Page 39 of For the Love of City

“Talk to your homegirl ‘bout that shit, Lyrie.”

I was again staring at his side profile, which didn’t intimidate him at all because he was looking at me right back.

His eyes held that soft intensity he always wore when we were together.

For us to have just fucked all night after saying I love you, talking about marriage was quick.

Not like I wasn’t there, but…it had only been a few hours.

“Well, hopefully one day she’ll be my stepmama or whatever the hell. Anyway, I can’t believe you kept this shit from me, though. Real talk, I gotta go talk to Travis about this. I feel like this some kind of violation of the set or sumn’.”

Lyric was leaned against the door frame a testament to how comfortable she was with the both of us. She didn’t think to give us a chance to get dressed or nothing as she kept up her interrogations.

Corey sat up quick as shit but kept his blanket around his waist. Lyric was laughing and I knew she’d only said that to get his ass up.

“Aye, I’m comfortable as fuck in my bed, ass naked with my dream girl and you only talking shit cause you think I won’t let my dick swing and embarrass your ass. Stop playing with me, Lyrie.”

She stuck out her tongue and I knew that was the one thing that would get her moving.

“Boy, I wish the fuck you would. Now find your draws and shit so we can get ready to eat. I’m ready to go. We supposed to be getting dressed together and shit but you in here taking dick, just nasty. Even I got mine and made sure I was still on time. Hurry up, you whores.”

She pointed at the two of us and I wondered just how badly we overslept for her to have come all the way in the room. We must’ve been dead to the world to not even hear her. Lyric didn’t say anything else just turned and walked back down toward the kitchen.

“Told you she was a fucking brat.”

He watched her leave before turning back over and pulling me into his body before sucking on my exposed nipple. He maneuvered my legs around him under the sheet and laid his head on my chest.

I couldn’t help but laugh because he was really getting comfortable when this girl had just told him to get his ass moving. I shifted but he squeezed himself around me to keep me still.

“I mean I knew that from a distance but seeing it play out is crazy. Especially when it’s directed at me. I can’t believe she knew. Like I wonder for how long?”

“Don’t worry, she gone tell your ass I’m sure. You act like she’s dumb and trust me she gone rub in your face just how much she been playing around with you for however long it’s been.”

I looked down at his head to see if he was serious but his eyes were closed like he was really going back to sleep. Him not having a care in the world about Lyric’s attitude or her knowing about us had me back in my feelings.

“Damn, now I wonder if she knew from jump because her subliminals have not been that quiet.”

“Probably knew for a minute. But now that it’s out, you feel better yet?”

“Hell no, I feel worse.”

He lifted his head and I could see his aggravation at my words. “Worse? How that happen, P?”

“Because I been doing all this trying to protect her feelings, put ours to the back not wanting to mess shit up and it was for nothing. Time wasted and I’m sure I hurt your feelings. That shit was pointless.”

His face was blank for a second before he gave me a nod of agreement before lying back down on my chest. “Yeah, you right.”

I tried to push him up from me but he just held onto me tighter. “Hold up. You not gone try to make me feel better?”

“Hell nah. You hurt my heart, remember? Had me out here sneaking and shit like I ain’t damn near middle-aged. But you want me to make you feel better? Over a fucked up situation you created cause you wanted to hide us? Nahhh, baby girl you know me better than that.”

“Aye, if y’all gone have y’all’s first lover’s quarrel or some shit I can leave.

We got too much shit to do today!” Her voice carried from the bottom floor and I knew her ass was down there, tapping her damn watch like we were holding her up.

She had an entire car that she used to get over here but still needed to micromanage us.

“Is she really hollering at us through the house and shit? Like who even does that?”

“I keep trying to tell you that’s that brat behavior.

You know her as your client, your down ass homegirl and the one who will snap on a nigga.

I know the lil girl so secure in her place in my life she can act like I ain’t raise her right.

She gone keep doing that shit til you get your ass up and get moving. ”

He was talking like he wasn’t the reason why I couldn’t move as it was. Every flinch of my body and he was keeping me in place beneath him.

I laid back, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. “I can’t even believe it.”

“Believe it. She ain’t tell you about a time she threw water on a chick I had over cause she overstayed her welcome and made us late to church one morning?

Talking bout ‘all overnight guests need to be gone before the princess of the castle wakes up’.

Mind you, we was bout to go to church and she was acting like that. ”

“So you warning me that’s what I have to look forward to?”

“Nah, you lucky. She loves ya ass. That’s why I wasn’t worried about it.

She loves you. More past client and friend relationship.

Y’all were already locked in. Shit with us just makes it official.

Tried to tell you to stop worrying, Pretty P, but you ain’t listen.

” He sounded so smug but there wasn’t shit I could say to refute how he was feeling.

“How many more I told you so’s will I have to endure, City?” He kept his eyes closed like none of this situation bothered him.

“Shit, at least a year’s worth. I’m not even gone hold you.”

“You dead ass about that shit.”

“I look like I’m joking? Got me hiding where my dick and my heart have made their home like I’m a lil ass boy.

Fuck I have to do that for? You lucky I ain’t out your ass.

Let this summer have gone by without you saying shit.

I had already talked to Parker’s ol’ hopelessly devoted ass into putting us on the fucking kiss cam or announcing that shit at halftime.

Big ass Porsha will you marry me on the screen.

” He held one hand up like he was pointing toward the Jumbotron in the Desperados stadium.

I was giggling but I could tell he already had this shit planned out. “You’re crazy.”

He nodded in agreement like my assessment was not only accurate but he enjoyed it. “About some things. About you? Absolutely.”

“Corey…”

“Nah, ain’t no time to be soft. You heard the tiny terror. She bring her ass back in here with a pot don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“She tries to toss some water on me I’m pushing you in the way.”

“Play with her ass if you want to. Y’all used to tag teaming bitches together. Y’all get to scrapping and how you expect me to pick between my youngin and my woman? Be in here watching y’all duking that shit out giving pointers to whoever is getting beat worse.”

I cracked up because I knew he wasn’t even joking. “You ain’t shit for that.”

He finally sat up and pulled the sheet with him with me tangled in it so I had no choice but to follow him. “Then don’t put me in no more fucked up positions, P. You heard Mighty Mouse, get your ass in gear.”

“How long have you known?”

I finished brushing down the last of Lyric’s curls before I asked what had been plaguing me since we left the house.

Her eyes met mine in the mirror before she smirked arrogantly. “About you and City? A minute.”

I put my curling iron down trying to understand why she hadn’t let me know. “And you ain’t say nothing?”

She shrugged her shoulder before she leaned up to check her hair in the mirror. We were in one of the guest houses on the Chisholm-Love Ranch getting dressed. Billy was with Yzzy getting her together and I’d already handled her hair.

“It wasn’t my place to say nothing. You grown.

Who you fucking don’t make me cum especially not when it’s City.

Y’all wanna do your thing, that’s fine with me.

I didn’t know if it was serious or not so I let y’all do your thing.

Despite how long it’s been going on, I figured y’all would speak on it when the time was right.

You seem happier and he definitely does so everything was good.

Now, had you been dogging him out, it would’ve been a problem.

Kept it close to the vest had us thinking you were on your celibacy path or whatever, meanwhile big bro been blowing your back out.

Ain’t ever gone be mad at my people being happy.

” She was grinning but I was still hesitant that us telling her was so… anticlimactic.

“Stop saying that.”

“Why? The shit is the truth. I have had the displeasure of walking in on or hearing him when we were younger. If I can heal from that you can definitely get over me knowing you doing shit. But y’all hiding it, weird behavior but again I let the old people do what they need to in order to be happy.”

I laughed and shook my head sarcastically. “Not old.”

She bumped my shoulder with hers still smiling. “Teasing. But y’all are happy, right?”

I smiled softly because that was just what the thought of Corey did to me. He made me happy.

“You ain’t got to confirm, look at that look on her face.” Billy’s voice had us both looking up. She looked beautiful in the soft green, knee-length dress that Yzzy had picked out for her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Getting y’all to hurry up. Yzzy wants all of us in a picture and y’all weren’t answering your phones.” She crossed her arms like she did when she was talking to her daughter and I wasn’t even going to argue.

I didn’t even know where my phone was in all of this hair stuff so I didn’t blame her for coming by.

“Well, I’m glad I came by to be nosy the same way y’all are with me. All this love in the air would have me knocked up by the end of the day. Thank God that man of mine has no swimmers.” Billy’s nasty ass was smiling and I knew she was thinking about dick.

“Yeah, it might be in place today but can heal back tomorrow. Don’t trust a nigga nutting in you.

Especially not one as damn potent as him.

That vitality is always gone be there cause that man is in prime physical condition.

He might need to get check monthly, Bills.

” I happily burst her bubble because she needed to be on guard for real.

Jacoby loved every ounce of her and I knew he’d get her for one more if he could.

Billy stuck her tongue out at me before turning her attention to Lyric who was wiping down the silk floral sundress she’d chosen for today.

“And you got a whole husband that plays, shouldn’t you be saying this for yourself? I’m sure somebody was dreaming about fish last night. It just might be your turn. Hell, we’ve been without a new baby in the group for a minute. You and Yzzy might be on the clock.”

Lyric turned to her slowly brushing the swoop bang I’d given her out of her face.

“Young and rich. I’ll be the auntie for a little while longer.

” She turned to me looking like a mischievous pretty girl gangsta.

“I can’t wait to get you back for the way you were teasing me about Grant two years ago. Pay back is a bitch, ma’am.”

I finished making sure my tools were unplugged before I responded to her. “You really gone be annoying. City tried to tell me but damn you might be worse than I thought.”

“Say what you want. It won’t be that bad. Besides, if City can stomach listening to my album and not popping Grant in the mouth you good.”

“He will absolutely not listen to nursery rhymes and I find it hilarious.”

“Yeah well I can’t win them all.”

Billy pointed between the two of us before tapping her watch. “We gone talk more about this heifer keeping secrets after we get Yzzy married. C’mon y’all we got a bougie backyard wedding to attend.”