“Maybe after you have this baby you will.” Marina strutted inside and paused near them.
“That’s pretty far-fetched, Marina.” Wade chuckled.
“Admit it, you came here on Christmas with all this so you could try to charm your way through it, using this ’tis the season bullshit to spin it in your favor, and who is going to take one look at Sailor and reject him?” Coast quipped.
“I also came because I wanted to see you,” Marina confessed, stretching her arms and placing her hands on Coast’s basketball size stomach. “Look at you. You’re making me a grandmother, Coast, and I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
“That makes two of us.” Coast simpered.
“So, you and Mozzi? Is he the father of this baby?” Wade pried.
“Biologically? No,” Coast answered. “But in every other way that counts he is. At first, I wasn’t even sure I wanted this baby. He was the first person to make me see that I did. Sipes, my ex… he’s not who I thought he was or who I want to be with or raise a baby with. He’s made it clear he’s not just going away either.”
“Well, seems like Mozzi isn’t going anywhere either,” Marina surmised. “And if it’s okay with you, I was thinking that Sailorand I could stick around. Wade is working in the area, and Bee said we could stay with her. You’re having a baby, and I want to be there.”
Coast studied her, sensing the genuineness in her statement. It was oddly comforting, and she realized it was something she didn’t know she needed. She was about to be a mother, and although Marina wasn’t the most traditional woman, she was still hers at the end of the day. She wished they had a better relationship. Especially now.
“Yo, Moose this house is crazy! I can’t believe auntie Ayla been living here all this time, and I ain’t been to visit.” Dane sipped punch from a crystal glass as he stood with Moose and Kong in a semi-circle in the dining room.
Moose was being cordial, but the minute Inari walked in with Danilo, he was hot! Dane broke away from his parents swiftly upon their arrival. The two of them were being weird as hell, and he didn’t want to be in the middle of it.
“You should come by and keep her company. I’m sure she would like that,” Kong suggested, still looking out for Ayla even though she wasn’t fucking with him.
It wasn’t going to stop him from caring what happened to her or her happiness.
“I don’t know. She been kind of distant lately.” Dane lowered his tone and peered into his glass. “I mean I check in, but she used to be all on me like Ma. I can tell something is up with her. Now, our conversations are short, and she seems distracted all the time. I know between working here and her platform, things are picking up. The homies and everybody at school follow her on everything and talk about how their mamas, sisters, and evensome of their aunties and grandmas are using her recipes. The spice line she soft launched did crazy numbers. A lot of her followers said they would buy pretty much anything from her related to cooking because she’s so talented and fine.”
“I’m sure it’s just school and working here. She’s obviously busy. Why don’t you go check on her in the kitchen?” Kong suggested.
“You sure I won’t get lost?” Dane snickered.
“Come on, follow me,” Kong insisted, leaving Moose standing alone.
Brim and Royal arrived with their two kids. Now they were running up and down the halls with Kyro, Kara, and Sailor, who Moose found out was Coast’s little brother she had no clue about. Since he’d already hit a few lines right before the party started and smoked two blunts with his brothers, he was lifted when he finished his double shot of whiskey.
Seated on a sofa in the corner, fine as shit in a black and red halter wrap high-low dress and black patent Alexander McQueens, Inari guzzled what was left in her champagne glass and peered around, annoyed. On the arm like her fucking bodyguard, Danilo was posted, clocking the room. Inari’s hair was pinned up in the back, and in front was a middle part with a few strands of hair hanging in her face. Danilo tried to keep her attention with small talk, but she was beyond that and looking for something a little harder to drink. It didn’t help that Moose’s eyes were fixated on her any time she looked up. Bringing Danilo was a bad idea, but what choice did she really have?
The air shifted in the room. Now that Moose had a moment alone, the disrespect was starting to set in. Her avoiding him for that bitch ass nigga wasn’t hitting for him. Inari stiffened when he approached, which left Moose’s jaw tightening. Danilo chucked his chin in greeting, doing his best to keep it cool.
“You look good, Inari,” Moose complimented her.
“She’s not talking to you.” Danilo stood, placing himself between them.
Moose peered past him, tilting his head as his gaze met hers.
“He speak for you now?”
“Tonight I do,” Danilo countered.
“No, you don’t,” Inari argued, standing and reaching for his arm to pull him from in front of her.
“You want to do this here?” Danilo tested her.
“What I want is some fucking breathing room!” she hissed. “You haven’t left my side since we walked through the fucking door. Why did you even agree to come tonight?”
“Don’t play stupid, Nari. You beautiful, baby, but you ain’t dumb.”
“I’m going to find my sister.” She spoke through gritted teeth, pivoting on her three-inch heels away from him.
