Page 49 of Can I?

I pulled away from him and stared into his eyes. “Thank you, Ferris.”

Putting my hands to his cheeks, I pulled his face to mine and laid my lips on his, allowing him to celebrate me in one of the best ways possible.

When we got backto Ferris’s house, I was still excited about my day. He chuckled as I danced in my seat to “Swang Down” by Paul Wall and Z-Ro. Thankfully, we were going to be alone for a while. Bali and Noni stayed in Liberty to kick it with Carter Legend and Red Squared. I was shocked Noni wanted to stay after her breakdown last night. She was really feeling him for her to cry in front of us. Besides when our grandparents died, I hadn’t seen either of them cry since we were kids.

They always displayed a nonchalant attitude like they didn’t give a fuck. I knew that wasn’t the case, but again, her crying in front of us caught me off guard. Ashanni and Maui seemed just as shocked as I was. Maui lived with them growing up, so if she was shocked, I knew it was rare that Noni cried in front of anyone or ever wore her feelings on her sleeve that way. Hopefully, she and Red could come to some sort of terms about a relationship.

“You know Asad was on his way out there when we left.”

I frowned slightly. “Oh, okay. He’s not giving up on Shanni, huh?”

“He said he just wanna be in her space. Whenever she’s ready to settle down, he wanna be the first nigga that comes to her mind.”

“That’s so sweet.” I took a deep breath and turned to Ferris. “She has reservations about his baby mama too. She overheard him arguing with her at a rodeo about him looking at her. So she knows she’s on that woman’s radar.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Ferris, you can’t tell him I told you that. If she wanted him to know that, she would have said something. She likes him, but not enough to overlook that shit.”

“Damn. That’s fucked up. I hate that for him.”

“Yeah. It is kind of sad, but I don’t even want to think about that shit right now.”

“Well, what you wanna think about, baby?”

“How I’m gon’ ride your dick like I did that horse a minute ago.”

“Well, shit. Talk to me nice then, girl.” I giggled as he continued. “You was a fucking beast on that horse. Real shit. Your mama was so excited when Ashanni called her and told her that you were barebacking today. She said she just felt like you were going to master that shit today. You’ve overcome so much. I had to agree with her.”

“Wow. I’m so glad Ashanni called her. With all they had going on at home, I didn’t bother telling her. I figured she was probably busy.”

“You’re her pride and joy, baby. Regardless of the shit that happened and why y’all weren’t talking, she loves the hell out of you.”

“I love the hell out of her too. You saw that fucking saddle I bought. I hate spending money.”

He chuckled. “So I’ve noticed. Besides that saddle, I ain’t seen you spend more than ten dollars at once.”

I slightly rolled my eyes. “Whatever, man. If I think it’s important enough, I’ll spend money on it. My mama taught me the value in saving my money, and I took the shit to the extreme. I buy gas, food when I’m traveling, and spend money to get myhair done. Those are the necessities. Most times, I eat at the diner, and my aunts never make me pay.”

“Spoiled rotten.”

I side-eyed him. “Says the mama’s boy.”

His eyebrows lifted as he chuckled. “Yo! I know you lying!”

I laughed too. “Well, I mean, that’s prolly why she go so hard in the paint for you when it comes to me. Your mom doesn’t like me.”

“Oh well. She don’t know what the fuck she missing out on. She don’t know you to say she don’t like you though. It’s her loss.”

My eyebrows lifted. “So if your mom didn’t agree with you being with me, you wouldn’t consider her opinion?”

He frowned as he glanced at me. “I’ve never needed her assistance in my life in that area. Never. If her opinion had a lil merit behind it, possibly. But last time I checked, I was grown as fuck, paying my own bills, making my own money. That means I can do what the hell I wanna do. I wanna do you. You gon’ let me?”

“I told you what I wanted, but hearing your words right now, I wanna let you do that shit right now. Fuck what the doctor said.”

It hadn’t been a week like the doctor recommended, but knowing that he felt that strongly about me had me weak with desire. If he was going to go against what his mom thought was best, then I supposed it would be me and him against the world if it ever came down to it. Me falling for him had become even more real.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

FERRIS

---