Page 28 of All The Smoke

K aori.

“Are you sick?” Mo asked, pressing the back of her hand to my forehead. “Because ain’t no way you telling me that fine ass man was laid up in your bed and you didn’t get no dick.”

“Move, Mo.” I laughed and knocked her hand down. “I did and I’m really regretting it because I’ve been super horny.”

“Then call him.”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t want him to think I’m using him.”

“Using him?” she repeated and frowned.

“Yes, for sex.”

“Bitch bye.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re full of his baby, hell, so if you are using him for sex he better deal with it. It’s not like you can sleep with anyone else. Plus, bitch, didn’t you just tell me he was in a relationship with you?”

“Yes,” I answered and blushed thinking about how serious Solomon was about us really trying to be in a relationship.

We talked a little about how important it was for him to give his kids a two-parent household that night he came inside.

I asked why he didn’t make it work with his first baby mama and he gave me the history of their relationship.

I thought it was a little weird that she wanted him when she was basically grown and he was a little ass boy but decided to mind my business.

They weren’t together now and that was all that mattered.

Plus I always knew I wanted my baby to have the kind of parents I did when the time came, loving and caring people who gave them the best and wanted the best for them.

I wanted them to see their parents happy and in love too.

Solomon and I weren’t there yet, but I hoped to eventually land in love.

“Okay then, text that nigga and tell him to bring you the dick.”

“No.” I laughed. “I’ll see him tonight.”

“Fuck him tonight too.” She grinned.

“Morgan, you need help.”

“And you need some dick, bestie,” she countered then rolled her eyes as she glanced past me, causing me to turn so I could see what she was looking at.

I regretted that decision as soon as I noticed Jamal making his way toward us.

I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since we broke up.

He had definitely called and hit me up on all of my social media until I ended up blocking him on everything.

There was nothing left for Jamal and me to discuss.

We were done and I had moved on . I hoped he had done the same.

“Don’t come over here with your bullshit, Jamal,” Mo growled.

“Mind your business,” he spat ,then grabbed my wrist, pulling me from my seat. “Let me holla at you.”

“Oh hell no.” Morgan hopped up but I stopped her.

“It’s okay, bestie,” I let her know then snatched away from Jamal. “Don’t touch me again.”

“You pregnant?”

My eyes narrowed into slits as I glared at him. “Why?”

I hadn’t kept it a secret that I was pregnant. Hell, I was the one that posted my first sonogram online, but I didn’t have to explain anything to his ass.

He frowned. “What you mean ‘why’? If you carrying my kid then…”

“Your kid?” I cut in and chuckled. “I am not carrying your baby and you know it.”

“Then whose baby is it because to my knowledge I’m the only nigga you’ve ever fucked with.”

“Well your knowledge is clearly bullshit because this isn’t your baby.” I rolled my eyes and began to walk away but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back again.

“Kaori, don’t fuckin’ play with me, okay, I’m not fuckin’ around.”

I tried snatching away but he tightened his grasp, making it impossible so I growled lowly, “You better let me the fuck go before I call my real baby daddy and have him fuck you up.”

I didn’t know whether or not Solomon would come here and show out, or if he’d do anything for that matter, because I hadn’t really seen that side of him other than at the hookah lounge, but people talked, and according to their word he was nothing to play with.

“Please do.” He smiled. “Call the make believe nigga up here and make my fucking day, KK. You know I give it up and fight real good.”

“Get your hands off of me,” I sneered.

“Or what?”

“Or die.” I heard my mother’s voice. I knew she wasn’t in Crescent Falls, so I looked to my side to see Morgan was on FaceTime with her.

“Ice, I?—”

“You have less than thirty seconds to be away from my daughter or you lose your life.”

It wasn’t until then that we both noticed the red dot in the center of his chest. I didn’t bother looking around to see where it was coming from because I knew whoever had the gun was well hidden.

They likely weren’t in the same building as me.

My parents had people all over town to make sure my grandmother and I were safe.

Jamal almost tripped over his feet trying to get away from us.

He liked to play tough and act like he was going to do something, but he would always fold when my people got involved.

Once he was out of sight, I went back to the table and took my seat again before taking the phone from my best friend.

“I had it, Mama.” I smiled into the camera and sipped from my drink. “I don’t know why Mo called you.”

“She didn’t, I called her,” she responded. “You know I have eyes on you at all times.”

“And you know I hate it.” I rolled my eyes playfully.

“Oh well. You’re carrying precious cargo.”

“Oh, I thought it was because I’m your precious cargo.”

“Nope.” She smiled. “The moment I found out I was going to be a Glam Ma it stopped being about you.”

“Oh, God, Auntie,” Morgan groaned. “We are not going to do the alternate names. You’re a grandma. That’s what we’re going to call you.”

“Definitely not grandma.”

“Daddy said he’s okay with being Papa.”

“I’m going to have to talk to him about that because it ages us.”

“Girl.” I laughed. “You’re a grandma. Accept it.”

“I think I’m more of a Mimi or Gigi,” my mother countered. “Hell, I’d actually prefer Ice.”

“Not happening,” I quipped. “I can handle Mimi or Gigi, but definitely not Ice.”

“Y’all always hating on me.”

Morgan and I chortled. “Auntie, please! I hate when you and mama try to talk young.”

“That’s because we are young.” My mother smiled. “But I’ll let you go. I love you both, and KK, make sure to call me tonight.”

“I love you too, Ma.”

“Love you too, Auntie,” Mo added before I disconnected the call and gave her the phone back. “Mama supposed to be going down there with her next week.”

“I know, girl. My mama already has an entire itinerary for them.” I rolled my eyes.

My mother was extra like that and had everything planned down to the T.

It was annoying and overbearing because when we vacationed she was always waking everyone up first thing in the morning and trying to keep us on a schedule.

“Anyways, what was douchebag talking about?” Mo asked as she popped a fry in her mouth.

“Girl…” I rolled my eyes. “Asking if I was pregnant as if I didn’t post my sonogram and as if he hasn’t been watching my page.”

“Facts, he’s an entire stalker,” she agreed with her own eye roll.

“And when I asked him why he was in my business and worried about me, he talking about some ‘why wouldn’t I be worried about my baby?’”

Her face twisted up. “Bitch what?”

“Exactly.” I rolled my eyes, annoyed all over again just thinking about it. “Ew.”

I hadn’t allowed Jamal to touch me for months prior to me sleeping with Solomon because he didn’t know how to keep his dick in his pants and he knew that. It was literally impossible for me to be newly pregnant by his ignorant ass.

Wya?

I smiled like I always did when my phone vibrated with a message from Solomon.

At the mall with Mo. Did you forget that you gave me money to shop for the baby?

Meet me at my crib ASAP.

My brows furrowed in confusion.

Is everything okay?

Yeah. Come now. Bino will take ya girl home. He over here.

Okay, I’m on the way.

Drive safe.

Even though I was thoroughly confused on why he wanted me to come to his place now instead of later like we originally planned, I still blushed reading his message. Solomon had such a rough exterior but he was very soft and gentle, at least he was with me.

“Everything okay?” Morgan asked, breaking me away from my thoughts.

I nodded as I began to consolidate all of my trash and prepared to leave. “Yes girl, Solomon wants me to meet him at his place right away.”

“Oh shit,” she squealed then hustled to get up. “Maybe he wants some early afternoon pussy.”

“I doubt it, nasty.” I giggled. “He has his son. Something must have come up.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Or maybe he put the baby to sleep and wants to get some in the early afternoon.”

Chuckling as I reached for my purse then the shopping bags, I said, “Girl, come the fuck on and hush.”

Morgan and I spent the ride across town making plans to bother my grandmother about making me a broccoli and cheese casserole. I had been craving it something serious and nobody could make it like her.

Solomon and Bernard were waiting outside on the sidewalk when we pulled up.

They immediately approached the car and opened the doors to help us out before taking the shopping bags from the back seat as well.

Mo and I hugged, followed by a hug from Bernard, before they walked toward his car and us to Solomon’s place.

I took a seat on the couch as soon as we were inside and he immediately went to take my shoes off.

I gushed at the gesture. He truly did everything he could to make my pregnancy easy and make sure I was good.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, grabbing the blanket from the back of his couch. “I thought you were going to have to Solo until later.”

“He spending the night,” he replied as he began to roll a blunt, glancing my way. “What happened at that mall?”