Lennox POV
"So have you set a date for the wedding yet?" A friend of Beckham's parents inquired. "You know, the sooner the better!"
I damn near choked on the champagne I had been sipping from. I tried my absolute best not to glare at the far too eager blonde woman standing in front of me. I don't know even know her. So for her to be unwarrantedly giving any sort of input as it pertains to my wedding is not only irritating but wholly uncalled for. Unfortunately, this is what it has been like the majority of the night.
The obscenely large room only began to feel smaller and smaller the longer the night progressed. I could feel my anxiety building but knew better than to behave in a manner that would elicit any level of concern. Instead, I swallowed hard. Taking another sizable sip of my champagne hoping the alcohol would ease my nerves.
"We're still deciding." I smiled through my clenched teeth, with a nod of my head. "Would you excuse me please? I should go check on Jayce." I whispered the last part in Beckham's ear, not waiting for a response before heading off to find Brandt. Since Jayce-Lynn will no doubt be wherever he is, he is her favorite uncle after all.
I made my way across the crowded room, to find Brandt sitting at one of the many tables with Xiomara and his parents. Just as I was headed over to them something caught my eye from across the room, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. Malakai, his babymother and his aunt and even his daughter had just walked into the room. I assume Ms. April or someone else from the Williams family invited them because I sure as hell didn't. This is ghetto as fuck.
I quickly ducked over to the De Loughrey table before he could spot me. That's the last fucking thing I need to be dealing with tonight.
"Heyy Bug, are you having fun?" I questioned coming up beside the table.
"No.. Not really, can we go home now?" The five year old pouted, taking a bite of a piece of garlic bread.
Engagement parties aren't the most kid friendly events. I understand her frustration. "Not yet, but soon." I bent down gently kissing her forehead. "Your cousins are here now. Why don't you and Uncle Brandt go find them so you all can play, yeah?"
"Len?" I turned around at the sound of my name to find my favorite and only nephew holding Knox. Specifically holding him at an arms length away with his face scrunched up. "He's wet."
"Boy!" I couldn't help but roll my eyes letting out a small laugh, "You have a one year old little sister. You know how to change a diaper. Give me my baby." I finally conceded holding my arms out for Knox.
"There's my sweet boy." I grinned kissing his cheek, the infant squealed happily in response. I took the diaper bag from Micah, announcing that I would be back after changing the baby.
I sling the diaper bag over my shoulder, cradling Knox in my arms. Quickly making my way to the bathroom not wanting any nosey media correspondents trying to get in a photo-op. I make quick work of changing Knox's diaper in the bathroom. I left him strapped into the changing table as I washed my hands, and it was at this very time that the bathroom door swung open revealing none other than fucking Malakai.
"Nope. I'm not doing this." I quickly dried off my hands, collecting Knox in my arms grabbing the diaper bag as well so I can return to the party.
Unfortunately, Kai was standing in front of the bathroom door and thus blocking my exit. With his own child in his arms at that, this is fucking ghetto. This is the women's bathroom after all.
"Seriously, you need to move." I rolled my eyes tapping my foot impatiently. "Someone could walk in."
"Is this little man? I've never seen him before." He mused, looking over Knox causing me to instinctively hold on to my son a little bit tighter. "Now I understand why you were so sure he wasn't mine." Kai chuckled softly. "He's—"
"Obviously biracial." I finished for him narrowing my eyes. "Now if you would excuse us, I really need to get back to my engagement party."
"He's why all of this is happening right? The kid? I've just never pegged you for the settling down type."
I couldn't help but scoff. "You don't know anything about me. The little time we spent together was not spent talking. So whatever it is you think you know,
I promise you don't."
Before Malakai had a chance to respond we were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Princess? Are you in there?"
"Yeah. I'm in here, you can come in." I hummed in response taking great delight in the panic expression that overtook Kai's face as I did so.
He truly doesn't know a thing about me. I'm not actually stupid nor reckless enough to jeopardize my engagement. He can fucking relax. The truth about us is one secret I plan on taking to the grave, if he's smart, he'll do the same.
"Who's this?" Beckham glanced at Malakai with a raised eyebrow as he entered the restroom.
"This is my cousin Malakai and his daughter, Amihan. He was having a bit of a diaper emergency so I bailed him out. No big deal." I smiled widely, shrugging my shoulders.
"Nice to meet you, cute kid." Beckham beamed waving at the toddler, only smiling even wider when she waved back. He's obsessed with babies.
"Likewise." Malakai nodded his head, now looking relieved. "Thanks again for your help Len. I would've asked her mother, but she's pregnant. Trying to take the load off her."
This nigga had the nerve to run up on me at my engagement party, that he's attending with his pregnant baby's mother?! I bit the inside of my cheek hard trying to mask my anger. This is some Tyler Perry type of shit and I do not have the bandwidth for it, not tonight.
"Well congratulations you two. Beck and I should get back to hosting duties." I walked past Malakai towards Beckham who wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me out of the door.
"Are you feeling okay?" Beckham glanced down at me.
"I'm fine." I reassured, "Just a little tired, but what else is new? Let's just finish making our rounds. I'm sure there's a lot more people Xiomara wants us to talk to."
So we did.
The party lasted a few more hours and by the end of it, I was tired and irritated but what else is new? I could barely even keep my eyes open at the end of the night. We had completed a very comprehensive interview with GQ and they ended up filming quite a bit of the party for their Youtube channel and socials. After all the camera and interview work on top of socializing with and schmoozing Xiomara's friends, thanking my family and Beckham's for their gifts, and trying to wrangle two kids. I'm completely exhausted. Beckham had to carry me back out to the limousine.
After we had been driving for a while I realized we weren't heading in the direction of Beckham's condo. Rather further away from Seattle and towards the city of Medina. There's absolutely nothing that I want to be doing in Medina at 1 AM. The city is more so a rather affluent suburb, slightly pompous and a little pretentious. To put things in perspective this is where all of the professional athletes who play sports in Washington live, Bill Gates also has a home here.
"Beckham, this is not the penthouse. Where are we at?" I sighed dramatically. I just wanted to climb into bed, but we still need to get the kids changed and settled.
I peeked through the window of the limousine filled with utter confusion. We were in front of a very large house, it's gorgeous! But it's not Beckham's parents house... I have no clue who lives here and I'm really not in the mood to continue socializing with anyone. I've had my fill for the night.
"This is our house. I bought it for us a few weeks ago." Beckham explained as I furrowed my eyebrows together.
I always assumed that house-hunting was something we would do together. This is a gorgeous house, don't get me wrong. But damn like what if I hated it, you know? That's why people usually do things like that with their partner. It could backfire. Especially a surprise like this.
"You're not saying anything." Beckham's voice broke me out of my thoughts.
"I love it, I do." I answered honestly. "I'm mostly just tired. I probably would've been more excited had you brought me here tomorrow. After a good night's rest." I smiled softly, kissing his cheek.
"We could sleep here tonight." Beck offered causing me to to look at him as though he was crazy.
"Sir, we have an infant. We absolutely cannot sleep here tonight. We don't have anything he needs with us. Bubs, tell the driver to take us home." I let out a yawn, laying my head on Brandt's shoulder next to me.
Someone can wake me up once we make it back to the apartment.
"Princess? That guy that you were talking to earlier.. I think you said he was your cousin. What was his name again?" Beckham questioned as we both climbed into our bed. Me, now completely bare-faced and only clad in my underwear.
One would think that if his mind were to be preoccupied with anything after our engagement party, it would be trying to get laid. Not playing who's who? regarding my relatives. Using the word relatives loosely, of course.
"Malakai." I glanced up at him through my eyelashes, "Why do you ask?"
"The name just sounded familiar to me. That's all." He shrugged his shoulders, cutting off the lamp that sat on our bedside table. Immediately engulfing the room in darkness.
"It's a common name." I laughed softly shaking my head. "There were like four black guys named Malakai at my middle school and they all spelled it differently."
"I guess you're right. Didn't you mention someone in your study group has that name?"
My eyes widened but luckily Beckham wasn't able to see it due to the darkness. Little does he know, "Malakai from study group" does not exist. That was a lie that I told him, because while Beckham was aware that I was seeing someone when I was with Malakai. He had no clue who I was seeing, and I'd very much so would like to keep it that way. Especially since finding out he's Ms. April's nephew.
"Yeah. Told you, super common name. Especially amongst black people. It's a cultural thing I guess." I quickly recovered, snuggling into his arms. "Now can we talk about something besides my family? It's kind of a boner killer." I giggled peppering kisses along his chest.
Beckham smacked his lips together, i just know he's rolling his eyes at me. "I thought you said you were tired."
"I am tired. I want you to put me to sleep."
"Didn't you already get dicked down today?" I could feel Beckham's chuckle reverberating against my skin.
"There's a limit on how many times I can get dick a day? I didn't realize that I was on a "once a day" regimen."
"You're so damn spoiled, you know that?" A wide smile spread across my face in response.
"If anything it's your fault. You're the one always spoiling me."
"Take these off." He tugged on the waistband of panties.
Shittttt, no need to tell me twice.
"You're lucky I'm trying to get your ass pregnant again..." Beckham attempted to mumble under his breath but failed.
As soon as the words left his lips, I quickly rolled over back on to my side of the bed. He has me all the way fucked up. Knox is barely even four months old. I refuse to fall even further behind in school pushing out another big headed baby, absolutely not. That's ghetto.
"What are you doing?" He laughed pinching my butt, "You were the one just whining about getting some dick."
"You can keep it. I don't need your situation." I quoted Jordyn Wood's at the end of my statement, referring to when he said he was trying to get me pregnant again. I already got lucky once, I'm not gonna continue to be out here having sex without contraception. That's like tempting fate.
"I'll pull out."
"Lies. Go to sleep."
I know I'm mad late. Outside reopened again, so I've been super busy. This chapter didn't turn out as well as I wanted because it's honestly been a while since I've written. I gotta get back into the swing of things. The next one will be muchhhhh better, I promise!
~Lee