"Three, including Mr. Clyde. But they all know what it is, it's strictly business." He nodded slowly, processing what I confessed too.
"And you living where? With who?"
"After my parents died, Me, Yatta and Mya were able to keep the house. We all stay together.”
"I'm sorry about your parents, ma."
"It's cool. It's been a minute." I shrugged, "We good though. The house is paid off at least, so we just gotta cover utilities, property taxes, food and shit." He nodded.
"And what about the nigga who had you fucked up in the head?”
My whole body went stiff.
"What about him?"
"You still hurt over that nigga?" he questioned. I shrugged, trying to play it off.
"I'm good."
"Yasani,"
"What?"
"Don't lie to me." He reached over and turned my stool so I was facing him fully. "Be honest, you still hurt?"
I bit my lip, feeling tears trying to come up. I blinked them back. "Yeah. I'm still fucked up about it. Not because I want him back, because honestly fuck him. But it’s more so because I trusted him. And he handled me like I was some regular bitch, and that I can’t ever forgive him for.
"He a bitch ass nigga for that shit he pulled." I said,
"Facts."
"But I need you to understand something when fucking with me, I ain't him. I ain't on that playing games shit. When I say I want you, I mean that. When I say I'ma hold you down, that's what the fuck I mean. I don't move like these clown ass niggas out here."
"How you move then?"
“I’m loyal and I’m a man of my word." His hands slid higher on my thighs. "But I need the same energy back. That's why I'm asking about what you feeling for that nigga, I need to know what I'm dealing with. Because if you gon' be mine, you gotta really be mine."
"Let’s be honest, you demanding some shit from me, but I barely know you."
"You know enough. You know I got money. You know I got power. You know I want you." He leaned in closer. "And you know after last night that I can give you everything you need. financially, physically, emotionally, all of it. So what's the issue? You don't trust me?"
"I don't trust nobody," I shot back. "Last time I trusted a nigga, he fucked my best friend."
"Didn’t I just tell you I ain't that nigga,"
"I know you ain't. You worse."
He raised an eyebrow. "Worse?"
"Yeah, worse. Rylo was just a regular street nigga. You a whole kingpin, with the world at your feet. You questioning me, but how many bitches do you got on standby? Are you single? How many are you fucking?” I shot off question after question.
“I aint got nobody, maybe some bitches I crack every once in a while but it aint nobody I’m bringing to meet my mama. I was a single man baby, until last night.” He said and I smirked.
“Was? Like I said, we barely know each other, so don’t feel no type of way, if I’m not as open as you would like me to be.” I told him and he cupped my face.
"All I know is you deserve better than what you been settling for. So I'm offering you better. Question is, you gon' take it?"
I looked into his eyes, searching for the lie, the game, the catch. But all I saw was certainty. I could tell he meant every word. And yea, a bitch was finally ready for better.