Page 77 of For the Love of City
She looked at me grinning likebitch act like you know. “Shiiit, you know Billy.”
It was my turn to laugh because Billy would love to go after this lady for how she treated Lyric as a kid.
“Tuh, facts. Might need to find a whole other galaxy dealing with her.”
“So yeah, Reina, say what you want. It’s your funeral. You say something good or bad it keeps people talking about me. Keeps my name in their mouth and money in my pocket. My music streaming, and driving people to my website. What you thought? We were gonna have a homecoming? Couldn’t have thought that. You thought that I would fly off the handle seeing you? Just start swinging? I’m a few years from thirty, I haven’t seen you in almost fifteen years, we ain’t got shit to say to each other but bye.”
“Lyric—”
I stepped in between the two of them because I was sick and tired of her bothering my friend. Her spirit was irritating my stomach like even the fetus knew that this bitch couldn’t be trusted.
“Girl, get the fuck out of her face. This is as nice as I’ll be to you. See, I might not whoop your ass but my friend will. She doesn’t have any love left for you to try to play on. You killed it when you left her over some bullshit. And then she’d still sue you because her hands are used to make her music. They’re ensured and you ain’t got a pot to piss in. So just leave. This really ain’t what you want, Reina.”
“This must be one of the people you think you have in your corner.” Reina sneered at me like I was gone be intimidated and I just laughed at her because she was weak.
“I am. And as crazy as I am, you should be more worried about the other people in her corner. I’m sure City would love to hear that you bothering her. He don’t really fuck with you like that, does he?”
She looked at me frustrated and looked like she wanted to say something. Instead, she just glared at the both of us and walked away. I watched her until she was out of the area before I turned back to Lyric.
“I’mma have to call my mama and be nicer to her.”
“You need to. Your mama might be a lot of shit but she was there and damn good at loving you. She might not be soft like Mama Giselle but she is far better than the one I started out with.” Lyric pointed in the direction that Reina had gone.
“You want me to go push her down the escalator? I can make that shit look like an accident real quick.”
It was better than doing nothing since these folks would lose it if I breathed too deeply.
Lyric snickered and shook her head. “Bruh I thought about it like four times but Grant told me I had to act right coming back here or else he was gonna start sending me out with security again. You know I don’t want that so I’mma keep my hands to myself for now.”
“Not Grant laying down ultimatums.” I did a little appreciative clap for Choirboy because he normally let her ass do whatever she wanted to do. Actually setting rules was a big deal.
“That nigga can tell me what to do so he tells me what to do. And I ain’t ashamed about it.” She was smirking so I knew her ass was thinking about that man’s dick and it was none of my business.
“No comment.”
She gagged as we started to walk into a different department of the store. “Yeah, please don’t. I don’t need to commiserate over anything that has to do with City and his dick. I’m sure y’all’s geriatric asses are doing everything I don’t want to imagine. That’s how I got a sibling baking right now.”
I rolled my eyes but I couldn’t help but smile since she was using the same term that I had used. “Not geriatric.”
“I mean maybe not you yet, but definitely City’s ass.”
“I’mma tell him you said that. I’m glad you’re okay with this baby. Your mama already said you got step siblings—”
“Girl, I will punch you in the throat. I ain’t got a mama and I for damn sure ain’t got siblings until you give me some. But come on, I’m ready to go. If this dummy could find me by chance then that means I’m not as discreet as I wanted to be.”
“Lord that man is going to have security on your ass when you tell him this.”
“Who you talking about? City or Grant?”
I looped my arm through hers and smiled as we walked into the fragrance area of the department store. “Girl, pick one. Hell, pick both at this point.”
She was laughing like something was funny when she knew them men didn’t play about her. We’d almost made it through to the exit when we had someone else who liked to play with their lives approach us.
“You finally wanted to show your face back in the city after running away?”
Lyric turned her head like that lil white girl in the Exorcist and I reached to pull off my hoops automatically.
When I turned around I was happy I hadn’t bothered to get too dressed up to come out shopping. These designer sneakers better have enough grip because I was ready to slide this bitch across the floor. I’d keep this little one protected but I needed to get my lick in even if Lyric didn’t.
