Page 89 of Love's Free Will

“Nah, I don’t think you do. Cause I see it in you, bro. You spiraling. One minute you cool, next you on edge. That girl got you in a chokehold, and I’m not even clownin’. But whatever decision you make, make it clean. Stop bleeding all over her if you ain’t tryna be with her for real.”

Before I could respond, my phone rang. Unknown number with a Georgia area code. I stepped outside to answer it. “Hello?”

“Took you long enough.”

That voice. Gruff. Tired. “Pops?” I breathed.

“Yeah,” he said, quiet for a second. “Look, I ain’t call to argue. I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry.” I leaned against the brick wall, heart suddenly heavy. “I shouldn’t have come at you like that after King died,” he continued. “I was hurt. Angry. Still am. But I took it out on you when all you ever did was look out for this family.” I couldn’t speak. Just listened. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “Saw some article about your album rollout. Westlake Ave is fire.”

“Thanks,” I croaked.

“You still my son. Still King’s little brother. He woulda been proud too.”

“I miss him every day,” I admitted.

“Me too.” A silence passed between us, but it wasn’t the heavy kind. It was the kind where you both just knew, a commonality, a trauma bond almost. We both knew what it meant to be around King at different ages, what it meant to love him, to mourn him.

“I gotta get back to it,” I said.

“Alright. One more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“That girl… the one you fought me over?” he asked.

“Averi.”

“Yeah, Averi… you like her?”

“I love her. But I pushed her away after shit went down with King, blamed her for some shit that ain’t have nothing to do with her and now things shaky wit’ us.”

“If you love her, really love her and it ain’t just a lust thing Royal, then you gotta do whatever you gotta do to not lose her,” he said. “Even if shit is shaky with y’all, if she still around after all this? She’s probably worth it.”

“She worth everything I got and more.”

“Then you already know how to fix whatever issues y’all got son. Make sure that woman knows how much you love her. Show her how Teegan men love their women.”

I hung up with my heart somewhere between broken and repaired.

The next night,Doheny Room was packed.

I wore an all-black tailored suit, gold chains under my button-down, hair cut into a tapered fade. Queenie was a vision in a white pantsuit, her hair curled, and lips ruby red. Princess wore a mini dress and heels that had me low-key nervous and about to tell her fast ass to go change. Zay was in his usual: black tee, black jeans, and all his chains.

Logan and his wife were by the bar, talking with Lux, Kylei and some label execs. I greeted them as soon as we came in, showing love and respect for all they had done for me. Egypt was holding court with Nas, Serenity, Creed, Brodie and Ari near the back.

And thenshewalked in, in a silk champagne-colored mini dress, backless, hugging her body like a second skin. Her hair was in a high ponytail with two tendrils framing her face. Herlong chocolate legs accentuated by the matching champagne colored open toed heels.

She smiled at me from across the room, waving and blushing, probably at how intensely I was staring at her. I felt my mouth salivating as I reminisced about the many nights I had her laid up next to me, tasting her skin.

“Stop drooling and go speak nigga,” Zay teased.

I grinned, making my way through the crowd. As I approached her, I instantly reached for her waist pulling her close to me and basking in the scent of her perfume. Hints of sour cherry, almonds and vanilla…always a touch of vanilla.

“You look good as fuck baby,” I said burying my face into her neck as she wrapped her arms around me.

Averi smirked. “You clean up nice too, Royal.”

“Glad you came.”

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