Page 14 of For the Love of City

Lyric strolled in with the team security that had escorted her up from the field.

Besides them wanting to ensure that she didn’t get hurt on their field, I’d seen the way the team really fucked with her.

If I didn’t know how Lyric’s aura could pull you in and make you love her, I would’ve been surprised.

The owner’s family looked like they ain’t fuck with niggas too much unless they were on the field.

Him ensuring she was good meant Parker wasn’t like them people he shared blood with.

Lyric made her rounds hugging everybody and dancing with the kids briefly.

I offered to get her a plate cause I knew she’d been too nervous to eat before she performed.

She refused and said she would fix her own.

Porsha went with her since she hadn’t eaten either and now my eyes were split between which one of them I was watching harder.

Lyric was because I still couldn’t shake making sure she was good.

And my attention for Porsha was as simple as I wanted her. Bad.

“I already know. Don’t mess this up for Lyric, bruh.”

I looked at Trav’s ass like I didn’t have no clue what he was talking about. But since his ass had known me since before my damn nuts dropped, he knew what type of time I was on.

“Stop playing it ain’t shit.” I waved him off but couldn’t help watching the way her head tossed back as she laughed. Her plate was filled with food, which I appreciated cause I didn’t want anybody around me who thought they were too damn cute to eat.

“Bruh, your eyes got stars in them right now. That’s not ain’t shit no matter how you want to say it.”

I finally stopped staring at shawty to face the field. Looking at Trav’s smug ass face was not about to happen. “She badder than a muthafucka, of course I’mma look.”

The cheerleaders were heading off the field and then the players were coming out to get started with the game.

“And try to toss my ass into this crowd for an unscheduled crowd surfing session if I tried to do the same.”

I grinned at him finally looking his way. “I’m glad you already know so I ain’t got to explain to Lyric.”

“Not you taking out your boy behind a baddie.”

“Nah, I know better. She all the way out here and I’m in Atlanta—”

“And we already spent a bunch of time here as it was. Lyric gone be here and you know your ass has separation anxiety and shit after being away from her too long.”

I scoffed but that nigga wasn’t wrong. Lyric was my lil baby and keeping her from visiting me for all that time had been a lot.

Besides that, it was hurting me just as much as her to not see her.

Her stubborn ass took it on the chin but in her true brat nature she got me out early so we didn’t have to be apart.

Then she went off and got a man and said she was moving states and shit.

Travis couldn’t talk, though. He was hurt that she stepped back from him but he understood it.

We were used to it being the three of us handling shit.

Being around with a piece missing was hard.

Especially since he got to visit and she didn’t.

I knew he would be strong but seeing Lyrie cry or get upset seeing me locked up would’ve had me pulling a Shawshank with a spoon and a pinup poster.

“That’s a flight or two. Right now I ain’t trying to get into something that ain’t gone be serious.

I just got my Black ass out them walls. She don’t look like the type of girl that fucks with a felon.

” From her hair to her boots, everything about that girl screamed high class.

She looked expensive, not in a bad way because shawty was definitely down to earth.

But she looked like she had standards and I was sure that I didn’t check the boxes.

Travis laughed and picked up his beer from the table. He was on drink number two since there were kids around and no smoking allowed. He took a sip and gave me a look like I’d missed something.

“She a hairdresser. She probably a felon her gotdamn self. High class or not, I know she got at least one assault arrest on her record.”

“You stupid as hell, bruh. Everybody ain’t like us.” I looked at her wondering if he was right cause she threatened to curb stomp Trice’s ass like it was second nature.

“Your famous gut must be leading you wrong. Or you so blinded by not wanting her you can’t smell the game on her.

If she knows Lyric, she knows us and what we do and how we move.

She ain’t blink an eye meeting with us. She was cool as shit.

Her lawyer homegirl didn’t either but I think it’s just because she used to being around criminals and shit.

Unless she thinks our asses are reformed.

But the hair lady? She peep game, recognized it, and probably ran it.

You should be happy. Only your ass could sue, win for wrongful imprisonment and be about to come out an even richer nigga than you were before.

We got the ends from the businesses and the shit with Ness popping off.

It’s only fitting that you find the Black Griselda Blanco to even out this trifecta win for you. ”

I laughed at his stupid ass and picked up my drink. “Trav, don’t have no more fucking rum, nigga. You cut off. Stick to them beers if you gotta drink.”

Travis’ ass was grinning and like me he wasn’t dressed in the team colors.

It was even hotter in Texas than it was in Georgia so some shorts and a t-shirt were the standard.

“Say what you want but I ain’t wrong. She a damn good look though.

Got her own shit, already good wit’ baby girl and she bad.

Nigga, take the blessing or miss out on it. The choice is yours so choose wisely.”

His ass ain’t say shit else just turned and put his eyes on the field because he knew he’d fucked my head all up with that one.

I heard her laughing with Lyric and I saw the two of them with their homegirls eating and falling into one another laughing.

Yeah, I needed her in some kind of way. Now I needed to make a plan. I never failed at anything and I for damn sure wasn’t about to start.