Page 27 of Out of Bounds (Atlanta Demon Series #4)
“Whaddup, bih!” Deuce called out after he entered the locker room. “Don’t tell me you sitting in here sulking. We just won the fucking game! What reason you got to be sad?” Sliding in front of his locker, he tossed his helmet to the side and leaned back.
“Nawl…” I shook my head. “I’m happy as hell with the win.”
“Then why you sitting here with ya face all frowned up and shit?”
“I didn’t get to see my kids after the game.” Folding my arms across my chest, I extended my legs in front of me and leaned back into my locker.
“Oh, okay. Sis wasn’t tryna stick around?”
“Masai ain’t come. She sent them with her mama.”
Tonight, we had a Monday night game. My mother-in-law brought the kids to see me play, but before the end of the game, they had dipped.
The minute I finished my post-game interview, I had planned to go see them in the suite, so I was pissed.
She shot me a text letting me know that Masai wanted them home early so they could get in bed since it was a school night.
“Awww, man. I’m sorry, bruh. I know how much it means to you for them to be here. When’s the next time you’re getting them?”
“Aurora’s birthday party is this weekend, so they staying at the crib with me when it’s over.”
“That’s what’s up. So, what you got going for the rest of the night? A few of us planning on hitting Cheetah.”
“Not shit. Was gone head to the crib and chill.”
“You should slide out with us,” Deuce offered. “Yo’ ass ain’t been doing a bunch of nothing anyway. If the kids ain’t with you, yo’ ass be locked up in the house. Come kick it with ya boy.”
I chuckled. “Kicking it with my boy is the reason I’m in this mess.”
“Nawl, fuck nigga, ’cause I left that night. Yo’ ass the one tryna kick it with them young cats.”
“I’m fucking with you.”
“I’m already knowing. But, on the real, I know the divorce hurt. Shit, you lost yo’ lifeline. But sitting up in the crib sulking ain’t doing shit but making you relive every fucking thing. Step out with ya patna tonight, and let me treat you to a drink.”
I thought about what Deuce was saying. Life without my wife had been real fucking mundane. I know one night out wouldn’t solve all of my problems, but shit, it couldn’t hurt either. “Aight. I’ll rock out with y’all for a lil’ minute,” I finally agreed.
“Bet. I’mma tell Jrue’s ass you gon’ slide through. Want me to come scoop you?” he asked before saying, “Nawl, I’mma come get ya. If I let yo’ ass leave here, you gon’ somehow change ya mind.”
I laughed because he was probably right. “Yeah, man… you can come grab me.”
“Bet. I’ll hit you when I’m on the way.”
“Say less.” After talking with him for a few more minutes, I shed my game gear and changed into some throwaway clothes.
Before I left the facility, Deuce made me promise one last time that I wasn’t going to flake.
I did, and even though I wanted nothing more than to go sit in the darkness of my house, I promised myself that I would be ready when he showed.
After getting home and showering, I scoured my closet for something to put on.
The kids ended up FaceTiming me before they went to bed, so my mood gone down from there.
I was getting ready to change my mind and renege when Jrue hit me up.
His ass must’ve known I was getting ready to cancel.
I understood what they were aiming for, but the last thing I wanted was to be in the fucking strip club around a bunch of hard legs and some thirsty-ass hoes.
That’s the reason my ass was sitting here, divorced now.
“What you ordering, Dolla?” Jrue asked, snapping me out of my daydream.
“Oh, shit. Let me get a Whiskey neat, a bottle of 1942, and put whatever they ordering on my tab.” I fished my wallet out of my back pocket and attempted to pass it to the waitress when Deuce told me it was on him tonight. I wasn’t about to argue with his ass, so I put my shit back in place.
“We got you tonight,” Jrue added.
I eyed them suspiciously. “Fuck you niggas got going on?”
“Nothing, nigga. The fuck.” Deuce frowned. “Niggas tryna show you that you loved over this way. We want you to know that we got ya back. Whatever you need, we here for you. Lean on yo’ bro’s, dog. You ain’t gotta go through this shit alone.”
It took me a few seconds to respond, but when I did, I smiled. “’Preciate that shit, dog.”
“We know life right now may be gloomy, and you feeling like the world against you, but it’s not. Dog… you made a mistake, and it’s cost you a lot, but we yo’ niggas. We gon’ rock out with ya regardless,” Jrue added.
“I know, man. I been beating myself up ’bout the shit ’cause I really lost my soulmate. Like, I’m taking it on the chin. It’s just taking a minute to process.”
“Take all the time you need. But at the end of the day, you gon’ be good. This separation with you and sis is temporary. Eventually, y’all gon’ work it out.”
“Shit…” I snorted. Deuce had high hopes for some shit that I knew wasn’t happening. Masai’s ass wasn’t budging, and I ain’t have nobody to blame but myself.
She was busy getting her life together, and my ass had been sitting here holding out hope that we would reconcile.
I couldn’t front. When I sat there and watched her sign those fucking papers, something in me tore.
That shit had me feeling like my girl had really given up on me and the life we built together.
Granted, I know I fucked up, but it was the fact that Masai acted like the shit couldn’t be fixed.
She was acting like she ain’t want to fix it.
I know her fixing it meant that KJ would be a permanent fixture in her life, and maybe she didn’t want that to be her reality.
I respected it because, after all, his existence was constant proof of my infidelity.
Masai had moved on with her life, no matter how hard I tried to prevent the shit from happening. Maybe it was finally time for me to accept that shit was really over and move on with mine too.
“Nawl, I think my girl done with my ass. But say… we ain’t gotta talk ’bout it. We done now. The papers had been signed. All we can do for each other is be the best version of ourselves for our kids. I’m good.”
“You sure? ’Cause I got yo’ ass on suicide watch.” Deuce joked. “I went to the bank the other day to check and make sure the policy I took out on yo’ ass was still valid.”
Tossing my head back, I laughed. “Fuck you, dog!”
“Shit. I’m just saying.”
“I ain’t selfish, bruh. Me taking myself out will devastate my kids, and they done already been through the worst.”
“Aight. I’m just making sure.” He patted me on the chest. “Now that we done got this depressed nigga outta his head, it’s time to see some ass shaking!” he yelled that last part, making Jrue lean over and slap hands with him.
The two of them used any little excuse to see some strippers, but I got it.
Both of them were from Atlanta, and if you know anything about the A, you knew the naked hustle was a rite of passage.
When the waitress came back with our drinks, I had no choice but to shake myself out of my sullen state.
My niggas were trying to get me to enjoy myself, and I refused to ruin their night because my issues were bearing down on my shoulder.
Instead, I slipped off to the ATM and grabbed a few stacks out and had the waitress break them down to the some ones.
For the rest of the night, I sat in our section and paid somebody’s fucking rent for the next few months.
By the time we dipped, my ass was so fucked up that them niggas had to help my ass in the crib.
I had to give it to them; their plan worked, even if it was only temporary.
For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t sitting up stressing about my life or what it had been.
I was finally able to sit back and enjoy myself without any inhibitions.
My marriage was already over—wasn’t shit else I could do about that.
Stomping her little feet, Aurora threw her hands on her hips. “Come on, Daddy! You promised.”
“Aurora, I ain’t promise no shit like this.” I frowned.
Masai thought Aurora was going to change her mind about the type of party she wanted.
My baby was serious when she said she wanted to be the black Little Mermaid.
I was down for it because whatever my kids wanted, they got.
What my ass didn’t expect was for them to show up at the crib with a fucking King Triton costume.
I don’t know what the fuck Masai was thinking, but I ain’t plan on wearing no costume.
“But it’s my birthday!” She pouted.
“I know, baby, and you look beautiful in your costume. But why does Daddy have to wear one? Mommy ain’t got a costume on.”
“That’s because Ariel doesn’t have a mother,” Masai noted as she stepped into the living room.
They wanted me to dress up, but her ass had on a pair of shorts and a fucking T-shirt with Aurora dressed up as Ariel on it.
Her ass had the nerve to be looking and smelling all good and shit.
I know I told her I preferred her with long hair, but this bob shit she was sporting damn near had my dick on hard.
“Mommy could’ve been Ursula, the evil auntie.” I jabbed, making Masai narrow her eyes at me.
“The last thing you want me to be is Ursula. I would ban you to the depths of the ocean with no possibility of return,” she tossed out so casually that I had no choice but to believe her ass.
“Daddy!” Aurora groaned. “Please put it on.”
“Aight, baby girl,” I finally relented. “I’mma run upstairs and get changed. Masai, if you want, you can show the kids to the backyard. The decorator has everything set up.”
Masai grabbed Aurora’s hand. “Come on, Princess Ariel.” She smiled down at my baby before the two of them trotted off.