Saturday, July 4th
"Yuck. Y'all annoying." Chantelle fake gagged as Sabrina sat on the arm of Amir's chair. His long arm wrapped around her legs as his fingers skimmed her skin. She was wearing a yellow-gold bathing suit with a mesh cover-up dress.
"Girl, boo. Kirk over there making you a plate, while you talkin." Sabrina teased her friend.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Amir added, happy for him. "My boy gone."
🎶Even though I'm not your man, you not my girl. Imma call you my shawtyyyyy🎵
Kirk walked over to the group, laughing and singing the song that was playing on the speakers as he handed Chantelle her plate, "And we ain't did nothin' that we ain't supposed to do cause you my shawtyyyy."
"Gone gone for real," Amir repeated.
"What y'all talkin bout?"
"Nothin. Ignore them." Chantelle said, before taking a bite of ribs. "Thank you, boo."
"Kyle and AD just pulled up." Austin hollered to Amir from across the pool. He'd just come through the side gate.
"Tell them they can come on back."
They were having a small gathering at Amir's place with some of his friends since it was the 4th of July and his home was the perfect place to see the fireworks shows up and down the coast.
"So is y'all ready?" Kirk asked, smiling.
"Hell yeah," Amir confessed. "Yaw gon get tired of me." He cracked up, "Imma check wit my wife. Lemme see what my ol lady gotta say." He mocked himself. He couldn't wait to brag on his wife.
"It ain't even like that for real," one of their friends from Chicago, by the name of Tim said. He played professional baseball.
"That's cuz you a dog. You got a wife a girlfriend and a baby mama on the side. You Chicago niggas ain't shit." Kirk said before turning to Amir, "Except for you A. You different."
"Like you country niggas any better. How many chicks you hit and blocked since you been in Cali?" Tim asked, with a wide smile. "And Mir good cause he went celibate. That's a challenge all in itself. Boy got discipline, cuz me...." He shook his head in disbelief. "Imma get my dick wet."
"And that's why it's gon fall off."
They all laughed.
Sabrina's phone started ringing, stopping the music. She got up and rushed over to the table to see who was calling.
"My bad y'all," she apologized, seeing Nick's name. "Hello," she answered putting it to her ear.
"Mybad Sabrina," Nick started, but she heard Niko crying in the background.
"What's wrong?" She asked worried something had happened again. She immediately went into a panic.
"He not really feeling good today. He woke up, really... uhh.. clingy. I don't wanna call it that but he's been fussy."
"Lemme talk to him." She told him, relaxing a bit. "Austin, you can plug up to the speakers." She told her brother before walking in the house. Amir followed her inside after seeing her mini panic. Niko's sniffles came through the phone, so she started talking to him, "Papa. What's wrong?"
"I wanna come home."
"You don't feel good?" She asked.
"No. I want you." He cried.
"What happened, baby?" She asked.
Nick got back on the phone, "He's been sayin' he want you all day. I tried to see if maybe he'd change his mind as the day went on but he nope. He want his mama."
"That's okay. I'll come get him. You at home?"
"Yeah. I'll tell him you comin'." He said before ending the call.
"I'll ride with you." Amir offered, once he saw she was off the phone.
She smiled, but declined, "I'm okay, babe. You have company. I'll be right back." She told him before pecking his lips. He reached around and grabbed her booty and squeezed.
"Don't stay gone too long." He whispered against her lips.
"I won't." She giggled, before pulling away going upstairs to put on a pair of jean shorts. Chantelle came inside as Sabrina was coming back downstairs.
"Where we goin?" She asked looking between Sabrina and Amir.
Sabrina looked at Chantelle and laughed, "I'm goin to get Niko from Nicholas."
"Oh, then I'm definitely goin."
"Girl I'm only going to Nick house." Sabrina laughed.
"Yeah, but if he start actin' a ass witchu..." Chantelle said, "and what if weirdo over there? You not about to put my new god baby at risk."
"My nigga Chanteezy," Amir smirked. He knew Sabrina wouldn't argue against Chantelle coming along, and he felt good knowing Sabrina's friend was like that about her. Chantelle and Kirk were the only ones who knew about the baby so far. Chantelle was protective before, but now she wasn't taking any chances.
"Nick sounded stressed over the phone so I know he's desperate if he's calling me to get him on his day," Sabrina explained.
"Okay. Let's go get my Godson then." Chantelle said, tugging Sabrina by the hand.
"Here," Amir said, causing the girls to turn around. He stuck out his hand and gave Sabrina his Bentley key fob. "I ain't gas ya cah up yet, take mine."
"Thank you, daddy." She winked at him, taking the keys then pulled him down to her height to kiss his cheek.
"Hurry back, Sabrina."
Sabrina and Chantelle pulled up to Nick's house and instead of getting out of the car, Sabrina called Nick and let him know she was outside.
He walked outside a few minutes later, carrying Niko, who was sleeping in his arms. The sight of her son's father like that made her emotional. Things could've been so different, she thought to herself.
"Hey mama." He said, approaching the car. "He fell asleep a little after you got off the phone."
Sabrina smiled, looking at her baby boy, as she climbed out the car to open the back door. Nick sat Niko in the car seat and he began to whine a bit as he buckled him in.
"Hey papa," Sabrina said as he opened his eyes. Nick stepped out the way so she could comfort their son. He silently watched as Sabrina easily calmed her baby boy down.
Nick was cursing himself. He couldn't change the past, no matter how much he wanted to. And now that Sabrina was happy with someone else, he was hurting knowing it could've been him. She gave him too many chances.
"Hey Chantelle," Nick said to her through the drivers side window as she was seated in the passenger seat, scrolling on her phone to ignore him.
"What's up, Nick. How's Ladeedah?" She asked, causing Sabrina to chuckle as she climbed back in the car.
Nick looked at her dumbfounded and shut Sabrina's door for her, "Y'all gonna watch some fireworks?"
Sabrina nodded, "If he's feeling up to it. Thank you for calling me."
"Thank you for coming when he needed you," Nick said. "You got plans for your birthday?" He asked next.
"Yes, we do." Chantelle answered before Sabrina could.
Sabrina giggled, "Yeah, I do."
"Aight, y'all drive safe." He said before tapping the top of the truck. He looked in the back widow and saw Niko was back to sleep. "Have him call me, please." He said before walking away, wanting to say more but deciding against it since Chantelle was with her and he knew she wasn't a fan of him at all.
He'd been petty for months but now it all seemed so pointless once he noticed the ring dazzling on Sabrina's finger.
Maybe it was too late.