“Nigga I KNOW you see me sitting here looking at my hand---.”
“Don’t matter, move nigga,” Michael barked playfully. “Besides, they giving yo baby mama a hard time ova there. Go break it up before they start fighting.”
“Homer told you to come over here?” Malone asked with a laugh as he winked at me. “Make sure I wasn’t talking to his woman?”
“Nah, I just know yo old ass, and how you move,” sitting down as he picked up the cards. “Let’s play.”
Sure enough, Michael and I began throwing looks at each other across the table as we slapped one card after another down. Only to swipe it to the edge of the table for a book. Game didn’t go left until Malone playfully tried to peek at my hand causing me to laugh.
“You know you’re something special if you can get the women to shut up,” he said with a nod behind me.
“What are you talking about?” I laughed as I turned around seeing Caroline, and her minions of sisters, and cousins all stare me down like they had nothing better to do.
“I will forever be hated here, I know,” I sighed with a shrug. I frowned into my smile towards Malone while Michael watched carefully. “Truthfully?”
“Wassup?” He said, slapping his card down.
“I don’t give a damn.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he laughed. “We all know how you feel after you came in that house and whopped Homer upside the head.”
“Nah, how bout when he came running after her, and knocked his own behind out cold?” JB laughed. “Mannnnn you done gave these baby mamas out here some ideas. I wish a woman would come up to me, and hit me with a frying pan? I’ma cook yo ass right on back upside the head!”
“It was a moment! I promise, I’m not that abusive or crazy,” taking a swig of my drink. “He just brings out the worst in me for some reason.”
“That ain’t the kind of man you need to be around. Homer ever told you about his first Moon Run?”
“Ahhhhh, where Walik at?! I remember that night! Boy came out crying, and carrying on! Ran straight to his mama, and told everything!” JB let out, looking around for back up to confirm the story. “After Yuma said not to say a word!”
Suddenly, a small crowd of older men came towards our table talking over one another about Homer being a kid with his dad leading the conversation. We still attempted to play spades, but it was no longer about the game. It was about who could tell the funniest story about Homer.
“He ever tell you the story about how he got caught running out the back door of his teacher’s house? Boi! I won’t eva forget that! Had that lady fired!”
“She was fine though!” Kenneth laughed. “I ain’t mad at him!”
“Nah, nah you know he told us the story on how he met you Pia,” Malone said, taking a sip of his beer as I turned my head curiously.
“What did he say exactly?”
“He met some rich girl in Atlanta, and blew her back out,” he laughed as my mouth dropped. “I ain’t gon repeat some of the stuff he said, but he claim he had you climbing that headboard---.”
“First of all? That’s a lie and Michael can back me up on that,” pointing at him with my finger. “Secondly? Homer Skye cried while having sex with me---.”
“I saw it. I saw some tears. I was like, nigga is you crying? Is you really crying?” Michael let out as the entire table erupted in laughter. I had to cover my baby’s ears but Violet was such a hard sleeper, sometimes I thought about getting her ears checked specifically for that.”
“It wasn’t good then?” Malone pressed.
“Oh no, I was fantastic,” I said as he stuck his tongue out with his brows playfully raising in a cheesy grin. “Homer has a lot to learn. I’ll say that. I’m more experienced having only dealt with three men in my entire life than I’m sure he is with the countless amount of women he’s messed with,” taking another sip of my beer as Carol made her way over.
“What are we talking about?” She asked as I nearly choked with my cough. I needed to slow down on this drink, but it was too late.
“That was a poor representation of what we can really do, but you was fucking with a boy. You should have been with a real man like me,” Malone said with a rub of his beard. “I would have turned you out.”
“Please,” I giggled with a flip of my hair. “Don’t make me laugh. First of all, I’m engaged, and I love my man to pieces, and secondly? I would eat you alive in the bedroom, do you hear me?” I mocked in an overly country accent as he laughed.
“Maa? You gotta go, this is grown men talking,” Michael complained.
“Where you staying at tonight with baby girl?” Malone asked as Carol put her hand protectively on the back of my chair.
“With my son in Columbia in his house, where you staying? Which girlfriend, Malone?” She checked as they all cackled and laughed.
“Auntie Carol, he’s still not over Nasia. How you gon force him to be with Pia---.”
“I don’t have to force nothing. I know she’s not finna be laid up in the bed with you---.”
“I’m not going to be laid up in the bed with anybody but my child, and again? My man back home,” I laughed nervously, wishing I had another sip of beer left. “And I’m not staying with Homer. I’m riding back with my brothers, and staying with----.”
“One of yo brothers already left. What’s that nigga’s name? The lame with the glasses?” One of them asked with a point.
“Nigga you know,” someone else said as they laughed. I missed the joke entirely, but before I could speak up, of course… the main topic of the night just had to speak up.
“I heard my name,” Homer’s voice said, coming up behind my chair. “You good Mama?”
“Mmmm hmmm, you better watch yo nasty ass cousins, and you know who I’m talking about,” she said underneath her breath for only him to hear, but I was able to hear it too. “Don’t let him take this girl no damn where.”
“Malone, you pushing up on Pia?” Homer laughed while reaching over me to look at my playing hand. Spreading the cards out so he could see as my eyes focused on the stretched thick arm before me.
“She just told us a different story from what you told us about how yall met. All I said was, you were a poor representation for the Skye men, and that I would be happy to make it up to her,” he said with ease before laughing. “You know I’m fucking with you----.”
“Once again, you’re lying on my body. You told them you had me climbing the walls?” I questioned, looking up at him as I noticed the sweat trailing down his thick dark skin. “If anything, you were the one crying, and running away from me.”
“Ohhhhhh,” his cousins let out at the same time as I laughed.
“So we need a redo then,” he said, taking another card to plop down on the table as my mouth grew dry. “I’ve changed in more ways than one since that night at the hotel.”
“I’m in a relationship, and you know that---.”
“What happens in the Holy City…”
“Stays in the Holy City,” they all said in unison as I looked around the table. His dad suddenly walked out, trying not to grin too hard as he searched for his wife while Homer reached for another card to play with his brother.
“Let’s go! LET’S GO! C’MON!” Someone clapped as we all looked back seeing the final boy run out of the field with the white flag, and a heaving rib cage that flexed against his skin. Once I caught on to the fact that he was the last boy to run out of the grass, the music was cut low to a bare minimum, and everyone started to turn their attention to the boys with our table getting up. Abandoning the game, and going straight for the young group as Homer spoke privately to them. One of the boys had red smeared all over his face like it was blood while another was limping in pain, but tried to keep face when they were told to hold their hands out. I couldn’t see at first until I saw Homer wipe something on each of their hands before they came together.
“I’ma tell yall now!? Yall got some fighters on yall hands
!” He told the crowd. “Blood Warriors will be their new----.”
Before he could get it out, his family erupted in pure joy as the parents, uncles, aunts, everybody, and anybody ran up to the boys. Music was back on while grills were slowly starting to get packed up with people making togo plates. I barely ate since I got here, and I desperately wanted to make a few plates but the way they were moving so fast, I decided it was best to get my things together, and find Piru since I was told Percy already left for Atlanta. Violet was getting ate up by bugs, and so was I. I did my best to help clean with a two-year old sleeping on my chest, but Carol was already talking to her son who looked at me.
“Great,” I muttered, turning around to look for Francesca. Jasmine, somebody. Anybody. What could she possibly be telling him besides, take Pia home? Sleep with her. Make her sleep with you.
I am not! Despite how all romance novels and movies build up to this critical moment. I’m not sleeping with this man. I refuse.
“Nope, nope. Won’t do it. Keep on writing this because I won’t do it,” I said out loud to no one in particular but the voice in my head. Besides, my mind was on getting any scraps of food from the grill.
“Pia?” Homer called out as I groaned before turning around, and for once? I was surprised to see he slipped on a red shirt. “Your brother already left with Francesca, you’re really just gonna have to ride with me. Plus, that house isn’t livable.”
“I know,” I sighed, staring at the grill in longing lust as they closed up shop for good.
“Come on. They about to start the kickback out here,” putting his hand on my lower back to move me forward. “My mama got us some plates so she finna bring it to the car if you want to take something home.”
“Yeah sure,” I said. Super casual, and cool but I know my stomach roared and growled in response.
“Here, lemme get her,” reaching to pull a drooling Violet off my chest as I adjusted my top with my breast halfway out. She started to stir, and whine in her sleep before he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth like he wanted to calm her down. “I got chu baby girl. Go head and dream. You’re safe with me.”
I looked up at him with a smile before yawning as we walked on down the darkening road. Just the two of us with a few lagging behind.
“How far is your house from here?”
“We got a good way,” he noted. “We stopping at Delilah’s to get yall stuff, and then we heading out.”
“Sounds good,” I yawned again. I was going to have to pick up my car in the morning and then drive all the way back. No way I could drive in this sleepy condition. I would never make it.
“Yall be good to my grandbaby.” Carol said in the driver’s window as I held the four stacks of wrapped plates in my lap. “Call me when you make it home baby. I know y'all tired but y'all still need to strap up tonight. I don't need another grandbaby--."
"Okay, where is this sudden sexual push coming from?" I flipped tiredly. Sick of the comments and sly remarks. "The universe, your family, all the birds and bees telling me I have to sleep with Homer. I'm engaged. I shouldn’t even be staying with him or anywhere near him at night."
"Pia---?"
"I get there's sexual tension. Okay? We all get it. Your son is attractive. I get it but I'm not that kind of woman. Just wish everyone would respect that. Not sleeping with him. Ever again."
The two of them stared at me as Carol let out a small cough.
"I was saying strap up as in put your seatbelt on. I don't want another grandbaby in a car accident. Nevaeh called earlier today from the hospital."
Oh…
"Is she okay? Nobody told me nothing," Homer let out. "I'll call her. I need to apologize anyway."
"She’s fine now but Junie says she got hit pretty bad where she really can’t walk right now. Didn’t want yall to know because she didn’t need yall coming to the hospital riding her nerves. I told Kenneth I was coming down to help her out around the house until she gets better. Baby girl didn’t get a scratch on her, but she’s traumatized."
I pinched the corner of my forehead, hearing the amusement in her tone.
“I wasn't expecting you to say that. My apologies,” clearing my sudden dry throat. “I should check on Nevaeh too.”
"Mmmmph," Carol huffed, trying not to laugh. “You do that. Uncle kept saying he was smelling blood in the air. Soon as Junie called me saying Nay was in a car accident, I almost lost it so be careful.”
“Love you Ma,” Homer said, cutting the car on as she waved towards the backseat at Violet who was shockingly awake now. Quiet, but awake. “We gone.”
“Love you! Be safe!”
The ride back to Delilah’s house was quiet, but quick. Small part of me wishing I still had enough energy to stay out with the younger crowd, and party in the field. Just looking at the rearview mirror, I could see they were about to live it up under the moon, but that wasn’t the case with me. My body hurts, arms were covered and still itches from the bugs, and I was ready to lay in a plush bed.
“You need help getting your stuff?” Homer asked in a low voice as we pulled up alongside Delilah’s house.
“I got it.”
I was in, and out of the house in a matter of minutes with my bags, prepared for the ride back home with my daughter tomorrow.
“You’re staying with Homer?” Francesca asked softly with a yawn from the living room couch as she packed her things. “We booked a hotel room if you wanted to stay with us. Closer to the city. Just getting our things together now so we can go. I can’t do another night in this house. I don’t know how Ben, and Delilah do it, but I need consistent hot water or I’m going to snap.”
“They’re disgusting like that,” I laughed, opening the door with my things. “But I’ll be fine. I see Percy’s car is still here.”
“Yeah I think him and Jasmine are going through this weird tit for tat thing so he’s out probably bothering, and annoying her. Who knows. He hasn’t left for Atlanta yet so that was clearly all talk.”
“Right,” I laughed. “Goodnight yall.”
“Be safe, and night Pia. Be careful.”
“You too,” thankful she didn’t question why I was staying with Homer.
…
“Mmmmmmph,” I stretched in the car with a yawn. Small blanket pulled over my body as I lifted my head up to see we were in a different part of South Carolina. Quiet neighborhood with houses lined up with each other with identical garages and long driveways. “We’re here?”
“Almost. Probably another minute till we get to my house,” he said, cutting the music down. “Yo phone was ringing. I pressed ignore.”
My head snapped as I glared at him before yanking the blanket off to see it was indeed Dre calling me.
“You would press ignore on him,” texting him back.
“Nigga kept calling. I was trying to find a way to silence your phone---.”
“You went through my phone?”
“Ain’t nothing in there I’m tryna see Pia. I promise you,” he laughed. “Nigga thinks we fucked anyway---.”
“That’s not the point, and no he doesn’t. Not anymore. Your whole family probably thinks we still have feelings for one another----I mean,” shaking my head.
“Whoa,” he let out. “Feelings?”
“You know what I mean Homer. Stop it.”
“So you did like me,” he smiled proudly, turning into a long driveway as I eyed the small ranch style house. I couldn’t even imagine Homer living in a neighborhood like this, let alone in a cul-de-sac. Small yard that was easy to manage, and one wide garage door that looked to fit two cars, I looked at Homer who watched me closely.
“What?”
“What you thinking right now?” He asked, pressing a button on his keys as his garage door slowly rolled upward.
“All you’re missing is the white picket fence, and the----.”
Soon as I heard that barking, I froze.
“The fence is in the backyard, and the dog is in the
house. Her name is Desna,” he smiled, pulling into the garage before letting it close down on us. Violet was wide awake the moment she heard that dog barking, almost sending her into shock as she looked around with strained tired eyes. Dried up drool, and sleep lines on her cheek, she immediately started pointing.
“Dog! Doggy!”
“Does Desna bite?” I asked hesitantly as I looked around the cluttered garage from the old pool table to stacks of chairs, and a basketball goal that was broken. Homer opened the door leading to the hallway as he immediately cut the alarm off. The dog’s bark was so loud, I started to clench Violet who screamed when the sound of nails and heavy panting echoed in the garage.
“Don’t panic and she’ll be cool!” Homer yelled from the house.
“GET THIS DAMN DOG HOMER!” I shrieked, seeing this large black beast of a dog turn the corner like he was ready to attack but Homer let out a whistle.
“That’s family Desna! That’s family!”
I couldn’t move until I knew the dog was in the house before Violet and I slowly followed behind. Homer ended up taking Violet, and immediately sat her down as she screamed. Anxious to get back up as the dog ran up to her, towering over her small frame.
“HOMER?! I SWEAR TO----!”
“Aht aht! Be still D!” He said to his dog as Violet buried her face in Homer’s neck, in tears. The dog was sniffing her back before being told to sit as Violet turned around.
“Doggy is friendly, see? Stick your hand out.”
“Does she bite?”
“Only when I tell her to,” Homer said calmly. I watched Violet slowly stick her hand out as Desna knocked her snout around it before licking it. That was all my daughter apparently needed to start crying, feet tapping to get in his arms as he picked her up.
“You take after ya mama baby girl. You ain’t supposed to be afraid of dogs,” he laughed, signaling for Desna to go out back through the doggy door before he snapped it shut.
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