"What" Jenna rose a brow taking a step forward.
"I don't believe that," Trina said as she folded her arms.
"It's true, he wanted to get information on Don and who they've been working for, that's where Mace came into play. After the whole Pedro situation, he figured it was someone you guys knew that set it up. I figured Mace would tell me but that didn't help at all"
"And you ended up falling in love with the freaking enemy," Trina spat.
Courtney sighed throwing her hands up defeatedly. "He's not the enemy, he doesn't even know shit, but I can see how it looks,"
"Wait," Jenna said stopping Trina before she could hit Courtney.
"If Gunna asked her to do this, it's because he had a plan and could trust her. So leave her be... but if your story doesn't add up with his, you'll have me to worry about," Jenna warned before going inside the house.
Q picked up Dayvon and headed inside as well.
"How come you didn't tell me?" Gabby asked and Courtney shrugged.
"I wasn't supposed to say anything, guess I can't keep shit hidden from this group I see," she laughed and Trina gave her a knowing look.
"You just better hope dat dick hadn't clouded your judgment or that's your ass," Trina stated before going inside the house as well.
Courtney sighed deeply then sat at the table and looked at Sky. "Guess you're mad at me too huh?"
"If my uncle came to you then it's for a reason," Skylar replied before going inside.
"Do you love him?" Gabby asked sitting across from her.
"No, I just like his stubborn ass which isn't good either but I can't help it," Courtney sighed.
"Did you lie or does he really not know anything?"
"He doesn't know shit," Courtney shrugged then shook her head and Gabby chewed the inside of her cheek.
"Obviously they feel a way so I'll just go, I'll call you... later I guess," Courtney mumbled getting up and entered the house before Gabby could say anything.
Gabby sat deep in her thoughts hoping and praying that Mace wasn't lying to Courtney and she prayed Courtney wasn't covering anything for him.
But she trusted Courtney and if she believed Mace wasn't lying then so would Gabby, at least until things start to get crazy.
For now, Mace was alright until he wasn't...
"Nuh un, Spider-Man is not better than Batman," Bre frowned.
She and August were sitting in the living room discussing which superhero was better than the other and August purposely disagreed with all of Bre's choices.
"Spider-Man is wack and can easily die with his lil suit, Batman has an entire built-in bulletproof vest,"
"A what?" Bre furrowed her brows and August laughed.
"Never mind lil mama, but Spider-Man is wack though," he smirked and she huffed folding her arms.
"No he's not, because if Spider-Man is bad then so are you," she pouted and August frowned.
"How am I bad?"
"Because you're like Spider-Man now,"
"I thought I was Superman?" He inquired.
"And Spider-Man Auggie, see I drew it here," she rolled her eyes as she picked up the drawing and August chuckled to himself as he leaned forward to check it out.
"Thas me?"
"Un huh," She nodded and August squinted his eyes some and tilted his head to get a better look.
"You don't like it do you?" She pouted and August laughed. "I do lil mama, I guess Spider-Man is dope then,"
"Seriously," She beamed.
"Seriously," He smiled.
"Where's sissy?"
"She'll be here later, why you tired of me?" He chuckled and Bre shook her head.
"Can we go get ice cream with Uncle Nate?"
"Yeah, go get your coat and I'll call him," August answered picking up his phone.
Bre smiled hopping down from the sofa and ran towards the stairs.
"Everything alright?" Nate Sr. asked once he answered August's call.
"Yeah, lil mama wanted to know if you would get some ice cream with us,"
"I wuz just about to check on J Bug, but yeh," He replied.
"What's wrong with Jenna?"
"Nutten, just felt like popping up ya know?"
"I feel dat, I get da same way with Sky, but look I'll meet you at your spot or we can meet at da Sweet Frog?" August suggested.
"We can meet there," He replied before ending the call.
Bre entered the living room with her coat and sneakers on. "I'm readyyy," She sang.
Laughing, August stood up and slid his feet into his slides and picked up his keys, "Let's get to it,"
***
"Sissy says she won't be here soon, are you guys leaving me?" Bre pouted looking at August as they sat at the table near the window.
"I swear shi gets smarter every day," Nate Sr. chuckled lowly.
"You'll be here with Niykee and Ramel,"
"So... you are leaving me?" Her frown deepened.
"Not like dat mama, just for a moment. But I'll bring you something back aight?" August reasoned and Bre shook her head and stared down at her waffle bowl.
"Shi really adores yuh huh?" Nate Sr. whispered and August nodded touching Bre's hand but she pulled away and scooted closer towards the window.
"Everyone always leaves me," She mumbled pushing her ice cream away.
"We're coming back Bre, have I ever lied to you before?"
"KayKay said they were coming back but they didn't. Sissy was supposed to buy me more cookies and she didn't. My mommy left just like you're going to," She stared out the window as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Nate Sr. sat back in complete shock, his heart tugging at hers, he wanted to speak but he knew it wasn't his place.
"Look at me Bre," August spoke but she shook her head.
"Briel,"
Reluctantly Bre looked his way and the sad look in her eyes broke August's heart.
"I don't want you to go," She cried wrapping her arms around him.
"I won't be gone long Bre, we're coming back babygirl I promise," August told her as he pulled her onto his lap.
"I don't want you to go Auggie,"
"I'm coming right back Bre, I promise," he said rubbing her back as she cried softly.
Nate Sr. sat there watching with a small smile on his face.
"Baby gyal," He called.
Wiping her face, Bre looked over at him with glossy eyes.
"Do yuh want to spend di night wit yur aunt and me?" He asked.
"Can I?" She asked looking up at August.
"Are you still gonna be mad at me?"
"No," she answered softly and he chuckled.
"You can," He told her and she smiled.
After they ate, they headed back to the house and August packed Bre's bag for her before he let her go on her way.
Once Nate Sr. and Bre left, August went ahead and showered and did some thinking.
There was a side of him that heavily wanted to have a kid or kids with Skylar and then there was the other side of him that was afraid of taking that next step even though he oftentimes joked about popping a baby inside of her.
Marrying her was definitely on his radar but he wanted to get all the drama out the way. He would hate for him to pop the question to her and they plan their wedding for something to pop off, it was already crazy Trina had to put her stuff on hold because they were all on high alert of anything popping off at unnecessary times.
He couldn't see himself with anyone else, he didn't see himself being with anyone else besides Skylar, she simply held the key to his heart and withheld the power to tear it up any given moment.
He knew it was dangerous to allow someone other than God to have so much power of your life but Skylar was his entire heart, he had no problem with allowing her to control whether he would be happy or sad that day. She controlled his life without even trying, she stole his heart with little to no effort and the day he made her his wife, he would most definitely make it one to remember.
There wasn't a day that went by where Melvin wasn't on his mind and sometimes he felt as if he was receiving messages or signs from him, letting August know that he was being protected and looked over.
There were so many things he wanted to talk to Mel about and so many things he wanted to do with him but he had Donell and now the extended family, Melvin could never be replaced but August looked for a piece of him in each male figure.
After finishing his shower, August stood in the closet searching for something to wear as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
Assuming that it was Skylar, he looked over his shoulder just as she entered the room.
"Sometimes I wonder why the hell we befriend certain people," she huffed sitting on the side of the bed and removed her shoes.
Chuckling, August tightened his towel and leaned against the wall and folded his arms staring at her with a slight smirk.
"What happened now?"
"Courtney ass has been fucking on Mace and her silly ass caught feelings," She announced the shook her head.
"How the fuck you catch feelings for the enemy?"
"How do you know she's messing with him?" August asked.
Skylar gave him a funny look and he laughed.
"Just asking baybeh,"
"She told us, well Trina forced her to, but the girl is fucking him. She said Gunna asked her to do it," she sighed falling back in bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"If G did it, he has a plan ma," August replied walking back inside the closet.
"I know that, but she caught feelings, did you not hear that part? And where's my sister?" She frowned sitting up.
"With your uncle, and I heard what you said, three times actually," he chuckled walking out the closet and grabbed his lotion off the dresser.
"Do you trust her?"
"Yeah," she mumbled.
"Ok then, so relax," He told her as he got dressed.
"What if he turns out to be bad and she doesn't warn us?"
"I'm sure she wouldn't, she'd be a fool but if she does... she'll have to die," he shrugged heading out the room.
Skylar sighed then laid back.
"His ass better not be shady," she mumbled before getting up and headed into the bathroom to shower.
***
It was eight at night and August was sitting in the living room talking with his nieces on FaceTime while Skylar looked for new decorations for the salon.
"Where's Bre?" Kayden asked.
"She's staying da night over Jenna's place," August answered as he pressed pause on the movie.
"We're bored here uncle August... there's nothing to do," Chaylin chimed in.
"Hopefully y'all be able to come back soon, just give it some time ok?"
"Fine," she frowned giving the phone back to Kayden.
"Make sure you make your Christmas list mama aight?"
"I will, do you want to talk to Amaiya?" Kayden asked and he nodded.
Disappearing from the phone, Amaiya's face came in view and she smiled.
"Hi uncle August," she giggled.
"Wassup lil mama, you got your school clothes picked out?"
"Yup, I'm gonna wear my green shirt with my flower sandals and blue jacket," She grinned.
August stared off trying to picture her outfit.
"What kind of blue jacket?"
"Her jean jacket," Chaylin spoke up and he chuckled.
"Oh ok, I know it's hot down there so make sure y'all keep water with you," He said.
"Mommy said we have to keep Gatorade and a bag of grapes on us," Kayden informed.
"I sure did," Chandra laughed getting in the camera.
"Y'all supposed to be in bed, I told y'all that twenty minutes ago," she knitted her brows.
"They were talking to me Cha, chill," August laughed.
"Mhm," She hummed taking the phone.
"Say goodnight,"
"Goodnight uncle August," they spoke in union before heading upstairs.
August laughed staring at Chandra.
"You messes up our whole convo, I was gonna ask Chaylin what she wanted for Christmas,"
"She got a whole list," She laughed and August did as well.
"Just make sure they call me in a day or two aight?"
"I will get some sleep August," she replied pointing at him and he chuckled.
"I will, I love you,"
"Love you too, goodnight," she said before hanging up.
Tossing his phone to the side, August hit play on the movie just as Skylar was making her way into the living room with a container of strawberry ice cream.
"How long is this?" She asked cuddling up next to him.
"Two hours," he answered taking the spoon from her and helped himself to the ice cream.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tryna fuck," she snickered.
August busted out laughing then looked at her.
"Straight like dat huh?"
"Straight like that,"
*********
Thoughts? Y'all trust Courtney?
In honor of it being Chandra's birthday, I wanted to give y'all this update. I know y'all been waiting and waiting and I'm sorry for neglecting y'all and working on my other book. I'm gonna try to give this one more attention.
For Chandra💜