Hymn chuckled. “Shorty works here. It’s her job to flirt and be extra. She wants to be tipped good and maybe fucked after, but as you can see, I sent her on her way.”
I wasn’t all the way convinced. “You sending her on her way consisted of her touching you? Is this what you do when you’re away from home? Let me know now.” My stomach did back flips while I waited on his answer.
Hymn’s orbs darted back and forth across my face. He didn’t look like a guilty man that had been busted doing anything wrong. He was cool as a cucumber. “Baby, I shouldn’t have let her touch me. I swear on everything I love, I told her I wasn’t interested, and she asked me if I wanted another drink. I told her I was good on that too. I understand boundaries, and she shouldn’t have been that deep in my personal space, and for that I’m sorry. But I knew what it was when I pursued you, Brion. I have no interest in hurting you, and you have to know that.”
I was triggered. Bad. There was a fine line between not making him pay for Corey’s screw ups and just being dumb as hell. I was so afraid of being dumb. As I swallowed down a lump, Hymn ran the pad of his thumb across my cheek. With a crooked grin, he inched closer.
“I don’t want anybody but your big-headed ass. The only reason I didn’t invite you was because I didn’t think you would come. Which you never told me. What are you doing here?”
His question made me remember the reason I was there. Scanning the area, I spotted London walking my way with a frown on her face. “Hymn, where is Isaac? Is he not with you all?”
Before he could answer, Isaac came back to the section with not one but two women hot on his trail. My heart dropped, and I didn’t know what to say. My eyes shot over to Hymn, and I was pleading without words for him to help me. Say something. Do something.
“The fuck?” London ran up on Isaac and pushed him.
He was drunk out of his mind, and her hard, unexpected shove made him stumble. “What are you doing here?” he asked with a confused look on his face.
“I’m asking the questions! Where are you coming from, and why are you with two skanks?!”
The women standing behind Isaac drew back clearly offended by London’s words, but they knew not to say shit.
I didn’t know what to do. Of course, I didn’t want everyone in my friend’s business, but she was pissed, and she had every right to be.
Hymn stepped forward. “Why don’t we leave? You two don’t need to talk in here.”
“When I walk out of this club, I’m going back to North Carolina. Isaac’s answer to my question determines where I’m going when I get back to North Carolina.”
Isaac eyed his wife with a cocky smirk. “I was consoling them. They’ve been through some shit.”
London chuckled. “You have a very nice life, Isaac.”
She walked off, and I scrambled behind her with wide eyes. I didn’t even say goodbye to my man, but I was sure he understood. London was walking super fast. After she got in the car and slammed the door, she erupted into tears. Getting out of the car, I walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door. Reaching in, I wrapped my arms around her. I knew all too well how she felt, and I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.
“I’ll drive, boo. Come on.”
London stopped crying, chuckled through her tears, and wiped her face. She got out of the car, and I took her place. I knew the car ride back home would be a long silent one. My heart was breaking for London.
CHAPTER 19
HYMN
WatchingBrion blush while I placed her gifts on the couch had me cheesing my damn self. Since being in the NFL, the only women I got gifts for outside of my family was my PR person, and a few chicks I fucked got a few trinkets here and there but nothing major. It was Christmas Eve, and Brion was meeting my family. She was spending Christmas day with her family, and then her and the girls were going out of town with her parents and sister to visit family in Houston. Brion still felt it was too early for her girls to meet me, and I was going with her flow. She had complete control over when that would happen.
“What is all this?” she smiled as I placed the fifth bag on the chair.
“It’s Christmas, right?”
“Yeah, but this looks like a lot.”
Finally, I sat down. “Aight that’s it. Open.”
With the excitement of a kid, Brion grabbed the biggest bag. The moment she pulled the black box out, she started squealing. I watched proudly as she unboxed the red Chanel bag. With a gasp, Brion squealed and kicked her feet.
“I love it.”
“Look inside.”
Brion lifted the flap and peered inside of the purse. Her jaw slacked when she eyed the stacks of cash. I had indeed given Brion money since knowing her, but I hadn’t turned up anywhere near what I could have. She never asked for anything. She would sit right in the stands with the other WAGS with a Coach or Louis Vuitton purse. Hell, some may have been from Target or Aldo. She didn’t care about them having Birkins and other crazy expensive bags. Same went for shoes. She would be smiling and cheering at the games in Nike’s or Uggs. Brion didn’t have to do the most to fit in. That made me want to turn her up more.
