Page 22 of So Special: Fanatic Love

“Yeah, you know he out der. He should be finished cuttin da grass now.” She stood in front of her stove with a spoon in a pot mixing it. “Go head and go out der.”

I did just that. I got out there just in time to see Asher locking the shed that stored the riding lawn mower. Their backyard wasmassive. When our eyes locked, I knew that he knew exactly why I was here. I hated that he still was sexy as hell. His locs were up in a man bun just the way I loved them to be. When he stopped in front of me, I crossed my arms over my chest and mugged him.

“Look, I’m already knowing,” he confessed with his hands held up in surrender. “I already took care of it, Fat-fat. Don’t even trip.”

I put my finger in his face, but he used his hand to gently push it down. I wanted to put it back up, but the tightness of his face told me to not push my luck. “Do you see why the hell I was fine with raising my son by myself? It’s because of this bullshit. People close to you are running their fucking mouths!”

His hand swiped his nose as he snickered behind his closed lips. “First, lower ya fuckin voice. I ain’t never disrespected you and you will never again disrespect me.” He eyed me narrowly. “Second, Ashtan ain’t none of just yours. That lil boy came from my nut sack, so deal wit dat shit. Now as far as that shit that ran in the blogs, ain’t no one close to me said shit.”

My left thick hip stuck out to welcome my hand. “Then who ran to the blogs about this? Better yet, who in the hell has been stalking me?” He acted like this was no big deal. “Do you realize how dangerous that could be, Asher?” With a grunt, I said, “I live a-damn-lone.”

“Don’t you think I know dat?” Asher walked around me toward the back door. Before he opened it, he peeked over his shoulder at me. “I told you I handled da shit. I holla at the bitch that said something.”

He pulled the door open but stopped when I spewed my next question. “So, you had some groupie bitch around our son?” I was pissed.

He closed the door before he spun on his heels to face me. “I done told you to watch ya tone wit me. No, I ain’t had no bitcharound our son. An old bitch that I forgot to take off my visitor’s list popped up and saw him when I opened my door.” He paused. “I took da bitch off da list and sent her ass on her way.” He crossed his arms over himself. “Tell me, Katniss. Why you really mad? You mad dat I potentially had a bitch round our son or because you wanted ta be dat bitch?”

I rolled my eyes, then waved him off. “Get over yourself, Asher.” I scoffed, then moved around him. “I’m about to have your mama make me a to-go plate, then head home.”

I heard his laughter behind me, but it was fuck him. He could kiss my entire ass.My pussy too… Wait!Nope, get that out of your head. He is the enemy right now.

I tried to get a to-go plate, but Mrs. Lina said no. She said if I wanted to eat her food I would do it in her house. Tiara came over with her lil bean who was getting so big. We all ate together, and I had to have Asher in my damn face the entire time.

When the night ended, Mrs. Lina still gave me a damn to-go plate. Of course, Asher walked me and Ashtan to my SUV so that he could put a sleeping Ashtan in his car seat. “Alright, Fat-fat, make sure you text me when you get home.” He smacked my ass. “Don’t have me come looking for you.”

I stood there watching him walk back to his mother’s house.What am I doing?Ever since he smacked my ass the first time, he had done it every time since then. The bad part about it was that I liked it. There were so many nights after I’d left his presence that I had to use my rose. My baby daddy was fine and had dick plus mouth for days.I need to get my shit together.

The Next Morning…

“Ashtan, don’t you take your shoe off.” I fussed at my son. His little ass was a busy body like hell. “I’m telling you, Ashtan, I will pop you.”

“No pop!” This little boy put his finger up at me from where he sat on the floor like he was trying to get me told. “Mama, no pop!”

I was running late for relaxation because someone wanted to wake up at one in the morning and watch television in my bed. That would have been fine if he didn’t wake me every five minutes so that I could see something. Oh, and let’s not discuss his burst of laughter. I had to get his little ass to day care. The plus about being late was that I wouldn’t have to endure all of the parents that dropped their kids off at the same time.

I stood there patiently and watched Ashtan take his sweet time standing up from his seat on the floor. Although I didn’t have to work right now, I still planned to take him to day care so I could relax. Once he was up, he grabbed his bookbag from his cubby, then brought it over to me. “Put it on, Mama.”

After he was ready, he walked to the door first. I turned the knob and pulled open the door. “What the fuck?” I dropped the bags in my hand and grabbed my son. I doubled back into my apartment and slammed the door.

There were like five people outside of my apartment with cameras. They all caught pictures of us before I was able to pull him into the house.

“Ssh, it’s okay.” I scared my boy because of how quickly I grabbed him and pulled him back. “Mommy’s sorry.” I pulled my phone out and called his father.

He answered on the second ring.“What’s up, Fat-fat?”That was yet another thing that I decided to give up on. Gone was him calling me Katniss. Now everything was Fat-fat. What upset me was that I didn’t mind. I kind of liked it. When he did call me Kat or Katniss there was disappointment that he didn’t call me the special nickname he’d deemed for me.

“Asher, there are people outside of my fucking apartment with cameras!”I yelled into the phone, further scaring Ashtan.“Why are they here, Asher?”

I heard him tell someone that he had to go. It was close to spring practice beginning so his schedule had started to pick up.“Fat-fat, I on da way. Don’t leave da fuckin apartment. Tell my boy I comin.”

He hung up on me. “You want some of granny’s cookies, Ashtan?” He was a sucker for his granny Lina’s cookies. He nodded his head, so I went to get his cookies. While I waited for Asher, I texted my parents and Daisy. I had to convince Daisy to stay at work, but there was no convincing my father.

Every time I peeked out of my blinds, I saw the same people out there. I never thought that the whole paparazzi thing was a real thing. Well, not for professional athletes. “Aye, y’all betta get da fuck way from my baby mama fuckin doe before I fuck y’all up!” Asher’s voice was loud and angry. There was a bang on my door. “Fat-fat, open da door.”

“Dada! Dada!” Ashtan shot up and rushed to the door. He tried to pull the door open.

When I pulled the door open, Asher stepped in and picked up our son. “Aye, man, you good? Them boys mess wit you?”

Ashtan laid his head on his daddy’s shoulder. A few seconds later, my daddy’s voice registered in my ears. “I will shoot the fuck out of all you fuckas if you don’t get away from my daughter’s door!”

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