Page 38 of All The Smoke

“You look fine, baby.” I smiled as I stepped behind her, kissing her exposed shoulder.

She wore a red shirt that only covered one of her arms, leaving the other completely exposed, jeans, and Gucci sneakers that matched the bag across her body.

Her hair was different too. She had the shit in braids she let hang down, with more of them pushed to one side than the other.

“It’s your job to tell me that.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “You can’t tell me I look like a big fat pig.”

“Actually I can.” I laughed and caught the elbow she pushed my way. “But I’m not because you don’t look anything but good as fuck.” I turned her around to face me then kissed her lips. “I’m the luckiest nigga in the world.”

“Stop.” She blushed, trying to look away, but I stopped her.

“I got you something.” I reached into the pocket of my Purple Brand jeans, producing a rectangular box. “I was thinking about you and shit when I was at the mall.”

With a wide grin on her face, she took the box from me and quickly opened it. Once she saw the piece of jewelry, the smile stretched wider.

“Babe.”

“You love calling me that shit.”

It was a simple gold chain with a pendant hanging from it that had the abbreviation for senior. She called me Solomon Sr. all the fucking time, so I figured I’d get her some shit that would remind her of me and let other niggas know who she belonged to if they ever got some fucking ideas.

“Put it on me,” she requested, all giddy as she turned around. I admired the beautiful smile etched on her face as I obliged and snapped the necklace around her neck.

Kaori was effortlessly beautiful and she made it even more effortless to fall for her. I felt like a hoe for falling in love with her ass not even knowing if she shared the same sentiments, but I couldn’t help the shit. She was fucking perfect.

“I love this,” she gushed, touching the charm, still smiling as she admired it.

“I love you,” I admitted. “Shit might be premature and shit for you, but I?—”

Quickly spinning in my arms, she pressed her finger to my lips. “It’s not premature. I love you too.”

My eyes danced around hers for a second before I said, “You sure? You don’t have to say it back just because I told you.”

She smiled. “I know. I just love you too. That’s why I’m saying it.”

Sweeping her braids behind her shoulder, I leaned in to kiss the exposed area then pecked her neck a few times then her soft ass lips. Hearing she shared the same affections as me made me feel a lot better.

We kissed for a few minutes until she finally nudged me off, due to me getting a little carried away, then we headed out.

I helped her inside the car before getting in myself and taking off into traffic, allowing her to control the music.

I typically had to police her shit because she tried it with that Megan Thee Stallion shit, but tonight she played Sire and Loco’s mixtape so I rocked with that.

Once we made it to Royale, I valeted in front and hopped out to help Kaori because I didn’t need another nigga to do so.

She took a moment to get her lip gloss and shit good before she accepted my hand, then we headed inside straight to the section where her girl and my niggas were already drinking and turning up with some other people we were cool with.

“Bestie!” Morgan exclaimed and embraced her as we made our way to our seats. I hugged her then slapped hands with my niggas before descending onto the couch, pulling Kaori into my lap once I was settled.

Morgan switched places with Bino so she could be closer to Kaori who slipped from my lap so they could hear one another better but remained close.

One of the waitresses came by to take our orders.

I got a bottle of Don Rep and food for Kaori who was obsessed with club quesadillas these days.

She shook me out of my fucking sleep dam near every other night to ask for some damn food, and lately her vice was quesadillas.

They didn’t take long to return with my bottle and some virgin drink Kaori requested.

I sat back and chilled, sipping and tripping with my homeboys then watching Kaori dance to the music as she stood at the railing with her homegirl, looking over the banister at the crowd.

I was glad she had no desire to be on the lower level because that wasn’t happening. There were way too many people.

“Babe, we’re going to the bathroom before we leave,” Kaori said, pointing in the direction of the bathroom in the section. I nodded and watched them the entire way until they disappeared inside the door.

We had been in that bitch having such a good time that I had lost track of the shit. I hadn’t ever stayed in the spot until the lights came on before.

“Ah hell, here we go,” Bino groaned, tapping me then pointing toward the steps that led to our section. My eyes traveled in that direction and I noticed my baby mama making her way up.

“Aw, the gang’s all here.” She smiled, coming deeper into the section.

“Bri, gon’ ’head, for real. I’m chillin’ and I ain’t in the mood,” I said, shaking my head before I took my shot.

“Nigga, please.” She rolled her eyes. “Nobody is here for you.”

“Man,” Bino groaned, shaking his head.

“Man is right, nigga,” she spat. “I’m sick of y’all niggas playing with me.”

My brows knitted. Y’all niggas?

“What the fuck is you talking about?” I spat, setting my bottle down. Her making shit plural had my antennas up and her words from that fucking water park on replay in my head.

“Nigga, quit talking to me.” She rolled her eyes then looked to the right of me with her disrespectful ass. “I told you what I was gon’ do if you didn’t have my money to me, didn’t I?”

My chest was tight as fuck as I looked beside me to see exactly who the fuck this nutty ass bitch was talking to. Bino looked completely unfazed while Scoot looked like he had seen a mothafuckin’ ghost.

“Elijah!” I barked. “What the fuck is she talking about? Money for fucking what?”

“Yeah, Elijah , what the fuck am I talking about?” she jested.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Kaori asked as she approached but I was too locked in on my homeboy, my best fucking friend , to look her way.

“Sis, y-y’all… ay, walk them out front for me,” Bino said to one of the other niggas in the section.

“Smoke, bro,” Scoot said, swiping his hands down his face. “I wanted to tell you.”

“Tell me what, my nigga?” I frowned. “Because I know like fuck you not telling me you fucking this bitch.”

He couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be. This was my best friend, one of my fucking brothers. There was no way in hell he would slime me out like that.

No fucking way!

“I didn’t mean for the shit to happen…”

“Naw.” I hopped up, heading for the steps because I needed to get the fuck away.

“Boy, please, you didn’t mean for it to happen which fucking time?

” Bri crossed her arms, making sure to block my way out of the section.

“That nigga been fucking me like the shit was going out of style, baby daddy. The only reason he pulled back is because Solo almost caught him in my bed one morning. I wasn’t about to lose the dick and the money though.

If he wanted to be a bitch because of you, whatever.

” She shrugged. “But I told him that money better not stop or else, and well, this is the what else.”

At that moment I wanted to strangle her mothafuckin’ ass. I pictured millions of ways to off the bitch standing in front of me. Looking into her eyes, I could only imagine what the fuck them bitches would look like lifeless.

“You one trash ass hoe, Brianna,” I seethed. I was mad about everything but mainly because she had one sole purpose in all of this shit, and that was to hurt me. She didn’t give a fuck about Scoot at all, she just used his weak ass as a pawn in her silly ass fucking games.

She smirked. “You think I give a fuck?”

“Naw, you don’t, that much is clear.” I chuckled angrily.

“I been knew you ain’t give a fuck. You been fuckin’ out of both pants legs since before I met you for real.

I just ain’t find out ’til it was too fucking late.

I also know because you couldn’t move me by tossing that loose ass pussy around, you would try whatever to get under my skin.

I truly thought it would involve Solo because you know how much he means to me, but damn I didn’t account for my niggas, who I care for equally. ” I shook my head.

She shrugged. “I just wanted you to hurt like I do.”

Taking a step around her, but stopping at her side, I replied, “Mission accomplished.” Then kept it pushing out of the section and club.

She stood there looking stupid as fuck likely because she didn’t get the reaction she wanted out of me.

I knew she expected me to flip the fuck out and probably beat my homeboy’s ass the way he deserved, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

She already knew she was successful at hurting me, I wasn’t giving her more than that.

When I made it outside, Kaori and Morgan stood off to the side going back and forth with the homies surrounding them, refusing to let them leave which was exactly what they were supposed to do.

“Babe.” Kaori rushed toward me. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

“Straight,” I mumbled and took her by the hand. “Let’s go.”

I peeped Bino coming out of the club so I knew he would get Morgan straight. The nigga from valet let me know he was going to get my ride, so I took Kaori over to the edge of the sidewalk where we waited in silence for my whip.

“Smoke, bro,” I heard from behind me.

“Gon’ ’head, Scoot.” I waved him off.

“J-Just let me explain, bro,” he pleaded. “I?—”

“I don’t need no more explanation than what I got, my nigga,” I cut in. “What’s done is done.”

“Scoot, just leave him alone ,man. Give him some space,” Bino suggested when he approached.