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I’d sent Daisy and Aurora to a spa—different locations at their request—so that I could have some peace for a minute without one of them crawling all over a nigga.

And just as I settled with my bowl of cereal to relax, my doorbell sounded off. Exhaling heavily, I stood, exiting the den to see who the fuck it was. It had to have been one of my brothers or one of them damn delivery companies since the ladies stayed ordering every fucking thing.

I swear it was like the internet told itself ‘here come these two dumb asses. Let’s advertise every fucking thing,’ and they fell for it.

Opening my door, I was surprised as fuck to see AJ on my doorstep.

“Nigga, you better have a good ass reason for pulling up on me like this.” I frowned, ready to box his fucking head.

“I do.” He ran a hand down his face in distress. “Why you help that girl abort my kid, Nique?”

“I ain’t help her do shit. I gave her some bread, and she did whatever she wanted to with it. I ain’t into policing folks and what they do with the money I give ’em,” I stated nonchalantly, seeing he was mentally going through it.

Why he was pressed to have a baby by Kabrina when he was married was not only stupid, but it low-key pissed me the fuck off. Like he thought Kabrina wasn’t good enough to have her own shit and own life, and having his side baby was the best she could fucking do. A stretch, but I didn’t like this nigga and kept replaying him having to jump off the boat whenever I was having a bad fucking day.

“You got me fucked up, for real!” he screamed.

“So what you gon’ do ’bout it?” I closed the space between us, staring down into his face since he was a few inches shorter than a nigga. “’Cause see, you don’t know shit ’bout me, muthafucka. You pussy, and the role you play on TV is just that, but me? I don’t play the fuck out of Demin ’cause I’m that talented. I think you know that.”

Our eyes were locked, and I could see him processing my words before he swallowed a lump and stepped back, giving us some space again.

“I’m just saying, man,” his tone was calmer, “how the fuck would you feel if I helped yo’ girl abort yo’ child?”

“I’d either beat yo’ ass, smoke you, or have some niggas smoke you, but we different people, nigga.” I leaned in the doorway calmly.

“Man, whatever.” He started walking off backward. “You foul as fuck for that shit, and you know it.” His eyes were glistening like the nigga was about to cry, but I didn’t feel for him.

“Women prefer chocolate anyway, nigga! They only settle for light-skinned niggas!” I shouted to his back, but he kept walking, shaking his head slightly. “Ho ass nigga.” I ventured back inside.

After eating my cereal, I did a few things around the crib that I wanted to, like work on my car, then took another shower before lying in my bed. Scrolling through my contacts, I tried to think of some shit to busy self with, but all I could think about was Kabrina. My mind immediately went to possibly telling her what information Mack gave me, but I didn’t want her trying to push him to use it and get our shit annulled.

Unable to contain my wants, I hit her name. I knew she would answer, thinking I had an update, and a part of me hated that shit.

“Hey, what’s up?” She breathed into the phone a little heavily like she was moving around.

“What you doing? Need help?” I sat up.

“No, Unique, I do not. I was just walking on this treadmill in the gym within the building. This place is really nice.”

“Thanks.” I smirked. It was quiet for a bit before I said, “I miss you, KK.”

“Ugh, Unique. What did I tell you?”

“I’m not flirting. I miss people I have no feelings for like my mama, sister, brothers, father.”

“Okay, but I’m not related to you.”

“Thank God, ’cause we married. We ain’t no fucking hillbillies.”

Giggling, she asked, “What do you want? Did Mack give you something because otherwise, I need to be left alone by all involved men. Even the funny ones.”

“Why?”

“Boy. Focus on your women, please.”

“What if I wanted to focus on you?”

She was quiet for so fucking long I thought her ass hung up, which would be on brand as fuck for her.

“That’s not an option. I’m not an option in any way, shape, or form. Even if you were single, I wouldn’t be because I don’t agree with how you live your life. No offense. I don’t care how good of a man you are or how rich. That’s not the way I want to have a relationship.”

I nodded, knowing because of how she came into the world she was against that shit more than the average woman.

“Can I ask you something? You gotta promise to answer.”

“It depends.”

“What you think life would be like if you became my number three?”

“Oh my gosh. Of course you’d ask me that.” She exhaled. “It would be miserable, I am sure. I have this big ass requirement in relationships, and that is to be the only one. Not the main, but the only.”

“What if I can make you feel like the only one?”

Again, she paused for a long ass time.

“The fact remains that I wouldn’t be, and that isn’t my vibe. I don’t share dick. I don’t share quality time. I just don’t share when it comes to my man. I especially don’t share if he got me feeling like you claim you would. I’m too needy, clingy, and all of that.” She sighed again. “It’s also a respect thing and a maturity thing for me too. The man I am devoted to needs to be devoted to just me. That takes a lot of maturity, patience, sexual discipline, and having the upmost respect for the woman you love or wanna be with.”

“I feel it.” I nodded, thinking. The shit she said didn’t sound as difficult to do when a nigga thought about doing it for her. The same shit that sounded like it’d make a nigga miserable became doable coming from her lips. “What if I wasn’t into poly? You’d fuck with me?”

“I can’t say, Nique. I only know this version of you. I’d have to see the monogamous version.”

I was about to respond, but Daisy came into my bedroom before I could, mouthing ‘who is that?’ whilst wearing a smile.

I put up one finger, but she ignored it, dropping down onto her knees while reaching for the band of my sweats.

“Aye, chill,” I spoke lowly, moving her arm.

“Huh?” Kabrina asked, thinking I was speaking to her as I clenched my teeth at Daisy, telling her to leave out.

“Aye, hold on.” I dropped the phone from my ear, pressing it to my chest after muting it. “Step out for a second. I’m on the fucking phone.”

“Why? I’ve sucked your dick while you’ve been on the phone plenty of times. Who the fuck is so important that I can’t do it now?”

“Daisy—”

“Don’t Daisy me! Nigga, you been acting funny as fuck lately, but this? Nah, something is up! Is that a bitch?” She reached for my phone, but I moved it. She kept trying, making me stand up to be sure it was out of her fucking reach.

“I ain’t gon’ tell you again to step the fuck out, Daisy.” I gave her unwavering eye contact, making her suck her teeth and shake her head before switching out hard as fuck.

Once my door was closed, I pulled my phone from my chest to see Kabrina had hung up. I dialed her back, but she didn’t answer me. She didn’t answer the next two calls either, so I gave up.

Irritated, I padded out of my bedroom and down the hall to Daisy’s. Knocking lightly, I entered before she could tell me to come in. When I did, she looked at me briefly before smacking her lips and continuing to prepare for a bath.

“I’m going to bed. The head is off the table.” She stormed to her bathroom.

“Come here and let me talk to you.” I sat in the love seat within her room. When I saw she was purposely taking forever, I bellowed, “Daisy!”

“Alright!” She came stomping out and sat next to me, arms folded and pouting.

“When I explain that I’m on the phone, I need you to leave me be. I don’t give a fuck what I allowed before.”

“Why though? It’s like our thing at this point.” She turned to me a bit, arms still folded under her breasts. “You said you liked it and how spontaneous it was, but now it’s a problem.”

I ran a hand down my face because she was right. I had said all that shit, and I’d meant it, but I never thought I’d meet another woman who had me feeling the way I was, and we’d only barely fucking kissed.

As the days progressed, Kabrina consumed my fucking mind more and more. Seemed like when I wasn’t working or going over lines, she was what I fucking thought about. And shit, sometimes even while I was working and going over lines. I couldn’t get her off my mind, out my fucking head, or nothing, and this shit was insanity.

I wanted to drop everything and have tunnel vision on my wife, but I was afraid I’d fuck shit up. I was afraid I’d make her mine and not be able to stand on the shit I promised. I may have been a flirt, I may have dabbled in several females at once, but I was never the type of nigga to play with feelings and shit. For the most part, I tried to be honest, and the last thing I wanted was to get with Kabrina and dog her out or change my mind on her.

And to keep shit a buck, I couldn’t be sure if she was feeling me like that anyway. She didn’t give a nigga much, and I couldn’t blame her since I was taken.

Leaning forward and pressing my forearms into my thighs, I said, “I did say that, but if I tell you no, listen to me. And today, I ain’t want that shit.”

Daisy’s brows furrowed some as she stared me down. “Who was on the phone, Unique?”

Her question made me rise to my feet.

“None of ya business,” I threw out and watched the shock appear on her face as she jerked her neck back.

“Excuse me?” She stood as well. “I’m your woman, and you’re my man, but I can’t know who was on your phone? Why is that, Unique?”

“Either you fall the fuck in line or you get replaced. It’s up to you.”

“Get replaced? You talked all this shit about how much you liked me and saw a fucking future with me, but now I can get replaced?” She was infuriated as fuck. “You are so fucked up!”

“Aye, aye, you right. I shouldn’t have said that shit.” I gripped her biceps, watching her tear up a bit and feeling bad than a muthafucka. Bringing her in for a hug, I added, “I ain’t mean that, love, but you gotta chill out. Just listen sometimes and stop turning every fucking thing into a debate. I ain’t got no problems with you speaking ya fucking mind, but when I say I’m busy or wanna be left alone, honor the shit.”

“You’re right.” She nodded, her face brushing against my chest as I kissed the top of her head. “So who was it?” She peeled her face from my chest and looked up at me.

“A friend.” I shrugged.

As much as I didn’t plan to play with feelings, that was exactly what a nigga was doing.