RON
"This jawn too clean" Ron cooed, admiring his all black designer suit in the tall body mirror.
K-Dot agreed, and and couldn't wait to throw on his suit for the party as well.
"Ya'll really think Muh don't know about this party?" K-Dot asked scratching his chin, "I seen the shit on instagram, that ain't too conspicuous"
"That nigga better not know, after how much money I put out" Ron responded still checking himself out.
"We put out" Nico corrected him, "And whether he know or not, his old ass better enjoy it"
"He gonna enjoy it alright, especially since Jocelyn is coming" Ron smirked knowingly.
K-Dot titled his head, but didn't say anything as he didnt want to incriminate Muh.
"Man will you let that shit go" Nico laughed, "Her and dad are not messin' around. He's in love with Shonda"
K-Dot and Ron gave each other a knowing look and shared a laugh.
"Bro, I don't know whose house you be at. Muh and Shonda are always arguing. Lately, she's been staying at her house because he made up some dumb ass excuse, coincidentally while Jocelyn is in town for her shop. I peep game" Ron said breaking down his theory.
K-Dot was impressed, but still kept his lips zipped.
"Yo ass just don't have anything better to do" Nico chuckled, "Broke up with Marley now you losing your mind"
"I'm chillin" Ron lied, "Haven't been better"
"So you telling me if she knock on that door right now ~"
Two knocks emerged from the front door before K-Dot could finish his sentence, and the three men looked around at each other suspiciously. Ron squinted his eyes towards the door and then back to K-Dot.
"Wasn't me" he shook his head.
Ron clinched his jaw, and reluctantly walked over to answer his front door. Sure enough, there stood Marley, her pretty face buried in her hood as she stared up at him, not sure of what to say. Ron looked down on her, and as bad as he wanted to hate her he didn't, and that irritated him even more. Even now, as he stared in her face as silence loomed over them, neither knowing how to be the first one to start the mending.
"Can I come in?" Marley asked in a small voice.
Ron moved to the side and let her enter, still not sure as to why he wasn't turning her away. She slowly entered, and waved to K-Dot and Nico who gave her a nod back. They knew what time it was then, and stood up to prepare to leave.
"Alright man, we'll see you tomorrow" Nico said giving his brother some dap.
Ron accepted it, and did the same to K-Dot. The three were going over the last minute details for the party, and had a lot to do the following day in order to prepare. Ron told them he would see them then, although in his head he wanted them to stay. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see Marley, he honestly just didn't know what to expect from their conversation. After a week of moping he had finally been a little happy in anticipation for Muh's party, and he wasn't in the mood for that to be ruined.
"So, what's up?" Ron asked, taking a seat in his recliner.
His long legs stretched out, and Marley couldn't help but run her eyes over him. She noted how good he looked in the suit, as it fit just right and was making him look like a sexy CEO, and for a moment that was all she could focus on.
"Marley" he said, breaking her out of her trance.
"Sorry, I uh, I wanted to talk to you" she stammered, taking a seat on the couch.
She pulled back her hood, and Ron watched as her hair fell into place over her shoulder. She batted her eyes, her eyelashes long and straight.
He nodded, not saying anything as he let her lead the conversation.
"So, how have you been?" She decided to make small talk before getting into the hard stuff.
Ron laughed under his breath, "Great" he said sarcastically, "I'm guessing you're the same"
"Not exactly, I miss you" she admitted.
Ron smirked, but quickly removed it as he had to remember to stay mad. He couldn't let Marley manipulate him.
"How could you miss me?" Ron shrugged, "We don't even know each other"
Marley could read the pain on his face as he delivered his come back, and she could admit she never felt more horrible. She realized her choice of words weren't the best, but at the time she wasn't exactly thinking straight.
"I'm sorry Ron ~"
"Don't be" he interrupted her, "You did what you thought you had to do"
"But I didn't ~"
"You did" Ron said cutting her off again, not even giving her a chance to talk, "You know Marley I really can't believe you, you come into my life and make me fall in love with you just to tell me this ain't what it is. What did you get outta that?"
Ron knew he sounded soft as he continued to ramble, however he didn't care. He was hurt, bad, and he wanted answers as to why. He admitted that in past relationships he wasn't the best, but with Marley he had done everything he could to make her happy just for her to basically spit in his face.
"Ron ~"
"And then you get rid of something that was apart of me, like I don't fucking matter. I've always given you a choice, but~"
"Ron!" Marley yelled, shutting him up, "I did't...get the the abortion. Damn, if you would let me tell you"
Ron's brows furrowed, and he looked at her confused. He couldn't lie, he was happy to hear the news, but wasn't sure of her reasoning.
"Why?" He asked.
"What do you mean, I thought that's what you wanted"
"But it's not what you wanted, and I want you to want this Marley"
Marley looked down and began to play with her nails nervously, "I don't know what I want, Ron. I just know that I don't want you to be mad at me"
"I'm not mad at you Marley, more like disappointed" he replied, sounding like a father already, "Even if you did have your reasons, you could've been more open to what I wanted"
"I know and I'm sorry. And that's why I couldn't do it. I did set up the appointment, but when I got there all I could think about was you. I can admit, I was being selfish. That's why I'm here now"
"And that's it? I'm supposed to just take you back?" Ron hissed.
Marley's shoulders dropped, and she frowned her face up.
"Well...yeah" she shrugged.
Ron laughed coldly, and then kissed his teeth.
"Well I'm not" he said, running his fingers through his beard, "The same energy had last week, keep it. Because if you truly cared about me you wouldn't of had to think about it"
His words hit her like a boulder, and she had to stop herself from breaking down in the middle of the living room. She damn near wanted to beg, but that wouldn't be a good look. Especially since he looked at her like she was the gum on his shoe. She knew she must've really hurt him, because he never treated her that way. The two definitely weren't perfect and had their share of arguments in the four months, however Ron always softened up after a while and apologized or vice versa. But not this time.
"So you want me to get rid of it?" Marley's tears finally emerged.
"Do whatever you want to do. If you want to keep it, I'll be there. You know that. But that's it"
Marley nodded, and raised from the couch. There was no way she could stay there any longer without having a fit, so she knew it was best to just go. Ron followed behind her, and didn't hesitate to close the door behind her.
He knew he was treating her coldly, but it was a defensive mechanism due to the fact that Marley definitely broke his heart when she told him that she didn't "know" him. How could she feel that way after all they'd been through in the short time. He held her like he held no other woman, told her things he never told anyone, and like always, it hadn't been reciprocated. Same as Kiya, Marley had left when it best benefited her regardless of what Ron wanted. And he swore that would be the last time he gave his heart away.
ARMANI
It was the night of Big Muh's 50th Birthday party, and like every other Graham event it was filled with life, love and luxury. The ballroom was decorated to perfection in a gold and black theme, and the black tie affair was packed from wall to wall as everyone in the city came out to show love to the well known man who was such a staple in the community. Ron and Nico were proud and relieved that they pulled everything off, and even Armani was impressed although she didn't expect anything less.
In attendance was the Graham family as well, including Muh's six brothers that were just as big or strong, along with his mother and countless amount of cousins. It was going on 9pm, and after getting a call from Shonda that her and Muh were on their way, Armani made sure to let her brothers know so they could be ready to surprise him.
"Girl, I don't know why you forced me to come here" Marley sulked in the chair at the bar, although she couldn't exactly drink anything.
"Hush, you're apart of the family" Armani flagged her best friend, "And Ron's fake ass know he's sad"
"He doesn't look sad" Marley frowned, watching him as he was all smiles around his family. He was looking too good in his all black ensemble, his nice jewelry pieces shining in the lights of the venue; And she wasn't close to him, but she could tell that he smelled good.
"Trust me, he is. Have you seen my mom, by the way?" Armani asked, still in party planner mode.
"Yeah, she went to the bathroom like five minutes ago. Is she okay? She's been downing those shots" Marley snickered.
"Girl that's like water to her" Armani rolled her eyes, "And she hates being around Muh's family. They still hate her for...me?"
"Oy, that is fucked up" Marley laughed uneasily, "Well, I wish I was like her. I can't even drink because I'm pregnant and my baby daddy is ignoring me. Drama already"
"You two will be okay" Armani assured her, "Just let him play hard to get"
Marley nodded, and hoped Armani was right. The two watched the party for a second, and Armani caught Nico as he gave her the signal. She gave him a nod and made her way over to the lights where she flickered it, letting everyone in the room know as well. She turned it off afterwards, and everyone waited in anticipation for the man of the night to arrive.
A few seconds passed, and the moment he walked in everyone yelled surprise. The look on his face told them he had no clue, and that made it better as Muh was always the type to find out everything first.
"Finally got his ass!" One of his brothers shouted, and Muh laughed, still in shock.
He was welcomed with multiple hugs as he made his way through the crowd, where Shonda led him to the VIP section with his sons. Armani grabbed Marley's hand in efforts to make their way over, and Marley couldn't help but feel nervous as they became closer to where Ron stood.
"Happy birthday dad!" Armani smiled, wrapping her arms around Big Muh.
"Thank you sweetie" he said giving her a kiss on the forehead, "Where's your mother at?"
Armani raised her brow, "Really? I put my blood sweat and tears into this, and you're worried about Jocelyn?"
He laughed and pinched her cheek, "Just want to make sure you two are okay, I know it ain't the easiest being around everyone"
"Ehh, we're fine" Armani flagged him, "Today is about you. Wanna dance?"
Muh smiled and took his daughter by the hand, "Of course"
Armani walked off to the dance floor with her dad, leaving Marley alone as she stood nervously by the group of men.
MARLEY
"Wanna dance?"
Startled, Marley looked over her shoulder to see a brown skin man standing behind her, a drink in his hand and his eyes glued to her. She guessed he was a family member, as he stood in the crowd with the rest of the uncles and cousins amongst Nico and Ron.
Marley smiled uneasily and then shook her head,
"No, thank you"
"Let me guess, you're shy" he smiled, his laugh lines dipping into the sides of his cheeks, "Well I'll be the first to tell you that, you're the hottest thing in here tonight. So you have nothing to be nervous about"
Marley blushed at the compliment, but quickly wiped the goofy smile off of her face when she caught Ron glaring at her.
He had went from totally ignoring her to now his eyes unapologetically staring at her, making her uncomfortable as she talked back and forth with the stranger.
"Thanks, but I'm really not in the mood. But, you're welcome to" she said ushering him away, however he stayed put.
"You from around here?" The man continued, "You look really familiar"
"No" Marley shook her head.
The guy was trying hard to keep up with the conversation, and although he could tell she was a little shy he wasn't giving up yet. The brown skin woman in front of him was gorgeous, her long honey blonde wavy hair cascaded pass her shoulders and setting off her skin tone. Her make up was done perfectly, but he could tell she didn't need it even though it made her outfit look well put together, her gold eyeshadow going well with her metallic and black dress that was clinging to her for dear life. He hoped she wasn't family, because he had plans on being friendly. He continued to talk her head off, and Marley being the polite girl that she was, she just nodded and listened. She checked her phone and wondered how long Armani would be entertaining her dad, because at the moment she was definitely feeling awkward.
RON
"You alright man, you staring pretty hard?" K-Dot asked as Ron continued to glare across the section.
He finally changed his view, deciding to look at the dance floor instead, "Yeah, I'm cool"
"Man go over there and talk to her, I don't know why you're doing this to yourself" K-Dot shook his head, "If anyone knows how you feel right now bro, it's me. Your sister be having me going crazy"
Ron shook his head, "I'm not going crazy" he lied.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't keep his eyes or mind off of Marley. He didn't know why he didn't expect to see her there since her and Armani were glued to the hip, and seeing how beautiful she looked in the form fitting dress made it even more hard to not stare. Especially since his cousin Mike decided to occupy her while she was standing awkwardly in the section, and he so badly wanted to knock his ass out. But he knew that would be stupid, especially since he told Marley to kick rocks only the night before. According to him he was over her and would never forgive her for what she had almost done, even if she did take a step back. However seeing her now with another man in her face had him feeling both salty and slightly enraged.
"Alright bro, well I'ma go find my girl" K-Dot said moving past Ron, "Before a nigga fuck around and do what Mike doing"
He snickered, and Ron just kept his expression solid. Once K-Dot was gone, he couldn't help but glance at her once more. He could tell that she had loosened up, and instead of being uncomfortable she was now having a whole conversation. He squinted his eyes, and watched as Mike took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor. He clinched his jaw, and kissed his teeth as he knew she had him fucked up. He began to follow up behind them, making sure they didn't move out of his sight.
K-DOT
"Damn babe, you gonna dance with me too or just this old man all night?" K-Dot asked walking up on Muh and Armani in the middle of the dance floor.
"I've been trying to get away from her, she insists that this is our first daddy-daughter dance" Muh laughed, actually a little relieved to see K-Dot save him.
"It is dad" Armani whined, "But fine, I think Shonda is waiting for you anyway"
"Her ass somewhere in here with all of her girlfriends, she ain't looking for me" Muh flagged her.
"Aw dad, don't be like that" Armani frowned her face up, "I hate Shonda, don't get me wrong but lately she's been chill. And she helped out a lot with the party, so go show her how thankful you are"
Muh smiled uneasily and K-Dot laughed to himself, only for Muh's expression to quickly change once Jocelyn began to stroll her way towards them. K-Dot looked over, and had to admit if Jocelyn wasn't old enough to be his mom, and also the mom of his current girlfriend, he would definitely try his luck to see if she had a little cougar in her. She was breathtaking, her smooth skin without a wrinkle or imperfection in sight, her pretty face adorning a wavy hairstyle that touched her exposed shoulders. She wore an off the shoulder dress, all black as the theme required, with a little pop of gold in her accessories. K-Dot looked back over to Muh, and resisted reaching over and picking his mouth up for him.
"Hey" Jocelyn laughed nervously, "So, were you surprised?"
"I was" Muh smiled, "Even more surprised when I didn't see you after everyone yelled surprise. Hiding maybe?"
"No, I was just, doing my own thing. I know how your family feels about me so, didn't want to be too friendly" Jocelyn responded.
"Never" Muh assured her, "You are family" he said, making her blush.
The two stared at each other intensely, forgetting that Armani and K-Dot were still in their presence. K-Dot could read the suspicious look on Armani's face, and he quickly grabbed her hand.
"Come on babe, you ready to give me that dance now or what?" he smirked, bringing her into him.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and she smiled, totally forgetting about her parents as she was now focused on her man. K-Dot was looking good in his all Black suit and tie, with the gold handkerchief sticking out of the pocket and she admired him as he swayed with her back and forth.
"Sure, let's go" she gave in, "Mom, call me if you need me"
"I have a feeling she won't" K-Dot said under his breath.
He shook his head, knowing that Muh was no longer playing with fire, instead he was damn near rolling in it. There he was, at an event with his long time girlfriend however he was in an obvious trance as he talked to his lover. K-Dot just hoped whatever did happen, wouldn't happen until another day, as a secret like that..could turn Muh's birthday into a funeral, if Shonda had anything to do with it.