Hours later…
Noble watched Irish in a contented silence as she devoured a cookies ‘n cream ice cream cup. They were at the ocean, sitting high, watching the waves move in sync under the moonlight. This was the perfect night for lovers. The humidity was down, making it bearable to be outside. The breeze that swept across their skin was refreshing. Noble had had an awful day but once he picked up his Pumpkin, every occurrence vanished.
Her ginger hair blew in the wind while the ice cream coated her taste buds. Each day with Irish was like a day at Disney World. Noble was hooked; a complete addict who would proudly declare that he was a junkie for her.
“You trying to entice me?”
Her gaze locked with his as a smile surfaced on her lips. “If I wanted to entice you, I would do something else.”
“Like what?”
She pulled her shirt down and revealed one of her breasts. Her nipple was hard, begging Noble to bite it.
“Don't start no shit, Pumpkin.”
She laughed, tucking her breast back in her shirt. “I was just giving you a visual of how I entice you.”
Rubbing his hand over his mouth, he studied her. He still couldn’t believe she had gotten pregnant. The one time he fertilized her soil, they created magic. That had to be a sign they were meant to be, or they were irresponsible in the moment and didn’t factor in that a baby would only complicate this relationship.
“Did you schedule an appointment yet?”
Nodding, she finished what was in her mouth. “I did but the appointment is at the end of the month. The doctor I want to see is highly recommended and she’s Black. So, I figured a couple weeks wouldn’t hurt.”
Noble rubbed his mustache then asked, “Why won’t you stay at the condo?”
Irish stopped chewing before her gaze drifted over to him. Sitting the cup down, she released a breath.
“I have my sister and I didn’t want to move into your place with her. I appreciate the offer, but I need to find something for just us right now while I figure out how to navigate the situation with Jovanis. You know, like the divorce. I didn’t want to leave the home that Jovanis pays for to move into yours where you pay. I kinda want to stand on my own right now.”
That pained Noble to hear. He prided his manhood on taking care of others. It was what he did without question. Even Daysha didn’t have to pay a mortgage or car note because he made sure she was good. Now, here was the woman of his dreams insisting on not allowing him to foot her bills. The reality left him in anguish and toyed with his pride a bit.
“Baby, I really don't want you to think that I don't want anything from you. That’s not what I’m saying. It’s just I want this to be done right even though we started off wrong. Let me get a divorce and then we can talk about plans to move or even buy a home.”
“You wanna be with me, right?”
“Of course.” Her head angled as her eyes softened. “I don't want anything more than I want you. Do you believe me?”
After a brief contemplation, he bobbed his head. Noble didn’t agree with her stance on moving on her own, but he respected it. His thoughts drifted to today, wondering if he should reveal the standoff between him and Jovanis. Since he didn’t want to leave her in the dark, he decided to share.
“I almost murked Jovanis today.”
Irish’s eyes widened before her ginger lashes fluttered. “What? How did that happen?”
“He came at me crazy. Told everybody that we been fucking around.” Noble sucked his teeth, feeling his rage return. “I don’t let nobody play with me, Irish. But I know how much he means to you, so I’ve been sparing him.” He looked her square in the eye. “I’m letting you know that nigga don’t got no more chances with me.”
She gasped before covering her mouth. He figured that would startle her.
“Noble, what the hell?” she whispered. “So, TLM knows about us?”
Noble shook his head, flipping over both of his phones to make sure he didn’t miss a notification. “No, just the lieutenants. They know now and a part of me is relieved.”
“Why?”
“Because fucking with you wasn’t right. On the outside, it looked like I fucked with a man’s wife, which can get me killed. We know the real, but they don't. Even after coming at me crazy, I still didn’t out his pussy-ass. He better be lucky I got certain principles ‘cause I could destroy him.”
There was an awkward silence that engulfed their conversation.
“He’s spiraling,” she said more so to herself. “I've been ignoring him. Maybe I should c—”
