Page 21 of Through Treacherous Weather
Esco shrugged passively. “I had a crush on this shorty. I was a freshman, and she was a junior. I knew she was out of my league, but I was still crushing on her heavy. She didn’t give me the time of day, but her homegirl did. Her homegirl was cute and popular enough, but she wasn’t the shit like her friend. I think she knew it too, and she was kind of thirsty and desperate for guys’ attention. I fucked her three times then one day out of the blue, her friend that I had a crush on started being nice to me. By the end of the schoolyear, I was fucking the girl I’d initially wanted first.”
“Did they find out?”
“Yeah, the friend got jealous and ended up confessing. It didn’t stop anything though. We still kept messing around.”
They finished the game after Esco had taken four shots. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” Fatima stood and grabbed the empty shot glasses.
“Nah, it wasn’t.”
Esco could appreciate the fact that while Fatima was rich, she didn’t appear to be stuck up. Wise’s daughters weren’t better than anyone else. Esco treated everyone with respect. Some, were handled differently than others, however. He wasn’t looking for anything serious, and Fatima just wasn’t the kind of female you fucked a few times then tossed aside. She came from good stock, and she’d be a good catch for someone that was ready.
After washing their glasses, Fatima told Esco goodnight, went into her bedroom, and closed the door. Not even thirty seconds after climbing into bed, her phone rang. The shots had her buzzed, and she wanted to go straight to sleep with very limited conversation, but Heiress was calling. She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Hey bookie butt.”
“Hey boo. Girl, I feel like it’s been so long since we talked, but shit has been hectic here. The moment I landed in Miami,my mom texted me saying my dad put her out and set all of her clothes, shoes, and other items outside in the pouring down rain. She was pissed. Now, I spend way too much of my time being a referee.”
“Oh wow that’s crazy. Aside from that, how is everything going?”
“Things are pretty good. I only dance two nights a week, but the good news is, I was offered a contract for a job with the federal government. I only have to go into the office two days a week. The other three, I work from home. I’ve been juggling training, dancing, and my parents. A bitch is tired. Please tell me you’re visiting Miami soon.”
“Girl,” Fatima sighed. “You aren’t the only one with a lot going on. The same night you left, and I went out with my people, someone shot at us outside of the club. My brother’s brother and his girlfriend got shot, along with Winter’s boyfriend, and two innocent bystanders. One of the innocent bystanders was killed.”
“Fatima, oh my God. Are you serious?!”
“As a heart attack. I didn’t see it, but it seems that the gunman was aiming right at me. One of the security guards that was there that night pushed me onto the ground. Now, my dad has me walking around with protection twenty-four seven while they figure things out.”
“Oh, my fucking gosh. Bruh, that’s crazy! And that also sounds like a great reason for you to get away. I’m so sorry you’ve been going through that friend. Just wow.” Heiress seemed truly stumped, but she wasn’t alone. Every day, Fatima had to wonder what happened that night because she was truly clueless.
“I’ll definitely think about it. The main guy that he has babysitting me is fine as hell, so it’s not too bad but still. Thethought of having to have around the clock protection is weird as fuck. I can’t even go to the mall alone.”
“I’m freakin’ speechless. Thank God you’re okay. My heart is beating all fast. You got me scared as shit.”
Fatima offered a small smile that Heiress couldn’t see. “I’m okay girl. Thanks to my knight in shining amour.”
As Heiress spoke, the tequila in Fatima’s system caused her body to heat up at the thought of Esco. He was handsome when he was serious, but the man made her yoni ache when he smiled. She wanted to know badly if he was single, but she didn’t have the courage to ask. They were becoming more comfortable with one another, so maybe she’d work up the nerve. If she was assuming correctly, even if he was single, his respect for Wise probably made her off limits. So, she would have to make the first move. That was something she’d never done before, but there was a first time for everything.
Chapter Ten
“Yayyyy,we’re about to see daddy,” Shiloh exclaimed from the backseat as Lauren discreetly rolled her eyes.
She had loaded the kids up in the car and taken Denim some food after school because he had to go to football practice thirty minutes after school ended for the day, and she knew he was starving. After taking him the food, the kids requested she stop by the tattoo shop that they’d passed on the way to Denim. Justice’s car was out front, and the kids wanted to see their father and uncle. Despite Trinity, his father, and brothers attempting to talk to Justice, he was still in the sunken place. He barely talked. All he did was smoke, drink, and avoid being at home. There had been more than one night that he didn’t even come to bed, and it was starting to take its’ toll on Lauren. She knew her man was hurting, but she had his child sitting directly on her bladder.
She peed every thirty minutes, and her growing belly was causing back pain. There were plenty of nights that she just wanted to cuddle with her man while he rubbed her belly, but that wasn’t happening. The worst part was, she could get him being sad, but his sadness was coming out in the form of anger. There were a few times he’d snapped at the kids. But he was alsotreating her like public enemy number one, and she had no clue why. It actually seemed that Justice was starting to resent the fact that he turned his life around.
Lauren loved her man, but she loved herself more. She was trying to give him a decent amount of time to get his shit together before she crashed all the way out. She refused to be anyone’s punching bag, and she wasn’t afraid to pack her shit and leave. Just the thought of leaving Justice made her chest feel tight. But she would do it if he didn’t change his ways. Being the single mother of two kids didn’t sound appealing to her, but she was strong when she met Justice, and she’d be strong after.
Lauren sighed as the kids barreled out of the car before she could even get her seatbelt off. “Wait for me!” she yelled after opening the door.
All three kids waited patiently for her to get out of the car and waddle up the sidewalk. Lauren reached the door and opened it. Loyal’s shop was spotless and smelled good per usual. He smoked in his suite, but he was mindful about the rest of the shop. He went through great lengths to make sure the waiting area didn’t smell like weed. The only kids that were usually in the shop was family, but Loyal took into consideration that not everyone smoked or liked the smell of weed, so he attempted to be respectful and professional. Lauren smiled at the receptionist and led the way down a long hallway to Loyal’s suite which was all the way in the back. The moment she rounded the corner and saw Justice grinning like a Cheshire cat while a short dark-skinned woman stood in his face her heart began to gallop in her chest.
She hadn’t seen his black ass smile in weeks. But there he was grinning at her like she’d just said some shit to make his day. When he noticed Lauren, Justice’s eyes widened a bit. The kids ran over to him, and she pivoted. No matter how angry she was, she wasn’t going to cause a scene in Loyal’s place of business.With a pounding heart, she walked as fast as she could to the car. Lauren was so angry that hot tears filled her eyes. She grabbed the door handle of the car so fast that her hand slipped. Tears spilled over her lids as she yanked the door open and got in the car. It wasn’t the fact that he was talking to another woman. Lauren wasn’t jealous or insecure. It was the fact that he walked around the house glowering and grunting like a cave man. She couldn’t get ten words out of him let alone a grin, and she hadn’t done anything to him.
Forgetting about the fact that the kids were inside, she pressed the button to start the car as Justice came outside. “Yo!” he called out and jogged over to the car.
Lauren was just about to put the gear in reverse when he opened her door. “Lauren. Yo, I know you aren’t crying.”
“Oh, now you can open your mouth and talk to me? Fuck you, fuck nigga. Go back in there and grin in that hoe’s face and then bring the kids home. I’m out. You’ve been walking around for weeks like I did some shit to you. Barely helping with the kids. Acting like I’m not pregnant as hell, but you can come to the shop and smile at another bitch. She can have yo’ goofy UGLY ass!”
Justice’s jaw slacked just a bit as he stared at Lauren in awe. She had let his ass have it. He still hadn’t thought of a comeback when she slammed the door closed and sped off. Lauren had been trying very hard to keep her emotions in check. At a time when her hormones were all over the place she didn’t want to explode or cry at every little hiccup, but Justice had been pushing her. She wasn’t selfish. She tried to cook his favorite meals, not nag him about spending so much time in the mancave, and she even attempted to give him random kisses and acts of affection. He didn’t seem to appreciate any of it and while it was hurtful, she kept pushing forward waiting for the day that he would turn back into the man that she was in love with.
