Page 38

Every day I grow more in love with my shorty.

Just watching her work a room, basking in the rightful praise gets my dick hard.

It’s been a rough few months, with all the different changes, but tonight it’s all about her and her talent.

Every single piece from he.

“Emoticons”

collection sold out.

Her biggest piece.

“Even Warriors Get Sad,”

even sold for ten thousand above the price before I could snatch it up. I mean, it’s clearly me, but I guess I’m so sexy, a muthafucka wants me hanging up somewhere.

When the curator tells Mace, she turns and does a belly bump with Dal, which makes Nut slide his thumb across his throat at her.

Nigga finally convinced Dal to have another baby, and this time, she gets to go through pregnancy with Mace. He said third time’s the charm, and the nigga is always right.

Mace crushes me to her so hard, I instantly cradle her bump. She’s six months now, carrying our son, and his nursery is overflowing with shit–mainly from Set. Nigga happy Cody will have a male cousin.

“Everything sold,”

she whispers to me.

I drop a kiss on them glossy lips of hers.

“I knew it was. You the GOAT in this, baby.”

She rolls her eyes, never one to blush.

“Duh, but still. We get to celebrate before you hit the road.”

FOE/Life, my double album, went platinum within a month of its release, and I’m set to go on a worldwide tour. Mace is gonna come until she gets too tired, and then muthafuckas better hope she comes on her due date, because regardless I’m taking three months to bond with my lil man. Mace tells anyone who will listen Muse is about her, and By Your Side is about Sadé.

And shit, I do, too.

The gallery assistant skips up to Mace.

“The buyer of Even Warriors Gets Sad is requesting you and Mr. Shotta present it to them personally. They’re out front now.”

Mace glances at me before forcing a smile and nodding, but I still check my holster just in case.

Shit has calmed down a lot after the Mathers brothers and Sin got smoked. Set’s fully retired, enjoying reality tv shows and took Rico’s place in the girls’ group chat, since he’s been in Belize since we rescued Wyn. But with his birthday just passing, he’ll probably be back soon.

The Triplets stayed back in Northupton, even though Mace’s mom Ms. Mika lives with us now. Prince said YT needed time, and wherever YT goes, they go. But they and Reem moved the BBs out of directly moving weight. He’s now the plug only, and has been working on getting any of our close homies out of that shit.

My weekly sessions are now bimonthly, and I have more good days than bad. Set, Nut, and Brina have joined me two more times, and now we have our own group chat, and link up to watch some new medical show Brina’s hooked on.

Sometimes I’ll get into episodes where I miss the homies and my family, but they’re never debilitating, and I know my shorty’s right there to get me through, like I get her through her spells.

Like I said, shit’s been calm.

But that don’t mean it stays calm.

Nut and Turk flank me as Macy and I walk toward the front. The gallery assistant’s handing the wrapped canvas over to some nigga, and when he moves to go to his car, a smile breaks on my face.

Macy squeals and runs into YT’s awaiting arms.

“I thought you couldn’t make it,”

she cries.

YT squeezes her back before releasing her.

“I’d never miss your showing, Deeze. You know that.”

She glances around, smiling at everyone before landing on me.

“So you want me hanging up in your crib huh?”

She chuckles, shaking her head.

“Maybe I got it for you. You won’t know until I want you to.”

“You gone come in? The girls miss you,”

Nut says. Having all the babies around is making the nigga soft, though don’t tell him that, unless you want him to take you on a random drive by to prove he still got it.

YT zeroes in on something to my left, and starts grabbing at her choker.

“Nah. Tonight’s about Deeze, and if I come inside I’ll be on bullshit.”

Her eyes soften as she focuses back on Mace and grabs her hand.

“I love you so much, Macy, and I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you too, Love.”

She winks at my shorty before shifting to me. Her grin turns razor sharp, and it reminds me of the YT I first met.

“Tell Reemie Pooh I’m back in the city, and he’ll have to answer for his shenanigans. Toodles!”

She air kisses us before prancing toward the waiting Rolls Royce.

Prince nods at us, clenching his jaw before skirting off. When I turn around, I see Reem hugged up with his girlfriend Tamera, and sigh a deep negro spiritual sigh.

“You gone be the bearer of bad news?”

Turk asks, chuckling under his breath.

“We can tell him tomorrow. I told him not to bring her ass.”

Macy shrugs, pulling me in the opposite direction of her.

Shit, what wifey says, goes. YT will let her presence be known soon enough.