Page 16 of F*ckin’ With Me

I didn’t hear what my sister or my mother said, but I heard when my father told them that he was not asking. He didn’t wait for a response before he went into the living room, sat in the single armchair, and crossed one leg over the other. Oh, he means business.

My mother walked in, wearing a bathing suit that, in my opinion, was inappropriate to be around men other than my daddy. Lanette was on her heels. “Robert, what is the meaning of this? You were extremely rude out there.”

“Explain to me how Simonette was uninvited from the wedding festivities. Also, I want to know when someone was going to tell me?” he asked with an even tone.

Lanette cleared her throat. “Daddy, she was rude, and her green monster showed up at dinner. I don’t need that kind of energy around me when this is a weekend of celebration. She finally got a boyfriend, and she’s lost her mind.”

Outside of the voices on the porch, there was no other sound. I side-eyed Daylen, whose undivided attention was on the situation in the room. My daddy didn’t immediately speak.

“Lanette, I love you from the bottom of my heart. You are my daughter, and nothing you do will ever change that. Now that we’ve gotten that out the way…

” He shifted in his seat. “Your sister has absolutely nothing to be envious of. Why would she be envious of a woman who is engaged to a man who doesn’t really want her? ”

“Ah, shit,” Daylen mumbled under his breath. “Come here.” He grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his lap. “You need a lap view for this shit.”

Lanette’s neck snapped toward the patio. “Daddy! Why would you say that?”

He ignored her question. “Now, I know that you don’t want her in your wedding, and she doesn’t want to be, so that’s fine. What you will not do is uninvite Simonette.”

My mother held her finger up. “Wait a minute, Robert. Now, let me remind you that you chose to only pay for the accommodations, which could have been better for your daughter’s wedding, and the travel.

The rest of this wedding, Lanette and I paid for.

With that being said, she can invite and uninvite who she wants. ”

“Guys, it’s not that serious,” I interjected. “Lanette literally answered my prayers by uninviting me. I’m going to spend time with the people who actually love me.”

Daylen kissed my cheek then patted my thigh. “Hush, baby. Remember what I told you earlier.”

My mother waved me off. “Simonette, you have always been so overly dramatic. You got that shit from your dramatic father.”

“You talking big shit like I don’t fund your life, Simone,” my father snapped.

He stood to his feet. “Regardless, you are correct. You and Lanette did pay for this portion of the wedding; therefore, you can do as you will. What I’m going to do is allow you to also pay for your own travel going back and this villa.

I don’t support people who disrespect and are vile to anyone, much less their own blood, nor does my money. ”

When I stood up, Daylen’s hands gripped my hips and pulled me back to his lap. That was fine, but it wouldn’t stop me from speaking. “Daddy, please don’t do that. It’s fine.”

When his glare turned to me, I knew I’d said something wrong.

“No, Simonette, it is not fine. I’ve told you a thousand times, and this will officially be my last. They treat you like this because you allow the shit.

If you want respect, sometimes, you have to demand it or tell those people to get the fuck on. That includes family.”

“Robert, you will not cancel anything. If you do, I will just rebook it with my card.” My mother’s arms waved in the air like a crazy woman. “This is outrageous. I’m starting to think both of you are trying to ruin my baby’s weekend.”

My father stepped toward my mother. “What card is that? You must have your own credit card or bank account. While I waited for Simonette to get ready, I removed all your access from my accounts. No way in hell I was going to let you and my disrespectful daughter run up a bill when y’all treat my other baby like shit. ”

“Hey, what’s going on in here? We can hear y’all from the patio.” Justin walked in with a tight jaw.

My father chuckled before he crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on is your fiancée is extremely selfish, self-centered, and disrespectful.

I take some ownership in that because, instead of being home, where I could have been more hands-on, I chose to spend most of my time focused on business to avoid being home.

If I had stayed home, I would have checked this shit long before it got out of hand. ”

Lanette turned to Justin. “He said that he’s going to cancel our flights and not pay for this villa if I don’t let Simonette come to the wedding. I don’t want her there, because she’s a hater.”

It was so weird to be a spectator of all of this. It was shocking that it was playing out that weekend. A weekend to remember.

Justin’s head slanted toward his ear. There was this weird stillness in the air.

“Lanette, please get your head out of your ass. What do you have for Simonette to hate on? She has degrees, a successful career, and she’s dating Daylen Verse.

She knows he can take care of her, but she still provides for herself.

” He turned his head in my direction. “Simonette, you are welcome at our wedding, even if you are just a guest.”

Whoa! “Um, thank you, I guess. We’ll be there. I know the rehearsal dinner—”

“She won’t be at that. We’re going on a date tonight.” Daylen kissed my cheek. “Gotta make sure I spend some alone time with my woman.”

I had never blushed so much in my entire life. Daylen had an effect on me that I would always want to feel. Justin looked at my sister, rolled his eyes, then headed to what I assumed was their room. My sister rushed behind him with the baby, baby.

“Simone, let’s go to our villa to have another conversation that does need to be private. I’m not sure if you left your clothes out there with the kids, but you might want to put them on,” my father said with an arched brow.

I could tell my mother was shocked by his callout. She went to get a sarong that was on the patio. My father kissed my cheek before he and my mother left.

“Well, I guess we should go get ready for the day,” I said before I lifted myself from Daylen’s lap. “Are you ready?” I yelped and rubbed my ass when he smacked it.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m ready. You’re talking about getting dick last night, but you are looking at me like I lost my mind because I smacked your ass.” He wrapped his arm around me. “You gotta get used to the tongue before I think about giving you the dick, sweetheart.”

If I was white, my face would’ve been red. I wasn’t used to any of those kinds of activities or talks. The only men who talked me through it were my book baes. Now I had a real-life book bae.

Just as we were about to leave, a door slammed behind us.

We both looked. Lanette, whose skin tone was lighter than mine, was flushed.

There were tears in her eyes as she stalked over to us.

“Just because Justin said you can come to our wedding doesn’t mean that I want you there. You ruin shit without even trying, bi—”

Daylen held his hand up. “Whoa, calm down, lil’ dummy. Now, I don’t put my hands on women, but my sister does. It would be horrible if you had to get married with a dotted face. I suggest you go back on the porch, in the room, or wherever.”

Lanette stared at him for a beat before she stomped off. The day had already been a lot. Daylen and I left to get ready for our day. I was determined to have a great time while I was there.

“Daylen is going to try to eat you alive when you walk out there. I’m so happy he told me to set this up. This is most definitely going to be y’all’s debut to the world!” Rissa hopped up and down.

She’d just finished my hair and makeup for the Santorini style flying dress photoshoot that Daylen told her to arrange.

I didn’t find out that the photoshoot was going to happen until we were there to do it.

They had a makeup and hair stylist, but Rissa refused to let anyone touch my face or hair.

I looked at myself in the mirror and felt like a million bucks.

My eyes connected with Rissa’s. I was slightly confused. “What do you mean, our debut pictures?”

Her head tilted, and the top corner of her lip scrunched.

“Girl, why do you think he picked that color dress for you? It’s the primary color of the Augusta Chargers.

You’re going to take solo pictures, then y’all are going to take couple’s pics.

” She smacked my ass. “Look at you, going from fake boyfriend to a real man.”

“Your family really has a thing with smacking people on the butt like y’all don’t have heavy hands.” I rubbed my butt. “I didn’t realize that he was taking pictures too.”

I did know that he picked the dress, but I didn’t know it was the Augusta Chargers’ colors. Hell, I just found out that he played professional baseball on Wednesday. How would I have known the colors of his team?

“Sis, one thing you will learn about my brother is, once he makes a decision, it’s done.

He goes headfirst in it like he has nothing to lose.

You wanna know how I know it’s real?” After I nodded, she continued.

“Last night, well, early this morning, after my brother sent you to la-la land, he called our dad. In all my years, my brother has never called our dad about a girl. We are in new territory.”

Rissa smiled brightly. “Sis, I know your mama and sister got your head fucked up about who you are, but fuck them. You are so fucking amazing, and if I have to come to your house every day to tell you that, I will.”

When she wrapped her arms around me from behind, something happened.

It was like she spoke to the little girl who just wanted to be liked.

It was hard for me to try to get people who didn’t know me to like me when my own blood didn’t.

“I just can’t believe how things are playing out.

What if we get back to Augusta, and Daylen realizes it was just like a Maldives haze or something?

I mean, this is a beautiful place, so I could see being infatuated with someone because of the surroundings. ”

“Girl, bye. My brother is not that kind of nigga. If he doesn’t like you, then he doesn’t like you anywhere.

Trust me! I’ve seen bitches willing to do any and everything to just be around him, on some ho shit.

Simonette, you didn’t even know my brother was a professional damn athlete.

Your unbothered ass,” she said with a chuckle.

I laughed. “Hey, I don’t watch sports. If someone isn’t murdered in the show, I’m more than likely not going to watch it,” I admitted.

That was just what it was. I had never been into sports.

My mother used to tell me that I wouldn’t get a man until I became interested in things that men cared about, like sports.

It was ironic because, in a sense, she was right.

I mean, not that I liked sports now, but my boyfriend was a baseball player.

The thing about all of it that brought me pause, if I had to be honest, was the doubt of whether it was real because of how it all started.

“Well, now you’re going to watch at least baseball in real time. Let me freshen up your makeup so we can get you out there to your man,” Rissa said. She pulled me to the chair to start fixing the makeup that I’d cried off.

Twenty minutes later, I was headed out to meet the photographer and Daylen on the boardwalk.

I saw him before he saw me. He wore what looked like a pair of linen shorts and a button-up shirt that complemented my dress.

Rashad, who stood in front of him, noticed me.

He put his hand on Daylen’s shoulder and told him to turn around.

Daylen’s fist went to his mouth. There was a sense of confidence that covered me as I walked toward him. Rissa had my hair in its natural curls, which allowed the wind to play between the strands. I’d worn my hair like that before, but it never looked that good.

“You are absolutely beautiful, Simonette. Sexy as fuck,” Daylen complimented. “Most beautiful girl in the world.”

I did a little curtsy. “Thank you, my fine sir. I try.” As soon as I did that, I felt stupid. My personality was silly, but I never displayed it to anyone except the imaginary friends in my house. I felt comfortable being silly in my house because I was safe there. He’s going to think I’m so lame.

Daylen smiled, took a step back, then bowed. “You’re welcome, my fair lady.” When he stood straight, he pulled me into his arms and kissed my lips. “You ready to take these pics?”

I nodded. “Yes, I am. Let’s do it.”

For the next hour, the photographers took the most amazing pictures of me, Daylen, and us together.

Rissa was my hype woman the entire time.

I felt like a princess. Daylen took pictures with his shirt on and some with it off.

They told us we would get the digital photos edited tomorrow. I couldn’t wait to see them.

On the way back to the villa from our photoshoot, we had to pass the wedding party’s villa.

All of their eyes were on us. I heard my sister when she said I thought I was special because a nigga was being nice to me.

Daylen stopped, which made me stop because my hand was in his.

“Daylen, it’s alright. Let’s just go to our villa. ”

He glanced down at me with a small smile. His hand cupped the back of my head, then his lips dropped on mine. “Let ya nigga be what, Simonette?”

“Let my nigga be my nigga,” I said. My cheeks rose when he kissed my lips again and smacked my ass. I think I like when he does that.