Livia laughed. “Girl, you say this every time.”
Tempo added, “Every pregnancy, you complain.”
Ava shook her head. “Like you don’t know what happens when you let Legend breathe near you.”
Aria rolled her eyes hard. “First of all, shut up.”
They all cackled.
Livia leaned in, grinning. “No, for real. You complain the whole time and still let him keep getting you pregnant.”
“Because I’m married,” Aria said, like that explained everything. “And because he be looking so good. But once I push this one out, I’m burning my tubes. I’m not even tying them. I want them gone.”
Legend overheard and called from across the room, “You not burning shit!”
“Then stop getting me pregnant!” she shot back.
He laughed, taunting her. “You steady getting mad at me for getting you pregnant. Mind you, that’smypussy.”
As we cackled, Aria rolled her eyes and pointed towards him without looking. “See? That’s why I’m doing it.”
The girls laughed again, and I laughed too, but it came out quieter than theirs. I didn’t want to be the awkward new girl trying too hard.
Surprisingly, Tempo then shifted closer to me and gently guided me a few inches away from the circle.
“I heard your event went crazy,” she said with bright eyes. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I still can’t believe it.”
Tempo’s gaze drifted past me for a second, landing on Sincere. Then she looked back at me with a playful smirk. “And you’re still around.”
My face got hot. “Girl—”
She leaned in like she was telling a secret. “He must be really feeling you.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile too big. “I hope so.”
Tempo’s expression softened a notch. “I’m assuming you know what happened between me and him.”
“We talked about it.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her glass. “I hope you don’t judge me for that.”
“I don’t,” I said quickly. “Not at all. And honestly… it’s obvious you and Big A couldn’t deny your feelings for each other. Your chemistry is so apparent.”
Tempo’s smile came back. “It is, huh?”
“It is,” I said, then hesitated before admitting what had been gnawing at me. “I can’t lie. I can’t believe you didn’t want a man like Sincere.”
Tempo looked directly into my eyes when she said, “It’s not that I didn’t want him. It’s that he wasn’t meant for me. No matter how good the love is, it doesn’t feel right if the man isn’t meant for you.”
SINCERE BELLAMY
As I stood with the guys near the bar, Saint watched me over the rim of his glass. “Aye, so we not gonna talk about how this nigga keep bringing Rhythm around like she already a wife?”
“Here we go,” I muttered.
Legend’s mouth curved. “He does keep bringing her around.”
