“Stop rushing me,” I smartly sassed, shutting the backdoor. Walking around Faheem, I got in the passenger seat.
Faheem mumbled something under his breath, but I didn’t care. He always worked on my last nerve, acting like he ran me when the only person he ran was his kids. I scrolled through social media on my phone while Faheem drove with his music playing. After a few minutes, I looked out the window noticing we were driving in the opposite direction of his house.
“Where we goin’?” I asked curiously, turning down the music.
“Get yo step son.”
“Nigga, in case you missed the program, I’m single.” I groaned at him, rolling my eyes.
“How you figure? Ain’t we married?” Faheem asked me with a straight face.
Had he not been on the same planet as me? I’m pretty sure whatever relationship we had was over the night we had our big fight.
“And we’re getting a divorce too.”
“Are we? ‘Cause I’m workin’ on savin’ my marriage. I want my family.”
I think my heart stopped when I heard Faheem say that. It really made me question myself. At one point in my life, I would have given my right arm to hear Faheem tell me that because I loved that man and still did. However, I had to wonder if being with him was what I really wanted for myself at this moment. Love wasn’t always enough to make things work. So much had gone on between us, and there had been no real resolution with everything. Yeah, Faheem knew about Ryver now, but did thatmean he forgave me? The time Ryver and I spent at his house, he barely talked to me. It wasn’t us trying to figure things out, talk, or anything. He straight up acted like I didn’t exist. How does one go from ignoring me to wanting to save our marriage that only existed because it had to? I wasn’t sure how to respond because a part of me wanted to jump across the car in joy. His words sounded good and I wanted to believe him. I just didn’t want a repeat of our last go round. Some of what made me and Faheem being explosive in the beginning was us mixing up our lust.
Not saying we didn’t really love each other, ’cause I know I did, but in the beginning, we both were lusting after each other. That was why it was so easy for us to get lost in each other. When our feelings started growing for real was when things got complicated because we didn’t slow down enough to understand what emotions we were dealing with. Being a person with no responsibilities, it was okay to go along with the flow. With Ryver, I wasn’t willing to just go with what felt good. I had to be sure, I refused to take my daughter through the ups and downs like my parents did me. Right now, I wasn’t sure about me and Faheem.
“You ain’t gotta answer me, I see you over there thinkin’ too fuckin’ hard. Just know we locked in, and I know we have a lot of shit we gotta work on, but I’m willin’ to do the work,” Faheem said as he reached over, grabbing my hand into his.
“Okay.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back at me. I liked what he said. I appreciated he wasn’t forcing me into being with him. I could work with what he was saying.
Faheem had stopped in the parking lot of the old building he used to live in. “I’m finna run up here and get Forrest. I’ll be right back.” Catching me off guard, Faheem leaned across the handrest giving me a sweet, sensual kiss. Welcoming his tenderness, I kissed him back eagerly.
Breaking the kiss, Faheem got out of the car, but he stopped when he was supposed to shut the door. He paused, looking at something.
“What’s wrong?” I worriedly asked, hoping it wasn’t something serious. He didn’t answer me, instead he got in the car, pulling off, leaving me confused. I could tell he was thinking hard because he hadn’t said a word.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number, then put the phone on the speaker. A few minutes went by before Mixie’s voice came through the phone.
“Baby Daddy?” She sounded nervous, and Faheem was looking out of his window.
“I’m finna come pick up Forrest. Have him ready,” he cooly replied, but I could see the wheels turning in his head.
“Ookay. You lucky you almost missed us. Call me, and I’ll bring him down.”
Faheem hung up on Mixie. Turning towards me, he nodded his head slightly. “Clive.”
Leaning over him, I could see my dad standing next to Mixie. It looked like they were arguing; it had to be important for them not to notice us. Faheem wasn’t parked super close to the elevator, but if you were paying attention, you could easily see us. We watched them argue before Clive pulled Mixie in for a kiss. They kissed for a second, but Mixie pushed him off of her, shooing him as she turned to go into the building.
What the fuck?Faheem and I looked at each other trying to make sense of these two knowing each other. Just when you thought there weren’t any more surprises.
Chapter 34
Faheem Bank
“Nigga, what the fuck we doin’ over ya baby mama’s crib?” Gee frowned at me pulling his mask down over his face.
A reason I started fucking with Gee was the nigga was always in go mode. He ain’t ask questions, none of that extra shit, and he was solid. It was rare that you ran across niggas like Gee. Seeing Mixie with Clive yesterday had me on 10,000. It had to be God that Juniper and Ryver were with me ‘cause if I woulda been alone, wasn’t no telling how a nigga would have reacted. None of this shit made sense, and it was making a nigga feel off. I couldn’t function when shit wasn’t adding up, and at this point, I was over the back and forth. Since mutha fuckas around me wanted to play stupid, I was finna play stupid with they asses too. I didn’t know how or when Clive or Mixie even crossed paths with each other but they was familiar as fuck with each other.
Since I picked up Forrest from Mixie, I’d been watching them. I needed my son outta harm's way with the shit I had planned for Mixie’s treacherous ass. I made a note to suck on Juni’s pussy when I got back to the crib. She’d been keeping an eye on my little nigga at night while I came to see what Mixie and Clive had going on. I half expected Juniper to be on bullshitwhen I asked her but she was good. I did have to tell her what I was doing, Not everything, just the basics. I had to push back telling my parents about Ryver ‘cause I wanted to come to Big Frank with facts. That was the only way I was gonna get straight answers from him. Tonight, Juniper got worried when a nigga left in all black. My wife wasn’t that green to shit. She knew black meant trouble.
She wasn’t wrong either. After watching Mixie and Clive run around the town together like Bonnie and Clyde for two nights, I was over it. I knew for a fact they were fucking. How long? I ain’t know. It’s crazy, but I’d never suspected Mixie of fucking off with another nigga. Her sneaky ass never gave off those vibes. ‘Til this day, anytime I called, she answered, no questions. If I wanted her to drop what she was doing, she would. I ain’t never heard her name in the streets while we were together. Even after I stopped fucking with her, Mixie’s name wasn’t out there. I wasn’t slow, I figured she was fucking with a nigga on the low now we weren’t together, but Clive’s old ass was the last nigga I’d expect. Shit, Gee could have been fucking Mixie and I wouldn’t have been shocked. Aside from Clive’s looks, he ain’t have shit going for himself. Aside from our run in at my carwash, the nigga had fallen off the face of the earth these last few years. Since I stopped fucking with Big Frank, I hadn’t cared to look for the nigga either. If Big Frank didn’t give a fuck about the money he owed him, neither did I.
A nigga was tryin’ to move forward in my life but this shit with Clive and Big Frank wouldn’t get outta my mind. Not only ‘cause Juniper was tied up in this shit–I hadn’t even told her about what Clive said the first time. I partly didn’t believe him, and I didn’t want to tell her anything I wasn’t a hunnid about. I did try to double check the records my dad kept, nothing stood out to me about him being paid off for Juniper. My dad waskeeping too much shit from me, and I needed answers. Now, Mixie’s nasty ass was in this tangled ass web.
