair blow in the wind.
“You said you were going to fight him. I don’t want you to do that.” Her voice was low as she spoke firmly. “It has nothing to do with him seeing us together. I don’t care about that.”
Blue’s eyebrows knitted before a smile stretched his face. “Don’t worry about that. We good.”
“I don’t believe you, Zurich. You can’t go with me acting all crazy.”
“I won’t embarrass you, baby. You should know that by now. I meant what I said about fucking him up, but it’s stipulations to it. I’m not gon hit the nigga on site.”
With curiosity rising in her smile and posture, Forever turned her body from side to side while gazing up at him.
“Expound on the stipulations.”
“He look at you, boom. He talk to you, boom. He mug me, boom boom. He touch you, boom, muthafucking, boom. Baby shower over, take this nigga to the hospital.”
Their laughter erupted simultaneously as she fell into his chest with a wide smile on her face. During the entirety of her amusement, her body shook in his arms a little as she wiped thewater from her eyes. Blue loved being able to bring her that type of happiness, and wanted nothing more than to continue it, but he meant what he said. They were laughing now, but it wasn’t going to be funny when the nigga was leaking all over the diapers and wipes and shit.
“Those stipulations work for you?”
“No, Zurich. It sounds like you’re going to mess up Yummy’s shower, and she’s going to kill you, and I don’t want her to do that. I just got you,” Forever’s somberness made him smile, but her next words made him laugh. “Then whose going to give me thug dick that makes me cry and shake real bad?”
He hovered above her, allowing his laughter to flow freely, before wrapping her in a half hug with his arms resting behind her head.
“You’re laughing, but I’m for real. I love the way that Crip dick makes me feel, and I can’t go back to no white-collar man after that.”
“Let me get your ass out of this house with my niggas before one of them hears you over here talking shit and thinks they can take what’s mine.”
Forever laid her head backward against his arms and smiled up at him. “You gon’ let them take me?”
“What you think?”
She shrugged, allowing the sun to settle on her warm skin. Blue’s eyes traveled from her freckles to her small eyes and sharp nose, admiring the handiwork that had been on his mind since the day she’d walked into the prison. Her long hair hung over his arms while her arms wrapped his wide waist as much as they could.
“I used to want this kind of love when I was with Journey, but it never felt like that. It didn’t matter how long we had beentogether; I never got that kind of feeling from her. Then when I got with Azayna, I kind of felt it, but not really because I didn’t let myself, but with you, everything just happens. I don’t even be trying to be in love, I just am.”
“Don’t tell me about no other women. I honestly don’t care to hear it. You’re mine and that’s it.”
“Say swear.”
“Swear.”