Page 114 of Love me Like XO

“How do you know that?”

A wail in the distance filled all of our eardrums, and within seconds Empress hopped up. Amel was awake. He was probably hungry after all the sleeping he had done today.

“I feel it. What the fuck y’all tryna load us down, ain’t you?” He shook his head, not even giving me the chance to deny or confirm his assumption. ”Y’all know we ain’t gonna be able to do none of those nice ass vacations no more. She got twins, youbouta be swollen as fuck and I was coming over here to tell y’all how I fucked up.”

“Like how? How did you fuck up?” Empress asked walking back into the kitchen holding baby boy. Unlike his twin he had a head full of hair.

“Zarali is pregnant. Least for now, cause I ain’t figured out how I’ma ask ha’ ass to get rid of it.”

“And why would I do that?”

“I mean why not? I love shorty, but our situation ain’t ideal. Hate that I’m putting my daughter through the ups and downs, you really think I’m finna put another child through it?”

I looked at him for a moment before I nodded. He was right, but he was talking about aborting a child that surly didn’t ask to be here. A child that didn’t ask for its parents to be reckless and create him or her. “Should’ve wrapped your Willy and you wouldn’t have be?—”

“I know, but ain’t that the right thing?”

“Depending on why you’re really doing it. Next time this happens you gonna abort it too for these same reasons or are y’all gonna finally grow up and talk about feelings instead of acting like niggas. Fucking and getting over shit like that’s all it is to life.”

He shook his head. “I know, but that’s how shit goes. We be good one day then boom. We beefing.”

“With that being said don’t you wanna break the cycle and not be our father? Not have kids all over the place and be with the one woman you actually love? It only took dad what, five baby mamas and about twenty something years. Now he’s happy, married and in a good space, right?” Empress spoke.

He nodded. “I hear you shorty, I’ma get my shit together. Or try, but on me it takes two.”

“How many bitches you still fucking with?” I made the stop lying face.

“No—well you know Kesh is still on my roster, but she knows what’s up,” he started explaining.

I shook my head.

“Maybe it’s time you get yo’ shot together and let Kesha go, especially since you don’t see nothing with her, right?”

He nodded. “But how I know Zarali ain’t on some shit?”

“See that’s the problem. Y’all be going tit for tat. I wish a nigga would go tit for tat with me, because the moment he goes tit, I’ma crack against his fucking skull.”

Empress nodded. “As she said.”

“Yo, you’re days outta labor, fuck you talking about cracking somebodies skull for?”

“Exactly. I got two kids by a nigga, let ‘em try me. Two heads popped outta this pussy, meaning if he tries me it’s up.” Then like a nut she looked up at the sky.

I couldn’t help but laugh because she was right. Niggas worked hard to get bitches comfortable and be all happy, then fucked it up over a basic bitch whose lace was lifting.

“Why you so quiet?I thought you wanted some steak and a movie.”

“I did and you did good. I love it.” I looked around the room at the private showing, then down at the pillow filled area waiting us.

“Then what’s wrong, baby girl?”

“I ju—just have a lot going on right now. I’m just thinking too much. I thin?—”

I felt his eyes before he spoke. “The fuck you got going on that I don’t know ‘bout? As a matter-of-fact I’on give a fuck as long asit ain’t got shit to do with you thinking you leaving me. That shit is dead, so eat yo’ food so we can watch this movie.”

“So, you don’t care about how it feel?”

He mugged the hell out of me, before exhaled frustratedly. “What do you want from me, Ree?”