Page 9 of Breaking the Rules
“Hell nah. The niggas I know don’t fuck with niggas like that,” Lawryn stated.
Lawryn guided her cousin through the grand house. White and black abstract art over the crimson-painted walls of thefoyer. White and gray crown molding throughout the living space, and white and black checkered floors that seemed to go through the house. Without question, this was a bachelor pad. One Lawryn navigated her way around easily. It wasn’t until the two reached the backyard, where partygoers were in and out of the pool and the DJ was spinning melodic hip hop records.
“Bitch, this is Sincere’s house?” Savanhi questioned over the music. “How is he living like this?”
Lawryn shrugged and bit a smirk. “Rap, fashion, brand deals.”
“Mhmm,” Savanhi buzzed back before being pulled toward the bar. She glanced over at the stage, finding the man standing by Sincere. Dark, tall, handsome, but the expression on his face she was all too familiar with. Being somewhere he didn’t want to be, doing something he didn’t want to do. But for the sake of making the people he cared about happy, he was there.
“I need for all the bad bitches in the house to show my nigga some birthday love. Big Deuce hits the three-o at midnight. He needs a drink in his hand and a bitch on his lap,” Sincere spoke into the mic, clearly already turned up.
“Two tequila shots,” Lawryn directed the bartender.
Savanhi turned her attention to finding a quiet corner. If this were for her to relax, she’d need to have a couple of spots before sitting in a corner and watching the party from afar. Ironically, working in a club, she didn’t like to party or like to be the spotlight of too much attention. That was a characteristic that helped her in her line of work. Men who didn’t want all their business out picked her to dance for them. It worked.
After a series of shots, Lawryn was activated and quickly becoming the life of the party. Which was right on brand for her. She was, without question, a vibe, a free spirit. Savanhi watched Lawryn’s colorfully tattooed back wind and twist away from the bar into the middle of the dance floor with a smirk on her face.
She was going to be occupied for most of the night. Now alone, Savanhi was free to roam out of the crowd and settle into a beach chair. Her arms crossed, elbows pressed against her knees, she watched the moon hang over the ocean. The sound of the crashing waves and breeze was enough to sober the pain in her spirit.
“I just want someone to love me,” Savanhi muttered, swiping a tear from her face. “But I guess that’s not happening, is it? You just got to make some rules about your heart, Van. Rule one: do these niggas like they do you.”
FIVE
All of this was too much. Though appreciative, Noble was cool with a kick back with close friends and more privacy than this. After Sincere’s announcement, he fell into the background and roamed down the beach. His phone in hand, hoping to have a missed call or text back from his sister. They had plans for the morning, and by now, she would’ve at least called two or three times to confirm, wish him a happy birthday, and let his niece fill his ears with ramblings of all the things she did and what she couldn’t wait to do with Unc-Unc.
Chopping it up to her being busy, he put it out of his mind for the night. There was a meeting with the Royals tomorrow, and more than anything, he wanted to be back home. In his own space, taking care of his family and minding his business. Majestic Heights had become too much. The team was pushing him out, and he was ready to go.
Noble slid his phone in his pocket and roamed to a set of beach chairs he’d had his eyes on since earlier in the night. Being that the party was toppling over with women who wanted to be close to the celebrities at the party, he was surprised to find a woman alone, staring into the light of the moon. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him and the weed he smoked earlier with Sincere wasn’t still in his system, he would have believed that she swiped a tear from her cheek.
As if she could sense his presence, her sad eyes found his. Just for a moment, he could see her pain before she turned it off. She didn’t recognize him like the other partygoers had; she just offered a soft smile, expecting him to keep passing by.
Noble was stuck. He was a sucker for a beautiful woman, but even more of a sucker for tears. He had his sister and niece to thank for that.
“There’s a whole party going on,” he started. “Out here alone?”
She rolled her lips over one another and pushed her hair out of her face. “It’s your party, you should be the one up there. I’m not on no creep shit or nothing, just spotted you on stage earlier with Sincere.”
Noble nodded. “Yeah, he’s just using my birthday as a reason to piss his neighbors off with this party.”
“I don’t know, the looks of it, they might be up there partying too,” she stated as she stood. “I don’t mean to impede on your space or anything. It looks like you’re looking for a quiet moment.”
“Yeah, the shit is too wild. Ain’t really my scene.”
“I can feel that. Enjoy, though,” she stated before starting down the beach.
“There’s a spot further down. Quieter.”
She stopped and looked over him. Then she furrowed her perfectly filled brows. “Is this a play? Lonely girl, you on some weird type shit?”
If he wasn’t stuck before, the spiciness she let slip made his feet sink further into the sand.
“I’m from 74thand Huey, and it might not look like it, but I can fight. You’re big, but I’ll find a way to take you down.”
Noble chuckled, amused by the thought of this woman barely over five feet four inches having to fight about her respect. “80thand Mecca and nah, no weird type shit, just if you down to sit in silence with me. No pressure.”
She pressed the tip of her tongue against the corner of her mouth and thought it over. It would serve as a distraction, if just for a minute. She was good at listening to men talk about themselves and holding space. She did it successfully three nights a week.
She gestured her hand down the shore. “Lead the way.”
