Page 55 of Hooked on Loving Him

Yeah, I’m definitely marrying her ass.

Two days later…

“Let me find out that all I had to do was become your fiancée for you to take me shopping,” Ashari says.

Ashari and I are walking toward the food court after hitting multiple stores in Baxter County Mall. Seeing Ashari with my ring on her finger has me damn near skipping every time my eyes connect with her left hand. Before Ashari, I never considered marriage, and having kids was undoubtedly out of the question. Now look at me. Yesterday, I officially canceled my vasectomy appointment, and it didn’t cause me to break out in hives or give me any other adverse reaction. In fact, my mind was completely at ease, and peace wrapped around me like an electric blanket.

While I want to ease into having children so Ashari and I can continue establishing who we are as a couple, I’m no longer running from the idea of it, nor am I rejecting it. Ashari doesn’t know all the details of my past, so it's a part of our further development process that makes having kids right away not the focal point. I’m not ashamed of my history because it’s the path that led me to Ashari. However, I need to provide some context for Ashari that will enlighten her on why our first time having sex went the way that it did.

“This is just the beginning. If you want, I can take you shopping once a month. There will never come a time when I don’t show how limitless my wallet is with you.”

Owning my business allows me the ability to have a decent-sized savings and checking account, so if I got it, so does Ashari. For her, money will never be a problem, nor will supplying anything and everything she wants or needs.

“When are you moving in with me? I need you in my bed on a nightly basis and preferably before the wedding.”

“Before we met, I had recently moved into my place, so I still have a ways to go on the lease.”

“Oh, that ain’t about to work for me. Tomorrow, go by the rental office and get the cost for you to break that shit. Then call me so I can send the money to you to pay while you’re there. While you do that, I’ll work on scheduling the movers to have you at home by the end of next week.”

Ashari stops walking and looks at me like I told her I had found the gravesite for Michael Jackson’s pet Bubbles and dug him up.

“I thought you were hungry. Come on, woman,” I say, squeezing her hand as we resume our strides toward the food court.

“Hm. So, when do you foresee us getting married? With you moving quickly for us to shack up, Papa Ren will look at me funny.”

“Tuh. I ain’t worried about none of that shit. I’m pretty damn sure your godfather, like your father, knows that you and I are sinning for breakfast, lunch, brunch because we worked up an appetite and dinner. The better question is… how soon will you be ready? If it’s up to me, I’ll whisk your ass down to the courthouse after you settle our living arrangements tomorrow.”

“You’re gonna have people thinking I’m pregnant,” Ashari says, giggling.

The airy sound hits my chest as warmth spreads throughout my body from the feeling of home with this woman.

Damn. Love got my bitch ass heart about to leap outta my chest.

Slowly licking my dry lips, I mentally try to coach my heart into returning to its normal rhythm. The fast and intense beating in my chest has me out of sorts and desperate for something to drink. Entering the food court, patrons are moving around the busy area, causing me to grimace slightly.

“What are you in the mood to eat, Shari?”

“Well, look who it is, Carleen, girl,” a familiar female voice says which causes my blood to freeze and halts my brain’s capacity to process thoughts.

A nail-covered hand strokes my bicep while coming to stand in front of me, and my stomach twists and flips like I’m on a roller coaster.

“Ooh, Re. He has grown up and gotten more delicious with time,” Carleen says with lust filling her assessing eyes.

“I mean, miracles continue to exist. We’ve gotta run. Come by the house so we can catch up,” Rema says in a silky tone that causes a deep glower before she and Carleen walk away.

Rema mothafucking Gardner and her pussy-kick, Carleen… Fuck my life.

“Who the fuck were those bitches?” Ashari asks.

My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth, preventing me from speaking as Ashari’s face contorts, her free hand rests on her waist, and a frown covers her lips. My sense of reality is warring with my past as only the noisy atmosphere from people grabbing a bite to eat echoes around the room.

“Are you not going to say something, Kayshon?” Ashari asks. Her voice is soft but demanding as she continues watching me intently.

“We gotta go,” I say, fighting the tremble in my throat as the urgency to retreat has my body heating epically.

“Wow.”

I’m unable to respond as my vision begins to blur before Letitia’s name rushes to mind, causing me to release Ashari’s hand and pull my phone from my pocket. With shaky hands, I type out a quick message to Letitia.

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