“Okay, but when one of your followers ask for my number, I’ma give it to ’em since I’m not yo’ man.” He winked, immediately irritating my soul.
“Yeah, never mind. I already have bitches hating me for breathing. The last thing I need is some hoe tryna fight me because you broke their heart. No, thank you.”
“What are tryna say? You act like I go around playin’ with people’s feelings or something.”
“It’s not that at all. You just aren’t the type to give your heart to anyone. Hell, I damn near had to strong-arm you for it. I can’t even get upset about you talking to another woman, but I know sis is in for the fight of her life,” I expressed.
East smirked, but he knew I was right. It took a while for East to completely open up to me, and even then, it came with parameters. He rarely liked to talk about his feelings unless it concerned Noodle. She was the reason I was able to see another side to him because he didn’t hold back with her.
“You’re making it seem like I’m coldhearted. I’m just selective with who I allow in my space and who I give my heart to. You aren’t wrong, though. If any woman is coming into my world looking for anything other than dick and a good time, they might as well go somewhere else. I don’t even have possession of the shit, so how can I give it to somebody else?” East shrugged as he pulled a shirt over his head.
It never ceased to amaze me how he could say something earth-shaking but act as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Daddy, come on! I don’t smell pancakes!” Noodle shouted from the bathroom. My girl didn’t play when it came to herdaddy or people making promises. She would hold you to whatever you said, which was why I made sure to keep my word.
“You might want to get your ass in the kitchen before your baby has a fit. The queen doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” I snickered.
“I can’t even say shit because you ain’t lying. Let me go in here and get my baby together. I guess I need to make sure we’re good and full before we go to the mall.” East gave me a sarcastic look because I volunteered him to take us without asking.
“We appreciate your services, maid.” I stuck my tongue out as he left out of the room. My mind was going a mile a minute as I thought about how I would handle things going forward. Nathan’s threats frightened me, and I needed to confirm what kind of rights he had. I doubted he would actually try to gain custody of my daughter, but I needed to make sure she was protected on all sides. If I died tomorrow, I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t end up with a strange man.
For the moment, I was going to take a shower and enjoy quality time with my family. They brought me a sense of calmness I needed, and I planned to bask in it for as long as I could.
“It’s nice as hell in here. I’ve never been in VIP before.” Summyah squealed with excitement. We hadn’t spent a lot of time together since the pool party, and it was mainly because of me. I wasn’t sure how to handle being around her after Valor went missing.
The police in our neighborhood couldn’t care less about crime, so there wasn’t any real coverage on her at all. Her mother made a post saying no one had heard from her, but outside of that, no one had said much. I should have felt guilty about the fact that I knew the truth, but surprisingly, I didn’t. Our friendship had gone through its ups and downs, but I truly felt like it was normal. I never would have thought she hated my guts.
The police had already advised the family that they didn’t believe she was still alive, so the family held a candlelight vigil and a memorial. Keynauri had a major performance, so I used it as my excuse to miss the memorial. It might have been fucked up, but it was what it was. East donated money to the family and sent a floral arrangement. They were more excited about the tenthousand dollars than anything else. They didn’t even care about anything else.
“Yeah, Mendeecees knows how to put on a party. I know he spent a pretty penny on all of this,” I commented. Mendeecees was throwing a party to celebrate one of his artist’s albums going double platinum.
One of the things I liked about him was the way he encouraged the people around him. He poured into his team and celebrated them whenever they accomplished a major milestone.
At first, I wasn’t going to come, but when Summyah sent a text telling me she missed me, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. As soon as I mentioned the party, she was excited to come. Mendeecees was happy I was going to be in attendance, so he made sure I had everything I needed, including an outfit.
The party was at a big mansion in Clifton hills. It wasn’t too far from Jonah Hills, but it was for the rich and elite. Keynauri lived in the next neighborhood over, so I was familiar with the area. A lot of politicians and celebrities lived out there.
The house was decorated really well, and I appreciated the vibe and the ambience. The theme was black and gold, and I loved those colors together. I wore a backless dress with a plunging neckline. I was feeling myself the moment I tried the dress on and knew I had to have it. Mendeecees couldn’t stop telling me how good I looked, but I didn’t need anyone to tell me. I knew I was that girl.
“Champagne, ladies?” a waiter asked, holding a tray out in front of us.
“Yes, thank you.”
The two of us grabbed a flute and thanked him again. The vibes were elegant with a hint of hood. Mendeecees told me there were executives, music producers, and various other important people in attendance. We had been kicking it for awhile, but this would be the first public event we’d done with one another.
“Look at your man playing hostess. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the two of you being an item, but he seems like a nice guy. He isn’t your future husband, but he’s a nice placeholder for the moment,” Summyah stated.
I almost choked on my drink as my eyes ballooned. “What the hell, My? Why would you say something like that?”
“Girl, we’ve been friends forever. You and I don’t sugarcoat anything. You might like him, but we both know he isn’t endgame. Mendeecees provides you with a nice distraction so you don’t have to face the reality of your love life.”
“And what’s my reality?”
“You and your baby daddy are out here wasting people’s time when you both know you want to be together.”
“I should have never asked because you are talking nonsense. East and I are simply co-parenting. We’re both doing our own thing.”
“Girl, please. I saw the clips when you were on live a couple of weeks ago. East was ready to reach through the phone and check those haters for even mentioning you. I still don’t understand why the two of you broke up. It’s obvious you love each other.”