Page 14 of Kassir and Rebel (D-Ville Projects #2)

After helping her get comfortable under my comforter, I grab the remote, hand it to her, then dip.

I guess Linnea found a place to park because when I make it downstairs, she’s standing in front of the building with her arms crossed.

Kassan is standing beside her. As soon as he spots me, he rushes over.

“Daddy, I’m ready to ball,” he says excitedly.

“Me too. Let’s go.”

“Well, hey baby daddy,” Linnea snaps. “I can’t get a hello now?”

“Hello and goodbye,” I tell her as Kassan and I start to walk off.

“Wow! You can carry a bitch through the block party but can’t give me five minutes,” she utters slickly but I hear her ass so I turn back to face her. I get close enough for her to hear and not Kassan. I never want him to hear me talk shit to his mother.

“Ay. I already told you ’bout that. Her name is Rebel.

I’ll carry her wherever the fuck I want and it doesn’t have shit to do with you.

Don’t let yo’ mouth talk you out of your ride and crib,” I tell her and her eyes pop, getting big as fuck.

“We straight?” I ask, and she nods, but that’s not good enough.

“Nah. You like to hear yourself talk. Open yo’ mouth and answer me. ”

After sucking her teeth and rolling her damn eyes again, she says, “We’re straight, Kassir.”

Satisfied, I grab Kassan’s hand and we journey to the Gravity Zone setup.

Tyriq, a member of DP and one of our Ballerz, is on the first one, bouncing and shooting with a few kids.

This nigga has had a ball in his hand since he was knee-high.

He’s a beast on the court and a D-Ville celebrity.

Not only is he a street baller, he also plays for CFU.

This is his junior year and he’s slated to go first round in the draft next year.

Hopefully, the Royals pick him. If anybody deserves it, Riq does.

When we hop in line, he spots us and walks over. After greeting me, he leans down to Kassan and holds his fist out. “What’s up lil, K,” he says.

“Nothing,” he answers before pounding Riq.

“I see your retros. You came to ball?”

“Yes and Imma win too,” my lil jit says confidently.

“You gon’ beat me?” Riq asks.

“Yes,” Kassan says, then he looks up at me. “Can I play, Daddy?”

“Yeah. Go school him on balling,” I encourage and Kassan smiles big as hell.

“I got him, fam, if you need to go handle that,” Riq says before extending to his full six foot nine height.

Handle what? I think as I glance back. Mano’s ass is standing to the side of the Pancake House truck, motioning toward me.

I just turn back around. His disrespectful ass ain’t even worth a second of my time.

Besides, he clearly hasn’t learned his lesson.

My son is right here; therefore, his ass shouldn’t be. Fuck nigga.

“I don’t need to handle shit with him. You and Kassir ball out. Imma chill right here,” I tell him.

They walk onto the basketball bouncer and I watch until they are up in the line. My cell vibrates in my pocket so I pull it out. It’s Rebel, my heart.

Mi Corazón: Wyd?

Me: Watching Kassan play with Riq. U good?

Mi Corazón: No.

Me: I’m coming. Give me ten.

Mi Corazón: No. Stay. I’ll be fine. I just need these pills to kick in.

Me: You need to blow.

Mi Corazón: Weed doesn’t cure everything LOL. Besides, you have the baby.

Me: Bet.

She’s right. I do not smoke around Kassan. I really don’t do shit around him. He doesn’t need to see that side of me. All I want to show him is love and how to be a man.

Me: I’ll get you an edible.

Mi Corazón: From where?

“Serious. Serious,” a feminine voice calls out. It sounds familiar but I’m too caught up in messaging Rebel to care who it is.

Me: Do u need all the details?

Mi Corazón: Yes. It’s going in my body.

Me: I want to be in that body.

Mi Corazón: You are so damn nasty.

Me: U love it.

Mi Corazón: I definitely love it.

“Serious. This is you. You didn’t hear me?” I hear then look up from my phone and my eyes meet Tyshon’s light brown ones. “I was yelling your name,” she says but my eyes drop at the feel of my phone vibrating.

Mi Corazón: I love you too but you know that.

Me: I know.

Mi Corazón: Say it back!

“It’s true,” Tyshon says. I didn’t realize she was still here.

“Man, what?” I ask, annoyed as hell.

“She’s back, huh? I heard you were booed up at The Drexel and everybody’s talking about you carrying some chick in your arms through the block party. It’s her,” she says, sadness all up and through her tone.

“Yeah, it’s her.”

“I knew I never had your heart, but I can’t lie, I thought we had something. No sex can be that good and there’s no connection,” she says, then stares into my eyes. I break the stare when my phone vibrates again.

Mi Corazón:

Smiling, I reply.

Me: You know I love your spoiled ass.

Mi Corazón: U better. I’m getting sleepy. Finally.

Me: Sleep, love. Text when you get up.

When I look back up, Tyshon is still in front of me, glaring with a smirk on her face.

“You be easy, Serious,” she says before stepping closer.

She leans up and I don’t stop her. We’ve been fucking around for a minute now.

It isn’t her fault that she isn’t Rebel.

So when she places a kiss on my cheek, I don’t stop her.

After staring at me for a moment, she grins a little then says, “She’s one lucky girl. ”

“Nah. The lucky one is me.”

She walks off and I look up to check on Kassan. He and Tyriq are actually back in line.