Page 31 of He Thugged Me First

I grabbed it and brought it to my lips while still focusing on the road.

I probably told Love everything on my brain because she was the only person I knew wouldn’t judge me.

She was my everything and I always valued what she had to say, but this was something I wouldn’t put on her brain.

I didn’t need her questions along with my own. “I ain’t mugging no damn air.”

“Tuh, I should’ve taken a picture.” She giggled.

After I let her hand go, I reached over and rested my hand on her fully belly. I couldn’t believe that in just a few short months I’d meet the stubborn ass baby she was carrying. We had long ago given up on finding out the sex because she figured out kid wanted to surprise us.

“What do you think we’re having?” Her small voice sliced through my thoughts.

“I begged the old dude upstairs not to give me a daughter, but her attitude further solidifies that she’s coming.”

Love giggled. “What are we gonna name her? I mean if it’s a girl.

” I cut my eyes over at her and she had the biggest smile on her face and it made me want to just give her the world.

When she and I first got together my biggest fear would be that she woke up and realized she could do better than me, but that went away when I saw how she looked at me.

She looked at me like I was her world, like I was the tallest nigga alive and that alone made a nigga feel so secure in her life. “Quarianna.” I responded.

“Hell no.” I could feel her mugging me from the passenger side of the car.

“I mean shit, ya name is Love. What do you think you’re gonna do? Try to name my daughter Happiness?”

That pulled a laugh from her as I pulled into my sister and her husband’s home.

Today was my niece’s birthday and her spoiled ass made sure she called me and made me promise that I’d be here.

I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be spending my Friday night here, but I guess.

It was anything for the princess in my eyes, and plus ever since I met the lil girl she had me wrapped around her finger.

When Klusive or Gina would tell her no she couldn’t get something, she texted me or her other uncle.

Of course she got it and Gina called me cursing me out about it later. “Can’t believe I let you tal?—”

“No, not me. Kirey called you and you said yes.” Love already knew what I was about to say.

I hopped out of the car and walked around the front to open her door before I opened the back door to get the blue bag with Kirey’s gift in it. “You know where I like to be on Fridays.” I winked my eye at her as I closed the door.

She giggled. “Well Uncle Quari, you do know your niece really wanted you here.”

I pulled her into me and pressed my lips into hers. “Yeen shit. The longer we’re here, the longer you’re up tonight.” I handed her the bag and

She shook her head. “I can’t hang and you know this.”

I laughed as we walked up toward the door. She was right. Love slept now more than ever and she hated to be woken up from her sleep.

When we got to the door, it was already opening and my niece stood there looking at me like I was taking up all her time. Kirey was spoiled as shit and all I could do was silently pray harder that Love was having a boy. I don’t think I could do it.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, Kirey hugged Love and hopped into my arms with the biggest smile. “What did you buy me uncle?”

“Damn shorty, that’s all I’m good for?” I asked as Love and I continued into the house.

“Wel—”

“Don’t look hurt, I know that’s all I’m good for.” Klusive walked around the corner holding a beer.

I laughed as my niece hopped from my arms and tried to explain, but it wasn’t necessary.

Klusive hugged Love after she handed the bag to Kirey. “You might not wanna find ya self in there. We’re downstairs.” Klusive gave me that eye. I already knew it was a set up at this point. My sister was probably in the kitchen talking shit with my cousin Century and the crew.

I ended up chilling in the basement with the fellas while Kirey pulled Love in the direction of where Gina and the ladies were.

“I see you finally asked.” Klusive looked over at me and nodded.

“Had to, you fucked around and told ya nosey ass wife.” I glared at him momentarily before my smirk returned.

“I told you my bad, but you know ya fucking sister is nosey as hell. Fuck you texting me at one in the morning for anyways? In the door she thought it was a bitch.”

I laughed because one thing I did know was that my sister was crazy as hell and threatening to shoot somebody.

Kurse shrugged his shoulders. “ Congratulations young nigga. Shit that’s good at least yeen get a?—”

“Promise ring, you’ve been bringing that shit up for years now, when you gonna let it go?” Kure asked out of nowhere.

“Nigga didn’t nobody bring up ya promise ring but you.” Kurse laughed.

At this point we were all laughing. When things died down it ended up being me and Gemini in the basement. He was taking a call, while Klusive, Kurse and Kure went to get some food from upstairs.

“I heard you tryna switch it up, young blood.” Gemini took a seat next to me at the bar.

I shrugged. “Seeing what else I’m good at.” That was definitely the lie I told myself at this point.

“The way you pop them shots, you shouldn’t need to test the waters.”

I nodded. He was right.

“Look, take it from me, I’ve made enough mistakes in my life to save somebody from making the same.

None of this shit is forever, we live by codes that are unwritten but imbedded within the brain.

You are good at pulling the trigger and being done, then do that.

This drug game is a different demon, a different drug.

You know that feel you get after you pull the trigger?

That chill down ya spine? It’s like a high you can’t get anywhere else, bask in it while you can.

The drug game used to do that for me, but shit has changed and the direction has reversed.

I’m probably talking in circles but I’ll leave you with two things.

Number one, never get too comfortable because somebody is always ready to become you.

Next is simple, don’t overstay your welcome.

When you feel that chill leave and the high doesn’t hit the same, it’s time to step out. ”

Love

“You mean to tell me, you’re carrying that small at seven months?” Century smiled at me.

I giggled. I didn’t feel small at all, I actually just had a panic attack before we left the house . “ Small where? I can’t fit anything I used to wear.”

“I remember those days, but no you haven’t blown up until you look in the mirror and don’t remember the size of your cheeks before the monster invaded your body.” Gina chewed on the ice.

“Shit y’all were lucky, my nose blew up and I refused to take any pictures!” Kurrance shook her head.

We all laughed. This wasn’t the first time I’d been around them so, I wasn’t nervous or anything, actually I always ended up taking in all that they were saying because they always spit straight knowledge.

The funny thing is even though my sister was with Cass, it was different from this.

It was hard to explain but I’d try. When I first told Lola I was dating Quari she was in shock, but told me not to ask him about anything he handled in the streets.

She said that he’d always keep it from me because he loved me.

But that wasn’t the case that I found myself in.

Quari told me almost everything, just like these women in front of me said their men did.

Quari said he told me everything because he didn’t want me to be somewhere confused and not know who he was.

He had always been honest with me, and within our four years I became comfortable with it.

I loved him more because he was open with me about more in the beginning.

“You dance, right?” Century asked me interrupting me from my thoughts.

“Used to, the little alien in my gut is hindering it.”

She giggled. “Imma need some lessons when you drop him or her off.”

I laughed too.

“What are you having?” Kurrance asked.

“We don’t know. The last two times we tried to see the gender, the doctor couldn’t see it. The baby had its legs closed.”

“Oh, it’s a girl. That’s that stubborn shit.” Century cut her eyes at Gemini as he walked into the room.

“Don’t be sneak dissing on my daughter, Cent.” He playfully mugged her.

One Could see the love they had for one another just oozing from their pores. It was so damn pure and real, I couldn’t fathom the stories of what Century told me the last time I met her being true.

“Whatever don’t think y’all slick. Nosey niggas.” Gina shook her head and glared at Quari as he walked through the doorway right over to me.

As soon as he approached me he was grabbing the glass of water in front of me and drinking it. This was the thirstiest nigga I knew, especially when it wasn’t his shit.

“Damn, how do you know she wasn’t thirsty. You just bring your bright ass up here drinking up all her shit and invading her space.” Gina rolled her eyes at her brother.

“Mind yo business, always over here. She likes me in her space.” He kissed my forehead before looking at his sister.

“No she doesn’t, she's just too nice to tell you to move the hell on.” Century smirked.

“Damn cuz, it’s like that? Remember that when you call me to go pick yo ratchet ass daughter up from daycare again. Imma leave her rude ass up there.”

“Nah you ain’t she loves you. Shit, now that I think of it all the ratchet kids love you.”

It was the first night I spent away from my dorm and I was beyond scared because I hadn’t ever been with anybody like that.

He and I were in his Jeep headed toward his condo on the other side of the city.

We’d been dating for a few months at this point and I swear I never felt so alive.

Quari had shown me heights that I’d never experienced and I loved it.

I probably shouldn’t have, I should’ve ran the other way or steered clear of this man, but I couldn’t. It was a magnetic pull.

The feel of his hand gripping mine pulled me from my thoughts as I glanced over at him.

He was so freaking beautiful that I just wanted to tell him.

Of course I couldn’t because men didn’t take that sort of thing well, you either had to tell them they were handsome or sexy.

Beautiful just wouldn’t cut it. The closer we got to his home, the more nervous I became, I mean what was the plan for tonight?

He said we’d order in and watch movies, but somehow my brain equated that to something I’d never done before.

Somehow tonight I believed I’d be losing my virginity and somehow I had already proclaimed my readiness to all of my unwilling body parts.

When we reached his home, he parked like he’d done so many times before and came around to open my door.

This time was different though, this time he opened the back door and grabbed my spennna’ night bag.

Mecca told me every woman had one for when they went over a nigga’s house.

Once he’d secured it he waited for me to exit the vehicle before closing the door behind me.

Then he used his free hand to grab mine and lead me toward the garage elevator that we’d taken a million times before.

This time I was nervous, shit this time I was shaking in my boots and had butterflies playing soccer in my guts.

“You beautiful as fuck when you nervous.” He kissed the side of my head and pressed the numbers into the keypad to his place.

I decided not to respond, instead I allowed myself to lean against him until the elevator reached his place, I stepped in taking my shoes off before I made it to his sofa.

The moment I feel back against the expensive piece of furniture, my eyes closed.

His place was so freaking comfortable and nicely decorated I could get used to it.

“Your day?” He asked, like he always did. He was so cold outside, yet so damn attentive when it was just he and I.

“Long, I think I pulled a hamstring this morning.” I thought about the minor injury I sustained during practice today.

“How’s it feel now?”

“It’s tight. How was your day?” I asked, attempting to gage where he was with my eyes still closed.

“Long, but I got through it.” I estimated he was still near the door. Then the clicking of what I assumed to be his safe let me know I was right. “When I asked you to stay with me tonight, why did you take so long to reply?”

“Because I’m used to you staying at my do ? —”

“What’s the difference, Love?”

“Location.” I smirked. Truthfully there was a big difference.

He hated that I lived on campus and hated my Xl twin sized bed even more.

Nothing could or would happen in that squeaky ass bed.

Here was a different ballgame, this was his space.

I would’ve had my own space, because Lola gave me her condo when she moved in with Cass, but my mother needed it.

Her messy ass divorce with my father was carrying on longer than she had hoped even though clearly he moved on.

When he didn’t respond, I opened my eyes and looked toward his direction.

He was studying me and sucking his bottom lip.

Before I knew it there was a pulsation between my legs and I was hot.

I clenched my thighs before standing and going toward his kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

I knew for sure he had some because alike myself he was a lowkey health junkie.

He didn't eat red meat or chicken either.

“Are you scared of me, Love?” he asked when my back was turned toward him.

“Nope.” I popped the p, maintaining eye contact as he walked over to me.

I hopped up on his granite countertop and rested before he approached me.

Once he reached me, he grabbed the bottle of water from my hands and sat it in the counter before he stepped between my legs resting his hands on both sides of me.

“Yo do realize ain’t nothing gonna happen here, if you don’t want it to.”

I giggled. “It isn’t a matter of me not wanting it to.” I leaned my fast ass forward and rushed my lips into his.

“Baby wake up, you know you big now, I nigga ain’t finna carry you five flights.”

Immediately my eyes opened and I mugged him. “Freak you.”

“Nah it’s Fuck me, that’s what we’re about to do as soon as we get upstairs. I let you get ya lil nap and slob all over my passenger side, now c’mon.”