"Nigga, why are your hands so soft?"
I was about to answer Jake as we made our way outside to his patio, but then he answered his own damn question.
"You gettin pedicures again?"
I laughed, setting the case of beer on the cover to the fire pit, slipping one out before taking my seat. I cracked it open, "Taryn made me get a mani-pedi."
Jake's eyebrows furrowed as he settled in, arm thrown over the back of the couch, he blew out a breath. "Why?"
"Because," I took a swig of beer, my eyes popping up to the deck doors, Grant stepped out, carrying a bag with our burritos. "I needed a favor, it was basically a trade."
"What was the favor?" He pressed, green eyes trying to read the hell out of me.
I rolled mine, "Nigga just wait, I'm gonna tell y'all everything."
"Well where the fuck is Grant then, he was supposed to be here," Jake huffed, checking his watch, his foot tapping. Jake needed everyone to be punctual, his time was literally money, all of ours was of I'm being honest.
I was about to tell Jake that Grant was right behind him, but then Grant slapped him upside the head with our food. "I'm right here nigga, I would've been on time but your fancy ass order took forever." He took the space between Jake and I, kicking his legs up onto the fire pit.
Jake smacked Grant's arm, snatching the bag out of his hand, "Alright, talk Niall."
I held up a finger, chugging the rest of my drink before letting out a satisfying burp, Grant tossed my burrito besides me. "So, I got Ebony pregnant."
"What?" Grant's dark grey eyes went wide, his pale cheeks heating up, highlighting his freckles. "Nigga, what?" He asked again, scratching his well kept ginger beard.
I was gonna respond but my stomach grumbled so I unwrapped my burrito and took a bite, Grant turned to Jake.
"Why aren't you freaking out?"
"Avery told me a couple days ago," Jake muttered before taking a bite of his food.
Grant huffed, unwrapping his burrito, muttering as he prepared to take a bite. "I'm always the last to fucking know, ain't that some shit."
I laughed, swallowing, "Dustin doesn't know."
"Dustin never knows, he pops in and out of our lives whenever he pleases." Grant deadpanned as he chewed, eyes slightly narrowed. "But anyways, tell me how the fuck you got Ebony pregnant. I thought she blocked you on everything."
I took in a deep breath, throwing my arm over the back of the couch, my eyes unfocused as I thought about Quan's birthday. "Shit bro, she did, haven't heard from or seen her in a couple years and then she was just there. At Quan's birthday party, looking damn good, so naturally I had to hit that."
"Naturally," Jake agreed.
I smirked, "Guess we got carried away? Fuck, I don't know, I hit it raw-"
"-Nigga-"
"-I know, fuck, but look it gets worse." I grumbled, taking a huge bite, looking over at Jake who was watching me, face blank. His stare made me nervous, Jake was unofficially but officially like a father figure for Pete and I. At the very least I respected him a whole fucking lot and looked up to him, I wanted to be as good a father as he is. I looked down, "I didn't find out she was pregnant until last week. I went to see her and she told me she doesn't me want me involved at all, hence the reason it's been six months and I didn't know shit."
"Fuck," Grant gasped, I cut my eyes to him, slightly annoyed at the way he was eating this shit up. He took a slow bite of his food, his eyes narrowing, "So what now? You're not taking that shit lying down, are you?"
My face scrunched up, "Fuck no, I've got a plan in the works, her homie is helping me out." I told them, looking back to Jake who had his thinking face on, his features relaxed.
"Good, you're going with Joey's plan," Jake finally spoke, making the tension release from my shoulders. "I can get one of my guys to start drafting up some custody papers because you've got rights, Niall-"
"-I know, but I want to try and work this out personally before I take any legal action." I said, unwrapping more of my burrito so I could finish it.
"Yeah, you and Ebony always found your way back to each other, no matter how many times you fucked her over," Grant mused.
I rolled my eyes, "Damn, why the fuck didn't y'all say shit to me back then? Everyone's talking about how they saw me mistreating her but y'all ain't do nothing?" I snapped, my fist squeezing my food a little too tight and making a bunch of rice fall out.
Grant snorted, "You feeling guilty?"
"Nah nigga, I'm pissed off, my fuck ass behavior is really screwing me over right now. I gotta be in my sons life, yo, like it's the only fucking option." I was spazzing, all my frustrations finally boiling over from this fuck ass week.
I was over feeling helpless, please God, let Taryn help me out because the thought of my son growing up hating me, thinking I didn't claim him honestly terrified me.
Grant touched my arm, "Niall, you aren't dad."
I huffed a sad laugh cause honestly, the way I've been living my life didn't say that.
"Nah but for real, man, you would not be JJ's godfather, hell, I wouldn't let you near my kids if you were." Jake said simply before throwing back the rest of his beer.
"Okay," I muttered, shoving the rest of my burrito in my mouth so I couldn't talk anymore. This shit was starting to fuck with me, bring up old feelings I thought I'd dealt with. Fuck, Auntie didn't make me go to therapy for a whole fucking summer for nothing.
I reached forward to grab another beer as Grant launched into some horror story from the ER.
"So I had my first solo surgery today."
"Yeah, how'd that go?" Jake asked as I continued to chew.
Grant rubbed his neck, his eyes going small as he laughed, "For the patient it went swimmingly-"
"-What the fuck does that even mean?" I asked after finally swallowing.
"Fuck if I know, Auntie says it all the time." He chuckled, taking a drink, "Anyways, technically, the surgery was flawless. But-" He looked at Jake and then me, the look in his eyes hinting at some drama.
I could tell by the mischievous glee they held, Grant liked drama, he was a messy bitch.
"So y'all remember that cute intern I was telling y'all about, Rosa?"
"The one with the fat ass?" Jake asked before looking over his shoulder, when he turned back to us he looked so damn relieved. "I forgot Avery isn't home," He chuckled, wiping his forehead. "I was about to shout not fatter than yours baby," He shook his head.
"Nigga your stupid," I chuckled, looking back at Grant who was picking something out of his teeth.
"Well, we fucked-"
"-Bitch." I gasped, sounding like another messy bitch.
Grant smirked, "I know, fuck, but she kept teasing me and flat out asking to fuck, I could only deny her for so long." He shrugged, holding his hands up to block Jake and my's disapproving looks. "Needless to say, she didn't like that I didn't want anything serious. So naturally, I requested for any other intern to be with me but of course they assigned Rosa to my surgery," He shook his head, running a hand down his face. "That was that awkwardest surgery I've ever been in."
"Nigga, what?" I chuckled, Jake scowled.
"Isn't this the surgery the head of the department was sitting in on?"
Grant nodded, "Hell yeah, and I handled that shit like a boss. Like I said, it went swimmingly," He brought his leg up and rested his ankle on his knee, the curly ginger hairs on his leg wild as fuck. "Afterwards though, that bitch tried to corner me." He shook his head, "Come to find out she also fucked the anesthesiologist and so now I've got beef with that nigga." He growled, "Remind me to never fuck a coworker again."
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh at Grant's pain, he really knew how to fuck himself over.
"I'll do you one better," Jake said before smacking Grant upside the head, I felt the shit vibrate through my skull.
"I deserved that," He deadpanned. "Thanks bro."
^^^
It had been two days since I talked with Taryn and I was getting antsy. Not even busting up some concrete with a sledge hammer was helping, oh yeah, and my pedicure went to shit.
"Fuck," I tossed the hammer onto the pile, tugging off my gloves and shoving them into my back pocket.
Walking away from the mess I made I unbuttoned my top two buttons, allowing the wind to flow into my faded orange Tommy Bahama button up. I had worked up a sweat and was tempted to leave early.
"Hey boss," Hans called, jogging away from the trailer and towards me. "You got a lady waiting for you."
I raised a brow, "In the trailer?"
He nodded, smacking my arm with a smirk, his eyes twinkling behind his protective goggles. "The tits on that girl are phenomenal. Pass her along when your done, alright?"
I didn't even get a chance to reply because he was already walking off, whistling a happy tune.
I rolled my eyes, removing my helmet and then my hair tie so I could shake out my dreads. Clomping up the steps of the trailer I knew it was naive to hope it was Ebony inside, but a part of me was stupidly hopeful.
I was immediately let down, although seeing Taryn was good news.
She was wearing a strapless white top that did make her chest look ginormous, I knocked my goggles off my face so they hung around my neck, "Taryn."
"Niall," She replied just as cordially, one leg crossed over the other, her long red nails standing out against her grey leggings. "I've got an opportunity for you." She said, tapping the table.
I took the other seat, that hopefulness rising up again, I tried not to cheese like a mouse but fuck it, I beamed at her. "What's up?"
When she looked up from her phone she seemed taken aback, "Uhm..." My smile started to fade, she blinked a couple times before clearing her throat. "Sorry, you should smile more often," She said casually before flicking her ponytail over her shoulder. "As I was saying, Ebony wants to go out tonight so we're going to that jazz club in the city."
"Which one?"
"Slow your roll," She commanded, pointing a sharp nail at me. "If you come, you can not engage with us, no looking, no talking, no flirting, no nothing."
I wanted to protest so bad, but her dark pink mouth was set, eyes narrowed, she exuded seriousness like this was a business deal. "Then why the fuck would I come?"
She smirked, eyes fluttering as she sat back in the seat, "To pay of course."
My eyes narrowed as I rubbed my mouth, "Whats your game?"
She waved me off, "I'm not here to play you, Niall. Ebony doesn't want you involved, especially since she's got an amazing support system already." I didn't like the sound of that, "The one thing is money, she's been covering all the expenses cause she doesn't want anyone to feel obligated to help out financially cause, honestly, she's got it like that."
My jaw clenched, a whole lot of words building up in my chest because that was some bull shit, she didn't have to carry that financial load, not while she's carrying my son.
"So, with you coming and paying tonight, it will show her that you can help her out financially which she shouldn't have a problem with because you went half on the kid anyways." Taryn said seriously, "Look, how I see it is, she can argue that you ain't shit because of everything that happened in the past."
I nodded cause it was true.
"But she can't argue against a bunch of paid bills and baby supplies. We went looking at cribs and do you know how fucking expensive that bitch is?" She asked, eyes wide, the sun cutting through the blinds in the window lighting them up, they were a dark honey color.
I cleared my throat, "Yeah I know, I helped my brother decorate all his kids rooms."
The surprise that lifted her eyebrows came and went quickly, "You keep surprising me Niall." She cocked her head, "Just trust me, she'll appreciate a free girls night, she just found out that her paid maternity leave is gonna be shorter than she expected."
My fist clenched, "She should quit, I'll take care of her forever if she wants."
Taryn rolled her eyes, grabbing her purse off the table as she stood, sliding a piece of paper towards me, "Don't be an idiot, she can handle her own."
I wanted to argue, tell her that Ebony didn't fucking have to handle it on her own though, but Taryn was already leaving.
"See you tonight, nigga."
I chucked her deuces, borderline seething in my seat as the door shut. Money, while I wasn't swimming in it, wasn't a concern of mine right now. The fact that... fuck, the fact that Ebony was footing the bill for all that expensive baby shit actually hurt my pride. I'm the man, I don't care how misogynistic that sounds, I knocked her up, I should be covering at least half the cost.
I let out a long breath, pulling my phone out my pocket and hitting speed dial number four, "Hey nigga, you busy tonight?" I picked up the paper, Taryn's number scribbled across it.
"Nah, what's up?"
"We're going to a jazz club, dress nice."
"Always."
________________________________
Grant, Jake and Niall have me weak! I love them! Happy Monday y'all!! To those in college, YOU MADE IT/ALMOST MADE IT THROUGH THE FALL SEMESTER!! Congrats baby! Celebrate with a jolly holiday season.
Love y'all!!
Deuces