Page 28 of Breaking the Rules
“And until then, I’ll handle it. Your high-protein diet isn’t the same as Dino Nuggies. So I bought some food. When you get back, I’ll have something cooked.”
“If she likes the dance classes, keep her in them. I’ll pay it up for however long. I don’t want her playing soccer or softball.”
“Oh, we know, you’re the only one who can play competitive sports. You almost killed the ref when she played soccer last year,” Remi recalled. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Ashamed? I didn’t do enough to that nigga. He let that little badass girl kick my niece. So the way I see it, kicking his ass seemed to be the only solution. Plus, the ref was her daddy. A little simple assault never hurt nobody. Slappin’ niggas builds character.”
Remi looked up at him and squinted her almond-shaped eyes and puckered her lips up. “There is something wrong with you. Like, there is something up there that just don’t click the way it needs to.”
“Coming from the woman who will beat someone’s ass and then cry about it in the car? Fuck out of here, Remi,” he softly laughed as she flipped him the bird. “We all got a little crazy.”
“And I would appreciate it if you kept yours to a minimum for the rest of your contract.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Then how about this?” Remi counteroffered. “Leave the women alone. You always choose someone that I have to beat up. Mecole is still owed hands and feet.”
Noble waved the mention of his ex-fiancée’s name off. “We’re going to leave that shit where I deaded it at. You don’t need to worry, I’ll be cool. I got too much shit to maneuver through right now.”
“Uh-huh. I hear what your mouth is saying, but I know you. Anyway, go get ready before Kym changes her damn mindagain.”
Noble nodded and took off toward the room where Areli was inching out in search of him. There was terror in her eyes. Post-traumatic stress. Without a word, he scooped her up and kissed her cheek.
“Who you lookin’ for?”
“You, Unc-Unc,” she stated, laying her head on his shoulder. “You left me.”
“I’m never too far away. I got some news for you. Unc-Unc has to go handle some business, so Remi is going to take you to the beach and then…”
Her eyes lit up. Noble knew what she was expecting to hear, but unfortunately, he couldn’t deliver that. “Mommy?”
“Dance class!” he cheered, trying to soothe her disappointment before it appeared.
Her shoulders slumped. “But I really want mommy.”
“I know, babygirl. I want her too, but we have to wait and be patient. Okay?”
“Okay,” Areli whined.
“Let’s go to Remi. She got you so much stuff. It’s crazy, and so is she.”
“Remi isn’t crazy,” Areli defended her mother’s best friend as Noble carried her down the hall. Upon spotting her in the kitchen, Areli continued. “Remmmiiii, Unc-Unc said you were crazy.”
Remi smiled up from the pancake mix and droned. “Tell Deuce it takes crazy to know crazy.”
Areli turned to Noble and said. “It takes a crazy man to know a crazy lady.”
Noble tickled her and sat her down on the kitchen counter. “Remi isn’t a lady, though.”
He moved quickly before Remi could swat at him. “Too damn slow.”
Noble left them in the kitchen in a fit of giggles. Being sure to give Areli some much-needed affection, he gave her a warm squeeze and a triple kiss to the cheek, the same his father did to him and his sister.
“Be good,” he prompted.
“At being bad!” Areli completed with a mouth full of chocolate chip pancakes.
“Aight, Remi,” he started, pulling his card out of his wallet. “Whatever she needs. I’ll holla at y’all.”
