Page 25 of Off the Charts
“I’an never seen you smile this much in my life, nigga,” I teased. Shawn was always a cool nigga, but since he’d won Blair back over, the nigga did everything but skip through the hallways. It was good seeing my boy happy.
“Aye, ain’t nothing like it. I love her. That’s actually one of the things I wanted to talk to y’all about. Since her dad is deceased, I wanted to know if y’all would go ring shopping with me.”
My eyes widened and Nick damn near choked. His view on love was completely different than ours. Nick didn’t believe in titles or marriage, hence why he and Desiree were friends with benefits after all this time. I didn’t understand it, but that was his life, so I let him do his thing.
“Damn. You proposing bruh?”
Shawn nodded, smiling big. “It will be a while, but I know in my heart she’s who I will spend my life with. Even if I have to wait five more years, Blair is worth it. There are still some things we are working on but when she’s ready I want to be prepared.”
“That’s what up,” I slapped hands with him. “Congrats nigga. Just let me know when and the details if you are opening it up to family and friends. And make sure Justice is the last mutha’fucka you tell.”
“Congrats family and yeah tell her the day before because she’ll spoil the shit for everybody,” Nick added. We laughed but were dead ass. “When you leaving for the cabin?”
In the last year of LaBrina and I’s marriage, I purchased a cabin in Harvest Mountain, north of Harvest Hills. It was secluded and I viewed it as a mini world of its own. I originally bought it for us to be able to unplug from the world, but she never got to see it because of her fuck up, so it became my own escape. Every summer since the divorce, I spent close to a month up there.
“In the next few days or so. I want to go tomorrow but I’ll probably fly to see Valen before I dip.”
“She still with that nigga that wear them too lil’ skinny jeans?” Devon butted in as he wiped the bar down.
Devon was the owner of Chasers and The Chicken Hut, and the nigga had the biggest crush on Valen when we moved to Harvest Hills. To my knowledge, they dated but something happened that neither of them talked about. It was weird being around them when V came to town because it was clear whatever they had was deeper than they led others to believe.
“They’re engaged,” I informed him before taking down the rest of my drink. D’s mouth hit the floor. It was news to Shawn and Nick too.
“Damn,” Shawn mumbled, looking from me to Devon. “Tell V, congrats.”
“Yeah, Congrats, V. She's gone have some beautiful ass kids. If I wasn’t with Dess, it would be her fine ass. No disrespect, Vayce.”
“Aye, watch your mouth. Nigga you not even with Desiree,” Devon shot at Nick who raised his hands chuckling. “You really gone allow her to marry that nigga, Vayce?”
“Allow?” My brow raised. “Valen is a grown woman. That’s her life. He treats her well, so there’s no reason for me to interfere. I’m happy for her the same way I would be if it was you and her and you were treating her well. You’re a grown man, D. If you wanted her as bad as you claim you do, you would’ve fought as hard as you talking. Somewhere in there, somebody missed the mark and that’s between y’all to decide who.” I slid my glass in his direction. “One more. Woodford Reserve this time.”
Devon shook his head as he collected the glass. I could see the sadness in his eyes, but he tried to play it cool. “I thought we would be brother-in-laws, but I’m cool with keeping you as just a brother for now. That lil’ lanky nigga got him a good one. I do know that.” He stepped away to go make my drink.
“That nigga hurt,” Shawn chuckled. “Aye, but speaking of love, do you think you’ll settle down again?”
My fingers tapped against the wooden bar. In all honesty, I used to tell myself I would never put myself through the hurt of loving again. I didn’t see the point because if one person had the ability to bring me down to my knees from their actions, so could someone else. It took me years to realize that LaBrina and I were never equally yoked, and I played a role in that as well. God created us in and for love and I couldn’t keep allowing that bad experience to prevent me from finding the person He crafted for me.
Jersei appeared in my brain, and I felt dumb for smiling. “Yes.”
“What is you laughing at? You got a girl and ain’t said shit?” Shawn folded his arms against his chest.
“Nah,” I accepted my drink from Devon who immediately left to go help another customer.
“This top-secret ass nigga man. Who you fucking? It better not be, um. What’s her name,” Nick snapped his fingers a few times. “The sixth grade teacher. The hoe. She teach Engl?—”
“Miss Adams?” Shawn asked with his face balled up.
“Yeah. Her!”
“Fuck no,” my nose twitched in disgust. “That funky breath mutha’fucka. That’s Mr. Peters bitch. You tried me, nigga,” I pointed at Nick, and we all laughed.
“Her breath do stank. Who is it?” Nick questioned.
I looked between them debating if I should tell them, but there wasn’t much to say outside of the fact that I was feeling some kind of way about her. Then I realized, these niggas been in the dating field and I’ve been out the game for a minute, so I could use some advice.
“Zion Collin’s mama.”
“The firecracker?” Shawn frowned and I nodded. Nick didn’t remember who she was so Shawn explained her to him to the best of his ability.
