Noodle’s Daddy: I know where my daughter is, trust me. I’m simply tryna check on her bobble head ass momma, but you got it.
Me: Yeah, whatever. You weren’t thinking about checking on me when you were in the club throwing money on half-naked bitches. Neither myself nor your daughter was a thought of yours, so don’t act all concerned now.
I’ll admit a part of me was jealous of the fact that he was out living his best life. When I checked Logic’s story and saw them popping bottles and making it rain on bitches at a popular strip club in Atlanta, it made me sick to my stomach. No, East wasn’t mine to claim, but it didn’t mean I enjoyed seeing him entertain other women. The idea of him being surrounded by thirsty ass bitches bothered me more than I cared to admit.
Noodle’s Daddy: You got me fucked up, but I’m drunk, and I don’t want to say some shit I can’t take back. Text me when you make it home, and no, I’m not asking. I have a meeting in the morning, and I’ll wring yo’ fuckin neck if I have to hop on a flight because you want to test my gangsta. Live your life, Lola B, but respect my fuckin’ mind.
Me: I hear you. I appreciate you for looking out, bro.
I knew I had pissed him off when the bubbles popped up immediately after I hit send. Getting under his skin came second nature to me, and I used it to my advantage whenever I could.
Noodle’s Daddy: Stop playin’ with me. I ain’t yo’ fuckin’ bro. You love to play games.
Me: I learned from the best. Goodnight, Roommate.
I turned my phone off before he could respond again. The night was still young, and I refused to spend it thinking about a nigga who didn’t want me, especially when there were plenty of them who did.
“You have reached the voicemail of—”
I hung up when the voicemail picked up again. I swear this girl loved to run my blood pressure up.
“Sis still ain’t answering your calls?” Logic asked with humor laced in his tone. He thought the shit was hilarious while I was ready to pull out my guns and start murkin’ niggas from how angry I was.
“I’m trying my hardest to hold it together, but I’ma fuck around and choke her ass. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into her, but she’d better get her mind right, and fast.” I huffed as I sent her another text message. Lyric had been ignoring me for the past thirty-six hours, and I was ready to crash out.
“You want me to call her?”
“She ain’t gon’ answer because she knows you’re with me. Her little ass obviously wants to see another side of me, and I’m about to give her exactly what she’s asking for.”
Lyric had been gone for almost two days, and she thought she was slick. She sent a message on Friday morning to tell me she was going on a trip with her girls and that Noodle would bestaying with my granny. We lived in the same fucking house, so there was no reason for her to sneak out unless she was doing some shit she had no business.
She checked in with my granny to make sure baby girl was straight, but she had been straight-up dodging my calls and messages.
“What’s the real issue here? I mean, I understand you feel like she’s movin’ funny, but how so? From where I’m sitting, she got a babysitter, made sure little mama had everything she needed to get through the weekend, and she’s been checking in on her. Why are you trippin’?”
I glanced in Logic’s direction, ready to go off when I knew I had no right to. The truth was she hadn’t technically done anything wrong, but I didn’t like the way she was moving. Lyric was grown and had every right to take trips and kick it, but I wasn’t stupid. There was a reason she never mentioned it to me, and it would only be a matter of time before I found out what the reason was.
“I see the veins in your forehead pulsating. Lil’ sis got you fucked up out here.” Logic chuckled, taking a sip of the liquor in his cup. We were kicking it at his house as I tried to get my mind right. My sleep had been fucked up since Lyric left, and it was worse because my baby girl wasn’t home either. If this was the preview of what it would be like if they left, I would make sure they never moved out.
“Man, this shit has me stressed out. Bianca hit me up begging to suck my dick, but my head was so fucked up I told her no. I even got a proposition for a threesome, and I shot them down after I saw a video of Lyric twerking in a club. She got me blocked from her page, but her friends don’t. I’ve been watching their shit from a backup page, waiting for them to slip up and show me something important.” I sounded like a stalker, but I didn’tcare. This shit had my chest tight, and I was on the verge of losing my cool.
“Damn, nigga. You sound like you cheated on your bitch, and now she’s getting her lick back. You’ll be alright. The problem is you keep tryna act like you ain’t in love with that girl and now you’re realizing how serious this shit really is.”
“What you tryna say?”
“Come on, East. We’ve been boys since the sandbox, and nobody knows me like you and Nauri. The same goes for the two of you. I’m not sure when your feelings shifted, but it’s clear as day that they’ve changed. Lyric is like a sister to me, but you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me you see her the same way. You look at her as if she’s a fragile piece of glass that you have to keep safe.”
I dragged my hand over my beard as he broke it all down to me.
“When she first moved in with you, things might have been on the up and up, but I can see it in your eyes that you want her. The only thing I don’t understand is why you wouldn’t make your move if that’s the way you feel. You’re torturing yourself for no reason when I know she feels the same way about you. Hell, Lyric has been crushing on you for years, and you know it.”
“It’s complicated, LJ. You and Keynauri are the only brothers I’ve ever known, and our brotherhood means everything to me. You know how he feels about his little sister, and he’s trusting us to look out for her while he’s away. I’m not tryna beef with my brother for crossing a line I know I don’t have any business crossing.”
“Have you talked to him about your feelings? I mean, I can understand him feeling some type of way because she’s growing up and he isn’t here to protect her, but he knows the kind of nigga you are. I’m sure he would rather her fuck with a nigga he can trust than one of these lames out here. I mean, she alreadygot a baby with a fuck nigga, whoever he is. You’ve stepped up for not only Lyric, but her daughter too. I can’t see him trippin’ too hard about it.
“I don’t know. I think you should talk to him about it. At the end of the day, she’s grown, and you are too. If y’all decide to take it there, you don’t need his permission. All I’m saying is that I think it’s crazy for the two of you to be living in the same house, raising a baby together, and still denying y’all feelings for one another. Make it make sense.”
Logic sparked a blunt, then passed it over to me. I sat there thinking about my feelings for Lyric. It wasn’t something I ever acknowledged out loud, so I wasn’t sure what to do. Like Logic said, my feelings for her shifted when she moved in with me. At first, all I wanted to do was protect her and help her get through a difficult time in her life.