Please excuse ANY errors.

December 7, 1998

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

The McDonald's sprite shot out of my nose and mouth as I laughed. I held my nose in pain. That shit burns!

"The dog that jumps in the water, loses the bone in its mouth!" Tia told me.

"Oh, my God. You annoying as fuck!" I said laughing.

"Hold on! I got another quote. As the river flows, so goes the salmon, Donald." She told me yet another one of these damn quotes.

"You sayin' shit, but don't even know what the fuck you talkin' 'bout." I laughed some more.

"So?" Tia shrugged.

"What you mean, so?" I asked her.

"What I mean is that your behind says things all the time and don't be knowin' what you're even talking about. Nobody else does either." She giggled.

"Give me an example." I leaned and rested my face between my thumb and index fingers.

She nodded with a smirk. "A'ight. My BIGGEST example. You do this ALL the time and EVERYONE can attest to this..." She trailed off, holding back laughter by putting her tongue in her cheek.

"Go 'head. I'm waiting." I smirked.

"I'm about to ruin yo WHOLE character with this one." Then Tia cleared her throat dramatically.

"A'ight! Tell a nigga then and stop beating around the fuckin' bush."

"You know what I'm sayin'?" She said then burst out laughing with her head thrown back.

I silently stared at her while she carried on. A whole minute passed until she took a laughing break. "A'ight, you done now?"

Tia shot me a smile. "HELL NO!" She threw her head back again in laughter while kicking her feet into the air.

"I don't see nothin' funny," I told her with a smug smirk.

"I don't give a flyin' doggy shit! It's funny to ME!" She said through her laughter.

"You know what, I'm tired of you." I stood up, looking down at her.

She stared at me with her lips folded, "FIGHT ME THEN." Tia emphasized then began laughing again.

"A kekekeke!" I pulled her up by her arm and threw her across the back of my shoulders and her laughter turned into an unexpected squeal.

It was unexpected to her not to me. "I will!" I ran up the stairs.

"Donald put me down! You KNOW I hate when you do this!"

By the time I made it up there, I was a bit winded, but I pushed the bedroom door open with my foot, then I power bombed her onto the bed. I held her legs back so she wouldn't do any slick shit.

"Say somethin' else!" I told her.

"Somethin' else!" She yelled out.

I lifted up so I could look her in the eye. "Ahh, you wanna play games?" I questioned with a slight nod.

"The games have been started the moment you threw me across your shoulders, DONALD!" She exhaled as if she were out of breath.

Somehow she got out of my hold. Well, I know how, I wasn't holding her tight enough. This woman is now on my back holding my legs close as fuck to my back.

"Ahh, shit!" I screamed out in pain which caused her to let up some.

"I'm sorry, baby." She said still holding onto my legs, but not so tight.

I kicked my leg back, getting out of her hold. "Psych!" I laughed.

She smacked her lips, then pushed my head back with a slight chuckle now laying on her stomach.

"Do that again and see what's gon' happen to you." I challenged.

"Really?" She looked directly at me.

"Really," I confirmed.

"A'ight." She breathed out.

It fell silent. Tia stretched or at least pretended to and pushed my head back. She hurriedly climbed down the bed, but before her feet could slide off, I got behind her, grabbed her arm, and held it behind her back. She chuckled, holding herself up with the other hand.

"Told yo ass." I laughed. "Thought I was playin'?"

Her arm gave out and I quickly put my other hand against her stomach just to break her fall some. I don't want her face to hit my hard-ass floor. Pressed up against her backside, I leaned down, closer to her, but not before lifting the bottom of her shirt and grabbing the back of her underwear, pulling them up her ass, giving her a deep ass wedgie. As I did, I grabbed her arms, holding them together behind her back with my other hand.

"Really, Donald!?" She screamed out in pain.

"Thought I was playin' with yo ass, didn't you?" I repeated next to her ear.

"Nope." She chuckled. "You know... I kinda like this position. Arrest me, officer." She whispered.

"You're sick!" I laughed at her, still holding her.

"Says the guy with shorts, but no boxers on, basically freeballing and pressed up against my backside. I mean, I ain't complainin' a bit. Told you, I don't mind this position at all." She smirked.

"I've been swindled- BAMBOOZLED even."

"HOW?" She asked me.

"Give me a kiss and I'll tell you." I squinted. "A real one. Not no damn bird peck. You know I hate that mess. Do I look like a bird to you?"

"Well, sometimes your hair be sticking up like one. The finest bird I've ever seen." She replied.

"Andrews, I be in the house when I look like that. Don't play me."

Tia moved her head with her lips stuck out. "You gon' have to come to me, DeGrate. My head is turned as far to the side as it possibly could. Unless you want me to twist my head like the Exorcist to do so?" She said looking up at me. "If so, I'll try my hardest. Not because I want you to elaborate, but because I been staring at your lips and they lookin' mighty moist TODAY. ESPECIALLY that bottom one." She told me.

I looked at her from the corner of my eyes at her slick-ass comment. "What you mean, TODAY? You puttin' hella emphasis on that word. My shit stays moist."

"Only when-" She stopped herself then laughed. "See, I'm not even about to go there." She spoke loudly to herself.

"Aht! I know what you was finna say and that's EXACTLY what I'm talkin' about." I laughed getting off of her, then standing on my knees. Tia took this as a chance to dig out her wedgie and that shit was deep. "You are nasty. All that time, you had me thinking you were an angel, but you're the devil in disguise. It ain't a complaint, because I actually like that shit, but I find it to be true."

Tia flipped herself around, laying on her back with one eyebrow raised as she began to speak. "You painted that narrative of me, yourself. Besides, why would I show my nasty side to someone I wasn't in a relationship with? Well, besides my friends." By the time she finished that question, both eyebrows were raised. "Not too many people know that side of me. Maybe I should show more people that side then so they won't be swindled or bamboozled by my character?" She looked up at the ceiling and then back to me.

I spoke to her in a low and daring tone. "Tia, I wish you would do some shit like that."

Tia put her hands together. "Your wish, my command!" She bowed like a genie as best as she could laying there on the floor.

"Tia, stop playin' with me. I'm not fuckin' around no more. You takin' it too damn far right, now." I told her being serious.

She stood on her knees, then slid her hands from my wrist to my hands, holding onto them."Okay... Calm down. Please." She nodded in agreement with the statement I made. "I did take it too far, but you and I both know that I wouldn't do no junk like that."

"Yeah, and I'm glad you know that shit too," I replied, nodding. "It's the fact that you vocalizing it. Ion like that shit."

She looked me in the eyes with an apologetic expression. "I got you. Joke or not, I'm sorry for taking it that far, baby. Will you forgive me?"

"Hmmm..." I said pretending to think about it. "Ion know yet. Lemme think real hard." I broke eye contact by looking above her head. A few seconds went by before I gave eye contact with an answer. "I forgive you."

She gave me a skeptical look which turned into a smirk. "But their joints do be crusty sometimes. I be confused on if I'm dating Tyrone Biggums or Donald DeGrate. When Tyson said sting like a bee, at times, I feel like he means your lips." She cracked at me. "Y'all do know each other, so you never know." She shrugged.

I cackled. "A'ight, fuck that kiss then. I already told you what I had to say anyway." I shrugged seeming not to care less.

"But they aren't now. I said they lookin' mighty moist." She said getting on her hands and knees, then completely on her knees now facing me.

"Nahhh, you just dogged me the fuck out, but you wanna kiss me. Hell nahhh." I shook my head at her, waving her off. "Shit not finna happen. If my lips are crusty, then it's because they are attached to you crusty lower ones. Crusty coochie ass."

"It's not?" Tia asked then put the tip of her tongue at the roof of her mouth.

I shook my head again. "Nope."

Tia shrugged getting on her hands and knees. "Okay, yeah... Fuck that kiss."

"What?" I asked her.

"I'm agreeing with you, Donald." She spoke through a stretch.

Her cell phone rang from the nightstand. It's been on the charger for a while.

"Saved by the bell," I told her, getting up. I grabbed her phone and handed it to her, then took a seat on the bed.

"Saved? What was about to happen?" She asked me, fixing her bra. "Not a got damned thing. Thanks. But Tia ain't got no crusty coochie lips, that's why you always tryna be attached. " She stuck her tongue out, then answered her phone. "Hello?"

By the way, the thanks was just for me handing her cellular device.

"You welcome and okay..." I nodded. "Once you get off that phone, you ain't gon' be sayin' shit," I mumbled.

She rolled her eyes at my comment. "Hi, Yasir." Tia got up from the floor and sat down on the bed. "How're the kids?"

I moved over closer to her to hear what was being said on the other end of the phone. Yes, nigga! I know I'm nosy, but Yasir doesn't call unless it's something with his kids or he needs something. We all know that they don't speak like that. Things haven't been resolved between the two.

"Damn, every time I call, y'all automatically ask about my kids. What about Yasir?" Yasir laughed.

"Who is y'all?" Tia asked him.

"You, mama, Daryl, Ashari, and her people." He listed.

"Ashari doesn't have to ask about you anymore. You're not really her concern, but that was going to be my follow-up question. Let's try this again. How are you doing, Yasir AND how are the babies?" Tia slid the second part in.

"Nah, you good. They bad as hell as ALWAYS. I woke up to some rattling, thinking I had a rat or some shit. These lil gremlins was all in the kitchen eating shit. Masir had a chair pulled up to pantry shelves and everything." Yasir explained. "Made a mess, but they sleep now."

Tia chuckled. "That's because you leave the lights on. They don't do that here because of ONE: the stairs and TWO: the light you turn on while going downstairs be off. Keep the lights off, that's all." She shrugged.

"I'll take note of that, but as far as how I'm doing... Not so good. I was gon' ask you for a favor." Yasir told her.

"I knew it!" I mouthed to Tia, shaking my head.

"Okay... So are you still going to ask me or you aren't anymore?" Tia asked her brother.

This woman is irritating! I mean that in the most hilarious way possible. I know he's using the past tense verb, but she took it literally. I cackled and because I was in her ear, she slightly pushed me away from her. I moved back to my listening position.

"Who is that? De?" Yasir asked.

I shook my head at her. "No." I mouthed, motioning with my arms.

She smirked. "Yes, of course. He's over here being nosy tryna see who it is on the other end."

"Tell him I said wassup, but he probably can hear me," Yasir spoke a little louder.

Tia opened her mouth to speak but chuckled. She knows that we don't like each other. We almost ALWAYS get into some kind of argument when we're around each other. I don't know what his problem is with me at all. Maybe it's because he knows I'm not about to allow him to talk to me the way he does other people. Plus, I'm not going to allow him to speak to Tia in any kind of way.

"Yasir said wassup." She finally spoke. I looked at her because I know, she know that I heard. She's just trying to be funny. "DeVanté said wassup and he misses you."

"He miss me? The fuck? Whatever... What I want to ask you is- so basically I'm having some financial problems every since all that shit happened. You know, between paying ma, Durl back and the whole break-up shit. Unfortunately, I have to pay all the bills since I'm single. Plus, I'm paying for the Airbnb. At first, I was at a hotel, but that became too much and I found out this was a little cheaper." Yasir sighed and Tia nodded in understanding. "My question is could I come to stay with you until I'm able to get back on my feet?"

The look on Tia's face, the previous smug expression that she had on her face completely dropped. She is completely taken aback by his words that she moved the phone away from her ear. I wanted to laugh so hard at his question.

"Ya- I..." Tia trailed off then her face straightened back up. "No." She answered in a stern voice. "I'm sorry, but you can't stay with me. Mama and daddy are in the guest house, then you and I are almost like water and oil. I'm sorry, but I can't let you- someone who constantly disrespects me and gaslights every situation to stay in the house I live in. Home is where I'm comfortable and my safe haven. NO." She repeated, shaking her head.

"Damn, it's like that, sis?" Yasir asked her. "We blood AND you got all that space and money. You can't help me out when I'm in need of it? That's fucked up when you do all that shit for other people that you don't even know." Ahh, here goes the guilt trip... "I ask you this one time and you can't even do that?"

"I ain't say I wasn't gon' help you out. You didn't even allow me to finish." Tia rolled her eyes. Yasir knew that shit!

Tia continued. "You forgot that Elijah lives there too and y'all definitely don't get along. I tell you what though, I can pay for the Airbnb fees and whatever else it is that you need so you could continue staying there, but my house is a NO NO." She shook her head.

Damn, she told his ass! This nigga is forever trying to guilt-trip someone. He knew Tia wasn't about to just leave him right along with her niece and nephew out on the streets like that. Well, I'm pretty sure they would've been with their mother, Ashari if it came down to that, but Tia wouldn't allow that shit to happen. That shit ain't in her. Period. But that shit is in me. How you gon' disrespect someone, but want them to do you a fucking favor? I can't stand that nigga!

"A'ight, that's what's up," Yasir replied.

"When do you need everything?" Tia asked him.

"Soon," Yasir told her.

Tia looked up at the ceiling with pursed lips. "Yasir, I need a date."

"Oh! Is today an option? I'm off today, but I work in the morning."

"Okay, give me a few hours and I'll be over there," Tia told him.

"A'ight. Just call me when you are here." He told her, then hung up.

Tia sighed, laying back on the bed with her eyes shut. Once she opened them, she saw me shaking my head at her with disapproval.

"What?" She asked me with a deep frown.

"I-" I stopped myself.

Tia put some vaseline on her lips. "No, whatever it is that you feel you need to say, say it instead of giving me that look."

"Baby, that nigga is ungrateful as fuck." I shook my head at her again, standing up. "I ain't hear a thank you or NOTHIN' from his ass. Maybe my ears wasn't close enough, because I ain't hear that shit or nothin' close to it. Talkin' about some, that's what's up. It's like y'all grew up in two different households or some shit because y'all ain't nowhere near the fuckin' same."

"He didn't." She said coming to a realization. "It's whatever. I know him already. Yasir is Yasir. He ain't changing."

"You so used to his shit that you no longer realize it. He the only person you let get away with shit. If I had pulled some fucked up shit to you, you would've gone the fuck off."

Her body shot back up. "You damn skippy! You try some shit if you want to and see what's finna happen."

I chuckled at her use of language. "You know I ain't finna do nothin', so chill out. It was a hypothetical situation- an example. Plus, we ain't finna get into no argument because of yo brother. I'm just telling you that he is ungrateful and the fact that you always say Yasir gon' be Yasir ain't helping the situation AT ALL, love. I understand that he's your brother- I get that, but you need to put him in his place. Just like you showed me how to treat you as well as everyone else you keep around you, you could try doing the same with him."

I continued, "When I'm there, you KNOW I got you and I don't mind a bit, BUT there are times when I ain't gon' be there when he does it. He is known for that shit. I know, you just brush that shit off or seem to, but deep down I know what he be sayin' and do hurts you. You see my brothers ain't like that. They may say lil slick shit here and there, but I put their asses in line. Ain't nobody gon' talk to me any kind of way."

"I get you, but that's why I just keep my distance from him."

"For the times when he needs shit from you though, you gon' want him to act respectful and grateful right? I'm not saying bow down to you or anything, just simple respect. You feel me?" I asked her. "Baby, at times, you too nice to mothafuckas that don't deserve that shit. I told you this a few times before. That is until you blow up and can't take it no more. My thing is that you ain't gotta blow up if you straighten it out right then and there. Basically like WE do. We don't even let shit go on for a full day."

"Mmhm." She said fully engaged in what I had to say, but not knowing how to exactly respond to it. "I feel you. You made some good points."

"I know." I sat back down on the bed.

"Donald?" She called out.

"Yes, love?"

Tia held back laughter at what she was about to say, so I knew she was back on what she was on earlier. "What I should've told Yasir is that a man that sleeps on the floor, can't fall out of bed. He can only roll on the floor." She said then burst out laughing.

"I can't stand yo ass!" I told her laughing.

Our laughter died down after a good two minutes in. My expression then turned into a smirk once I remembered what she had said when she picked that phone up. "What was all that slick shit you was talking earlier before you got on the phone?"

"I said, you wasn't gon' do a got damn thang." Her eyelashes fluttered. "You not."

"I'm not?" I asked her. "Tia, I'm not?" I repeated just to be sure.

"Are you hard of hearing? You not finna do a damn thang, DeGrate."

"No, I heard what you said, I just wanted to be sure I heard what I heard, Andrews." I squinted.

"You did." She nodded.

"Okay," I said staring down at her.

"Baby, you so fine." She cheesed.

"So are you, but don't try and butter me up, buttercup."

"I'm NOT. I'm just statin' facts. I can't compliment my man, now?" She questioned.

"At the moment? Nope." I replied.

"Alright, then... Imma go get ready, so I can write this check and hand it to this man." She said standing up.

I stood up with her, but in front of her with my hands in my pockets. "Alright."

"Why are you blocking me from leaving?"

"I'm not. Baby, go ahead." I told her, flicking my head towards the door.

She moved over and so did I. She moved again, and I blocked her again.

"Donald, you on games." She chuckled.

"What?" I said confused. "Do you see a gaming console anywhere in sight?" I questioned.

"Haha, very funny, Donald." Tia moved again.

"What's funny, Tia?"

"You. Can you please get out of my way?" She asked with folded arms.

"But I'm not in your way. You're in mine." I replied.

"Of what? You ain't even finna go nowhere." She frowned, moving along with me. "No, for real. Can you move?"

I mocked, "No, for real. Can you move?"

She rolled her eyes, throwing her head back in irritation. I took that moment to let out my laughs, but only in my head. The only expression currently on my face is a small smile. As soon as Tia lifted her head again, my smile disappeared.

"What?" I asked her.

"Okay, the jokes over, babe."

"Joke? What joke? I must've missed it because ain't shit makin' me laugh."

"DeVanté..."

I done made her ass mad now. Tia's bottom lip went over her top one as the corners of her mouth curved into a smile, the kind that shows she's clearly irritated by my actions.

"Yes?"

"Move out of my way. I gotta-"

"What? Yasir? Ungrateful people can wait. You told him a few hours anyway. It ain't even been thirty minutes yet." I told her.

"So you admit that you blockin' me?"

"I ain't admit to shit that I'm not doin'. Don't accuse me of anything." I said nonchalantly.

She pushed me backward as she walked forward and I allowed her for a while. For a while just means until we made it to the door. Once we made it to the door, I stood there not allowing her to push me back further.

"Baby!" She wined, throwing her head back once more. Tia looked back up at me. "I'm sorry. Just please let me get ready."

"Sorry? What you apologizin' for? Gon' and get ready. You constantly blockin' me from doing anything, while you could be getting ready."

"You right." She nodded. This woman is trying to throw me off, but that shit ain't working. "I love you, Donald." She smiled.

"I love you," I told her, remaining in my position.

"Donald..." She dragged on once more.

Tia pulled my face closer and began kissing me. I, of course, gave in all the damn way and even pulled her closer by the waist. Each second it got deeper and deeper. Woah... She's going too fast, Tia would usually take this shit real slow, but now I feel her hand slide down my shorts. Mind you, I don't have shit underneath them, I'm freeballing, so that made her automatically come into contact with my phallus.

Oh, God... WHAT was I doing before this? She backed me into the wall inside of the bedroom, stroking me. Caught up in the moment, I started rubbing her through her panties. Since she was enjoying that, I decided to move the crotch of her panties over to the side and rubbed my middle finger up her slit. She moved my hand with her unoccupied one, then dropped my shorts down. They only made it to my knees because my legs are cocked open because it's just the way I stand.

Tia pulled away from the kiss and ran out of the bedroom at full speed. I gasped taking off behind her, but my shorts made me fall. I caught myself on my hands and knees, then stood up pulling my shorts up to my waist. I saw her run down the steps laughing at my falling. I ran down them as well, catching up to her. She was about two stairs ahead of me, but since we were close to the bottom, I jumped over the railing, standing in front of her.

"Now, WHY would you pull some shit like that?" I said out of breath. "Had me on that floor looking suspect as fuck on my hands and knees, half-ass naked like I was posing for Playgirl or some shit."

"I didn't have you anything. You are the one who tripped and fell. I didn't cause that to happen." She laughed, slowly backing up the stairs.

I don't think she noticed that I noticed what she was doing. My eyes remained on her face, but I can see through my peripheral vision.

"All you needed was a lil arch in yo back and a camera." She cracked. "Toot that thang up, papi, make it roll." She sang.

I finally stepped up, skipping a step. "That's you ain't want me to-" Before I could finish she started to turn around, but I grabbed her. "Nuh-uhnnn, where you goin'?"

"I was coming down the stairs where you were." She said lifting up since her top portion was thrown over my shoulder.

"By going up the stairs? What was you gon' do, walk down the stairs backwards or some shit?" I chuckled.

"Yes. Trust fall."

"Lie again," I told her.

"WHAT lie?" She chuckled.

I hiked her up further up my body, leaving her with no support to being able to keep her torso up.

"The one you just told."

"That lil white lie? That ain't nothin', man."

"Tia, what if I would've fell on my dick and brokeen into tiny pieces?"

"Unless it's made of glass, it wouldn't have happened that way. You got so hard anyways that as soon as I let it go, it slapped against your stomach, so stop it." Even though I can't see her, I know she rolled those eyeballs of hers. I just know.

"You stop rolling your eyes," I said walking up the stairs, skipping a stair or sometimes two.

"Donald, I'm starting to feel nauseous. You got me thrown over your tall ass shoulders while walking up these stairs."

I smacked her ass. "Lie again!"

"You KNOW I ain't lyin'! My puke will be the proof!" She yelled at me.

"Stop yelling in my hot damned ear!" I yelled back, laughing.

"I wouldn't have to if you just put me down!" She yelled at me again.

I stopped at the top of the stairs and put her down. "You happy now?"

"Yes. Thank you!" She smiled.

I walked down the stairs backwards just so I could build momentum for what I'm about to do next.

"That was stupid anyway. You carried me up the stairs just to put me down when we got to the top." She chuckled, shaking her head.

"How was my actions stupid after you told me to do that? How?" I tilted my head at her, revving my feet like a bull ready to charge.

"Actually, thanks because my clothes are up here. You did me a favor, so it wasn't really stupid." She looked at me confused. "What are you doing?"

I leaned forward in almost a squatting position. I grabbed ahold of my shorts, slightly pulling the leg part of my shorts up.

"Nuh-uhn..." Tia trailed off and then began backing up slowly.

I ran up the stairs as fast as possible. In fact, I ran so fast that she didn't even have enough time to react further and run away from me. Once I got to where she was, I collected her, kicked the closest bedroom door open and we both slid across the bed and up to the headboard. I held her legs over her head by the back of her knees with her ass in the air and my pelvis rested against it, but not all the way.

"Say somethin' else!" I said to her. "Apologize."

She slowly inhaled and exhaled. "Don't- for what?"

"EVERYTHING!" I emphasized.

"EVERYTHING like what?" She asked.

"Stop playin'."

"You wasn't sayin' that a few minutes ago." She chuckled. " As a matter of fact, you were enjoying it." She said inhaling and exhaling slowly through the small o of her mouth.

This position is making it a bit difficult for her to break regular, but she can still breathe. Her arms are free, so she pushed me back a little by my midsection. Well, tried anyways. I pushed back against her but let up some on pushing her legs back.

"How are you still hard and why you got it up against me like that?" She sighed.

"You the one that did it then left me there for dead."

"Stop over exaggerating!" She laughed at me. Then her laughter got even louder.

"Tia, what is so funny?" I let up on her legs more, because with all that laughing she's doing...

"I-" She laughed even harder than before as I stayed on top of her looking confused as fuck. "Re- remember-" More laughter. "Okay." She said trying to calm herself down. "When we played ding ding ditch on Dalvin and K-Ci and you got caught and fell?" She laughed more. "You just laid there kicking your feet!" She said laughing.

I laid my forehead against her, cracking the fuck up. "C'mon! Why-" I shook my head.

"You just laid there just kicking-" Tears started coming from her eyes and dripping to the sides of her face.

I closed my eyes as tears started to come from mine. I let her legs go and she placed them on my side with her knees pointed in the air.

"Why you gotta to mention that?" I asked her through tears and laughter. "I can't deal with you. I swear."

"Your head was just a bobbing!" She kicked her feet up. "Then K-Ci- It's a bad bitch birthday!" She said heaving.

I wiped my eyes, still laughing. "Something is wrong with that nigga. I'm tellin' you!"

"Yo head looked just like th- those bobbleheads sitting on the dashboard!" She wiped her face.

"Yo ass could NOT STOP laughing, just like now!" I pressed my forehead back against hers.

"She tripped me!" Tia mocked what I said years ago on that day.

"Baby. Baby. Baby." I repeated trying to calm her down, but I'm can't stop laughing myself.

"What you want, Brandy?" She said laughing.

"Breathe," I told her, laughing.

After a while, we both calmed down, out of breath from all of that damn laughing. I finally was able to speak clearly.

"What made you think of that?" I asked her with my forehead against hers.

"You talking about some, you left me for dead. You said the SAME exact thing that night. Then K-Ci gon' say some if I screwed you then left you, I'm sorry!" Tia shook her head.

"Let me not get you started again because I always seem to follow in yo footsteps," I said moistening my lips. "Damn, that was the year we met," I said in realization.

"Really?" Her eyes widened sarcastically.

"Yeah, that was the same year we met. My first birthday I spent with you. You made us some good ass food and everything. I knew I was in love then. Ain't NOBODY, except my mama- no friends ever came to where I was to make me no food for my birthday. You made some of that good shit too. Lobster, shrimp, steak, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. That was our first year. Wasn't even a whole year yet!" I said in disbelief.

"A way to a man's heart is his stomach." She quoted.

"See, I knew you was tryna snatch my ass up back then."

"Boy, bye!" She chuckled.

"Nahh, but for real, you really been showin' me love from the jump. Damn..." I trailed off. "That was in '92."

"Showin' you love made you fall in love." She joked.

"No, for real!" I said in agreement.

"Okay, let me get ready for real." She smiled.

"Wait," I said stopping myself from getting up. "Though I forgot?"

"About what?"

"The things you said fuck." I reminded her.

She smacked her lips. "Kissing you?" She chuckled.

"Hell yeah."

Tia shrugged. "You said it first, so I was just following directions."

"That would be the time you decided to follow directions."

"I don't mind doing kissing on my man. My thing is, you sayin' that like I ain't have you up against the wall a while ago."

"You used me to get what you want, then left me hanging. LITERALLY!" I told her.

"Used?" She fluttered her eyes.

"That's what the fuck I said, ain't it?"

"Oh, hush. I may have had an ultimatum, but that shit was real. We both know it. You felt it and so did I. That's why I let you do what you did for a while. Until I remembered."

My tone got lower and lower as I spoke. "Okay, damn." I leaned my face down to see what she was going to do.

"Bring those crusty ass lips HERE, boy."

I busted out laughing. "I can't deal with you, Tia," I said with my forehead in her chest.

"I'm just playing about them being crusty, but they are a bit dry at the moment." She pulled me up to where we're eye to eye.

The whole house is dead silent as we both stopped being goofy as we've been since she got here. I'm glad too because I needed it. It seems as if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. No, we didn't sleep together last night, she stayed over at Courtney's. Tia's been spending a lot more time with Courtney. Something is going on with Courtney, so Tia's trying to be there for her friend.

Then, I didn't stay at the studio too long because it seemed as if everyone was trying to piss me off. Plus, I had a therapy session today. Maybe it was just me, but yeah. Tia, on the other hand, her day was the complete opposite of mine which is probably why she came here being her hyper and energetic self.

It feels as if the world completely stopped as I laid my forehead against hers, staring deeply into her eyes. We lightly entangled our fingers together, hers against the bed, her pulling even harder on my heartstrings. Our feelings aren't always verbal unless we're having problems, and neither are they always sexual. No words were spoken and none had to be because we know what was up. It's not lust roaming in the air, just pure love. Intimacy can be shared between two people without the participation of sex of any kind.

Tia's fingertips trace over my jawline as she thumbed my chin hairs. Our lips brushed up against one another's, hers moistening my somewhat dry ones, before we finally applied pressure to our lips, turning that lip brush into a slow but intense kiss. Our lips and tongues continued moving slowly in sync as our eyes closed, completely stuck in the moment.

When we finally pulled away to catch our breaths, our chests were heaving with strong eye contact. Minutes had passed before I eventually decided to slide down her body, before standing on my knees between her legs.

I had to clear my throat before speaking. "Let's go get ready," I said moving back.

Tia lifted up, "You comin' too?"

"I am." I nodded. "C'mon." I grabbed her hands, stepping off the bed while she walked to the edge of the bed by her knees. "I know it takes you all day to get ready. You ALMOST ALWAYS have to be extra leave the house dressed up to the nines."

"I don't want my best dressed day in a casket and you never know who you'll run into." She chuckled, stepping down onto the floor.

I paused, "You know, that's a great way of puttin' it. The first part that is. I don't give a damn who I meet. They better take me as I am." I laughed.

"You be dressin' up too."

"I didn't say I didn't. Just not how you do it. Extra ass."

Tia looked at me. "Yeah, EXTRAordinary."

We parted ways to grab something to wear. The reason being that most of her clothing items are in another bedroom closet. The shit she sleeps in, mostly my clothes are in here. All of the clothes she has, can't just go in my damn closet. Then she SWEARS that she has NOTHING to wear. 🤣 Like does she not see what the fuck I see?

Word Count: 6,450
P

lease don't forget to like the chapter and the ones to come if you enjoy this book. Also, feel free to leave a comment.

❤️Thanks for the support that you've been giving me. I'm very appreciative.❤️