by B. Love
Therapy had definitely been helping her. She looked like a completely different person when he saw her earlier. Just as beautiful, but there was a glow about her now. One that went beyond her being pregnant. She was glowing from the inside, as if she was growing lighter and lighter day by day. And if her therapy and healing was the cause of that, Ransom could only pray the paternity of Cinde’s child did nothing to stop that.
As he walked into the bar to meet with Houston and Jax, he couldn’t help but call Maria to put something in place for Leigh. Even though they’d agreed to not see each other for a while, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be on call for her to do whatever she needed him to do. Instead of going directly over to their table, Ransom first went to the bar to finish his conversation with Maria. He needed her to put together the gift basket he had in mind for Leigh with some of her favorite things.
Her belly had gotten a little bigger since their appointment, and the thought of not being able to rub on it whenever he wanted to had him sick. But at least she’d have the teddy bear in the basket to cuddle up with until they got their shit together. And they would get their shit together.
Because there was no way Ransom would allow them to come this far and not make the most out of their love.
After meeting with Nash, Maria headed to Pressure’s home. Very rarely was he there, so she was surprised when he told her to come through. Even though she was originally stopping by to update him on the plans she’d made with Nash to rob the pill truck, she also needed some advice on Jax. A week had passed, and she hadn’t talked to or heard from him. Being the one who usually went ghost, Maria wasn’t sure what to do with herself.
“Maria ia ia,” Pressure sang as he opened the door, causing her to smile. “What’s up booboo?”
“Shit,” she answered, stepping into his embrace. “What you doing at the house in the middle of the day? Your ass don’t never rest and chill.”
“I’m trying to work on that. Exotic won’t give me no play because she say I can’t be still.”
Maria chuckled as they headed for his game room. Pressure legit had no chill. Honestly, his life wasn’t set for him to do so. Too many people in the streets and the family relied on him for him to rest. Pressure was the father of many even though he had no kids from his own seeds.
“Bullshit. I know you ain’t tryna get serious with E.”
Pressure sighed as he scratched his eyebrow. “Nah. I ain’t built to be settling down with nobody right now, especially Ana. But I did run into her last night at Leigh’s club and she got onto me about needing to take some time to myself. She made me promise her that I would rest today and I’m a man of my word, so I had to do it.”
After making a mental note to thank Exotic for getting her brother to sit still, Maria asked, “Did Nash tell you we had to push the date back on the truck with everything that’s going on?”
Pressure nodded as he went into his refrigerator and grabbed them both a beer. “Yea. He didn’t go into details though so I figured you would when you got here.”
And she did. It didn’t take long for her to run down their plan and new timeframe. When it was over, they began to play a game of pool that didn’t really provide the distraction she needed it to. As hard as she tried not to, Maria’s face kept forming a pout. Jax was heavy on her mind. She kept wondering if he was okay.
He’d been given a lot of tough pills to swallow at one time, and she wanted nothing more than to be at his side helping him every step of the way.
“What’s up with you?” Pressure checked, leaning against the pool table. “I just got five shots in on you and that ain’t like you.”
Maria smiled softly as she leaned against her pool stick. She’d already told Pressure about what had happened, but he or no one else had any idea how difficult this had been for her. Not so much over Malibu, but Jax. All she could think about was him. His feelings. His needs. His hurt. His confusion.
“I haven’t heard from Jax in a week since everything went down.”
Pressure nodded as he leaned down to take another shot. “He’s logical and needs some time to make this shit make sense. If he has sense, he’ll come back to you when he’s ready to move on. If not fuck ‘em.”
Maria chuckled and shook her head as yet another one of his solid balls were knocked down. Out of everyone, they were two of the best pool players. You never wanted them to get a chance to shoot because if they did, the game would damn near be over by the time they were done.
“You and Nash be saying that fuck ‘em shit like it’s that easy.”
“Hell, it is. Y’all gotta learn not to get attached to these motherfuckers. Love ain’t no real need until you make it one. You liked the nigga so you made it one. Now you suffering.”
Maria couldn’t argue with him because he was telling the truth. Love hadn’t been a need for her until she made it one by opening her heart to Jax.
“I just wanna be there for him and with him. He got me open in ways I didn’t know were possible, now I feel like we won’t be able to get past this.”
“You gotta keep the right perspective. What I tell you about that shit? The mind manifests misery or miracles. Your choice. He was patient with you, you gotta be patient with him. Shit gon’ work out. And if it don’t…”
Maria rolled her eyes and smiled as she shook her head. “Fuck ‘em.”
“There you go. Now get your head back in the game.” Maria inhaled a deep breath and released the negativity that was clouding her mind. Immediately she knocked in three balls causing Pressure to mumble, “Good shit.”
After giving him a wink, she focused on the game until it was over. He won naturally, but she won the next game, and they decided to leave it at a tie until the next time she came over. That little boost from Pressure gave Maria the peace she needed to wait and see what decision Jax would make. In the meantime, she’d focus on her money as she always did.
Jax
This past week had gone by in a blur for Jax. The first few days he spent to himself, trying to get his mind right. Then he met his grandparents and started getting to know them. And Malibu through their stories about him. It made him feel good to know that they didn’t really start getting to know him until he’d moved to Memphis in the middle of his high school years, so at least he wasn’t the only one who had been robbed of him.
His parents and siblings… aunt and uncle and cousins… had been blowing his phone up, but Jax didn’t want to talk to any of them. Not right now at least. It was necessary for him to get his mind right before he ended up saying some shit he wouldn’t be able to take back. Jax knew that eventually he would accept what was done and reconnect with his cousins, but he had absolutely no desire to get to know his real parents.
As he looked down at Malibu’s tombstone, guilt began to fill him. He couldn’t help but feel as if he could have saved his younger brother if he would have known him. From what he’d heard, Malibu was so heavy in the streets to feel as if he belonged. Jax could have protected him and made sure he knew there was someone in his family that he could relate to. Now, Jax was in that same boat – feeling as if he too didn’t belong.
Scratching the back of his neck, Jax sighed as he shook his head. He missed someone he’d never even met before.
It wasn’t necessary for Jax to turn around to know that Maria was there. He felt her. And smelled her intoxicating scent. The YSL Black Opium that she wore blended with her natural scent perfectly and made it her own.
“Whachu doin’ here?” he asked, not even bothering to turn around and face her. Honestly, he didn’t want to. He’d been missing her like crazy, and it was hard as fuck being away from her, but it was necessary.
“Wanted to see how I’d feel coming to talk to him now. If it would be different.”
Jax nodded, turning slowly in her direction. The moment their eyes locked she smiled before looking away.
“I didn’t mean to impose on your time.”
“It’s cool. You ain’t k
now I was here.”
Pulling her hands behind her back, Maria slowly gave him her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m straight. You?” She shrugged before nodding. “Let me see your stitch work.”
Maria lifted her shirt, revealing that her stitches were in fact gone.
“You healing good. That’s what’s up.”
Maria nodded and twisted her mouth to the side as she released a loud breath. “Yea. Well. I’ll go and let you have this time. Pretty much got what I needed already anyway.”
Jax let a few seconds pass as he stepped in her direction before asking, “What was that?”
“Peace. Confirmation. Seeing you.” Jax’s shoulders dropped as he took another step in her direction. “You don’t have to say anything, Jax. I know that this is hard for you.”
“I feel crazy being more loyal to a nigga I ain’t even met than I am myself. My heart. You.”
Maria smiled as she slowly closed the space between them. “That’s the kind of effect Malibu has on you. And he deserves that respect. So I understand.” Cupping his cheek, Maria placed a kiss to the left corner of his mouth. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
He watched as she walked away, unsure of what the hell had just happened. And why. Though his mind told him he’d made the right decision, his heart was telling him not to let her walk away. But until he was able to come to grips with the fact this his brother was the man that had left such a lasting impression on Maria’s heart, he would have to keep his distance, no matter how hard that would be.
Christian thought she was hearing things. The sun had barely set and began to bathe her face as she lay in bed. There was no reason for anyone to be in her room. Worst case scenario, someone was trying to rob her. Best case scenario, Nash was putting his clothes in a drawer. But it wouldn’t make sense for him to be here this early without having mentioned it the night before.
To be safe, Christian casually turned onto her side and slid her hand under her pillow. Pulling it out, she lifted herself from her bed and aimed her petite pink pistol at Nash as he rummaged through her top drawer quietly.
“Nash,” she yelled, allowing her arms to weakly drop to her sides. “The hell are you doing here so early in the morning?”
“Did you forget you gave me a key?”
“No, but that doesn’t explain what you’re doing here going through my drawers and the sun hasn’t even come up all the way yet.”
Closing the drawer, Nash turned in her direction and crossed his arms over his chest. He was so damn handsome without even trying to be with his peanut butter brown skin, stubbly jaw, beady light brown eyes, and heart shaped, juicy ass lips. “I was trying to pack your bags and surprise your light sleeping ass with a trip to Denver but you just had to wake up and fuck it up.”
Pulling her hair gently, Christian danced under the covers as she grinned. She had yet to make a trip to Denver this year, and she couldn’t wait to visit again. But just as quickly as she was filled with excitement is as quickly as she was filled with sadness.
“It’s the middle of the week, boo. I can’t just up and leave town.”
“Why not? It’s not like your ass gotta go to the bakery.”
Oh yea. That was true. And she’d yet to find a new building. Christian had decided to find a bigger place instead of rebuilding her original bakery but she’d been coming up dry. Maybe a trip out of town would be the perfect distraction. Running her fingers through her hair, Christian’s head shook as she looked at Nash. He was waiting patiently, allowing this situation to play out in her mind fully. When she was sure she’d be able to go, Christian smiled and sat on the edge of her bed.
“How’d I get so lucky to have you?”
“I’m the lucky one. Now take care of your business so we can make this flight.”
Standing, Christian walked over to Nash and hugged his neck. Since she hadn’t brushed her teeth yet, she kissed his cheek and shouted thank you over her shoulder as she raced to the bathroom. The entire time she took care of her hygiene she sang and hummed with a smile on her face. This was the happiest she’d been in quite some time. Just the thought of getting away from everything was filling her with so much relief.
Taking a trip out of Memphis had never crossed her mind, but it was starting to feel like the perfect solution to how crazy she’d been feeling over not finding the perfect building. It seemed as if she’d gone from stressing and being sad over the bombing to stressing and being sad over not finding the perfect new space. This was nothing like Christian, at all, and she was determined to get back to her normal self no matter what it took.
After she was done in the bedroom, Christian dressed in the leggings and hoodie that Nash had laid out for her, then she started the process of sending out her daily good morning texts. Everyone in her network had gotten so used to getting her texts every morning that they assumed the worst and thought something had happened to her when they didn’t get it. A few minutes after she sent her mother’s text, Porsha called her. As she headed to the kitchen to fix them a quick breakfast Christian answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, baby. I’ve been waiting to get your text.”
The excitement in Porsha’s voice made Christian smile. “What’s going on, Mommy?”
“Well, Derrick and I talked last night. I… wanted to call and thank you. For what you said at J. Alexanders. You were right. It took some time, but I realize now just how unfair it was of me to expect Derrick to be okay with only me. I’ve been a mother three times now, and I know how much of a joy it is even on the hardest of days. It wasn’t fair of me at all to deny him of that.”
“It was his choice though, Ma. He’s the one who chose to stay with you all this time.”
“Because he loved me, and I knew he loved me, and I took advantage of that. But… it’s out of my love for him that I’ve decided to see what kind of compromise we can come to. I still feel as if I’m too old to carry a baby, but I’m willing to sit down and talk about it and see what we can come up with. And that’s all because of you.”
“Awww.” Christian smiled as she set a can of biscuits on top of the counter. Normally she’d make her own blueberry biscuits, but they wouldn’t have time for that today. “I’m glad I could help, Ma. If y’all do have a baby, I think he or she should be named after me.”
Porsha laughed, causing Christian to chuckle as Nash joined her in the kitchen.
“I don’t know about all that, but, I’ll see what I can do.”
“That’s enough for me.”
“Alright, baby. I’ll let you go.”
“Aight, Ma. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
After disconnecting the call, Christian placed her phone on the counter and let out a quiet giggle. Just the thought of having a new baby brother or sister was the cherry on her already lit ice cream sundae of a day.
Nash
Nash booked them a suite at her favorite hotel in Denver – Gaylord Rockies. When they first got there, Christian spent hours sitting at the waterfall alone. He had no problem giving her her space, because it gave him time to see to business back home. After her time at the waterfall, Nash treated her to an evening at the resort’s spa. She came back walking so light Nash would have sworn she was an angel floating in the air.
It did his heart good to know that she was in a better headspace and that he was able to provide that for her. When he would tell her it made him happy to make her happy, Nash meant that shit. Would always mean that shit. Until the day he died.
With her robe loosely tied around her center, Christian climbed into bed with Nash and straddled him. His phone fell from his hand as she silently and powerfully demanded all of his attention.
“Have I told you how much I love and appreciate you today?” she almost whispered before kissing his lips with a gentle passion that had his dick growing underneath her.
“Yea, but you can tell me again if you want to.”
&
nbsp; Smiling, Christian lifted his arms over his head and began to lower herself down his frame. “How about I show you?”
“That works too.”
Nash never would have guessed Christian was as nasty as she was, and he loved that shit. He loved how he could handle her however he wanted when it came to his dick. She took all of him that she could, whether they were making love or fucking, and Christian made it a priority to make sure he was just as satisfied.
Now was no different.
She took her time slurping and sucking his dick until he reached the point of climax before slowly sliding down onto his shaft and riding him until she milked him for every drop of his cum.
Denver may have been a space for her to come, get high, and ease her mind… but this time… Denver was a space for Nash to get high off of her.
Things between Leigh and Porsha were getting better and better. She found herself visiting her mother at least twice a week, usually after her therapy sessions. Today was no different. Their conversation flowed freely and peacefully at first as they talked about Derrick, Ransom, and the baby. But things got a little tense when Porsha asked Leigh if she’d seen her father yet. As soon as she did, her mind went back to last night…
This moment felt like it was a long time coming, yet Leigh still didn’t feel as if she was prepared. Could she ever truly, really prepare to see her father? After all these years?
Inhaling a deep breath, Leigh ran her hands down her loose-fitting shirt as she released it. Her stomach, and the baby, felt like they were flipping in knots because of her nerves. If she didn’t get a handle on it, she would cancel again, and that would only heighten her anxiousness the next time she tried.
Needing a boost of confidence, Leigh called the only person that could get to her during a time like this and hoped he would answer. Just as the fifth ring sounded off, Leigh was about to lose hope, until she heard that booming voice that she’d fallen in love with.