JA SAT on live with Sunjai near him as they tried solving a unsolved case file that she had ordered out of boredom. She wasn't in the frame, and the viewers could barely hear her from how low she was talking—but they knew she was there.
"I'm too smacked for this. . . i'm dead finna search the answer up." She sighed, rubbing her eyes.
Ja looked at the MacBook that set next to his phone, he was now genuinely interested to find the killer was. He couldn't really think either since he was just as burnt out as Sunjai. "This shit don't make sense, I'm starting to think the bitch jumped off the building ha' self." He set the folder down.
@randomuser: dat man is faded😂😂
@randomuser: you are, in fact, NOT fine in the west 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@randomuser: not ja finally showing us one of his hoes
"This the homegirl, can y'all hop off." He wrapped his arm around Sunjai, forcing her to stand in front of the camera. "Bae, tell 'em we happy."
"Boy. . ." She glanced at the comments before throwing up piru, before walking out of frame.
He side eyed her, "Here you go." He picked the folder back up.
Ja already got backlash because of the people he surrounded himself with—the internet swore up and down his friends were a bad influence for him but Jamel was a grown men who made his own decisions. He already knew Sunjai repping a set she most likely wasn't apart of was going to have people in their feelings. "What I do?" She laughed.
"You stay doin' that shit, you gon' get shot one day and ima sit there and laugh." He said to her, still looking at the papers in front of him.
"You was throwing up crip just a few days ago, please." She waved her hand.
"I was throwing up 4's, stop tryna set me up." Ja laughed. "You so fedd, dawg." He mushed her head.
"Set you up?" Sunjai grabbed her bottle of water, she needed something to calm her high down. "You swear people checking for you like that."
"And you swear you bang blood just 'cause you lived in dirty ass Bronx." He shrugged.
@randomuser: where she frm?? talking bout on bloods
@randomuser: what hood shawty from? she stay saying on bloods and saying she boo 😂
"I ain't never said that, fuck?" Sunjai read the comments with furrow her eyebrows. "Y'all really hurt over words? Damn."
@memgrizz: ja finally settling! yesskii
@_dtap2: jai just be doing shit😂 nobody takes her serious in real life so yall shouldn't trust !
"Devonte you gay as hell, fuck off my dick." Sunjai playfully said causing Ja to let out laugh, finally looking back at his phone to see what he had said.
"Y'all team page funny as hell, why is it even still active? Y'all lost." She then added on causing Ja laughter to stop, looking at his screen blankly.
Ja ignored her as he started cleaning up the stuff, both of them had given up since they didn't have the patience to figure it out. As he was doing that, Sunjai glanced at his phone that had buzzed, she became annoyed when she saw a text message pop up from someone named Johanna.
She didn't wanna make it obvious so her facial expression didn't change, not until another one popped up with her name mentioned. Ja looked at his phone before looking at Sunjai, he tried grabbing it but Sunjai got to it first. "Who's Johanna? And why shordy talkin 'bout me?"
"Dawg, give me back my phone." He reached for it again—Sunjai tried scrolling out Instagram to see the message but the phone was snatched, Ja running towards the downstairs bathroom, laughing loudly as she chased him.
When he made it, he slammed the door just as Sunjai was about to enter."I'm not playing with you, man." She tried calming herself down but it was getting hard. Sunjai tried opening it but Ja had a stronger hold against it before he locked it completely. "Ight you pissing me off now."
"It's nothing," Ja glanced at the comments that was just people spamming laughing emojis, he too thought it was funny, he didn't realize Sunjai was actually that upset. "JJ—"
He was cut off by her kicking the door, he sighed and propped the phone up on the counter, "Imma come out when you feel like having a civil conversation." He looked at the mirror as Sunjai went silent.
He pulled his locs out of its ponytail, shaking them out as he mumbled a song to himself, he danced around as the viewers on the live went up.
@randomuser: y'all funny ash😂😂
@moneybaggyo: who textin that phone 12???
Ja leaned down to read the comment, "Nobody even important. She trippin'." As the words left his lips he flinched due to the door flying off its hinges.
He was about to put his hand over his head before he realized it was just Sunjai, standing there after kicking the door down. He stood up straight, looking down at his now fallen door, "Fuck wrong witchu?!"
Sunjai furrowed her eyebrows, "Me? What's wrong with you?"
"Nah, you kickin' down doors and shit. Are you okay inna head?" He argued, the both of them forgetting that he was live.
"I'm perfectly fine. Why is that bitch in your phone saying my name?"
Ja smacked his lips, "You read the message, you tell me."
"Oh so you think it's funny?" Sunjai nodded a few times, "Call her to come over here and keep you company then, I'm leaving."
"Sunjai,"
@randomuser: keep company?? nigga was lonely
@randomuser: Johanna old ass out here messin wit da kids relationship
@memgrizz: mane end the live !!!!
"Don't Sunjai me." She turned to leave but Ja grabbed her hand, putting his second phone in it, his primary phone. The one that was being used for live was technically his work phone.
"Check it witcho sensitive ass." He leaned against the marble bathroom counter, crossing his arms as she quickly typed in the password.
Sunjai leaned against the wall as she went right to his DMs. She was there for a while before going to his photos. And then his iMessages where Johanna had texted him from. Her eyes scanned the messages. Johanna was asking about Sunjai's shop.
She glanced up at Ja who was staring at her, "Why you look scared?" She asked, her voice much softer than it was ten minutes ago.
"Man, gimme my phone," He smacked his lips while taking his phone back from her. At the same time they both looked at his second phone that was pointed right at them, "Fuck." He mumbled sarcastically as he grabbed the phone and ended the live.
Ja walked past Sunjai and his broken door, she followed, "Jamel I'm sorry. I thought she was on somethin' else."
"Whatever Sunjai." He waved her off as he went back up the stairs, going through his phone now to see what the message even said.
"Whatever? Why you bein' so rude?" She stopped walking when she saw him go to Kaari's door, she watched as he opened it carefully.
She had completely forgotten about the sleeping child, if she she remembered she might've acted a little more cautiously.
Ja stepped inside the room and closed the door, "We were just playin' mamas. Go back to sleep."
Kaari continued staring out the window, "I'm not tired anymore." She rested her forehead against the glass.
He walked over to her and picked her up out of the bed before he sat down, pulling the blanket over his legs, "Why you lyin'?"
She looked at him and then sighed heavily, "Why you guys always yelling at each other?"
He ran a thumb over her wet cheek, "I'm sorry." He whispered, he had taken her from KK to get her away from the toxic relationship there only to bring her into another one. "Stop cryin', it's over. You not gon' hear that again, promise."
She nodded and rested her head on his chest, it took her a few minutes but she eventually fell back asleep. Ja came out of the room as he closed the door Sunjai stood up, she had been sitting on the stairs. "You gotta go."
"I gotta go?" She looked around, "Who me?"
"Why you always repeatin' what I say? Yes, Sunjai, you. Leave." He walked away from the bedroom, making his way down the hall to his own.
Sunjai once again followed him, "Was she okay?"
"Clearly not. That's why you need to leave, all we do is argue. That's not what I want for her." He turned to look at her. "So go."
She rolled her eyes and went to the bed, laying down. "You gon' have to remove me."
He walked over and picked her up by her waist, he went to throw her over his shoulder but she started kicking her legs, sending her back into his king sized mattress.
When she hit the bed she rolled over, getting onto her knees only for Ja to grab both her ankles. "Ja!"
"Stop yellin!" He yelled over her as he tried to pull her off the bed, she found a grip on the foot board of the bed. "Sunjai, let it go."
"Let me go." She strained, holding onto the bed frame tighter, she refused to be thrown out tonight.
Finally he let go and just walked away, "You so..." He sighed and pulled his hair tie off his wrist, throwing his locs up quickly. "You made Kaari cry, that's why you need to leave." He told her.
"Nah," She sat up and fixed her hair, "You made that baby cry. Ian do anything."
"Why is everything an argument witchu?"
When she saw how serious he was she sighed, "Now you know that if you didn't run from me-."
"That's not the point." He leaned against the wall again, the two of them stared at each other from opposite ends of the room.
Sunjai was the one to break the minute long silence, "You know I can't sleep alone." She finally mumbled, shifting on her feet.
Ja walked over and grabbed a pillow, tossing it in her direction, "Stay on yo' side of the bed."
£ £ £
The next morning Ja woke up with Sunjai's leg over his and her head on his extended arm, right on his bicep as she slept peacefully.
He looked at her before turning his head to look up at the ceiling, he just knew today would be a long day because of what happened last night and he wasn't mentally ready for it. "Why you always look deep in thought?"
Ja hummed at the sound of her voice, "Nothin'." He sat up, getting out of the bed with a stretch.
"You still mad at the kid?" She pulled the covers over her legs, trying to retain the warmth he had taken with him.
"Depends," He walked toward his bathroom. "If Kaari still upset then so am I."
Sunjai laid back, she really didn't want to have to leave but there was no competing with his three year old. Seconds later the bedroom door opened and Kaari walked in, looking around. "Kaari?"
"Sunny?" Kaari looked around before Sunjai sat up again, when she saw her she smiled, "Hi."
Ten minutes later Ja came from his bathroom, Kaari was sitting in Sunjai's lap as the two of them looked at her Twitter. Kaari looked at Ja, "We just ate up Stephan on Twitter."
He blinked a few times, "Who?"
Sunjai turned her phone off, "Don't worry about it." She stood up, Kaari stood with her and the two of them walked to the bathroom together so Sunjai could get ready for the day.
Ja clicked his tongue a few times before nodding, "Aight then."
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Later that day Sunjai and Ja sat in his living room, going through old photo albums. "You were so ugly bro." Sunjai laughed holding up one of his pictures from elementary school.
"I was ah kid." He snatched the picture, "How'd you look back then?"
"Goodt." She said seriously, "I was the flyest kid at my school. Everyone wanted to be my friend."
"You went to school wit' a bunch of rats, there really wasn't much competition." He scoffed, grabbing the photo album with his high school memories.
He flipped open the cover, "Now here, I was the shit."
She looked at the first picture, it was a First Day of School picture, "Still ugly but a lil better."
"You trippin'," He flipped through the pages, "Look, prom. Let's get a lil commotion for the suit."
Sunjai chuckled a bit as she looked at the picture, "Why that shawty look like me?"
"I gotta type." He continued to look at the pictures, forgetting where Sunjai was during her prom season he then asked, "What color you wear to prom?"
Sunjai pulled the album closer to get a good look, "I was in a purple jumpsuit."
Ja looked at her and then looked away, "Right.." He laughed quietly, "Why'd it have to be purple. They ran outta orange?"
"Because of my charge. Different colors for each charge." She pulled a picture from its sleeve, "Ja, you were so corny." She laughed.
He snatched the picture, "You irra."
"I wished I had a prom though, forreal. I woulda ate so bad." She sighed and stretched her legs.
He tossed the photo album aside and grabbed his phone, he was waiting on a package for Sunjai, he had been tracking it all day and the fact that it had yet to arrive made him anxious.
"Waitin' on a call?" Sunjai asked causing him to look up from his phone.
"Nope." He turned it off, "Did you ever hear back from those schools about enrolling?"
Sunjai didn't have the opportunity to attend college after receiving her GED in jail, she went straight to working so she could provide for her family. But with the medical bills dying down, she was left with a ton of money. She had decided to apply to a few universities just to see if she could get in.
"Not yet." She finally said, "It'll be a while. I applied for the Spring semesters so..." She shrugged.
"You gon' get in, you too smart not to." He said with confidence.
Sunjai smiled, "Thanks." She helped him stack the books back onto the shelf before standing. "When I was going through yo' phone last night I saw that KK supposed to be coming today to see Kaari. When's that?"
Ja used the couch as support to stand up as well, "Ion even know. She just asked if she could, I'm not gon' say no."
"Shit, I would." Sunjai stood in front of him, he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her.
"That's why you not the decision maker around here." He smiled as they rocked back and forth in the middle of the living room.
She laughed, pushing him away, "I am the decision maker. What I say goes."
Ja fell back onto the couch, "If that's what you believe then ighttt."
"'Cause who made the decision on me staying last night. Me." She pointed at herself.
He scoffed, "'Cause you were finna cry. Nobody got time fa that."
Sunjai stepped forward and straddled him, getting comfortable in his lap, "Stop acting like you don't like me."
He moved his hands to her waist as his head went to her shoulder, "I don't." He slid his hands under her thighs, squeezing gently.
"But you do," She put her hand on the back of his neck as her lips went to his ear, when he flinched away she smiled, "Stop being pussy."
"I'm not," He murmured as Sunjai's tongue came in contact with the top of his ear, his eyes closed as her tongue trailed down the helix of his ear. When she got to his earlobe she took it into her mouth.
A second later she pulled away, Ja grabbed her neck gently and brought her into a kiss which she was quick to reciprocate.
She tilted her head as his lips parted and their tongues met. Sunjai sucked on his tongue and Ja let her-- his hands going to her ass for a moment then to her waist to guide her in a slow grind.
Upstairs Kaari's door swung open and the two of them could hear her feet hit the stairs as she ran down them, "Daddy! Mommy here!" She called, running into the living room.
Sunjai rolled off of Ja's lap, grabbing a pillow from the corner of the couch and tossing it to Ja who placed it in his lap just as Kaari rounded the corner. "Yo' momma?" He asked. "Whatchu mean?"
She pointed to the door, "I saw her car next to yours. Can I open door?"
He tried to hide his annoyance as he nodded, "Yeah, let her in. And stop running 'fore you slip and bust that big head."
Once Kaari walked away Sunjai stood up, adjusting her clothes, "You being a baby daddy sucks ass." She mumbled, walking away, up the stairs.
"I can be yours if you let me!" He called after her, knowing he didn't want a second kid—shid, he barely wanted the first one.
He stood and tossed the pillow aside just as Kaari walked back with KK, "Hey." She smiled brightly, "Thank you for letting me come over." She kissed Kaari's cheek a few times.
"You don't have to thank me." He reached up and subtly wiped his ear, "Where you coming from?"
"Santi's." She said simply while looking around, "Y'all alone?"
"Yeah-."
"Sunny is here." Kaari cut off her dad off, pointing upstairs as if Kadre wouldn't know where they were.
KK pursed her lips, "Who's Sunny?"
"Sunjai." Ja side-eyed his daughter before his eyes fell onto the package in KK's hand. "Is that mine?"
"Oh yeah, the FedEx man handed it to me." She offered it to Ja who was quick to take it and tear it open.
He sat back down, "Kaari go show yo' momma how your Ariels are two different colors."
Kaari nodded, "Come on, one is black and the other is paper colored."
As Kaari took KK upstairs Ja opened the package. He pulled out the jewelry box and tossed the packaging down.
When he opened the box he saw the 3D heart charm, the heart covered in tiny diamonds and the pendent was hanging from a silver rope chain. Inside the heart was Mir's ashes, just a small fraction of them, the rest would be shipped in a separate urn.
He held the necklace tight as he made his way upstairs, he stopped when he heard both Sunjai and KK talking, their voices coming from his room.
"You really don't have to apologize," Kadre told Sunjai, "Really, it's all on me. I was being immature."
Coke does that to a soul, Sunjai thought.
"Nah yeah, you straight." She said. "Thanks for apologizing. You ain't have to do that either."
As they talked Kaari stood outside of the room with both of her Ariel dolls. When she saw Ja she pouted, "Mommy didn't want to see it either. She wanted to talk to Sunny."
Ja kneeled down in front of her, "She gone wanna see it after they talk." He moved the necklace to his other hand. "Here, lemme see the pretty one."
Kaari handed him the black doll before strolling back to her room to put the white one in the "dungeon" which was really just her toy chest.
KK walked out of Ja's room, when she saw him on one knee she raised an eyebrow, "Proposing to the air?"
"Mane, shut up." He stood up and pushed her away, "Go spend time with Jaidyn dickhead."
Ja went into his room where Sunjai was standing in front of the mirror now, "I needa get back in the gym. Being away from the club is making me big."
"You just be sayin' anything." He walked up behind her and put the necklace on her carefully.
"Another gift? You forreal gotta take this one back, I only got so much space on my neck." She looked at the heart, "And it kinda-."
Ja cut her off, "It's the ashes." He told her, adjusting her hair back the way it was.
Sunjai's hand went to the charm, "Oh..." She looked at it for a moment before looking at him through the mirror, "You tryna make me cry again?"
"Nah, just thought I'd get something nice so you can keep a piece of Mir witchu." He took a step back, "You like it?"
"Yeah, nah." She turned around and they both looked at each other before she smiled. "I'm playin' Don't pull out the nine." She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you."