Page 18 of Reckless Forever
“What’s wrong?” She asked as she started to stroke it again, trying to bring the life back in that lil nigga.
“To be real with you, Tay, I don’t even know. I’ll fuck with you later,” I swatted her hand and stuffed my shit back into my boxers before I stood up in front of her, zipped my pants back up, and walked around her toward the door to let her out.
She didn’t move for a second, and I know she was probably shocked. I was the one who told her to fall through, and now I was kicking her out.
“Did I do something to you?” She asked, getting up from her position and going over to her clothes that lay on the floor, and put them on quickly.
“Nah, you good Shorty. I’ll see you later,” I lied. This was the last time that her ass was going to hear from me, too.
She nodded, and she ran her hands over her hair before she walked out the door without any other questions.
I couldn’t even find it in me to call Ivy right back; the shit made me feel guilty like I had gotten caught cheating on her. I paced the floor and then went to shower. I hadn’t fucked since the day before I went to Bolivia. We had been back for almost a month, and the first time I tried to get some pussy this shit happens.
When I got out of the shower, I called Ivy. I ain’t gone lie, I was kind of hoping that she didn’t even answer. I still felt a little tight in my chest.
“Hey,” she said as soon as she answered the phone. Hearing her voice was the first time that I didn’t feel tense all night.
“What’s up, beautiful?” I asked, feeling like an ain’t shit nigga. Which was crazy, because I had no problem feeling like one for the last twenty-seven years of my life. Ivy wasn’t even my girl for real, and I didn’t owe her anything. Not to mention that since I had been back in the States, she was giving me this friendship bullshit again.
“Nothing, I had good news that I wanted to share with you,” I could hear it in her voice that she was smiling on the other end of the phone. As soon as I heard her voice, my dick bricked up again. Ain’t that about a bitch?
“Aight,” I said as I waited for whatever made her so happy. “What’s up?”
“The Country is recognizing me with an award for my action plan for the crisis.” I could hear it in her voice that she wasexcited. The way she handled herself on that call made her deserve it.
“That’s good, baby, I’m proud of you,” I admitted honestly, glad that I got to watch her in her element in real time.
She went quiet on the other end of the phone. I took the phone away from my ear to see if she was still there, and she was.
“Ivy?”
“Yeah?” She asked lowly.
“Why you get quiet? You don’t want a nigga to be proud of you? I can take my shit back,” I said as I threw on some gym shorts.
She laughed. “No, the terms of endearment. We’ve already discussed this, Judah. Friendship. Beautiful, baby, Ma, can we just stay away from terms like that?”
I didn’t even realize I had called her baby; it just happened. I wanted to tell her fuck no, we can’t. But I held my tongue, I wasn’t going to push her too hard until I figured out what was going on in my own head.
“I’m proud of you, Shorty. Let me hit you back in a second.” I doubled down before disconnecting the call without waiting for her response.
I paced the floor and tried to figure out my next move. Every time I came up with a plan, it led me to a dead end. After a while, I came to the conclusion that this wasn’t going to be a one-man job, and I needed reinforcements. I typed the message and hesitated when I was done, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to figure this out on my own. Then I added my two favorite people to a group chat and pressed send.
Storm and Kennedy.
Me: This is a 911 emergency. Rain and Kenn come to the Estate tomorrow. It’s important. I love my nieces and nephews, but don’t bring them. I have nice shit here.
I felt about them the way I knew they felt about me; I was going to regret it, but I was going to have to ask anyway. Storm’s ass was probably going to ask a million and one questions, and Kennedy was going to have a joke to say. But I would have to take that to the chin.
I set the phone down and thought about Ivy. Everything felt like it was about to shift, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready.
CHAPTER 6
Ivy
“Good afternoon, Padrino,” I sang as I went to the kitchen and saw him reading the newspaper at the table with a half-eaten plate in front of him. Before I could round the table and kiss his cheek, one of the housemaids sat on his lap. I froze for a beat, swallowing the unease that always came when I saw him like this. Instead, I went over to the fridge and grabbed the items that I had come down for.
I should have been used to their displays of affection. That was one thing that never changed as long as I knew him. My godfather had always been a powerful man who surrounded himself with women, a lot of them. They were all ready and willing to do anything he asked of them. Granted, when my cousins and I were younger and visited, they were discreet. They wore clothes and had boundaries. But once we were all grown and away from the house, he was living life to the fullest.
