Page 113 of Maceo

I giggled. “You can’t take the heat?”

“Hell nah. That one over there looks like she would pounce on a nigga the minute I give her the okay.”

“You know you’re a handsome guy, Amp.”

“I know that. I don’t need the distraction, though. I’m focused on my money and my ol’ lady.”

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”

“Tanis Greenwood.”

“Pastor Greenwood’s daughter! Get the fuck outta here. How did you pull her? I mean, I know how you pulled her, but again… how did you pull her?”

“Good girls love a bad boy that’s only good for her. Case and point, Salima and Deuce.”

“In my girl’s defense, she really didn’t want that man at first. He wore her down.”

“And he locked her down with a ring and a baby. I rest my case. You’re next.”

I smiled. “I’m having my birth control taken out today.”

“Word? You and Maceo about to give Salima’s lil’ cutie a cousin, huh?”

“Once all of this is over, yes.”

“Good for you. I mean, I thought you would have made him marry you first, but ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

“Wearemarried, Amp.”

His brows furrowed. “Since when did y’all reschedule the wedding?”

“We didn’t. We had a private ceremony that night. Just us, Deuce, Salima, and Darlyn. You can’t tell anybody, though.”

“Oooo, Mrs. Cicely and Mr. Paul are gonna kick your ass when they find out. His too.”

“They aren’t going to find out. When this is all over, we are going to have the ceremony that was planned. No one will ever know.”

He waved me off. “If you say so. You know your moms can smell a secret a mile away. Remember when you started smoking with me and the crew from the old neighborhood? She caught your ass up real quick.”

I laughed at the memory. I’d gotten too high with them and was scared to go home because the shit had me paranoid. When I tried to sneak into the house, of course, my mother stopped me. It didn’t matter that I smelled like I’d bathed in Bath & Body Works to cover the smell of the weed. She’d been with my father too long not to know when someone was high.

Instead of making me come out and say it, she let me stew in my paranoia for a good two hours as I tried to keep it together. It wasn’t until I had a panic attack did she finally step in. I didn’t even get in trouble because I’d punished my damn self.

I laughed at the memory. I was a pro now.

“Sharina Gladden.”

“Text me when you’re done,” Amp said.

I nodded as I stood and went to the back. After collecting my weight and a urine sample, I followed the nurse back to a room to wait for Dr. Beck. I undressed from the waist down and covered myself up with the sheet on the table. It wasn’t long before she came in with her usual smile and bubbly personality.

“Hey, Sharina, girl!”

Dr. Beck had been my doctor for years now, and she’d always been like a homegirl. She’d never made me feel uncomfortable talking about my body or changes it went through.

“Hey, Dr. Beck.”

“How have you been, love? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

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