Page 63 of Quasim: King Inferno

Grabbing my drink, I went back and sat down. “Yo, I want to give a shout out to my baby. B, you got the coldest nigga heart beating.” Blair blushed as she kissed her hands and clapped. “She was fronting on coming up here, but you saw my baby. You gonna see her in Chicago, too.”

“Oh shit… you going to Chicago with your boy.”

“Quasim, don’t start.” She shot at me, then returned her attention back to homie, while I sipped my drink slowly.

All I could think about was how I was playing with her pussy while she was over here clapping for this nigga. As much as she talked that shit in the car earlier, I knew if I wanted Blair, I could have her with the snap of my finger.

I was man enough to know that wasn’t fair, and not to allow my ego to get in the way. Watching her become hype about what he said had my blood boiling. Who else could I blame except for me. She wanted me and I was giving her to Zay on a silver platter because of fear. I chilled back, watching the show, while thinking of all the ways I could have her and be who I had to be.

Shit felt impossible.

I slept like shit last night.

Even when I thought having a drink and sitting on the balcony outside my bedroom would help, I found myself staring at the ceiling until the sun started to rise over the lake. Even the ten-minute cat nap I took once the sun was up didn’t help me.

Pulling myself out the bed, I got down on my knees to say my prayers so I could get ready for the day. After brushing my teeth and shit, I walked down the hall to one of the guest rooms that had built-in bunk beds in them.

“My daddy and Uncle Simmy don’t get mad about stuff like that… and Gams will help us clean it. I had a stomach bug before and pooped the bed, and Daddy made me feel better and cleaned it up.” I could hear blankets shuffling while Ry spoke. “He gagged a lot, though, and we laughed over soup.”

“Sorry, Ry.” Elijah profusely apologized for wetting the bed.

“For what? CJ is coming to pick us up so we can ride bikes down to the lake with Uncle Capo. Then, we can swim and end the day watching John Wick.”

“Okay.” I could hear the sadness in my boy’s voice as he listened to Ry go on about the perfect day they would have.

I heard Ry sigh. “Don’t be sad, Eli. It happens to everyone… CJ wet the bed once because he dreamed he was on the toilet. Our little secret… okay?”

I slowly rounded the corner and they both jumped, and I pretended I didn’t notice. “Good morning… everything good in here?”

Ry smiled as she balled up the soiled sheets. “Yup. Just showing Eli how to clean up the beds… Gams is washing sheets today, right Eli?”

He looked at me, knowing that I knew he wet the bed, so I winked for him to go along. “Yup. Thanks, Ry.”

I turned to my niece and was so fucking proud of the little person she was becoming. Blaze was often hard on himself about not being there when she was born and missing a few months in her life. He didn’t need to stress or be hard on himself, because he was raising the perfect little human. She could have been disgusted or came to tell me, instead, she didn’t want Elijah to be embarrassed and assured him at the same time.

“Ry, you can put it in the washer and go get ready… Capone said he’s gonna be over here soon with CJ.”

“On it, Uncle Simmy.” She saluted and marched down the hall with the sheets in her hands, as I looked down at Elijah.

“What’s the matter, Eli?”

His shoulders slumped down. “I had a nightmare that my mother died, Sim.”

I squeezed his shoulder and kneeled down. “Is that why you wet the bed?”

He nodded his head. “I don’t want to mess up your nice house… maybe you should take me home.”

I laughed. “Dang, I thought we were locked in, and you want to leave me.”

“I don’t want to leave you… I…I just don’t want to mess anything up and you send me back with my mom… I like Gams’ hugs and playing with Ry.”

Rubbing his curls, I pulled him into my arms. “There is nothing that you can do that will make me send you back to your mom. Accidents happen, and we’re working on it.”

“Will you come back when you leave?” He referred to me leaving to Bali.

I was going to stay back, but Gams told me not to piss her off. She said that she would keep an eye on him along with Ryder. “I’m always going to come back… can’t get rid of me.”

“Promise?”

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