IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES Book 2

Chapter 2

**** The babies name is pronounced UH-SAH-TUH. She's named after a freedom fighter from the black power movement. Also thanks to my girl talkativeintrovert for a passage I used in this chapter .

For those who need a refresher on what Stac looks like she's in the m/m. And Rell's song is in the m/m. Please listen to the song if you can.

And shout out to sonotfetch for the cover. ****

AUGUST P.O.V. –

“Relationships are not easy. That whole lilies and roses. Make up sex and we good thing exist in movies and books. Real relationships take work. Hardwork. And a lot of those days you’re not gonna wanna put in the work. Cause the shit is too hard. So it’s easy to abandon it every time there’s some friction. You cannot do that. You cannot run away. You have to stay here and grind it out with me. Pray it out with me. Communicate it out with me August. Just like with anything else. School is hard for you, I know. But you didn’t quit, even though things came in your way where you wanted to. Taking care of Chay, Noonie and Kay is hard, but I know you’re not going to abandon them. Look at me.” She softly touched my chin and directed it toward her.

“The same goes with us. You are a real fucking piece of work.” I smirked.

“You got anger problems, this we know. Okay, we’re gonna get to the root of that and work on it. Together. If me leaving without kissing you in the morning makes you insecure, I won’t do that again. Because I want you to have peace of mind. I apologize about not texting and calling you back, things got a little hectic and I had planned on calling you once I left. I should’ve text you and said I’d call you later. Our relationship Aug is like when we went blind go-karting. We had to trust each other, that we’d lead each other in the right direction. Some days we won’t get it right. Like you ran me into that wall.”

“I told you to go straight.”

“And I didn’t listen that time. But we both made it to the end baby. Safe. Not perfect. But safe. And every time we hit a rough patch, we have to think about that moment go-karting. Redirect each other to the right path, so we can make it to the end okay?”

“Believe Dat.”

“Dear God, I need you right now. You blessed me with this opportunity and I’m fucking it up. You blessed me with a good woman and I fucked that up.  I pray that you forgive me. I shouldn’t never try to hit no woman, you know that’s not in my heart. And I shouldn’t have just left her like that. God I know for a fact the only way I’mma get back on track is if you bring Amb back in my life, but God I’m so confused. My nigga serving 30 years for me. My brother gone. I don’t wanna be disloyal to them.  Please help me figure out what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know right now.”

 I started crying on my steering wheel. “Give me a sign if going to make things right with Amb is a good thing and if you say it’s the right thing, I’ll go to Atlanta. If not, I’ll just spend the summer in Nola. Just let me know. Please God, I’m begging you. Amen.”

I wiped my eyes and started my car.

“It’s ya girl Shamara on Philly Hot 107.9, Laiya is out sick but I’m still holding it down. Playing the jams. This one is a new hit from an artist straight up out the A named Durrell. Y’all I heard this song and I definitely things he’s the future of RNB. But Philly you listen and decide. Here it is – The first single off his debut album Stronger – If That’s What It Takes.”