“Good. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to. Catch me up on your world.” She moved closer to me so that her head rested on my shoulder.
“There really isn’t much to tell. I’ve been hustlin’ and tryna get stuff together for when I move. Now that I have my own whip, I can move how I want and make more money. I went to the studio a few times to make some beats and record a couple of songs. The dude who owns the studio is an up-and-coming rapper, and he told me that my sound was raw and unique. He was fucking with the songs I recorded and even asked me to do a feature on his new album. Those are the only things I’m worried about right now.”
“I’m proud of you, best friend. You may be young, but it doesn’t stop you from taking care of business. I can’t wait until you finally stop playing and start taking your music seriously. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’re gonna become someone great in life, and I’ll be right there cheering you on.”
Her confidence in me made me love her even more because she could see greatness in me while I only saw struggle. She made me want to be better for her and myself.
“Tell me about your day with the youth pastor,” I said with a smirk. Naiari rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath before she answered my question.
“Issac told me the service was split up into two parts, but he never mentioned that they would last so long. I feel kind of bad because I yawned a few times during the service, and he noticed. I think that’s the end of our little romance,” she replied solemnly.
“I doubt he would end things because you yawned a few times. You aren’t used to being in church. You’ll get adjusted once the two of you start spending more time together.” My responsewas to test the waters concerning her feelings. I needed to know where her head was at.
“That’s just it. I don’t want to get used to it. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Issac is strong in his faith, but it’s too much for me. They go to church three to four times a week and sometimes twice on Sundays. He barely has any time to spend with me because if he isn’t at the church, he has to do some type of work in the church. I wouldn’t mind if it were only on Sundays, but it’s a bit excessive. The only reason he invited me to the service was that we haven’t been able to spend much time together.”
“You don’t want to be with him because he goes to church too much?” I tried to contain my laughter, but it was harder than I thought it would be.
“It’s not funny, Keys,” she whined, hitting me in the chest.
“Yes, it is. I thought all women wanted a church-going man, and now you’re telling me it’s too much for you. Damn shame. It sounds to me like you need to be sprinkled with some holy water.” My body shook with laughter, which pissed her off even more.
“I need a new best friend. I’m trying to open up to you, and you’re making jokes.” Cocoa folded her arms with her lips poked out. My eyes locked on how juicy they looked, covered in the pink lip gloss she wore.
“I’m sorry, my baby. I promise I won’t laugh at you anymore. Finish what you were saying.” She eyed me for a second longer before she continued to tell me about the experience.
“It wasn’t just the length of the service. The vibe was weird. When we were there, his mother introduced him to two different girls who were visiting from other churches. She went on and on about all of their accomplishments and their backgrounds as if they were auditioning for a position. When he introduced me to her, she acted as if she were too busy to greet me.
“I tried to brush it off, but when we were on a break, things got awkward. She came over to our table, asking a bunch of questions about my upbringing. When I mentioned being raised by a single mother, you would have thought I spit in her face. She said something to him in Patois and then walked off. He made up a lie about what she said, and I found that out because I ended up overhearing a conversation in the women’s bathroom. His mother called me a bastard and made it clear that someone like me wasn’t good enough for him.”
My anger boiled as I listened to her describe her experience. I didn’t believe in violence toward women, but I wanted to have some of the neighborhood girls pay her a visit.
“You know that’s not true, right?” Naiari’s eyes glanced up at me when I spoke.
“I don’t know. I mean, she has every right to be protective over her s—”
“Let me stop you right there. That lady is a grown adult, and she had no business speaking to you. She doesn’t know you or how good a person you are. Your upbringing doesn’t make you less valuable, nor does it give anyone the right to judge you.” The sadness in her eyes only intensified my anger. The world could be cruel, but I wanted to protect her from it as much as I could.
“I know. I wanted to go off on her, but she was right about one thing. Issac and I aren’t meant to be together.” On the inside, I was dancing, but on the outside, I kept it cool.
“What makes you say that?”
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Of course.”
“He isn’t you.” My heart beat out of my chest when I replayed her words in my head.
“What?”
“Look, Keynauri. I know you said that it was better for us to be friends, but this isn’t working for me. Getting to know Issaconly made me realize that no one else could ever compare to you. It doesn’t matter how nice they are or how good they treat me. They aren’t you. I know you keep saying the timing isn’t right, but I—” My lips crashed into hers before she got a chance to finish her statement. The speech I had planned went out of the window when she moaned against my lips.
My dick had a mind of its own, and clearly, I wasn’t the only one. Cocoa yanked my shirt over my head as the two of us fell back on the couch. The warmth of her thighs wrapped around me, sending me into a frenzy. For a moment, I questioned whether or not this was a dream or if it was really happening. Cocoa’s hands gripped the back of my neck, pulling me deeper into her. I wanted to be gentle with her, but the excitement mixed with my hormones made it more difficult than I anticipated.
“Wait.” I groaned, using all my strength to pull away. Naiari peered at me with questioning eyes and a hint of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“No. No. I’m not saying wait because I don’t want this. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, but I need to set some things straight. I came over here to tell you that I love you and I want us to be official. If we’re gonna take this next step, I want to make it clear that you are mine and I’m yours. I love being your friend, but I’m ready to be your man.”
