Israel dragged the pen in his hand across the line of the paper, writing his signature for like the hundredth time today. Nobody told him before he became a business owner how many times he'd have to sign his own name. It was muscle memory by now.

His attention adverted from signing another paper, getting a notification on his phone. He was expecting to see Bria's name, but rolled his eyes when he saw that it was only Cynel sending him a flyer for a pool party happening in a few hours.

It had been a few days since he'd last heard from her, and he was starting to worry. She wasn't picking up any of his calls or responding to the texts he sent her, and he couldn't recall what he'd done to get ignored like this.

He even went by her house a few times but she wasn't there either. He figured that must've meant she didn't want to be found, and although he was a little upset about that, he was trying to respect her wishes.

"Come in." He said when a knock came to his door, watching his assistant, Davion, walk in moments later with a Chic-Fil-A bag.

"Some of the guys went to go get lunch, figured we'd bring you something back boss man." He sat the bag on an empty spot on Israel's desk, putting the drink down next to it.

"'Preciate that. Might get a bonus on your check for that." He dapped him up with a grin, and Davion pretended to salute him before dismissing himself from the office.

Israel opened the bag to find a cobb salad with no tomatoes, extra cheese and chicken filet, just how he liked it. There was also a side order of fries and macaroni, as well as a bunch of Polynesian sauce packets.

He came into work early this morning and skipped out on breakfast to get a head start on a ton of paperwork to correct the crappy payroll from the internet outage last week, so this lunch was just what he'd needed to get it all finished up.

Grabbing his phone from his desk, he dialed his brother's number and held his phone between his shoulder and his so that he could use his hands to prepare his salad the way that he liked.

"What's good young blood?" Kordae answered on the second ring, as always. Israel and their mom was the only two people he answered the phone for. In fact, they were the only people with his actual number.

"Shit, working. I called 'cause I need a favor though." Israel poured a packet of Polynesian sauce over his salad, making sure to get some on the sliced boiled egg.

"I'm listening."

"Track Bria number and see where she at for me. She stopped sharing her lo and she ain't picking up my calls." He knew this was a bitch move but he didn't even care at this point.

"This girl with the other boyfriend been having you out yo' head baby bro. You ain't picking up on it?" Kordae spoke amusingly.

"I don't give a damn about that nigga, I'm just tryna make sure she good."

"Aight, aight, chill." He chuckled. "I'll find her. You need her brought to you?"

"No. Don't have nobody touch her, don't send nobody to where she at, just send me the lo if you get it."

"Aight. Give me a few minutes, I got you."

Israel ended the call a few seconds later, going back to his salad to pass the time.

He wondered if she'd went M.I.A because of something to do with Santana. Technically it wasn't any of his business, but he couldn't help but to be curious about the relationship with her 'other boyfriend'.

When his brother told him about Santana, he made sure not to ask any details that would be too revealing about their relationship because he didn't want to hear anything that would piss him off.

He was a little inquisitive about it now though.

The sound of his phone ringing with a message snapped him out of his thoughts, and he opened the thread with his brother to see what he'd found.

Kordae had sent him an address to a hotel downtown, as well as access to the security footage outside of her room. Israel wasn't even going to ask how he'd gotten the means to get that.

He looked over his paperwork, his food, and then back at the address that Bria was at, wondering if he should bail on his work and meal to go see her, even though it seemed like she wanted to be alone.

"Fuck it." He stood up and put his phone in his pocket, bagging up his food to take with him. He'd bail on the work, but he was actually looking forward to his lunch so he'd just eat it on the way there.

After locking up his office and telling Davion that he was leaving, Israel left the building and started the hour drive towards downtown. With his luck, traffic would make the drive even longer.

When he was close enough to the hotel he stopped to get her Wingstop, with the assumption that she probably hadn't ate yet. Knowing her, she had. Nothing could make her too mad to where she wouldn't eat. Food was her heart.

"Who is it?" A familiar voice could be heard from the room when he knocked on the door.

"Room service." He said back, obviously joking because his voice was a dead giveaway. A few seconds later the lock to the door clicked, and then it swung open.

"Don't worry Mr. Sir. I was justttt leaving." Journey had her newborn in a car seat, bundled up in his hat and blanket.

"Israel. Nice to meet you, Journey." He held his hand out to meet her formally for the first time, and she happily shook it.

"Thank you for the pre-push gift. My husband was a little intimidated, but we appreciate it a lot." She chuckled, and he did as well, glancing down at her son.

"Congratulations. You need help carrying him down?"

"Thank youuuu but nope, I got it. Bye bye." She waved, and Israel watched to make sure she got on the elevator alright before walking into the single bed hotel room.

He saw Bria laying underneath her favorite blanket with her iPad and the TV remote next to her. Her braids were now gone, and were replaced with some kind of messy updo that fit her face well. She could have Cleo jail braids in her head and Israel would still think she looked good.

"I can't say I'm surprised." She stared up at him as he approached her, watching him lean down to be at her level. His arms wrapped around her body, and he put his face in her neck after feeling her hug him back.

"Stop it." She squirmed with a smile after he licked her neck, which was usually what she did to him when she wanted to annoy him.

"I miss you." He moved a piece of hair out of her face, and Bria just smiled at him. He was so into her, she loved it so much. He was always calling her, sending her random cash drops, buying her things, checking in to see how she was doing, asking if he could come over just to see and hear her. It was such a healthy obsession.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you or Tana coming to my house but I'm fine now. Just wanted some space, I guess." She used the tip of her nail to scratch between her tape ins while he sat on the side of her, facing the headboard that she sat against.

"What I do? He did somethin'?" He asked, keeping his eyes on her expression to watch the way it changed.

"Is that for me?" She pointed to the Wingstop bag that he forgot he even had, and he passed it over to her.

"Don't change the subject." He gave her the drink too, and she chuckled, sitting all the way up.

"Why do you still wanna be with me and you know that I'm with Santana too?" She asked him, her smile disappearing.

Israel was caught off guard by her question, not knowing how to respond to it because he honestly didn't have an answer. He'd asked himself that a couple of times since finding out about Santana as well.

"I just got you and I'm not ready to lose you yet." He said after a few moments of quietness, putting his gaze back on hers that was now sadder than before.

She really hadn't meant to make it seem like she was playing with his feelings-or Santana's. In the beginning she wanted the best of both worlds, and she couldn't deny still wanting that, even with how this was panning out.

She knew that she was being selfish but she thought it would be more selfish of her to choose one of them over the other. And she wasn't even sure if she could.

"I ain't never seen you sad before. What's going on mama? Talk to me." He took his loafers off, turning his body to lay down next to her.

"I was trying to cut this off before I have to choose between y'all because that's gon' hurt somebody's feelings-probably mine-but you guys are making this so hard." She exasperated, putting her food on the nightstand next to the bed.

"I ain't asked you to choose. I didn't give a fuck about that nigga before I found out, and I still don't now. He ain't stopping nothing with me and you." He stared at her with confusion, not understanding what she was getting at.

"I know but what if you decide to take me seriously? Or what if he does?"

"Bria I do take you seriously. I'm leaving my wife for you, girl." He reached to flick her bottom lip, putting a smile on her face that matched his.

"Look, I never seen myself consensually sharing my girl, but you was doing a good job hiding us from each other before, so if you-you know, wanna keep on, then I'm not stopping you." He added, shrugging his shoulders.

"You are so pussy whipped. I can't believe this."

"Cons of you having good pussy." He shrugged again, and she face palmed herself, making his smile grow.

"So, you been ignoring me 'cause you don't like the idea of having two boyfriends?" He got out of the bed, starting on the buttons of his shirt so that he could take it off.

"It's not that I don't like the idea, I just don't want anything bad happening. I don't wanna leave you or Tana and I don't want y'all to not like each other either." She took a sip of her soda from Wingstop; Dr Pepper, her favorite.

"Mm. What do we need to like each other for? You giving my pussy to him." He moved on to the belt buckle holding his pants up after taking his shirt off, catching Bria's attention.

"Technically it was his first but I won't fight you on the fact that it's yours too. You finna fuck me?" She said with hope, watching him unzip his slacks. Him undressing in front of her was so annoyingly attractive.

"No, slut." He chuckled, shaking his head at her first statement.

"Ugh. My life sucks." She dramatically sprawled herself out across the bed, then laughed as Israel climbed on top of her, resting a bit of his weight on her.

"Shut yo' ass up." He rolled over to lay on left side of the bed, making himself comfortable against the pillows.

Bria smiled, cuddling up against him so that his arms would wrap around her to hold her. When he did what she wanted, she pulled his head down to give him a light kiss.

"I missed you too honeybun. How was work today? You left early for me?" She kept her hand on his face, remembering how she hadn't said it back to him when he first arrived.

"Mhm. Couldn't focus on nothin' without making sure my baby was good." He rubbed her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

"And Kordae ah' opp for telling you where I was. I don't like people that stalk other people for a living."

"Shouldn't have been tryna hide anyway when you know I know a nigga who do that." He shrugged, lowering his hand until it was between her legs to keep it warm.

"Thank you for finding me." She wrapped her arms around his neck, her teeth being kissed since she was smiling while he was trying to kiss her.

"You going to sleep Israel?" She rubbed his face after his eyes closed, seeing how relaxed his expression was while they remained in one another's grip. He was usually mugging.

"Mm-mm. What you wanna do for your birthday?" He asked to keep himself awake and talking. Her birthday wasn't until three weeks from now but that was nearer than they thought.

"Oh! I don't even know yet. I wanna go to Bali but I wanna throw a party Xotic too 'cause I want people to buy me stuff." She became audibly excited about the topic of her birthday; really anything about herself could excite her.

"Bali, huh? I can have that planned for you. Them lil' flowers in the water and all." He opened his eyes to see her laughing at the fact that he knew about that.

"Yes I want that, and the breakfast in the pool too. And the outside shower, and I wanna go hiking and stuff. You gone have all that added?" She watched him nod in response, causing her smile to grow.

"What kinda gifts you lookin' to get?" He raised his hand to move her hair from her face again, lifting his head to kiss her cheek.

"That dick in a box." She grinned, then laughed once her head was mushed forward. She played entirely too much.

"Ok, for real for real, I got a whole list. I'ma send it to you. But the most expensive thing that I want is a car. I haven't decided between the Kia K5 or the AMG GLE 63. It's like an eighty thousand dollar price difference."

"Aight.. I'll see what I can do but I'm not promising nothing. My pockets a lil' tight." He mocked the yikes expression she made, earning another laugh from her.

"Boy, please. I could've asked for a Rolls Royce like the one you have so you need to thank me for being cheap." She rolled her neck at him, before sitting up in the bed so that she could finally eat the food he brought her.

"You like mine? I got it from the auction a few years ago. They not really daily's, they just for collection foreal. I probably only drove it four or five times." He told her, referring to the all black Rolls Royce with a red interior that was now parked in the back parking lot of his job.

"They remind me of Chryslers. Like the front grill. It's not cute to me but it's fancy looking so I like it a little." She shrugged, using a plastic fork to put a mango habanero boneless wing in her mouth.

"You ah' think niggas be starving you with the way you go down on Wingstop." Israel watched her put a forkful of voodoo fries in her mouth with the wing, eating it together.

"I don't be having the time to try to eat cute. Maybe when I eat a salad I will. But this? Nah." She grabbed her drink off of the dresser, slightly flinching at the fizz from the soda.

"I can tell. You cute as hell though. Fat ass." He rubbed over the pudge in her stomach, chuckling.

"Speaking of fat, how's your possible kid?" She asked, and he tried not to laugh while furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at the unknown correlation between the two things.

"'Cause pregnant people get fat, duh." She answered his question without even letting him ask it, making him humorously shake his head.

"Ion know. She sent me some ultrasounds but I ain't respond. I can't get her in with a doctor for a blood test until two months from now so I'ma just wait on that to see if the kid mine." He told her.

"Mm. And what about the divorce? What y'all getting done?" She asked next, being her usual nosy self.

"I signed the house over to her a few days ago and had all my cars picked up and towed to the private lot behind my building until I can get a new place. I might stick with my condo though-ain't no use in having a big ass house if it's just gone be me there most of the time."

"How you feeling about everything? Seem like it's happening quick." She wiped her mouth with a napkin, watching him shrug his shoulders.

"I don't really feel nothing. I'm glad, I guess. It feel like a weight off my shoulders now. I'm just really hoping that kid ain't mine yo. I don't want no ties to that woman at all." He said, and Bria smiled at how he didn't disrespect Jada by calling her a bitch like most bitter men in the world would.

"Well, don't stress until two months from now. We'll see how it works out then. And then when she give birth, I'm on her ass like white on rice." She replied with another slight neck roll, and he smiled at how serious she was.

"And I'ma bail you out when she press charges too. My baby won't spend not even an hour in jail." He smirked, and she laughed, holding her fist out to give him dap.

Lol