Nick looked over his shoulder at his baby sister first then Reese but still agreed. “Yes.”
“Aight, come on and tell me what you want to take with you and you’re still going to school.”
“Aww, Mommy,” Nick whined from her side.
Reese watched his family walk away from him feeling the regret of his bad decisions. After tonight, he knew for sure Nyelle had really moved on and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Everything about Nyelle was different. Her mood, her confidence,shit her body.She’s fucking him. Or maybe Reese just hadn’t appreciated her when he had her.On God, if he slips even a little bit, I’m gonna be right there.
Reese was mad at the world about losing the best thing in his life, but he really only had himself to blame. That was just a harsh reality to accept.
34
“Damn, East. Where the hell you been?”
“Minding my damn business like a grown ass man.”
The shop erupted with a bunch of oohs and ahhs, which had Poole sucking his teeth. Chuck jumped right on that.
“Did this muthafucker just suck his teeth? See, that’s why your girl wears the gotdamn pants in your relationship.”
A string of laughs moved through the shop as Chuck shook his head and went back to finishing his cut.
“You’re really not gonna say shit?” Dawson stood straight, looking over at Poole like he had just lost his mind.
“All y’all can kiss my ass.”
“Nah. You can man the fuck up. Round here sucking your teeth like a woman then getting mad when we call you on that shit.”
East chuckled, lifting his eyes to Poole briefly before stopping at his station and filling the empty chair. “Ay, y’all cut his ass some slack. He just sensitive. You know his woman be pounding his ass.”
Poole gritted his teeth, cutting his eyes at East who smirked at Poole being in his feelings. Poole was a cool dude but too damn sensitive and the fact that his woman was always running his ass didn’t help.
“Y’all straight in here?” East switched things up to take the heat off Poole.
“Hell yeah. We been busy as hell. Money flowing, boss.” Dawson was back on his cut while all the other barbers chimed in, speaking on the recent overload of customers that had been falling through. They were all eating good. Something East liked hearing.
“About time you showed your face again.” Numbers pushed through the door looking like a walking billboard rocking an EastSide Ink crewneck sweatshirt, sleeves pushed up, and matching sweats hanging off his waist with EastSide Ink printed near the ankle, not to mention the trucker hat tagged with the logo as well.
“Did you pay for that shit or you stealing again?” East smirked at his boy who grinned, flashing platinum fangs he recently had custom made.
“It’s my shit. Why the fuck I need to pay for anything?”
“You mean my shit. Do I need to pull out some paperwork to remind you, Noel?” Numbers laughed before he dapped his boy.
“Paperwork don’t mean shit without the person putting the time in to make shit happen and tell your mother to stop calling me that shit. I know that’s all her.” Numbers frowned at East who shrugged, turning in his chair to face his boy who was now leaning against the counter between East and Poole’s stations.
“She said that’s your name, bruh. I’m not about to tell her what she can and can’t do.”
“Bullshit. You think it’s funny.”
“Cause it is, Noel. And what’s up with your baby mama?”
Numbers whipped his head around to East quick as hell. “Don’t make me cuss you out. That damn girl isn’t pregnant by me. Not unless shit changed and I don’t know about it. The only place I nutted in her hoe ass was down her throat.”
East chuckled at how annoyed his boy looked.
“Ay, don’t be mad at me. I’m just telling you what she said.”
“And did she tell you what the fuck I said? I told her to get rid of it or go talk to whoever nutted in her for some sympathy because I don’t have a damn thing for her. Keep trying me,” Numbers warned, looking around. “It’s busy as shit in here. You ’bout to cut?”
