Page 41 of He Thugged Me First

At the very moment that Sophia Reign was born, my life changed and I felt so different.

In a way I was different though, I was no longer just Love a college student and other half to Quari Lowe.

I was Sophia’s mom and Quari’s fiancé. I didn’t expect life to change so fast or for me to feel like everything just moved right past me.

I mean of course I didn’t feel like I missed anything, but I Definity felt like I was in a fast lane, but then I glanced down at my daughter and everything around me slowed.

The funny thing is even my thoughts had a way of slowing and she was all that mattered.

She was all that I could focus on. For so long I was used to it being Quari, that now I had two of the biggest distractions of my being in my life it scared me.

I feared that I would become caught up in Sophia and Quari that I’d forget about Love and who Love was before she was mom and lover.

“She acts just like ya spoiled ass.” His voice filled the room.

I looked up from Sophia asleep in my arms to her father who stood in the doorway of our bedroom, apparently coming to bed.

“If we’re saying spoiled, that’s you my love.” I smiled and looked at him as he walked through our bedroom undressing and getting ready for bed.

“I’m a grown ass man, Love. Fuck I look like being spoiled?”

“You being spoiled doesn’t make you any less of a man, it just means you have a problem when you don’t get what you want. We both know that’s true.” I cut my eyes in his direction.

“So yeen tryna stay the night with me?” I heard his voice behind me, before I felt his body against mine. He hated when I told him no.

“I have an early dance session tomorrow, remember the last time I tried to leave from here to get there, I was an hour and a half late fooling with you and this traffic.” I turned around and looked up at him.

He had the puppy dog expression on his face. That one that was meant to break my resolve and have me lying in his arms within minutes. What he didn’t even realize was I had already wanted to do that. “I’ll get you up when I get up.”

I screwed my face up and gave him the yeah right expression. The last time he told me that I ended up sleeping through three classes and woke up to lunch. When I asked him why, he told me I looked like I needed sleep. “You’ve told me that before.”

“I mean that shit, so you gonna stay?” he rested his hands on the sides of my neck.

“Why won’t you stay in my dorm with me?” I giggled a little before looking him over.

He momentarily mugged me. “Feels like a nigga is sleeping on billboards.”

That one caught me by surprise and I started cracking up laughing.

“I’ll make those nasty ass pancakes if you ? —”

I put my finger over his lips to shush him. “You had me at the pancakes.” I giggled.

“L-O-V-E”

I blinked my eyes a few times and looked at him. I had once again gotten caught up in my head. “Yes.”

“I know you heard me when I said she’s sleeping her spoiled ass in her crib tonight.”

“Why?”

He looked over at me and mugged me. “Because that’s what we bought it for.”

I shook my head. “But?—”

“But nothing, Love. I need to be able to roll over and you know.” He tried to show me in his own stupid way.

He couldn’t even finish his sentence before I busted up laughing.

He knew we couldn’t have sex or anything but he wanted to cuddle.

Who said niggas didn’t cuddle? Mine did.

“Oh, you wanna cuddle? Even though you say I am all in your space.” I glanced down at Sophia and smiled. “Your daddy is spoiled.”

“How is it?” Lola asked, glancing from me to my daughter in her arms.

“It’s different.” I shrugged.

“It’s definitely an Adjustment, but it’s beautiful. She is so beautiful.” She cooed at Sophia.

“She looks like her father.” My mom walked out into the living room holding a glass of iced tea that I’d just made.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Don’t remind me.” I had literally carried that child my entire pregnancy and she looked nothing like me. That was disrespectful as hell to me. Sophia looked exactly like her damn daddy.

“Don’t feel bad, none of my children look like me. They all look like Cass. I thought CJ would look a little like me, or his sister but they got older and boom. Their daddy’s twin and I’m just out here looking like the outsider.” Lola shrugged.

My mama cracked up laughing. “You’re dramatic, CJ does look a little like you but this baby looks nothing like your sister. Had I not seen my very heavy pregnant daughter then I wouldn’t think this was her.”

We all laughed.

I was more so laughing because when I told Quari that Sophia looked nothing like me, he had the nerve to tell me that we could try again so I could possibly get a look alike and he could get his junior.

“I just hate that I wasn’t there and now my baby sister is grown and a mommy.” Lola was still staring down at Sophia. Do it again so I can be here again.” She looked up at me with that last part.

I screwed my face up at that one. She definitely had it messed up if she thought I was going through anything that I had gone through these last few months again.

Before I knew it, I started shaking my head and responded with terminology that I’d heard Quari use.

“Nah fam, that’s cap. I don’t think that man is ever getting another kid from me. ”

Lola looked from my mother to me, before she cracked up laughing. “You even sounded like him right there. You should’ve just seen your face.”

“I think it’s safe to say Sophia messed it up for any future siblings, huh?” My mama asked.

“Yup. At least you know.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“I told you to do the epidural, but you don’t listen.

You thought I was joking but when I had Sapphire I felt like I was dying.

I felt like for hours that child tore me in half and all I could do was take it.

That’s why I made sure they gave me drugs when I had CJ and Cazzi. I wasn’t playing at all.”

What my sister didn’t know was I was serious about the idea of not having any more kids anytime soon. Then again I could say that right now but if Quari walked in here right now and said the right thing, I’d be down for the count.