“You have three children, and I am not one of them.”
“Yeah, I know, and I don’t give a fuck what you’ve gotta say. I already told you what it is.”
He shrugged his shoulders, irritating me even more.
“I’m gonna talk it over with Nova since she rode with me.”
“Alright, let me know.”
I could feel his eyes watching me as I stepped over to where Nova and Shada were. It made me slightly nervous, but it could have been the liquor as well.
“What’s up, boo? Why are you making that face?” Nova probed.
“That man is getting on my nerves.” I grumbled. Her eyes glanced over to where I had come from, and she snickered.
“You can’t see how to get away from him, huh? I wonder what it means?” she teased.
“It’s obvious the man upstairs has something against me, because I can’t seem to catch a break. Anyway, I don’t want to interrupt your time, but I was thinking about leaving. According to him, I can either have his driver drop me off or sober up before he allows me to drive my own car.” I rolled my eyes as I repeated his words to her.
A grin spread across her face, and I knew she was about to say some bullshit.
“Aww, look at your baby daddy being concerned about your well-being. You might be getting somewhere after all.”
“Nova, go to hell. I told him I would talk it over with you because we rode together. If you aren’t ready to go, then I’ll stay.”
“What do you want to do? Are you ready to go, or is his presence making you feel out of place?”
I hated the way she could see right through me, even after all these years.
“Come on, let’s go talk. I’ll be right back,” she informed Shada, then locked her arm with mine as we headed out of the section.
“Tell me what’s on your mind?” she pressed.
“I don’t know, Nova. I was having a good time until Keynauri came over there cockblocking. Now, I’m not really sure if I should stay or leave. The last thing I want is for him to be up my ass about who I talk to in here.”
“Ari, you are a grown ass woman. Keynauri has no control over who you can and can’t talk to. I say you go back in there, have a few more drinks, bounce your ass to the music, and enjoy yourself. If he insists on taking you home, then you make sure you eat and drink as much as your heart desires, on his dime.” We both giggled, but she made a lot of sense.
“Okay, I’ll stay.”
“Come on, friend. Let’s turn up before you get back into mommy mode!” Nova shouted, then grabbed my hand.
The two of us continued to turn up in the section and had a great time. Although Keynauri instructed me to drink water, we ordered two more cocktails along with some wings, fries, and a greasy bacon cheeseburger that we shared. Hopefully, the food would help soak up some of the liquor so I wasn’t drunk by the end of the night.
“Throw that ass, bookie!” Nova hyped me up as I bent over and bounced my ass to the beat. I forgot how fun it was to go out because I had been a homebody for most of the twins’ lives. At the moment, the only thing on my mind was having fun, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Every once in a while, I caught glances of Keynauri in the corner with Logic. He seemed to be having a good time, but I could tell the club wasn’t his thing. For most of the night, he sat back and observed the room, while nodding his head. We locked eyes a few times, but it was impossible to read his emotions.
Once the crew began to file out of the section, Nova and I linked arms and headed toward the exit. Both of us were tipsyand couldn’t stop laughing at every little thing. By the time we made it outside, the cool air cooled us right down.
I sent Keynauri a message to let him know we would need a ride home, although I was certain he already knew. We stood against the building while Nova changed her shoes. It reminded me that I brought my own, and I couldn’t wait to get out of these heels.
“Aye, the driver is bringing the car around. Y’all can wait here,” Logic informed us. His eyes lingered on Nova for a few extra seconds before he pulled out his phone.
“Naw, we’re just now leaving the club. I’ll slide by there after I’m finished, but if it’s too late, I might head home.” He spoke into the phone.
“I ain’t fucking no other bitches. I’m tired and high as fuck. I’m ready to lie down. Alright, I’m hanging up because I’m single, and I’m not about to argue when I already told you what my plans were.”
Nova and I were both ear hustling as he hung up the phone. I turned my head when he looked over in our direction.
