“No, I wasn’t saying anything about your parenting. I just think there should be some type of boundaries if the two of you are only co-parenting. She posts pictures of you and your daughter when you’re sleeping, so it’s clear she has access to your home. Meanwhile, I don’t even know where you live. How is that fair to me?” Zen folded her arms across her chest, but she moved her body closer. I felt someone burning a hole through the side of my face, and I didn’t have to guess who it was.
“I’m not tryna be fair to anyone, if I’m being honest. I’m single for the time being, but Lyric and my daughter are my top priority. If she wants to post me on her page every day, she ain’t gotta ask for my permission. I’m a part of her everyday life.” I shrugged.
“You’re such an asshole. Sometimes I really question why I even fuck with you. You don’t even try to protect my feelings.”
“Well, why would I do that? You asked me a question, and I answered it. I don’t believe in lying in order to manipulate someone. If you gon’ fuck with me, you gon’ get the rawest version of me. I’m grown as fuck, and can’t nobody beat my ass except maybe my granny.” I chuckled as the Kush took me to another level.
I could see someone coming toward us, but I never bothered to check who it was, because I already knew.
“Since you’ve got time to laugh, you have time to take your daughter to get on kiddie rides.” Lyric spat, bumping Zenia out of her spot.
“Lola, chill. You’re coming over here on that rah-rah shit, and you know I don’t play that shit when my baby is around. Get yo’ mind right.” I rarely raised my voice, but Lyric knew how far to take things with me, especially when it concerned Symphonee.
“Look, your aunt Pam is coming to pick her up in an hour, can you at least keep her until then? I’m tryna get a frozen margarita, but you know I don’t drink when she’s with me,” Lyric pleaded. She already knew she never had to beg me to do anything. Honestly, it was the reason her ass was so spoiled. I rarely told her no.
“Can you give me a few minutes to finish my blunt?”
The same way she refrained from drinking around Noodle, I made it a point to only smoke in my room or outside when my daughter was home.
“Yeah, whatever. You want to cupcake with bitches in front of my face. Keep playin’ with me, Essex. Then you’re gonna try and give me one of those boring ass lectures when you already know how I’m comin’.” She fussed.
I chuckled, although I was well aware of how she got down. Over the last year, Lyric had fought a few bitches for trying their hand with her. I understood where she was coming from when it came down to respect, but I also wasn’t the type to draw unnecessary attention to myself. Lyric, on the other hand, didn’t give a fuck about any of that. She was ready for any smoke that came her way.
“Yeah, East. This is the bullshit I’m talkin’ about. You claim you don’t have a woman, but you got this young bitch thinking she can disrespect me. Then you’re casually having a conversation with her in my face as if she didn’t just try me. She might not know me, but you do.” Zenia fussed.
“Bitch—”
“Lola, don’t. I got this.” I held my hand up to stop her before she even got started.
“I’ma keep it a bean with you. When it comes to my baby mama against anyone, I’ma take her side no questions asked. Whether she’s right or wrong, that’s my family. I understand where you’re coming from, and I agree with your perspective. You shouldn’t have to feel like you’re coming in second with a nigga you’re dealing with, and I’m telling you to your face that you’ll never be more important than her.
“You mentioned that I haven’t been reachable lately, and this is why. You’re a cool woman, and I respect you and the way you carry yourself. It’s clear the two of us are no longer in alignment with the terms of our arrangement, and I would be less of a man if I held you back, knowing I’ll never be able to give you what you want.”
“S-so, what are you tryna say? You’re cutting me off because of your baby mama?” Zenia shrieked, drawing attention to us as people turned their heads to look over in our direction.
“What he’s tryna say is your pussy is worn out and he’s ready to come back home to big mama. You bitches are so ditzy and delusional, it’s actually sad to watch. If a nigga was ducking and dodging my calls like the repo man, I would be on to the next one. Never let a man tell you more than once he doesn’t want you. It’s a bad look, stinka butt.” Lyric antagonized her, and she knew exactly what the fuck she was doing. I gave her a look to tell her to chill, but she gave me one back that let me know what type of time she was on.
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“What is there left to say, boo? He’s trying to tell you to leave him alone. Even though I know what the reason is, he shouldn’t even have to spell it out for you, Ray Charles. You’re one of the first bitches watching my page the minute I post on my story, so you aren’t dumb. The problem with hoes like you is that y’all are comfortable waiting in the bushes for a nigga to finally pick you. I can’t relate. I’m going after what’s mine, and I wish a bitchwould think for one second she can trick me out of my spot. Your time is up. Honestly, it’s been up. I just had to get my shit right.”
Cocky ass. I won’t lie, watching Lyric boss up and stake her claim on me turned me on. I wanted to lock her down for a while, but in the beginning, she wasn’t ready for what came with being with a nigga like me. Plus, I wanted to give her time to navigate motherhood, college, and finding herself. Lyric was forced to grow up early, and I never wanted her to feel like she had to make a sacrifice in our relationship.
“Lose my number, East. I can’t believe I thought you were a real ass nigga. I hope this young hoe drags you through hell.”
“Don’t worry, boo. I already deleted your number from his phone last week after he ate my pussy until I squirted.” Lyric winked and then whipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Oh, please, bitch. I was fuckin’ with him longer than you, and he doesn’t eat pussy. No need to cap,” Zenia shot back. I scratched the back of my head as I focused on the ground. I already knew Lola B’s ass was about to let her have it.
“Naw, he didn’t eat your lopsided ass pussy. This pussy and ass get eaten on the daily, babes. You might want to step your game up for the next one. Raise those standards, sis.”
She turned to face me, and all I could do was shake my head. Zenia stormed away with her tail between her legs, and I could tell by the cocky expression on Lyric’s face that she was feeling victorious.
“You know you don’t have to show your ass every time a woman is talking to me. I planned to let her know what was up. I didn’t need your assistance, shorty.”
Lyric paid me no mind as she stepped in between my legs with my daughter perched on her hip. Noodle’s long, pretty hair was in pigtails. She was matching my fly in her own designer fit, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. My family was the shit.
“I told you I would give you a week to break the news to your funky ass roster. You took too long. If you didn’t want me to show my ass, you would have put those bitches in a group chat and given them their walking papers.”