Page 99 of Jaeda

Time waited for no one.

One minute, I was being snatched up and held at gunpoint, and now I was dating the woman who called for me to be snatched up. The last couple of months had been more of a blessing than I ever expected. Jaeda and I had grown closer, and I was even on friendly terms with her brothers. Now that was unexpected. We’d gone out a few times just to chill, smoke, drink, and vibe.

When they weren’t on that bully shit, they were actually tolerable. There was nothing but laughs and shit talking among us. I think I’d finally proven that they couldn’t get to me, and it earned me their respect, not that I needed it. I would say it was nicer passing insults than threats.

Just the other week, we were kicking it in Deuce’s man cave. Drinks were flowing. Blunts were being passed around. We were just shooting the shit. Clearly, a little too much had beenconsumed, because Deuce, of all people, got very sentimental with me.

“Aye, man,” he said, pulling from his blunt. “You’re an okay ass nigga.”

I chuckled. “Well, thank you.”

“Nah, for real. I ain’t seen my little sister this happy. Like ever. She be walking around here just smiling and shit for no fucking reason, and I know that’s because of you.”

Maceo snickered. “Look at this muthafucka.”

Deuce glared at him. “Shut the fuck up, nigga. I’m trying to have a man-to-man conversation right now.” He turned to me. “For real. Jaeda’s my baby. I give her a lot of shit. Hell, I’ve given her a lot of shit about you, but I’d lay down my life for her. She was the only girl raised with a bunch of brothers. The first time Pops brought her home, I knew I’d fuck up the world and any nigga in it behind her.”

Smoke stifled a laugh. “We going down memory lane, my boy?”

Kerrion snatched the blunt from Deuce. “Gimme this shit. You over here acting all soft and shit.”

Deuce laughed. “Man, being a girl dad will do it to you. I look at my babies and I know my heart wouldn’t function right without them.” He looked at me. “That’s how Jaeda feels about you. You’ve been good to my sister. You treat her like the black queen she is, and you respect her. I appreciate that shit. As long as you keep being good to her, we won’t have any problems.”

“We won’t have any problems, man.”

“You love her?”

I paused for a moment. We still hadn’t said the words, but all the feelings were there. They’d been there.

“Nigga, do you love my sister?” Deuce spat impatiently.

“Yeah, man. I love her.”

“You told her that shit?”

“Not yet.”

“The fuck you waiting on? She loves your ass. You better tell her, and you better mean that shit when you say it. Don’t get your ass beat.”

We fell out laughing.

“You just said y’all ain’t had no problems!” Maceo said, his shoulders shaking from laughing so hard.

Deuce waved him off. “We don’t. But you ain’t gon’ love my sister and not tell her that shit. She should know how you feel. I tell my wife I love her every fucking day. Ain’t a doubt in her mind about that. If you make my sister doubt how you feel, we will most definitely have a problem.”

“I hear you, nigga, damn,” I said, causing them to laugh.

“You irritating this man, Deuce,” Steel said.

“Irritating as fuck,” I agreed.

Deuce grinned.“This is what you signed up for. A family of irritating ass people. Welcome to death row.”

I didn’t sign up for that shit, but I guess it came with the territory, so it was what it was.

Today was going to be interesting, to say the least. Our parents were finally meeting for the first time, and I was a little nervous. My mother and Jaeda had been building a relationship, and I was happy as hell that she could see what I saw in her. Mom adored her.

“Do I look okay?” Jaeda asked, looking herself over in my mirror.

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