Page 43 of For the Love of City

COREY

“SO YOU AND Porsha.”

I looked up from my desk and met the smug face that seemed to revert back to the quiet teenager I first took in whenever she was around me now.

I knew why that was. For so long, Lyric had to be Finesse .

She didn’t get the chance to be the careful loving person she naturally was.

Hanging with me and Trav meant she had to be tough.

Couldn’t show that softness that was innate to her personality because it would get her mixed up with the wrong people.

And even with all her precautions, she still had two worthless people in her inner circle. But they were going to get theirs soon.

But I’d been seeing nothing but the soft side of Lyric because Grant ensured she got to stay in that mindset. She wasn’t out struggling, hustlin’ or worrying about my ass being locked up. Peace looked good on her and I vowed to assist him in keeping her this way.

I put down the stylus I’d been using to update my damn schedule since I was splitting time between both offices.

The one here in Texas was far more lavish because this was the one Lyric would be at the most. There was no reason to deny that the majority of both of our time was going to be spent here instead of Georgia.

Since shit was out in the open I was happy to think about the portrait I was gonna have Porsha take for me so I could put her up on the wall proudly.

“Yep. I know you got thoughts so tell me what’s good.”

I settled back waiting to see what she was going to say.

She’d been happy about it at first, but things could change.

The conversation that they’d had at Yzzy and Sampson’s wedding was something that they needed, but I knew that Lyric’s feelings with me might be different.

I braced myself for what she had to say and how it could change stuff with us in the future.

Her grin widened and she tossed her long twists out of her face before walking further into my office.

No matter that this was work, she was still dressed down in her sneakers, some wide leg jeans and a Desperados t-shirt.

The label made us suit and tie niggas but that didn’t mean we had to dress like it everyday.

Lyric sat down in the chair and then folded her lil short legs under her.

“It’s a good look.”

She was being cautious about what she was saying but I knew that wasn’t all she had on her mind.

“I already knew that otherwise I wouldn’t have followed her up. But since you said you been knowing I need you to say what you came here to. I didn’t see you on the schedule and I didn’t think you were working on music.”

The studios were in the lower levels of the building while our offices were located up top. The desire to keep everything under one roof was a safety measure for Lyric. She didn’t need to be running around and working all times of night anywhere that wasn’t secure.

She sat back and folded her arms with a frown on her face. “You trying to get rid of me?”

“Nope. Giving you the space to say your peace. You got bigger but ain’t shit changed about how the family dynamic works, Lyrie.”

Lyric nodded and I could tell my words were part of what had been on her mind. “Was she really worried about telling me?”

“You know your girl so you can answer that.”

Lyric was pulling at the ends of her hair nervously. “I guess there’s a part of me that feels…I don’t know. Weird about it.” That caught my attention because Lyric was never big on biting her tongue. When she went looking down at her hands I knew she was deep in her feelings.

“Weird how?”

She looked up but didn’t raise her head and I could see the conflict in her eyes. “Like she didn’t trust me enough to tell me about y’all dealing.”

My heart hurt for her because she was really thinking that their bond wasn’t as tight as it obviously was. “Never that, Lyric. She was worried that if shit went left with us you’d be angry with her. Or that you wouldn’t think she was good enough for me.”

“She’s my friend, if anything I wouldn’t think you were good enough for her.” Lyric sat back with a small smile looking better than she had before.

I matched her smile because I wasn’t sure if we needed to go deeper with her need for reassurance. “Cold blooded.”

“I know your history, bruh, you can’t really fault me for that one.” Her face was scrunched up like she was remembering one of the chicks I used to take down even though I tried to keep it away from her.

I sat forward and braced my forearms on my desk and despite this conversation I was glad everything was out in the open.

“That’s true. But nah, she loves you deeply.

Values your friendship. I’m sure you’ve told her about the birds that used to be nice to you to get to us.

She took that to heart and didn’t want you to think our thing was a betrayal to you. ”

“I know this is something that I’m feeling because of Trice. And I hate that ‘cause Porsha ain’t like her at all. And I know she’s not. It’s me thinking I’m not worthy of that type of love and loyalty that has me feeling like this.”

I could only nod because Lyric was doing the heavy lifting when it came to getting her mind right and I was clearly only here for moral support, silent amens or something along those lines.

I wasn’t gone tell her how to feel about any of this but I of course hoped at the end of her thought process was her accepting us being together.

“I’m glad you hashed that shit out on your own.”

She huffed slightly before shaking her head and playing with her rings.

Grant had done his big one finding a fiery orange diamond for Lyric and then he took it a step further by icing out her wedding band.

I told her to stop wearing the shits but she laughed and showed me she was strapped in addition to the security she knew he had lingering around her when they weren’t together.

“G, told me I needed to get my mind right.” Her admission was just further proof that she had been working through her feelings for a minute.

Instead of making her feel bad, I had to tease her so she knew we were still good. “Your ass was somewhere pouting like a brat again, huh?”

“Not pouting, working through my feelings. He listened while I spoke and reminded me that if anything Porsha wasn’t trying to exclude me but protect me. And that I can understand.”

“But your feelings still hurt.”

She humped her shoulders and I knew that they had been but they were probably better now. Lyric looked up with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Maybe some. It’s wild. I am happy that y’all are together. I don’t even mind losing my importance in your life because I understand that you’re giving that time and attention and love to someone who’s truly worthy of it.”

“But that’s the thing, Lyrie. You’re my kid.

My family. Ain’t nobody gone take the place of my firstborn.

My heart don’t have to stop loving you some to love her.

That shit just expands to make room for everybody.

You stop fucking wit’ me when you met her?

Hell, when you and G got together? You ain’t say fuck City did you? ”

She was fighting a smile but losing. “No.”

“Aight then. So why the hell you think I would be any different? I think I’ve more than proven that I got better EQ than the average nigga.”

Lyric sat up taller like she was feeling better about the whole conversation. “You do. Again, it’s probably just a me thing. I mean, Reina’s ass dippin’ out the way she did didn’t really help my ability to trust women. Then that shit with Trice was another stab in the back.”

“And look who has been there to help you heal those wounds? Porsha, Billy, Rye, Tiana, Rachelle, Carine and Yzzy ain’t have one problem bringing you into the fold.

You out here hanging out with baseball Hall of Famer WAGS and wives of CEOs at the rodeo.

Lawyer baddies and Hair moguls and shit.

Women who got they own without they nigga same as you.

Having girls’ weekends and taking trips.

Calling in favors when Stew’s boys got kidnapped.

Stood right there by Rachelle’s side comforting her until they were back.

So it was never you who was the problem.

Shitty people see your goodness and seek to exploit it for themselves.

But you ran into plenty of good ones that showed genuine love.

They taught you what real sisterhood looked like when you found it.

Trice and Reina could never even get close to what y’all got going on. ”

“Facts. Speaking of, when we heading back to handle business in the A?”

I gave her a half smile trying to keep it lighthearted. “Ain’t you got WAG shit to do?”

“Playing with me, City. I got shit to do that involves the street. Y’all got me out the way a few weeks back, but that ain’t gone fly now.” The determined look on her face meant I was gone have her damn husband on my back because his wife was gone be out here taking penitentiary chances.

“You sure you got it? Cause you been in the soft life for a minute. Ain’t had to box a bitch or bust a gun for a few years. How I know you still down?”

She rolled her eyes and pulled her piece before setting it on my desk. I knew this had to be some shit that Grant got her because it was custom and her favorite color. “What is that supposed to mean, City?”

“You know better than to pull it if you ain’t gone use it.”

“I ain’t shooting this muthafucka up because we own it. But I will shoot your ass for playing with me.”

“I am playing with you. But I need you to sit back. Don’t try to keep proving you’re down for the cause. Let me handle this shit.”

She chuckled as she tucked her gun at her back. “Nah. You got me fucked up. Why you think I need to sit this out? You really think I’m soft?”

“Not soft. I appreciate the fact that you’ve outgrown this shit.

We all have let’s be real, baby girl. The street shit is something we did because there were no other options.

And then you paved a way for us to eat off a different hustle.

Clearing this shit up is a thank you for everything you did for me while I was gone.

What kind of man would I be if I took you out of the place of peace you’ve been curating like an art collection and into some street shit?

” My stare was one that dared her to refute that this shit no longer served her.

I might still be in it but it didn’t serve me either.

Hell, even Travis’ ass was rethinking shit, which is how I knew we were good to feel the way we were.

“Uh, one who loves me and knows that just because I got a good heart doesn’t mean I ain’t been waiting to get my lick back.

As a wise woman once sang, ‘I took some time to live my life but don’t think I’m just his little wife’ .

They been counting me out for years. Trying to take their shots where they could. I’m ready to end all that shit now.”

“And then what? What you gone do when there ain’t nobody left to handle?”

She wore a shit-eating grin on her face before sitting back and propping her legs up on my desk.

“Then I’ll be one of them rappers who can turn into old head status and just talk about the shit I used to do. Name the next album Reminisce or some shit.”

“Same old Lyrie.”

I couldn’t keep the affection out of my tone because it was gone be good to get this out of all our systems so we could move on to where we should be: at peace having survived the bullshit that life had thrown at us.

“You’d have lost it if you got back and I had completely switched up. But I promise, this one last thing and I’m retired. Can you say the same?”

“I can, that nigga D-Mill met his end already so once this is cleared up, I guess City is just gonna be memories.” I pat my heart like I was losing an old friend.

She smiled as she shook her head. “Never that. Y’all one and the same. But I’m glad that shit was clean and can’t come back to us.”

“They’ve always been true to their word so I expected nothing less. And because of how he’d put his hands on you, you knew they were gone have that nigga touched. Me and Travis might have loved you first, but we not the only ones.”

She grinned and I saw her eyes get watery. “Y’all will always be my favorites.”

“Fucking right. Them niggas weren’t buying Kotex and dealing with your damn attitude for years.”

She bust out laughing as she stood up with her arms open for a hug. “I love you too, City.”