Page 28

nariah

. . .

“Jude!” I shrieked. “Not you cheating.” I giggled.

“What?” He feigned clueless.

“Don’t what me.” Swiping him up from the ground I twirled him around until he begged for me to stop. “Yo lil ass took off before I said go.” I breathed. I placed Jude down on the bench and sat beside him. “You having fun?”

“Yes ma’am.” He nodded and I smiled.

This morning Jude woke me up and asked if I could bring him to Andretti’s.

My baby loved going to the arcade. I didn’t have anything to do today so after the two of us had breakfast I called and had the place shut down so we could enjoy the park without having to deal with a bunch of people in our face.

To make his day I went ahead and invited both of his grannies.

Unbeknownst to me Jude had called and invited his father and his uncles.

Before they even pulled up, I hit Tito up and let him know that it would be in their best interest to keep Julius far, far, far away from me. After the way he showed his ass at my house the other night I didn’t have two words to say to him. So far, they had been doing a good job.

The few times Jude had both of us together Julius would mumble something under his breath.

His ass knew not to say the shit out loud, or we would end up turning Andretti’s the fuck out.

I had heard through Lox that Tamia wasn’t pregnant.

Apparently, she’d gotten her cycle the day after Julius had her pissing on a test. Good for him.

“Can we bowl next?” Jude asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Sure can baby.”

“Yay!” He cheered before hopping down to run off. Taking a minute to check my notifications I blushed at a message from Dip.

Dip: A nigga hard down missing you right now

Me: Is that so?”

Dip: It is… You gon’ come kick it with me later?

Me: Where you gon’ be at?

Dip: Highrise

Me: Yeah… I’ll see if my mama can stay over my house with Jude until I get back.

Dip: Bet. Hit me up and let me know.

“Nariah.” Julius deep, raspy voice boomed from behind me.

Rolling my eyes I turned and asked. “What’s up?”

“You bowling?”

“I guess.” Sliding off the bench I tugged my shorts out of my ass and walked toward the bowling alley.

Over my shoulder I heard his chapped ass talking shit. “Lil ass shorts.”

My shorts were in fact little, and I looked damn good in them. Ignoring Julius’s ass I searched for my baby. When I found him, I groaned. Jude was standing between Bryon and Lucas barking out orders.

“Mommy.” He called out when he noticed me. “You can be on the team with me and my daddy.”

“Anything for you baby.” Dropping my phone down on the table in front of my mama I grabbed bowling shoes for me and Jude.

Easing up beside me Ms. Norma leaned against the counter. “I like y’all like this.”

“It’s a facade.” I chided. “I really hate your son but I gotta play nice.”

“You don’t hate him, Nariah.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You don’t.” She shook her head. “You may dislike his ways, but you don’t hate him. Hate is such a strong word ya know.”

“I do. But anytime he gets in his feelings he yells out how much he hates me so I’m reciprocating the energy.”

“Don’t be like Julius. Be better than him.” She advised.

“That’s hard to do.”

“You ain’t gotta tell me.” She jested. “That boy is stubborn.”

“As hell.”

“But he does love you, Nariah. Always has.”

“And you know what Ms. Norma.” I sighed. “I’ve never doubted that. I know Julius loves me and I’m sure he knows my heart swings his way.”

“Now what kind of shit is that?” She laughed. “Your heart swings his way? Just admit that you love him just as much as he does you.”

“I do.” I admitted. “Julius is…” I paused to gather my thoughts.

“At one time Julius was my best friend. I thought he’d gotten it all out of his system after the first incident but clearly, I was mistaken.

I can love him all day Ms. Norma but until I’ve figured out how to navigate life without being in my feelings I’ll forever be on his head. ” I shrugged.

I wasn’t a spiteful person at all but parts of me wanted that nigga to hurt.

Shit he ain’t think twice before hurting me so I wanted him to see what that shit felt like.

When he pressed me about fucking Flocco I could’ve lied and said I didn’t.

But why lie? I fucked him twice and if the dick was more than average I probably would’ve gone back for thirds.

Flocco was really just a way for me to get my lick back.

He was the last person Julius had to worry about.

Dip on the other hand was slowly but surely winning me over.

I could see us being in a relationship. He was educated, had a few side hustles, and had just the right amount of hood in him to keep me on my toes.

More importantly Dip was really set on getting to know me, sex was an afterthought with him. Which made me like him even more.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right.” She tapped her knuckles on the counter and left me with that statement.

Shrugging it off I went back to the table.

“Come on Jude so we can put your shoes on.” Once both of us were suited up I pulled his braids back into a ponytail and helped him out of his jacket.

My baby flexed his muscles and kissed his arms before betting Tito that we would whoop them by a thousand points.

Julius butted in when Jude said he ain’t have no money but would give up his gold AP.

“Yo ass not ‘bout to give up that watch.” He chuckled. “Ass be mad when yo mama take if off before you shower.”

“Aww man daddy.” Jude groaned. “That’s all I got.”

“Where yo wallet at?” Julius asked him.

“My mama got it.”

Reaching in his pocket Julius pulled out a stack and held it out to Jude. Put this on it.”

“Oh, we cooking now.” Tito joked and pulled his own stack out. “Don’t go crying to ya mama when I spank that ass.”

“Don’t go crying to yo mama.” Jude retorted, making everybody laugh. The shit that came out of his mouth at times should’ve surprised me, but it didn’t. His ass stayed picking up on Julius’s lingo.

Julius looked at me and shook his head. “Boy talking big shit and done already asked them folks to put the bumper up. Now I gotta beat these niggas ass ‘cause can’t neither of y’all bowl worth shit.”

Flipping his ass off I grinned. “Get off my baby. Come on Jude let’s run they pockets.”

Our lil challenge was out the door when Tito rolled his very first strike.

Bumpers up and all my baby couldn’t bowl a strike for nothing.

My nails were long which made it uncomfortable as hell for me to stuff my fingers in them lil ass holes.

Julius talked shit about me and Jude the whole time and pretty much led the score board for us.

After getting our ass beat not once but thrice, we decided to give up on bowling and enjoy the arcade games.

At least we did until Jude was ready to eat.

Julius and I were getting along. Surprisingly, but we were.

Today kind of felt like old times. The three of us sat at the table and talked about what we were doing for Jude’s upcoming birthday.

Jude wanted to throw him a party at the house, but my baby had other plans. Plans that would have me and his father in the same vicinity for at least a week.

Toting a sleeping Jude out of Andretti’s, Julius followed me to my truck so he could get Jude’s things. Before he fell asleep my baby told his daddy he wanted to go home with him. That worked out for me ‘cause I had plans to pull up on Dip later.

Handing Julius the book bag I queried. “You gone bring him home tomorrow or I need to come get him?”

“It’s whatever you prefer. We ain’t gone be doing shit but kicking it around the crib.”

“I’ll just swing through and get him before I go home.”

Pitching a tent with his eyebrows he asked. “Fuck you going?”

“To mind my business.”

“Must be going to see one of yo niggas.”

“Umph.” I tsked and hopped in my truck. “Nawl I’m going to see one of yo niggas.”

Perching his body between my car door Julius adjusted Jude in his arms. “Why you be fucking with me Nariah? Like you don’t know how I give it up. Like you ain’t worried ‘bout me knocking one of them niggas over the head.”

Leaning back in my seat I dropped my phone in the cup holder. “Why you clocking me like I belong to you?”

“Cause you fucking do. And even when you think we done just know we not. I’m letting you get that shit out ya system ‘cause I know I fucked up. But Nariah don’t get beside ya self. ‘Cause if I really wanted to, I could end all that shit.”

“And now you talking crazy.” Reaching for the handle I tried to shut the door, but Julius bumped it back opened.

“Tell me you don’t miss me.”

“I’on miss you. Now what?”

“You a muthafucking lie.” He snorted, making me roll eyes. “You miss the way I used to tear that pussy up huh.”

I shifted in my seat. Cause yes… yes, I did. Julius had some good dick. I mean the type of dick that’ll have you holding that nigga down while he did a bid. Instead of telling his ass the truth I flexed. “Nope.” I stressed, putting emphasis on the p.

“Yeah aight.” He chuckled. “Can I have a kiss?”

“You ain’t never thought.”

“Aye Tito. Come get Juju for me real quick.”

“Julius.” I whined already seeing where this shit was about to go.

“Hold up.” Julius handed Jude to Tito and focused his attention back on me. “Give me a kiss Nariah.”

“No.” I shook my head defiantly. Julius was full of shit, and I wasn’t ‘bout to fall for his shit.

Taking me by the chin the nigga leaned in and sucked my top lip into his mouth. For a second, I just sat there, praying that he would let me go. When he twirled his tongue in and out of my mouth my stupid ass gave in and kissed him back.