Chapter 28.
Lance.
"You straight?"I turned ta' look at London.
"Good."She looked outta da' taxi window.
It was round six o'clock and we had jus' left from JFK International. I paid a taxi ta' take us ta' da' hotel in Queens, LaGuardia or sumn like dat, but he said he knew what I was talkin' bout so he took us thea'. Da' ride was only bout twenty minutes so I was surprised ta' see April knocked out sleep inna front seat.
"I got her and the puppies. You get the stuff."London tol' me, gettin' da' puppies cages.
I got out and went ta' da' trunk ta' grab our luggage. A bell nigga came out ta' assist me, puttin' our stuff on da' lil cart.
"Did you make reservations already?"Da' front desk lady asked afta' we all walked up ta' ha'.
"Yeah. Look unda' Carver."
"Last name?"She questioned.
"That is his last name."London rolled ha' eyes.
"Oh. Sorry."She frowned."First name?"
"Lance."I answered.
"Ah, okay. You have the two combined suites?"
"Mhm."I nodded.
"With room service?"
"Uh, yeah I guess."I shrugged.
"And would you like-"
"Can we please just get the keys?"April made everybody flinch when she yelled.
"Sure. Here."Da' white lady smiled, handing us our keys."Sorry again."
"No problem. They jus' need a la' nap."I waved ha' off.
April led da' way afta' I tol' ha' what flo' and room numba' we was on. She caught us a elevator and we all got on. It was quiet besides May & June movin' around in they cages. I figured April was quiet cause she was ti'ed.
I knew why London was quiet though. 1) Cause she aggravated wit' me and 2) cause she back home. Da' one place she swo' she would neva' come back ta'. It's not my place ta' give details of what happened but I know from what she tol' me in da' past dat this was a hard decision ta' make.
But outta da' kindness of ha' lil bitty heart, she did this fa' our nigga Aug. And even though she'ca drive me crazy sometimes, I stand behind ha' 100%. So if she wanted ta' be hea', i'a be hea' right wit' ha'.
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April.
"We're right next door if you need us."London said from the conjoined door.
"Okay."I yawned and snatched the cover from the bed. I quickly climbed in as she shut the door behind her, dividing the three of us. The door split in the middle of our rooms so if I wanted to walk in their room all I had to do was twist that knob.
I won't though. Only God knows what I might walk into.
Just as I shut my eyes to get some sleep my phone began to ring. I groaned and took it out of my jacket pocket to answer.
Noticing it was a FaceTime call from August I sat up.
"Get your phone back and don't know how to act?"I teased with a smirk.
"Sumn like dat."He chuckled."You inside?"
"Yes, and why aren't you?"I scrunched my eyebrows.
"Uh.."He dragged.
"Uh.."I mocked."Don't uh me. Get back in that hospital bed August and I'm not kidding around."
"And I'm not kidding around."He mocked me childishly."You gon' make a good mama."
"Shh."I turned the volume down."Not so loud August. No one knows, remember?"
"Well turn da' volume down then smart ass."
"Shut up. But seriously August, why haven't you gone back to the hospital?"
"Uh,"He rubbed his chin,"I'm jus' enjoyin' da' fresh air."
"Auuugust.."I warned.
"What? It's da' truth. I'm takin' flight. I'm embracin' this earth I been deprived of fa' three months. Let me live woman."He joked.
"Don't joke around. You could get into some serious trouble."
"I ain't gon' get in no trouble cause I'm headin' up thea' na'."
"You promise."
"Promise."He glanced at me then back to the road."You had some sickness on da' plane?"
"A little. I handled it pretty well though. Didn't get as much sleep as I wish I had."
"How come?"
"Uh, it was only three hours and some kid kept kicking the back of my seat. His mom needed to beat his ass."I rolled my eyes.
"Damn."He chuckled.
"What?"
"I thought you would be da' parent ta' say kids shouldn't get beat. I'm glad we on da' same page."
"Eh, I feel like discipline is necessary. Otherwise we'll have a disrespectful child running around here and I'm just not for it. Mm-mm. No sir."I shook my head.
"You be disrespectful, you get dat ass beat huh mama?"
"That's right."I nodded."No bay-bay kids around here. No, no, no."
He laughed."You crazy man."
"I'm serious August and you need to take it serious too."I laughed while pushing a piece of hair out of my face."We have six more months to go, if that."
"If that?"
"Premature."I whispered then cleared my throat."That isn't a bad thing but we're shooting for a completely healthy baby. Once I have her I don't want her being in the hospital longer than what she needs to be."
"Damn. This really happenin'."
"Yeah."I nodded."You saw it on the ultrasound. Our little princess in there."
"Mhm. Ha' big head ass gon' drive me nuts, mark my words."
"Hey!"I smiled."Don't pick on her head. It's your fault."
"Mm. I did do most of da' work huh?"He smirked at me.
"Don't steal my credit, these thunder thighs aren't here for nothing. And pay attention to that road."
"Yes ma'am."He looked back to the road."But speakin' of da' road, lemme text you lata'. I'm comin' up on da' bridge."
"Okay. Bye, I love you."I waved.
"I luh you too."He puckered his lips to the camera before it hung up. The minute it did May and June climbed on to the bed.
"Oops, too late. Daddy's off the phone."I giggled.
*
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London.
"About ta' catch my flight right na'."August said over the phone.
"You sho' ya' doctor coverin' fa' you?"Lance asked him.
"Yeah. We discussed it."
"Ask him about his lawyer!"I shouted from the bathroom.
"What about cha' lawyer?"I heard Lance ask him.
"Meetin' up wit' him on Thursday. I should be back by then. Right?"
"Hell yeah."I spoke comin' out of the bathroom."If it's one thing I know 'bout Carter is that he works fast. His team is the shit."
"Good. I can't wait ta' set this nigga straight."August said.
"So you goin' fa' da' kill or jus' fuckin' around?"Lance questioned.
"I ain't decide yet. It's whateva' I feel like doin' at da' time. You got da' stuff?"
"Yeah. I got dis' crazy shit."Lance chuckled."I can't wait ta' see whatchu' gon' do."
"I can't wait eitha'. At first I wasn't even trippin' off it, but when I got my sentence, dat's when I knew he had ta' be dealt wit'. I'ca be away from my girl, my family, and my friends fa' seven years."He scoffed."His ass gon' pay big time."
"And we got your back."I fixed my glasses.
"'Preciate it. Jus' keep April outta da' way but in sight. We ain't got no room fa' slip ups."
"Yes masta'."Lance chuckled.
"Man get da' fuck off my line."August laughed.
"We'll be out to pick you up after you land. Hit us up."I told him.
"Aight."He nodded before hangin' up.
"Boy dat nigga crazy."Lance shook his head and tossed his phone.
"Yeah, but he's got a good reason to be."I sat on the bed.
"You got dat right."He pulled my arm so that I could lay on him."I'a got fa' da' kill."
"Mmm, but is that the right thing to do?"
"Whatcha' mean?"
"I mean with everything goin' on. His jail time is still pendin' you know."
"Yeah, but what good is Nick afta' he dead? He outchea' alone as far as we know-"
"As far as we know."I pointed out."You really think he out here-all the way out here-by hisself?"
"Shid, he dumb if he is. He couldn't have thought afta' he set Aug up dat he'd eva' get out and come lookin' fa' him. Especially not in no New York."
"You got a point."I sighed layin' my head on his chest. His arm rubbed down mine to calm my nerves."Can you tell?"
"Tell what? Dat you shook?"
I hesitantly nodded.
"Ain't nun' gon' happen ta' you Pookie, I promise."He kissed the top of my head.
"Lance!"I whined and smacked his chest."What'd I tell you about callin' me that B?"
"Why I can't call you dat?"He chuckled, amused with the fact that I still hated the nickname he gave me when I was 16. Annoyed with him I got up and headed for the bathroom again."Pookie! Pookie!"
"Kiss my ass!"I yelled then slammed the bathroom door shut.
*
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August.
I rested my head back against my seat, waitin' on my flight ta' New York ta' take off. See, da' only reason April comin' up thea' wit' us is so dat she don't know I'm not in da' hospital. Otherwise she wouldn't even be no whea' close ta' this scene.
Like I said befo', I'm doin' this cause Nick put me in between a rock and hard place. Not only dat but da' timing is good because as of now, I'm a free nigga. I ain't been taken ta' court yet fa' my second ruling so all is good in da' hood as of na'.
Impatiently, I tapped my fingers on da' divider. Da' empty seat next ta' me was filled when a lady sat next ta' me. I moved my arm ta' give ha' room ta' get situated or whateva'.
"Sorry."She apologized wit' a smile afta' she bumped me a lil.
"You all good. You packin' mighty heavy."I commented.
"Excuse me?"She looked down at ha' chest.
"I was talkin' bout da' luggage."I looked above us.
"Oh. Right, sorry."She blushed and shook ha' head."Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I just bumped into a sleaze and I thought-"
"Aye, look, it's all good."I held my hands up in surrender."I'm a faithful nigga."
"Oh no. That makes me feel even worse."She face-palmed then turned ta' me."Tell her I'm sorry."
"Uuuh, ion think she'a know what I'm talkin' bout."I chuckled.
"Right. Right."She nodded and sat a laptop in ha' lap."Okay, I've embarrassed myself enough. How about you just ignore me, okay?"
"Fine by me."I laughed and turned ta' face forward. But da' name engraved on ha' laptop caught my attention."Hmph."
"Hm?"She hummed.
"My bad fa' askin' but, is you by any chance related ta' Judge Matthews?"
"Yup. He's my grandfather."She rolled her eyes."And my dad is the infamous Warden Matthews."
"Wait, da' war-I mean, Warden Matthews is related ta' da' Judge Matthews?"
"Yup. Me and my sister are pretty successful too."She started typin'."Of course she likes to sit up in that prison, milking daddy's money."
"Mhm."I hummed, thinkin' ta' myself.
"On the other hand, me myself, I like to grind on my own, you know? My momma says a woman has to get it on her own and that's exactly what I'm doing. Which is actually why I'm going to New York-"
"So, wait a minute. You got a sista'?"
"Yeah. Sometimes she works as an officer there."She rolled her eyes."Officer Matthews."
Officer Matthews.
Officer Matthews is related ta' Judge Matthews, also da' daughta' of Warden Matthews, who is Judge Matthews son.
"Damn."I mumbled and rubbed my temple.
"Crazy how political they are huh? Law. Law. Law."She rolled ha' eyes."I say fashion, fashion, fashion because that's where the fun is. Mhm. No way they were convincing me to be a lawyer. Nope."
I turned ta' ha' and scrunched my eyebrows."I think I need ta' talk ta' you some mo'."
"We have a three hour flight to chat. Talk away, I like talking."She smiled.
*
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April.
"We goin' get a rental. You stayin' in?"Lance asked.
"You two are getting a rental car at 9:00 at night?"I tilted my head.
"Yup. Rental company don't close 'till ten."London nodded.
"Uh, well then yeah. I'll be fine inside."I mumbled while turning over on the bed.
"Okay. Peace out."I heard the door shut behind them.
"Hey, get off me little girl."I mumbled under May's fur. She was sitting right on my head."Are you kidding me? Mayzie get off!"
Yes. I nicknamed her.
"Junie-boon. Get her off!"I shouted to June.
I also nicknamed her.
"Oh for goodness sake."I turned my head making her fall."Ha!"
They both began to bark at me before climbing off of the bed. I laughed and got off as well, going into the bathroom.
"I think mama deserves a little relaxation time. It's well deserved right?"I didn't hear May and June so I looked down at my stomach."Right?"
I smiled then look looked at the hotel schedule on the bathroom wall. Using my finger to look for where I wanted to go, I hummed to myself. Once I spotted it, I saw it didn't close until 12.
"Twelve? Really?"I nodded in approval."Well I guess that's because it's inside."
It didn't take long for me to bathe and slip into a swimsuit. Seeing I was poking large around the stomach area, I wore a sundress to cover up. I picked up a large towel, grabbed my phone & room key, then headed for the door.
"Going to the pool, gonna relaaax. Going to the pool, gonna reeelax."I chimed to myself while stepping on to the elevator.
I went down a few floors before I was able to get to the pool entrance. I swung the door open and looked down to drop my phone into my purse.
"Gonna get in the-"I bumped into someone tall.
"Sor-"I looked up and nearly choked on my words.
"April?"
"Jaxon?"
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April, Lance & London in the mm.
What's in store with NY? Uh, we just gonna say what happens in New York, stays in New York.
L o L
Thank you for reading and commenting. Not only on here but also on my new book, Life Unexpected, set out to be started in March. :)