Page 15

Me and Nariah had made a vow early on to keep our family out of our business, so I wasn’t worried ‘bout her telling her mama what happened in Miami. When the driver pulled up to crib my ass smiled. I had beat Nariah back home like I predicted. The only thing I had left to do was beg for her forgiveness. I had already hit up Tito n’em and told ‘em not to fuck with me for the rest of the day.

I ain’t have no plans on leaving the crib for the next forty-eight hours. I was ‘bout to stuff my face all between Nariah’s ass. Hell, I was willing to do whatever it took to get out the doghouse.

“Aight Joe. I’mma fuck with you.” I said to my driver before getting out. Jogging up the steps I fished my keys from my pocket and used them to unlock the door.

“What the fuck?” I yelled and clutched my damn head. I don’t know what the fuck happened but as soon as I pushed opened the door somebody fucking hit me with something.

You know the type of hit that yo mama delivered when she was whooping yo ass. Yeah, that’s what the fuck I was feeling right now. I blinked my eyes repeatedly trying to see what the hell was going on and before I could formulate another sentence my ass was hit again.

“Bitch! I told you ‘bout fucking playing with me. You must think I’m a got damn fool.” Nariah drew back and hit me again with the belt. “Gone leave me in a muthafucking hotel while you out fucking around.”

“Nariah!” I shouted and tried to dodge the next lick, but she caught me across the back.

“Fuck!” I groaned. That first thrash went right across my face and it ain’t look like she was ‘bout to stop swinging so I did what I used to do back in the day, covered my face with my hands and tried to plead my case.

“Bae I was in the studio!”

“Studio my ass! You a lying ass bitch.” She scoffed and hit me again. “I told you I’m not the bitch to fuck over. I gave yo ass a second chance after the first time.” The next thrash landed against my thighs. If I ain’t get that belt away from her ass I was going to have welts all over my body.

“On God bruh don’t hit me no fucking more!

” I roared and reached for the belt. Nariah struck my ass across the back again making me fold over.

“I’m on yo ass now.” I groaned. As soon as I was upright, I charged at her.

She was swinging the belt wildly in the air and before it could connect, I had wrapped my hand around it.

Tugging on the belt I pulled her into me and spun her around.

Nariah fought against me, but I maneuvered and now had both of her hands behind her back.

I was able to snatch the belt from her and toss it on the ground.

Bringing my face down to the side of hers I gritted in her ear, “you got that one but Nariah when I let you go, yo ass better not hit me a-fucking-gain. If you do I’mma dot yo muthafucking eye! ”

“Let me the fuck go!” She yelled and tried to wiggle herself free.

But I gripped her arms tighter and forced her to walk up the stairs. “I told yo ass I was at the fucking studio. Had you answered the phone when I called yo ass would’ve known that.”

“Fuck you, Julius.” She sniffled.

Fuck. Now she crying. Letting go of her hand I spun her around and backed her into the wall on the stairs. Hovering over her I peered down into her face and asked, “why you crying Nari?”

Nariah looked everywhere but at me, “cause you full of shit and I’m tired of doing this with you.”

“Tired of doing what with who?” I queried and got eye level with her. “You tired of doing what? ‘Cause if it’s what I think it is you ain’t.” I shook my head.

“Yes I am.”

“Nawl. You really not.” I reiterated. “You done came up with this whole scenario and now yo ass think I’m out here fucking off. Ain’t nobody dogging you out Nariah. We was at Criteria. You already know the service be shitty in there so I’on even see why you fucking tripping.”

Okay. So, I was lying but shit. What else could I do?

I wasn’t ‘bout to willingly let Nariah walk out on me. Fuck nawl. My bitch was bad, and I say that with all respect. Nariah ain’t need my ass.

She had her own shit going and was really a boss out here.

Nariah used being a girlfriend to a successful rapper to her advantage.

Shit any time she got booked muthafuckas was dropping anywhere between twenty and sixty racks for a club appearance.

Not to mention the money she made from social media as an influencer.

Nariah’s net worth was well over four million at this point.

So, when I say my girl ain’t need me I meant just that.

On top of her being every nigga dream girl.

Nariah went to school, popped out when necessary, was a damn good mother, and kept shit up around the crib.

With me knowing that ain’t no way I was ‘bout to just let my girl leave me. For another nigga to slide in and try to take my place. Yeah, you gotta be smoking that hard shit to think I wasn’t ‘bout to lie my way out of this.

“You so full of shit Julius.” She mewled. “Can you let me go? I need to get my stuff so I can leave.”

“Where you going Nari?”

“Why? Ain’t like you fucking care.” She hissed.

“On God dog wasn’t nobody out fucking off. I was at the studio. I got the song I recorded on my fucking laptop. Plus, them cookies that I brought for your black ass been sitting on the table since I got back. They ‘bout stale now but shit I thought about you.”

“Julius, please.” She begged. I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t tryna hear shit I had to say. Nariah wore that look of defeat like she did the first time I got caught slipping, almost like she was getting ready to give me my walking papers and we know that shit wasn’t happening.

Taking a step back I spread my legs and folded my arms across my chest. “What I gotta do to prove this shit to you huh Nari? What you want me to do baby? Tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

Nari glared at me before swiping her hand across her wet eyes. “I want you to get out of my way.”

“Nawl.” I protested. “Anything but that.”

“Juli—”

“Pick something else Nariah.” I based. “Cause we not leaving up out this bitch until you talk to me.”

“I don’t want to talk. I wanna go to sleep.”

I tilted my head in the direction of our bedroom. “Go.”

“At my mama house.” She clarified.

“Well then we gon’ go pack us a bag so we can go stay over there.” I shared, letting her know she could do whatever she wanted as long as it was understood that I was gon’ be right there with her.

“ You might wanna go check on your eye. It’s starting to swell.” She smirked.

“You think that shit funny.” Running my fingers over my face I shook my head. I definitely had a welt under my eye where her ass hit me at. “On the real Nariah a nigga wasn’t doing shit. I was at the studio and we ain’t have service.”

Chucking smugly, she retorted, “I hear you talking.”

“Believe me then nigga. I love you too much to be out here doing you dirty. Tito knew to call the studio, that’s how I found out you was looking for me. I figured I could get some work done while you were sleep, I ain’t plan on being there long baby.”

I wanted to think that she believed me. Her eyes had kind of softened up while she stood there listening to me explain myself, so I continued.

“I left as soon as he said you had called and couldn’t get through.

Had yo ass stayed put you would of found this out that same day.

But no, Nariah blocked everybody and refused to listen. ”

“Cause I told you to stop fucking playing with me.” She bellowed.

“Ain’t nobody playing with you girl.” Laying my head in the crook of her neck I kissed her collarbone. “I love yo ass too much to be out here like that, Nariah.”

“Okay Julius.” She sighed. “Maybe I overreacted.”

Bingo. “Nawl, you didn’t. You ain’t know what to think and ‘cause I fucked up in the past you took it to the extreme. I get it and I ain’t mad at you for that. But Nari, next time give yo nigga the benefit of the doubt.”

“Okay.” She murmured.

Rearing my head back I searched her eyes. They looked uneasy, almost like she wanted to believe the shit I was spitting but she knew I was lying. I was gaslighting the fuck out of Nariah and I knew it. But shit. What other choice did I have?

“You not gone leave me are you?”

Turning her head to the side Nariah tongued her cheek. “I’on know Julius ‘cause I feel like you playing games with me.”

“I’m not though baby.”

“That’s what you saying.” Pushing me off of her Nariah smoothed her ponytail out.

“I’mma give you that one ‘cause I ain’t got no solid proof.

But Julius you seriously skating on thin ice.

If a bitch even insinuate that she was with you, I’m packing me and my baby shit up and leaving yo ass.

And it ain’t a bag or car you can buy that’ll make me change my mind. ”

Looking me up and down one last time Nariah marched up the steps to our bedroom.

The way she slammed the door behind her let me know not to even bring my ass up there.

I wanted to think I was off the hook but the way Nariah had just beat my ass and threatened to leave I knew I wasn’t.

Like she said it was gone take more than some bags for me to get back on her good side.

The first thing I was gone do was hit Tamia up and let her know it was a wrap.

I couldn’t risk losing my family behind a piece of ass.

Hopefully she ain’t get in her feelings ‘bout the shit. And more importantly I prayed Nariah never found out that we were fucking around. She for sure wouldn’t forgive my ass.