Sym sat up and cradled me close to this chest while pushing upward to punish me from the bottom. The heat of our bodies and the friction of us grinding into each other had me on the verge of losing my sanity. “I’m about to bust all in your pussy,baby. You might as well get ready to head to the courthouse at first light because we gotta get married now.”
I smirked instead of responding because I lost my ability to speak long ago. He grabbed a handful of my hair and jerked my head back. He began kissing and sucking all over my neck.
“You hear me, Valleigh? You belong to me.”
I knew it was dangerous territory, but it was too late to fight against it now. He was too deep . . . too fucking fine, . . . and too delusional for me to ignore. “I hear you, baby,” I finally replied.
Hearing my voice sent him over the edge as he slammed into me one last time. My entire world turned to darkness when I released that time. I bit down on Sym’s shoulder, hoping it would muffle my scream, but it didn’t—at least not enough. I was sure the neighbors heard me come unraveled that time, and my humming body was proof that I didn’t care about it.
I gripped Sym’s jaw and forced him to look at me. “That means you belong to me too.”
He offered me a lazy smile. “That was never even up for discussion. From the moment I walked into your classroom, I have been yours, Valleigh.”
6
SYMPHONY
The snowflake hanging from the ceiling began to sway when I tapped my finger against it. I smiled, looking at all the decorations that turned the hallway of Cider Creek Elementary School into a winter wonderland. I hadn’t been to something like it in my entire adult life, and if I was honest, a nigga was a little nervous.
I was playing an important role in Iylah’s life these days. I hadn’t seen my brother since the day he ran away from us. That was a few weeks ago. I went by his house daily to wait for him to pop up, but he never did. I was really worried about him, to the point where I was ready to get out in the streets to search for him while Doodle Bop was in school. I was even more confident in my suspicions about his mental state, which made me super uneasy.
Shaking my head, I shook thoughts of Rhap from my mind because tonight was about Iylah. When I went to Solaire, I knew there were missing puzzle pieces in my life. I thought the missing piece would be my brother, but it wasn’t him. It was the four-year-old princess he’d helped create.
She was a breath of fresh air, and her laugh always made it easier to breathe. I remembered being her age with a parent whowasn’t always present. Every night, I couldn’t end my prayer without thanking the Lord for bringing me into her life because she needed me. We’d built a little routine, and who knew cooking dinner for her would bring me so much peace? I thought nothing was more fulfilling than being on stage, performing in front of thousands of people, until I became an uncle. The time spent with my niece would always be my greatest treasure.
I gripped the mini bouquet of roses in my hand a little tighter. Jolting forward, I followed the crowd to the auditorium where the performance was being held. There was a lot of chatter amongst the parents and families finding places to sit. A shiver went down my spine, and I lifted my gaze until my eyes landed on Leigh near the stage. She looked like a teacher dressed in her fitted, lime-green sweater tucked into a pair of chocolate-brown trousers and boots.
I hadn’t been able to get her off my mind since the night of my club appearance. Who would’ve known a woman seemingly so innocent could get so nasty? That little performance on the pole had me feeling like I had my own personal dancer. I loved that she felt safe enough to share that side of her with me. It made me want to hold her even tighter the next time I got my hands on her. I winked, causing her to get bashful and look away. I grinned on the way to an open seat I saw near the front.
The show started not long after I settled in my chair. Each grade level sang a song for us, but I was biased. My favorite performances were the two done by Leigh’s class. My heart was so full as I saw my baby up there. She was singing her whole heart out. She could have a future in music, just like her uncle, because even at her age, she could hold a note.
I shot to my feet, applauding with everyone else in the crowd. Pride kept my chest puffed out as I went to find Iylah at the end of the recital. She saw me first though, and she shrieked beforerunning toward me. I bent down and opened my arms wide to receive her. She crashed into me, forcing a smile to my lips.
When she stepped back, I handed her the flowers. “You did such a good job, Doodle Bop,” I complimented her.
She cheesed as her little body twisted from side to side. “Tank you, Unca Sym.” She started looking around. When her eyes landed on me again, I could see a sadness in their depths. “Where Daddy?”
“Aw, he couldn’t make it.”
She immediately burst into tears, and I went into panic mode. I still wasn’t good at dealing with baby tears. I began to wipe them away. “Listen. Uncle will take you to get some pizza and ice cream, and you can pick up whatever toy you want,” I offered in hopes that it would calm her down. It didn’t work in the slightest.
The air shifted, and I knew she was there before she even said a word. “She doesn’t need a grand gesture, Sym. She needs you. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. She’s sad and she’s only four-years-old. That’s a big emotion for grown folks, so imagine being in her little shoes. Acknowledge that instead of trying to make it go away,” she advised me with a soft hand on my shoulder.
Her touch gave me strength. I reached for Iylah, then pulled her into my arms. “It’s okay, baby. I know you wish he was here.” She wrapped her arms around my neck before crying harder. Even though it broke my heart, I didn’t move an inch. I allowed her all the time she needed to let it out. It didn’t even matter that we were in a room full of people. We stayed like that until she finally calmed down.
“Unca Sym, can I have pizza now?” she asked in the sweetest little voice.
I nodded once. “Of course, you can.” Glancing up, I found Leigh watching over us like the nurturing guardian angel she was. She gave me a cheeky grin that further sedated me. Iwouldn’t have survived the last few weeks without her help. “Would you like to join us for dinner?” She tucked her bottom lip as the gears in her mind began to spin. I clasped my hands together in prayer. “Pleaseee.” I wasn’t too proud to beg.
“Pweaseee,” Iylah copied me. She even did the prayer hands too. For added effect, she poked out her bottom lip. I knew we had her then. No one could resist her adorable puppy-dog eyes.
I knew the moment her resolve melted away because her shoulders eased down her spine. “Okay, fine. I’ll come. I just have to grab my things from my classroom. Then we can go.”
Iylah and I high-fived with a cheer. I stood up and took her hand in mine. “That’s cool. We’ll walk with you.”
Iylah released my hand to stand in front of me. Now she was giving me those eyes, making me her newest victim. “Up.”
I gave Leigh a look, then sighed. “I guess I meant I will walk with you.” Bending down, I lifted her into my arms with ease. Leigh giggled before leading the way to her classroom.
