Michael reacting to the most beautiful scene betweenïżŒ Smoke and Annie. đ„čđ„čđ„č One of my dreams came true I always wanted to see his reaction to the scene.
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a/n: requested and inspired by this post by @dealore!! this isnât my usual vibe, but it was fun and a quick write! i might do more headcanons if yâall are interested :3
masterlist
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sinner!annie who feels that her connection to The Most High has been tainted due to her lifestyle. recently, she has been falling into temptation, allowing Satan to wrap his hands around her throat and drag her through a life of unrighteousness.
sinner!annie who loves to pretend she's pious by running to the church house on sunday's and for bible study on wednesday's, but any other day of the week, she's fucking husbands and deacons and important men in the community, feeding off of the power it gives her to bring a man to his knees and ruin his good name.
sinner!annie who's had her eyes set on her pastor for as long as she could remember. he was tall, sexy, and thick with a disapproving gaze that sent shivers throughout her body, and all she wanted was to have him crumble beneath her.
pastor!elijah who is the shepard to a congregation of 100 souls.
pastor!elijah who knows the face, name, and backstory of every one of his sheep. he takes his position seriously to ensure they all are as close to Godliness as they can achieve.
pastor!elijah who knows annie by face, name, and backstory; who watches her enter the church every sunday, eyes straight forward as she meanders down the center aisle and sits with her legs crossed on the front pew before laying a lap scarf over her knees. he notices the sway of her hips, the jaunt of her ass, and how she begins to wear dresses shorter and shorter as the sunday's pass by.
sinner!annie who set her plan into motion the moment she sees his eyes drag over her body. she spends the entire service fanning herself and envisioning him taking her over his desk in the fellowship hall, and when she's not fantasizing, she's putting on a good show of the most pious woman to ever exist.
sinner!annie who, the saturday before church, spends her evening laid up in bed with a man stroking her from behind. he's tall and sexy and thickâbut heâs nothing like pastor elijah. sheâs thought of him the entire time, those disapproving eyes, that grin when the congregation obeys his order to repeat a verse. she wants to obey him just as much as she wants to subdue him, and the urge to give in to her desires makes her feel sick.
pastor!elijah who sits in his office after service, hands folded and elbows pressing harshly into the wood. he's been unclean, harboring thoughts no man of God should, thoughts of one member of his flock, thoughts that should bring him to his knees before God. but all he wanted was her.
pastor!elijah who jumps in shock when the door to his office creaks open. everyone is goneâor at least they were supposed to beâbut when he sees annie's eyes look upon him, his throat bobs in anticipation. one of his sheep needs help.
sinner!annie who sits before him with a bowed head and whispers, "i have not been acting as a Godly woman should, pastor." her tone is alluring, hot and sultry as her arms clasp in front of her in mock-shame. but she's getting exactly what she wants: pastor elijah's attention.
sinner!annie who cries.
sinner!annie who begs for forgiveness.
sinner!annie who kneels before him, asking for mercy.
pastor!elijah who faces her, standing over her trembling form with his head tilted in amusement. he can read right through her. he knows she's not seeking real forgiveness, and he doesn't plan on giving it to her anytime soon.
pastor!elijah who reaches for her chin, pulling her up to face him and mutters back, "how have you sinned, sister annie? show me."
sinner!annie who shudders at the chance to obey his word; who moves with a quickness, standing before him. her breath becomes heavy, and her agile fingers move down the length of his body. "please forgive me, pastor 'lijah," she groans, upzipping his slacks and pushing them down his legs.
pastor!elijah who nearly growls when her hand wraps around his dick, but he stuffs the sound down and hides his need behind a scowl. "the bible says, 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' confess your sins, annie."
sinner!annie who moans out, "yes, pastor," before she's back on her knees and swallowing him down the back of her throat. she chokes around him, rutting against nothing but the imagination of him between her legs. this feels holier than anything she's done before, closer to God than she ever thought she'd be able to achieve. she hums around him when he trembles, tears springing from her eyes.
pastor!elijah who allows himself to be conquered; who accepts the opportunity of being wrecked by her. he feels the talons of Satan wrapping tight around his throat, but the closer she brings him to his climaxâthe more she confesses every sin and wrongdoingâthe easier he allows himself to be brought under with her.
Tobias points at him. âYou done analyzed every smile this girl gave you.â
Smoke starts laughing. âNah I havenâtâ
âYou have.â
Smoke shakes his head.
Tobias keeps going. âUsually you already know what it is.â
Because he did. Women had always been easy. Most of the girls from his neighborhood were straightforward. If they liked youâŠYou knew.
They flirted. They called. They pulled up.
Some damn near told you outright.
It had always come easy. Too easy.
He never really had to pursue. Never had to wonder. Never had to question whether a woman wanted him.
Yet here he was. Thinking about one girl.
A girl heâd barely spoken to.
A girl who smiled at him like she liked him.
Looked at him like she liked him.
Got nervous around him. Yet still hadnât called.
And for some reasonâŠ
That shit had him completely thrown off.
âI donât know what the next move is.â
The words come out before he can stop them.
Tobias just stares. Then busts out laughing.
Smoke frowns. â Nigga Whatâs funny?â
âYou.â
âHow?â
âThis nigga said he donât know the next move.â
Tobias laughs even harder. âI ainât never heard you say no shit like this.â
âMan, shut the fuck up.â
âNah.â He wipes his eyes. âYou really donât know what to do.â
Smoke doesnât answer.
BecauseâŠHe really doesnât.
Tobias settles down.
Then shrugs.âMaybe she shy.â
Smoke thinks about it.
The way sheâd looked away.
The way sheâd gotten flustered.
The way she could barely get a sentence out around him.
âOr maybe she really scared.â
âScared of what?â
âYou.â
Smoke snorts. âMaybe.â
âIâm serious.â
He points at him. âYou donât know what you look like?â
Smoke laughs. âShut up.â
âNigga, you wear baggy clothes, got golds in yo mouth, money, jewelry, and you be starinâ at her. You look like a thug ass nigga from the city and she from out south.â
âI donât be starinâ
âYou really do.â
Smoke starts laughing.
âYou be lookinâ at that girl like she the only person in the room.â He pauses. âIâd be nervous too.â
Smoke goes quiet.
BecauseâŠhe does stare and maybe he does come off intimidating.
The room gets silent.
Finally Tobias grins. âGive it another day.â
Smoke looks at him. âIf she donât callâŠâ
He shrugs. âThen talk to her at work.â
Smoke thinks about that.
Then slowly nods. Because heâs tired of wondering.
Later that night, Annie is stretched across her bed on her stomach.
The overhead light is off.
Only her bedside lamp is on, casting a warm glow across her room.
A soft breeze slips through her cracked window, causing the curtains to sway gently. The house is quiet. Everyone is either asleep or winding down for the night.
Annie twirls a pen between her fingers.
Then taps it against her chin.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her notebook lies open in front of her.
At the top of the page sheâs already written:
Dear Elijah,
She smiles. It still feels strange calling him that.
Elijah. Not Smoke.
Her eyes drift to the hundred-dollar bill tucked safely inside her notebook.
She still canât believe he gave her money. For the second time.
She runs her fingers across the paper. Thinking.
About his style. His sleepy eyes. His voice.
Next time, try the cinnamon.
Her stomach does that little flip again.
Annie flops her head onto her folded arms and groans into her pillow.
Why does he make her so nervous? She doesnât even know this man.
Barely knows anything about him. But she wants to.
Annie has always loved words. Loved writing.
She writes when sheâs happy. Writes when sheâs sad.
Writes when sheâs confused.
Being on the school newspaper only made her love it more.
One day she wants to go to college for journalism.
Maybe become an editor for a magazine.
Or a newspaper. Something where she can tell stories.
Something where she can write.
And right now⊠She has a story sitting in her thoughts.
A man with sleepy brown eyes and golds in his mouth.
She taps her pen against her chin again.
Then suddenly smiles.
A poem. Thatâs what sheâll write.
She sits up a little and begins scribbling.
The words flow easier than she thought they would.
Dear Elijah, 09/18/2004
Iâm writing this because Iâm intrigued.
Beneath that tough exterior, whatâs on the interior?
I always notice how you move with purpose and precision,
So tell me, what you want with me, tell me whatâs your vision?
Tell me what moves you.
Tell me what soothes you.
Tell me where youâve been and how far you want to go.
And tell me if youâre genuine or just putting on a show.
Are you really serious, or do you tend to play games?
And can you tell me the meaning behind your nickname?
Whatâs your motive? Why do you always stare?
And why do you give me things? Is that your way of showing that you care?
Tell me your age.
Tell me what brings you joy and what sends you into a rage.
And if I asked, would you lay your heart out on a page?
The first thing he does after clocking in is walk over to the bulletin board to check the schedule.
He tells himself heâs making sure the kitchen is staffed properly.
But he knows better.
His eyes automatically search for one name. Annie. There it is.
Sheâs working tonight.
A strange mix of relief and anxiety settles in his chest.
He hasnât seen her since Saturday. She never called.
That bothers him more than heâd like to admit.
Heâd replayed that day in his head more times than he cared to count, trying to figure out what heâd done wrong.
Maybe he came on too strong.
Maybe she wasnât interested after all.
Maybe she lost his number.
Hell⊠maybe she was avoiding him.
He doesnât know.
He just knows he needs to figure out whatâs going on.
The problem is⊠He has no idea what heâs going to say.
Outside, Annie pulls up to the bus stop.
She exhales as she gets off the bus.
The folded poem sheâd written to Smoke rests in her pocket. She didnât get a chance to stop home after school. Newspaper staff had stayed late finishing the next issue.
Now sheâs rushing straight to work.
Her heart pounds against her ribs as she walks over to Smokeâs truck.
The parking lot is quiet.
She glances around to make sure no one is looking.
Then carefully slides the folded letter beneath his windshield wiper on the driverâs side.
She lingers for just a second. Thinking
I hope you read it.
Then she quickly turns and heads inside before she can lose her nerve.
The kitchen is alive with its usual rhythm.
Knives chopping. Fryers bubbling.
The steady hiss of food hitting the grill.
Servers weaving in and out with trays.
Smoke is plating an order when he feels it.
The atmosphere shifts.
He canât explain it. He justâŠFeels her.
His hands pause for half a second.
He slowly looks up.
Annie has just stepped through the back door.
She quietly walks over to the employee hooks and hangs up her jacket.
Smokeâs eyes immediately find her. His chest tightens.
She looks exactly the way she always does. Pretty. Calm. Focused.
Like she belongs wherever she stands.
Annie can feel someone watching her.
She already knows who it is.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Her stomach flutters. She slowly turns around.
Their eyes meet. Just for a second.
Smoke immediately looks away and pretends to wipe down the counter.
Annie lowers her eyes too. Neither one of them says a word.
She simply grabs her server book and heads back onto the floor.
Smoke watches her disappear through the swinging doors.
She still ainât tried talked to me.
Nearly two hours pass. Business is unusually slow.
The few times Annie comes back into the kitchen to grab drinks or pick up foodâŠTheir eyes keep finding each other. Quick glances.
Neither one willing to hold eye contact for too long.
Itâs almost like theyâre daring each other to say something.
But neither of them does.
Out on the floorâŠAnnieâs phone vibrates. Mama. She sighs.
She glances around before slipping into the Cove.
The large banquet room is empty tonight.
Rows of neatly arranged tables sit quietly beneath the dim lights.
The room echoes just enough to make every word feel louder.
She answers. âHey, Mama.â
Smoke, meanwhile, has no tickets on the line.
He wipes his station down before deciding to step out onto the floor.
He hasnât seen Annie in a while.
A thought creeps into his head.
She avoiding me?
He checks the dining room. Nothing.
Then he heads toward the Cove.
As he reaches the entrance, he hears Annieâs voice.
He instinctively stops.
Sheâs facing away from him, too focused on the conversation to notice heâs there.
âI didnât have time to stop home, Mama. I had newspaper today.â
Smoke hears only Annieâs side.
Her shoulders slowly tense.
âMama⊠why canât Tyree or Mario cook?â
Another pause. âItâs time they learn. Theyâre twelve and fourteen. Theyâre old enough. Me and Ed were cooking at eight and ten years old.â
Her voice grows quieter. âIâm not gonna always be around anymore.â
Smokeâs brows slowly knit together.
âI know theyâre my siblingsâŠâ
She closes her eyes. ââŠbut me and Ed have to have a life too.â
Her voice cracks just slightly. âIâve done enough.â
She pinches the bridge of her nose. âI had to come to work.â
Another long silence.
ââŠFine.â
She exhales. âIâll talk to Daddy about it.â
The call ends.
Smoke quietly backs away before she can turn around.
He slips back into the kitchen unnoticed.
As he returns to the line, her words replay in his head. Theyâre your kids⊠not mine.
He understands that feeling more than most.
Being forced to grow up too soon.
Feeling responsible for people you didnât bring into the world.
Having to sacrifice pieces of your own childhood because somebody else couldnât carry their weight.
He knows that burden. He lived it.
His mind starts putting pieces together.
She mentioned newspaper.
Is she still in high school?
He frowns. Sheâd have to be.
You had to be eighteen to work at Red Lobster.
Which meantâŠShe was probably a senior.
That surprises him. Not because of her ageâŠ
But because of how she carries herself.
She speaks with maturity. Works hard.
Handles herself like someone much older.
Now heâs even more intrigued.
And unexpectedlyâŠProtective.
The swinging kitchen doors burst open.
Annie pushes through harder than she intended.
The frustration from the phone call still clings to her. Her jaw is tight.
Her brows drawn together. Sheâs trying not to cry.
Smoke looks up immediately.
Heâs never seen that expression on her face before. His chest aches.
Without saying a word, Annie walks over to the drink station.
The ice bin rattles open.
She grabs a cup harder than necessary.
The scoop scrapes against the ice.
Crunch. Ice tumbles into the cup.
She reaches for the soda nozzle.
Smoke watches for another second.
Then makes a decision.
He walks around the line and steps into the narrow galley beside her.
The space is small.
Annie smells him before she looks at him.
His clean cologne drifts toward her.
Warm. Woodsy. Comforting.
She instinctively turns her head just a little.
Smoke grabs an empty cup.
The metal scoop digs into the ice.
The sound echoes softly between them.
Neither one says anything at first.
Theyâre standing so close their shoulders are only inches apart.
Smoke glances sideways.
Annie keeps her eyes on her drink.
FinallyâŠ
He breaks the silence. âYou okay?â
His voice is low. Gentle.
The sound sends an unexpected chill down Annieâs spine.
She blinks. Looks around.
SurelyâŠHe isnât talking to her.
Smoke chuckles quietly. âYeah.â
He smiles just a little. âIâm talkinâ to you.â
Annie finally looks up.
Their eyes meet.
She wonders how he knew.
How he saw through the smile sheâd been wearing all night.
She forces a small nod. âMm-hmm.â
A moment passes. âIâm okay.â
Smoke studies her for just a second longer.
He knows sheâs lying.
But he also knows she doesnât know him well enough to tell him the truth.
So he doesnât press.
Instead, he says softly, âYou not.â
Another pause. âAnd itâs okay.â
His eyes stay on hers.
âJust know this too shall pass.â
Annie freezes.
Nobody has said anything that kind to her in a long time.
Her throat tightensâŠ. âThank you.â
Smoke nods once.
He fills his cup the rest of the way.
Then quietly steps around her.
He heads back toward the line.
He wanted to ask why she never called.
He wanted to know where they stood.
But after overhearing that phone callâŠ
None of it seemed important anymore.
Right nowâŠShe looked like she was carrying enough.
The end of the shift finally rolls around.
Smoke clocks out, says goodbye to a few coworkers, and heads toward the parking lot.
The night air is cool, carrying the scent of rain from somewhere in the distance.
He unlocks his truck and climbs inside.
The engine rumbles to life.
Just as heâs about to pull away, something catches his eye.
His brows knit together.
A folded piece of paper is tucked beneath his driverâs side windshield wiper.
His hand freezes on the gearshift.
ââŠThe hell?â
He cuts the truck back off.
Nobody leaves notes on peopleâs vehicles. Not unless they wanted to.
He climbs back out, instinctively scanning the parking lot.
A few employees are still walking to their cars.
Others are already pulling away.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary.
Slowly, he reaches beneath the windshield wiper and pulls the paper free. Itâs folded neatly.
On the front, written in careful handwriting, are four simple words.
To SmokeâŠ
From Me.
Smoke stares at it.
His mind immediately starts racing.
From me?
Who the hellâŠHe turns the note over in his hands. No other name.
No clue. JustâŠFrom Me.
He climbs back into his truck, closes the door, and rests the folded paper on the steering wheel.
For a second, heâs tempted to open it right there.
His fingers even start unfolding the edge.
Then he stops himself. âNah.â
He folds it back up.
Whatever it isâŠHe wants to read it somewhere quiet.
He tucks it carefully into his center console and pulls out of the parking lot.
The entire drive home⊠his mind refuses to let it go.
Who wrote it? His first thought is Annie. Then he immediately talks himself out of it.
She got my number.
If she wanted to talk to meâŠWhy wouldnât she just call?
He drums his fingers against the steering wheel.
Then another possibility crosses his mind.
One of them other girls. Heâd noticed the whispers. The lingering stares.
The way a couple of the servers giggled whenever he walked by.
They werenât exactly subtle. He never entertained it.
Never encouraged it. But he wasnât blind either.
Maybe one of them worked up enough courage to leave a note instead.
StillâŠThat didnât feel right.
Those girls werenât shy. If anything, they were bold.
The type to walk right up to him.
The type to flirt out loud.
Not leave anonymous letters.
His thoughts drift back to Annie.
She was different. Quiet. Reserved.
Almost painfully shy.
The kind of person who looked away whenever their eyes met.
The kind who smiled softly instead of loudly. The kind who seemed like sheâd rather write something than say it.
Smoke grips the steering wheel a little tighter. Please let it be her.
The thought catches him off guard.
He lets out a quiet laugh. âDamnâŠâ
He shakes his head.
He ainât never felt like this before.
Heâs never cared enough to actually pursue a woman.
Never sat around hoping somebody wrote him a letter.
Never spent an entire drive home thinking about one person.
Yet here he isâŠDoing exactly that.
When he finally pulls into the parking lot, the anticipation only grows stronger.
His truck idles for a moment before he shuts it off.
The folded letter is still sitting safely in the console. Waiting.
He grabs it before heading inside. His house is quiet.
He tosses his keys on the counter.
Takes a quick shower.
Changes into a T-shirt and basketball shorts.
But even thenâŠHis eyes keep drifting toward the folded paper lying on the kitchen table.
FinallyâŠHe sits down.
The house is silent except for the ticking clock on the wall.
He picks up the letter.
His heartbeat quickens.
SlowlyâŠHe unfolds it.
The faint scent of perfume rises from the paper.
Smoke pauses.
His eyes close for just a second.
He recognizes it immediately.
The same soft scent heâd caught every time Annie walked past him.
His stomach flips. He starts reading.
The first few lines pull him in immediately.
Then he reachesâwhy do you just stare?
A slow smile begins forming.
ThenâŠ
Why do you give me things? Is that how you show you care?
Smoke chuckles under his breath.
âYeahâŠâ
Now he knows. Without a doubt.
Itâs Annie. Sheâs the only one he ever catches himself staring at.
The only one heâs bought anything for.
The only woman at that restaurant whoâs been occupying his thoughts day and night.
By the time he reaches the end of the letter, the smile on his face is impossible to hide. A real smile. One that almost never appears.
He leans back in his chair. Relief washes over him.
All weekend heâd been driving himself crazy. Wondering why she hadnât called. Wondering if sheâd changed her mind. Wondering if heâd imagined the connection between them.
Now he finally understands.
She hadnât ignored him. She was justâŠShy.
Really shy. Probably the shyest woman heâd ever met.
His eyes drift back to the top of the page.
He reads the first few lines again.
This wasnât just a note.
Sheâd written him a whole damn poem.
Smoke smiles and slowly shakes his head.
âThatâs cute as hell.â
Of all the ways she couldâve respondedâŠ
She sat down and wrote. She actually took her time.
Thought about every question. Made it rhyme.
He runs his thumb lightly across the paper.
He can almost picture her sitting somewhere with her notebook, tapping her pen while she searched for the right words.
The thought makes him smile even wider.
Heâd never met a woman like her.
Most women wouldâve just picked up the phone and called.
Or flirted across the room.
Annie wrote poetry. And somehowâŠThat fit her perfectly.
It was thoughtful. Intentional. Quiet. Just like her.
âIâm gonâ have to work.â He mumbles
The realization doesnât discourage him. If anythingâŠIt excites him.
Sheâs worth getting to know.
Worth being patient with. Worth earning.
He looks down at her letter one more time.
Carefully folds it back along the creases. Then stands up.
He walks into his bedroom and rummages through a dresser drawer until he finds a spiral notebook and a pen.
He stares at the blank page.
Shakes his head with a grin. âDamnâŠâ âI ainât wrote a letter since school.â
And even thenâŠIt had been few and far between.
He sits down anyway. Clicks the pen.
Thinks about Annie. Then begins to write.
Pretty Eyes, 09-19-04
Let me start by sayinâ, at first I was a lilâ concerned.
But now I see that you the type of woman who likes to be earned.
I ainât gonâ lieâŠyou had a nigga second guessinâ,
But now I see Iâm learninâ a valuable lesson.
That everything happen when itâs supposed to, in due time.
Maybe thatâs partially why I canât get you off my mind.
The reason I stare at you?
âCause I damn sure ainât blind.
Donât tell me that you donât even know that you a dime?
Matter factâŠ
I donât think you realize just how beautiful you are.
A woman like you donât come around often. You more like a shootinâ star.
You asked why I give you things.
Truth is⊠thatâs just me.
Itâs who Iâve always been,
And who Iâm always gonâ be.
You asked if Iâm serious.
Shit, Pretty Eyes⊠you damn right.
Cause you the one whoâs been keepinâ me awake at night.
That smile of yours shine extra bright.
And Iâd be lyinâ if I said yo shape wasnât just right.
I gotta admitâŠ
I ainât never really had to put up a fight.
Usually women make it easy for me, make me wanna take flight.
But you?
You different.
And to be honestâŠI kinda like this shit.
Got me kinda scared to ask you is this really legit?
Cause this shit all new to me.
And every time you step into my line of sight, You donât even know what you do to me.
Got a nigga sweatinâ. Got me feelinâ real nervous.
HellâŠNow you got me sittinâ down tryna write some verses.
You wanted to know my age?
Well shit, Iâm twenty two.
And hell yeahâŠ
Iâm low key feelinâ you.
What? you canât tell?
I really think you fly as hell.
Iâm tryna get to know you better.
Thatâs exactly why I took the time
to respond to yo letter.
You asked what moves me.
Truthfully?
A man like me gonâ always chase a dollar.
I grew up knowinâ if you wanted more,
You had to work harder.
What makes me happy?
Standinâ somewhere in a kitchen.
And maybeâŠIf I can get this fine ass shorty named Annie to finally listen.
Now what make me mad?
Disrespect. Fake love. Niggas movinâ funny.
Life too short for all that.
Iâd rather stay focused and get this money.
As for the meaning behind my nicknameâŠ
I ainât really ready to share.
But if you quit playinâ wit meâŠ
Maybe one dayâŠWeâll get there.
You wanna know why Iâm feeling you?
Iâd rather tell you that face to face.
And whenever you ready just name the time and the place.
Now itâs my turn.
I got a few questions too.
Letâs see if you really gonâ answerâŠ
Or is you gonâ act brand new.
You ever talked to a nigga like meâŠ
Or am I the first?
Do you expect me to be betterâŠ
Or somehow end up worse?
Tell me yo age. Tell me yo location
Tell me the type of shit that gives you motivation.
Tell me what keeps you goinâ When life become too much.
Tell me if you like words of affirmation better or do you like physical touch?
What you like to do when you ainât at work?
Tell meâŠWhen you look at me like that⊠Is you tryna flirt?
Whatâs yo hopes? Whatâs yo dream?
Do you talk just to talk?
Or do you say what you mean?
What makes you laugh?
What makes you cry?
And tell me somethinââŠ
Why do I make you so shy?
Are you feelin me too? And If you are..
Why?
Iâll be waitinâ on yo next letter.
âSmoke
The next afternoon, Smoke pulls into Stackâs driveway..
The bass from his truck fades as he cuts the engine.
Before he can even make it to the porch, the front door swings open âThere go this nigga.â
Stack smirks, leaning against the doorframe. âTook you long enough.â
Smoke shrugs. âI been movinâ.â
âAinât you always?â
Smoke chuckles as they dap each other up before heading inside.
Stack tosses Smoke a bottled water.
Stack drops onto the chair, tv on ESPN.
He glances over. âSup nigga.â
Smoke chuckles. âWhatâs good?â
âWhat you been on?â
âWork.â
âThatâs it?â
Smoke twists the cap off. âPretty much.â
Stack studies him for a second.
Then a grin slowly spreads across his face.
âSoâŠâ
Smoke already knows whatâs coming.
âSo what?â
âWho is she?â
Smoke takes a sip of water. âWho?â
âThe girl.â
âWhat girl?â
âThe one you been chasing.â
âI ainât chasing nobody.â
Stack laughs. âTobias already told me.â
Smoke cuts his eyes at him.Told you what?â
âThat you been after some hoe yâall met at the mall.â
Smokeâs mouth twitched at the word hoe. He sighs.
âTobias talk too damn much.â
âSo itâs true.â
Smoke shrugs. âI ainât say that.â
âYou ainât deny it either.â
Smoke doesnât answer.
Stack points at him. âThere it is.â
âNigga What?â
âThat little smirk.â
âI ainât smirking.â
âYou definitely smirking.â
Smoke shakes his head. âYou bored.â
âNah.â
Stack leans back into the couch.
âIâm just trying to figure out what type of woman got my brother acting all mysterious and shit.â
Smoke stays quiet.
âSo whatâs her name?â
Silence.
âWhat she look like?â
Silence.
âYou gonâ answer any of these questions?â
Smoke laughs under his breath.
âYou askin too many damn questions.â
âBecause you donât never like nobody.â
Smoke doesnât respond.
That answer alone tells Stack everything he needs to know.
âOhâŠâ He points at him. âYou really feelinâ her.â
Before Smoke can respond, the front door opens. Monica walks inside carrying a shopping bag.
The moment her eyes land on Smoke, her expression changes. âThere you are.â
Smokeâs shoulders tense.
Stack notices immediately.
Monica drops her bag by the door.
âWe need to talk.â
Smoke exhales quietly.
âAight.â
Without another word, he follows her toward the kitchen.
The second they disappear around the corner, Stack leans back on the couch laughing to himself.
âOh⊠this finna be interesting.â
Monica folds her arms. âSoâŠâ
Smoke waits.
âWhy you been avoiding me?â
âI ainât been avoiding you.â
She laughs sarcastically. âSmoke⊠stop.â
âI been busy.â
âBullshit.â
He says nothing.
âYou donât answer my calls.â
Silence.
âAnd every time I ask to see youâŠâmShe shrugs. âYou busy.â
Smoke rubs the back of his neck. âI got a lotta shit going on.â
She studies him. Then slowly shakes her head. âNo.â
âWhat?â
âYou lying.â
Smoke exhales. âIâm really not.â
âYou are.â
Her voice sharpens. âI know you.â
He looks away.
âYou donât act like this unless something changed.â
Silence. Then it finally clicks.
Her face falls.ââŠThereâs somebody else.â
Smoke doesnât answer. He doesnât have to.
Monica lets out a short laugh. âI knew it.â
She nods to herself. âWho is she?â
âIt donât matter.â
âIt matters to me.â
Smoke stays quiet.
She shakes her head. âOut of all the girls youâve talked toâŠâ She points at him.
âYou ainât never avoided me.â
Her voice gets louder. âYou always kept it real wit me.â
Smokeâs jaw tightens.
âBut nowâŠâ
She laughs bitterly. âYou canât even tell me the truth.â
He says nothing.
Monica studies his face. Then sighs.âWhoever she isâŠâ She nods slowlyâŠ.âshe must be special.â
Smoke finally looks up.
His expression softens for just a split second.
That tells Monica everything.
She throws her hands up. âWow.â
Her voice rises. âI canât believe this shit.â
Smoke shuts down. His face goes blank.
He stares at the floor.
She grows even more frustrated.
âSmoke!â
Nothing.
âSay somethinââ
The raised voices carry into the living room.
Stack gets up and walks into the kitchen.
He immediately steps between them.
âAight, thatâs enough.â
Monica points around him.
âHe wonât even talk to me!â
Stack glances back at his brother.
Smoke has already grabbed his keys.
âIâm finna head out.â He walks into the living room and Monica follows.
Monica stares at his back. âSo thatâs it?â
Smoke pauses at the doorway.
Tempted to say something but he doesnât. He just walks out instead.
The next day at lunch, the cafeteria is as loud as ever.
Students crowd every table.
Someone is beating on the lunch table with a fork while someone freestyles. Another group argues over the latest rap album. The smell of pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets hangs in the air.
Annie sits down beside Rhonda, Ebony, and Devin.
She barely gets settled before Rhonda grins. âSoâŠâ
Annie already knows where this is going.
âWhat?â
Rhonda points a fry at her. âDid you talk to Smoke yet?â
Annie smiles to herself. âNot exactly.â
The girls immediately lean in.
âWhat that mean?â Devin asks.
Instead of answering, Annie reaches into her backpack. She carefully pulls out the folded letter.
Rhondaâs eyes get big. âHe wrote you back?â
Annie nods. âHe slipped it in my jacket pocket at work.â
âWhat?!â Ebony says. âGirl!â
âI didnât even know it was there until I got off.â
Rhonda is practically bouncing in her seat. âLemme see!â
Annie hesitates. âDonât laugh.â
âI ainât gonâ laugh.â
âYou promise?â
âI promise.â
Annie hands her the letter.
Rhonda unfolds it carefully. âOhhhâŠâ
âHe got nice handwriting.â
She clears her throat dramatically.
âAhem.â
The girls laugh.
âGirl, just read it!â
Rhonda starts reading.
As she reads each line, the girls get quieter.
The teasing disappears.
By the time she reaches the end, every one of them is smiling.
Rhonda slowly folds the paper back up. Then looks at Annie. âOh⊠he like you.â
âI told you!â Devin blurts out.
Rhonda grabs Annieâs arm.
âGirl, this is so cute.â
Annie blushes. âYou think so?â
âThink so?â
Rhonda shakes her head.
âHe didnât just write you backâŠâ âHe wrote you a whole poem.â
âAnd he answered your questions,â Ebony adds. âHe actually read what you wrote.â
Devin nods. âHe ainât just trying to flirt. He really trying to get to know you. He said you beautiful.â
Annie smiles down at the letter. âI liked that part too.â
Rhonda nudges her shoulder. âHe matching your energy.â
That evening, Annie is stretched across her bed with her notebook open in front of her.
The bedside lamp casts a soft golden glow over the room while a gentle breeze drifts through the cracked window. The sounds of her younger siblings arguing downstairs fade into the background.
She stares at the blank page.
Chewing on the end of her gel pen.
Thinking. Erasing. Thinking again.
A knock sounds on her bedroom door.
Before she can answer, Edward pushes it open.
He peeks his head inside. âWhat you doing?â
Annie quickly throws her hand over the page. âNothing.â
Edward laughs. âGirl, please.â
He walks over and flops across the foot of her bed. âYou only hide stuff when itâs juicy.â
Annie smiles. âIt ainât juicy.â
âMhmm.â
Edward reaches for the notebook.
Annie snatches it away. âNo.â
His eyebrows shoot up. âOoooh.â
He grins. âWho we writing?â
Annie sighs dramatically. âSmoke.â
Edwardâs entire face lights up. âMy boy!â
Annie throws a pillow at him. âHe is not yo boy.â
Edward catches it, laughing. âHe wrote you back?â
Annie nods. âHe did.â
âAnd?â
âAndâŠâ
She smiles without meaning to. âIt was really sweet.â
Edward notices immediately. âThere go that smile.â
âWhat smile?â
âThe one you get every time you mention him.â
Annie rolls her eyes. .âI do not.â
âYou do.â
She laughs and finally hands him Smokeâs letter. Edward sits up against the headboard and reads quietly.
Every now and then he nods. âMmm.â
By the time he reaches the end, heâs smiling too. âI like him.â
Annie raises an eyebrow. âYou donât even know him.â
âI know enough.â
He taps the letter. âHe paid attention.â
âWhat you mean?â
âHe answered your questions.â Edward looks at her. âHe listened.â
Annie smiles softly. âI noticed that too.â
He hands the letter back. âSoâŠâ
âYou writing him?â
Annie nods. âIâm trying.â
âWhatâs wrong?â
âI donât know what to say.â
Edward laughs. âSince when?â
âIâm serious.â
She taps her pen against the notebook.
âI donât wanna sound corny.â
âYou wonât.â
âI donât wanna scare him off.â
Edward looks at her for a second.
Then smiles. âAnnie.â
âWhat?â
âJust be you.â
She sighs. âWhat if thatâs not enough?â
Edward reaches over and bumps her shoulder. âIf he likes your mind enough to write a poem back to you.â He shrugs. ââŠthen let him get to know you. Answer his questions.â
Annie sits quietly.
Because⊠That actually makes sense.
Edward nods toward the notebook. âDonât try to impress him. Talk to him. As if youâre on the phone. The same way you talk to me.â
Annie smiles. âI guess.â
âNah. I know.â
She laughs. Okay, Mr. Editor.â
Edward grins dramatically.
âThank you.â
âI accept that title.â
Annie finally puts her pen to the paper.
She writes for a few moments.
Then stops.
âWhat if I tell him too much?â
Edward shakes his head. âTell him enough that he wants another letter.â
She looks over.
âNot enough that he knows everything.â
Annie laughs. âSo keep him curious?â
Edward points at her. .âExactly.â
She nods slowly.
âI like that.â
The room grows quiet except for the scratching of Annieâs pen across the paper.
Every so often she reads a sentence out loud.
Edward makes a face.
âNah.â
She crosses it out.
âWhat about this?â
He nods. âBetter.â
A few more minutes pass.
Annie leans back and smiles at what sheâs written.
âI think I got it.â
Edward reaches over and ruffles her hair.
âI knew you would.â
She smiles up at him.
âThanks, Ed.â
âFor what?â
âFor always helping me.â
Edward shrugs like itâs no big deal.
âThatâs what big brothers do.â
Annie laughs.
âYou younger than me fool.â
Edward gasps dramatically. âAnd? Iâm still yo big brother.â
She shakes her head. âYou so extra.â
âI know.â
He stands and heads toward the door.
Just before he leaves, he turns back around. âOhâŠâ
âWhat?â
âWhen yâall get marriedâŠâ
Annieâs eyes get huge. âEdward!â
ââŠI better be in the wedding.â
She throws another pillow.
He ducks out of the room laughing. âIâM SERIOUS!â
Annie laughs until her stomach hurts.
Then she looks back down at the letter sheâs writing.
For the first time since putting pen to paper tonightâŠThe words come easily.
The evening air is cool as she steps out of her dadâs car with her purse over one shoulder and the folded letter tucked safely inside. Her stomach flutters the closer she gets to the employee parking lot.
She spots Smokeâs truck immediately.
A smile tugs at her lips.
She glances around to make sure nobody is watching.
The parking lot is quiet except for a few employees making their way inside.
Taking a deep breath, Annie walks over to his truck. Her hands feel clammy.
She carefully slides the folded letter beneath the driverâs side windshield wiper.
She presses it down just enough so the wind wonât carry it away. For a second, she just stands there. Smiling. âPlease donât think itâs corny,â she whispers to herself.
Then she hurries inside before anyone sees her.
The shift flies by. The dinner rush comes and goes. Just like always, Annie and Smoke steal quiet glances whenever their paths cross. Neither of them says much.
They donât have to. SomehowâŠThe looks have become their own little conversation.
By the end of the night, Smoke grabs his keys and heads toward the parking lot.
Heâs halfway to his truck when something white catches his eye beneath the windshield wiper. His steps slow.
Then a grin spreads across his face before he can stop it. Another letter.
From Annie. He shakes his head. âDamnâŠâ
He carefully pulls it free. Just holding it makes him smile.
She wrote back. He slips it safely into his pocket instead of opening it right there.
He wants to take his time with this one.
Later that night, Smoke is sitting on the in his bed. The house is quiet.
The television is on, but muted.
A blunt burns slowly in the ashtray beside him, forgotten.
His attention is somewhere else.
He unfolds Annieâs letter carefully, smoothing out every crease.
Then he begins to read.
Dear Elijah, 09/20/2004
You asked me questions, so hereâs my reply,
I hope these words satisfy your curious eye.
Iâm eighteen years old from Kansas Cityâs south side,
Still trying to figure out life and how to ride this ride.
You asked about dreams and what I hope to pursue,
Mine is becoming a writer⊠but Iâll save the details for you.
Some mysteries are better when theyâre uncovered slow,
So youâll have to keep writing if you really wanna know.
When work isnât calling or schoolâs got a hold,
Youâll find me at games when the weather gets cold.
Football on Fridays, basketball too,
Iâm loud in the stands when Iâm cheering them through.
You asked what makes me laugh.
Thatâs easy to say.
People with humor who can brighten my day.
Life gets so heavy, so laughterâs a gift,
The right joke at the right time can give me a lift.
You asked what makes me cry.
That answer runs deep.
Sometimes I carry more than I should keep.
Like the weight of the world rests square on my back,
And no matter how hard I push⊠I feel like Iâm losing track.
You asked how Iâm loved, what speaks to my heart.
Iâd say gentle touches are where feelings start.
Holding my hand, pulling me near,
And words that remind me somebody is here.
A simple âIâm proud,â or â Are you doing okay,â
Can brighten a dark and overwhelming day.
Now hereâs my confessionâŠ
And yes, itâs true.
Iâve never met somebody quite like you.
Iâve never really talked to an older man
So please be patient with me if you can.
You make me nervous.
I wonât even lie.
Every time you look at me, I forget how to try.
I wanna flirt back.
I really do.
But then I catch those sleepy brown eyes looking right through.
So if I look away, please donât think I donât care.
Truth isâŠ
Youâre just so damn fine that I forget how to stare.
I hope youâre different from the one in my past.
His promises faded⊠they just didnât last.
He wasnât good to me, that much is true,
So I guess Iâm hoping for something different in you.
Your actions seem to match up with the words that you write.
That alone makes my heart feel a little more light.
So hereâs my answer, honest and true.
You asked if I got feelings for youâŠHell yeah I do.
Sincerely~
Annie
The room is still oddly quiet
She really answered every question.
Honestly. Without pretending to be somebody she wasnât.
He smiles at her telling him sheâs eighteen and from the south side. He really canât believe sheâs only eighteen. Heâs never talked to someone who was still in high school. The thought kind of scares him. But then again age is a state of mind to Smoke, as long as she was the legal age of consent then Smoke was still interested. She was definitely mature, he liked that most about her.
He smiles even bigger when she tells him she dreams of becoming a writer.
He read that part twice. A dream. She has a dream. Something sheâs chasing.
Something bigger than where she is now. He likes that. NoâŠHe loves that.
Too many people drift through life with no direction. But Annie? She has purpose.
She just isnât ready to share all of it yet. And strangelyâŠHe likes that too.
It makes him want to earn the rest of her story.
He rereads the letter. She likes Football games. Basketball games. Her love of laughter. He chuckles when she admits she likes people with a sense of humor.
âGood,â he thinks. âI can make you laugh.â
Then he rereads the part about what makes her cry.
His smile slowly fades.
âSometimes I carry more than I should keep⊠Like the weight of the world rests square on my backâŠâ
Smoke stops reading.
His eyes stay on those lines for a long moment.
He leans back against the headboard and exhales slowly. âSo thatâs whyâŠâ
Now he understands. Thereâs something behind those eyes. Behind that sweet smile. Heâd noticed it before but couldnât quite place it. She always looked like she was thinking about something. Like she carried responsibilities most eighteen-year-olds didnât.
Reading those wordsâŠhe feels something tighten in his chest.
He hates that she feels that way.
He doesnât even know everything sheâs dealing with.
But somehowâŠHe wishes he could take some of that weight off her shoulders.
He shakes his head. âYou donât even know this girl.â
Maybe not. But every letter makes him feel like he knows her a little more.
And every answer somehow makes him want to open up too. He keeps reading. Then he gets to the part where she calls him fine.
Smoke laughs quietly to himself.
âSo thatâs why you keep looking awayâŠâ
He remembers every time sheâd dropped her eyes when he caught her staring.
At one point heâd wondered if she wasnât interested. Now he really knows better.
He reaches the end.
âYou asked if I have feelings for you⊠hell yeah I do.â
Smoke reads that line twice. Then a third time. He folds the letter carefully and rests it in his lap.
For the first time in a long timeâŠ
He isnât thinking about who heâs going to call. Or where heâs going this weekend.
Or what business needs handling tomorrow.
Heâs thinking about a girl who writes poetry. A girl with big beautiful brown eyes. A girl with dreams bigger than the neighborhood she grew up in.
A girl who feels the weight of the worldâŠYet still finds room to smile.
Smoke looks down at the folded letter and grins to himself.
âI definitely gotta write yo ass back.â
And for the first time since they started exchanging lettersâŠ
He isnât just curious about Annie anymore. Heâs becoming invested in her.
The squeak of sneakers echoes across the hardwood floor as students finish their laps around the gym. A few boys are still playing basketball while others sit against the wall trying to catch their breath.
Annie and Rhonda collapse onto the bleachers, breathing hard after running.
Annie wipes the sweat from her forehead with the bottom of her T-shirt.
Rhonda fans herself dramatically. âIâm tired as hell.â
Annie laughs. âYou always tired.â
âBecause Coach be trying to kill us.â
They both laugh.
After catching her breath, Rhonda nudges Annie with her shoulder.
âAye.â
âWhat?â
âLetâs go to Skateland tomorrow night.â
Annie looks over but stays silent.
âYou off, ainât you?â
She nods. âYeah.â
A smile spreads across her face.
She loved Skateland. Ever since she was little, Saturday Gospel Skate had been her favorite. As long as sheâd finished her chores, helped cook, and made sure her younger siblings were taken care of, her parents would let her go. Now that she was older, theyâd even started letting her go on Friday nights.
R&B Night. Seven to eleven. Her favorite. The whole city showed up.
Good music. Good skating. Good vibes.
Best of allâŠHardly any drama.
âIâll go.â
Rhonda squeals. âYesssss!â
She claps her hands together.
âWe finna have so much fun.â
Then she smirks. âSoâŠâ
Annie already knows. âWhat?â
âDid you give Smoke his letter yet?â
Annie smiles to herself. âYeah, girl.â
Rhonda immediately bumps her shoulder. âOoooh. Look at you making progress.â
Annie laughs.
Rhonda keeps smiling. âI canât wait till yâall start talking on the phone.â
Annie shakes her head. âYou more excited than me.â
Her mom and dad are stretched out on the couch watching American Idol.
The television is turned up loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.
Simon Cowell is in the middle of critiquing somebody.
âHey.â
Her mom looks over first. âHey, baby.â
Her dad keeps his eyes on the television.
âHello.â
Annie rocks back and forth on her heels. âDaddyâŠâ
âHmm?â
âCan I go to Skateland tomorrow?â
Before he can answer, her mother speaks. âMe and your daddy got plans tomorrow.â
Annieâs face falls. âBut, MamaâŠâ
She walks a little closer. âMario or Tyree can watch them. They watch them too.â
Her mother sighs. âI know.â
âBut I trust you more than them.â
Annie lets out a frustrated breath.
âMamaâŠâ She shakes her head. âI donât wanna spend my whole life in this house.â
Her mother looks at her. âDonât do that. We let you go skating a lot.â
âI know. But I ainât been in a while.â
She folds her arms. âI feel like Iâm the one with kids.â
Her mother raises an eyebrow. âAnnie.â
âWhat?â
âWhy must you insist on going back and forth with me?â
Annie softens her voice. âBut MamaâŠâ
Before she can keep pleadingâ
Her father speaks. âShe can go.â
The room goes quiet.
Her mother turns toward him. âWhat?â
He finally looks away from the television. âSheâs right.â
He nods toward the hallway where the boysâ room is. âMario and Tyree are old enough. They can watch the twins. Itâs their turn.â
Her mother studies him for a second.
Then sighs. âI guess.â
Annieâs entire face lights up. âReally?!â
Her father nods. âYeah.â
He smiles. âJust take Edward with you.â
âI will!â
Before he can say anything else, Annie leans down and kisses him on the cheek.
âThank you, Daddy.â
He chuckles.ââYou welcome, sweetheart.â
Annie practically skips out of the living room.
The second sheâs gone, her mother looks at her husband. âYou always give in to her.â
He smiles without looking away from the television. âNo.â He shakes his head. âI just think she deserves to be eighteen every once in a while.â
Annie and Edward pull into Skateland just as the parking lot is filling up. Music thumps through the walls, and groups of teenagers and young adults crowd the entrance, laughing and talking before heading inside.
The moment they walk through the doors, the familiar smell of pizza, popcorn, nacho cheese, and freshly polished wood fills the air. Colored lights sweep across the rink while T.I.âs âYou Donât Know Meâ blasts through the speakers.
Annie sits on the bench, tightening the laces on her red skates with white wheels and tiny dice decorating the sides.
Just as she finishes, Rhonda walks through the entrance.
Annieâs face lights up.
She hops up and wraps her best friend in a hug. âHey, girl!â
Rhonda laughs and hugs her back.
âHey!â
Edward leans over and kisses Rhonda on the cheek.
âHey, Ed.â
âHey, sis!â Edward replies with a grin.
The three of them head onto the rink together.
Almost instantly, theyâre gliding across the floor.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are just pulling into the packed parking lot.
Cars fill nearly every space, and people are gathered outside talking before heading in. They dap up a few people they know on the way through the doors before making their way to the skate counter.
Smoke reaches into his bag and pulls out his own personal skatesâblack boots with bright blue wheels.
After lacing them up, he stands to his feet and skates toward the edge of the rink.
Thatâs when his stomach drops.
There she is. Annie.
His heart nearly stops.
Sheâs out on the floor holding hands with a tall, dark skinned dude with perfect waves.
The dude is handsome. Too handsome.
Smokeâs jaw tightens before he can stop it.
Annie is smiling entirely too hard.
She has on low-rise bootcut Apple Bottom jeans with a silver circle belt resting around her waist. A matching cropped Apple Bottom tank shows just a sliver of her stomach. Her hair is parted into two playful pigtails beneath a twill hat, and colorful bracelets cover both wrists, jingling every time she swings her arms.
She looksâŠBeautiful.
Smoke notices Rhonda skating beside them, but his eyes never leave Annie.
Sheâs flying around the rink effortlessly. Fast. Confident.
Like sheâs been skating her whole life.
50 Centâs âP.I.M.P.â replaces the last song.
Annie and the guy let go of each otherâs hands.
She spins around and begins skating backward without missing a beat.
As she glides across the floor, her eyes drift toward the wall.
She freezes.
Smoke is already looking at her.
Not casually. Heâs staring.
Her stomach flips.
Heat rushes into her cheeks, and she quickly looks away before he can catch her looking too long.
Smoke pushes off from the wall with Tobias.
The two of them shoot onto the floor with practiced ease.
Smoke glides right past Annie.
She canât help but look.
Heâs wearing a Philadelphia Sixers throwback jersey with a matching fitted cap. His red Dickie shorts are sharply creased, just like every outfit heâs wears. A thick gold herringbone chain rests against his chest, while a gold Rolex catches the flashing lights every time he moves. A Sixers sweatband circles his opposite wrist.
He looks so damn good.
Annie suddenly forgets how to breathe.
Beside her, Rhonda squeals. âOh my Goddd! They came!â
Annie cuts her a look. âYou knew they was coming!â
She has to yell over the music.
Rhonda laughs.
âYeah, girl, I did. I wanted to surprise you.â
Annie shakes her head, laughing.
âYou ainât right.â
The two of them skate off the floor and lean against the railing to watch.
Smoke and Tobias immediately steal everyoneâs attention.
They skate like theyâve been doing this since they could walk.
Smoke moves so smoothly it almost doesnât look real.
Itâs like heâs floating across the floor.
He flies backward at full speed without ever looking nervous, weaving around people like second nature.
Annie canât take her eyes off him.
Edward skates over and stops beside them.
Annie nudges him.
âSmokeâs out there.â
Edward raises an eyebrow.
âWhere, sis? Point him out.â
Annie smiles and points toward the middle of the rink. âThere he go. The one with the Sixers jersey.â
Edward squints for a second before his eyes widen. âOh my God, AnnieâŠâ
He looks back at her. âHe fine as fuck.â
Annie and Rhonda bust into laughter.
From the middle of the rink, Smoke glances toward the sidelines.
His eyes find Annie immediately.
He watches her laughing with the same dude again.
Something twists in his chest.
Jealousy.
It sneaks up on him so fast he almost doesnât recognize it.
He doesnât even know this girl like that. So why the hell does seeing another man beside her bother him so much?
Smoke sucks his teeth to himself and shakes the feeling off.
Man⊠whatever.
He pushes harder, picking up speed as he and Tobias carve across the rink, weaving around other skaters with ease.
Meanwhile, Annie and Rhonda head toward the concession stand.
The smell of buttery popcorn, pizza, and nachos hangs in the air as they wait for their drinks.
A few minutes later, Smoke and Tobias skate off the floor and lean against the wall backs facing the rink.
Smoke casually folds his arms across his chest.
Or at least he tries to look casual.
His eyes never leave Annie.
Her back is turned as she laughs at something Rhonda says.
The bracelets on her wrists jingle every time she gestures with her drink.
Smoke feels that same heaviness settle back into his chest.
She never told him she had a boyfriend.
Did she come here with that dude?
Was she playing him this whole time?
His jaw tightens.
Tobias follows Smokeâs line of sight before grinning to himself.
âLook at you,â he says with a laugh. âJust go speak to her, nigga.â
Smoke cuts his eyes at him and sucks his teeth. âWhatever, nigga. I donât know what you talkinâ âbout.â
Tobias chuckles. âYou ainât foolinâ nobody but yo selfâ
Smoke ignores him, but Tobias already knows.
His homeboy is gone.
Once Annie and Rhonda get their drinks, Rhonda looks across the rink.
âThere go Tobias and Smoke. Letâs go say hi.â
Annie immediately shakes her head.
âNo, girl.â
Rhonda grabs her wrist before she can protest again. âCome on, scary ass.â
Annie laughs as Rhonda drags her across the floor.
By the time they reach them, Annie can already feel her heartbeat climbing.
Rhonda smiles. âHey, yâall.â
âWhatâs good?â Tobias replies.
Smoke nods at Rhonda before his eyes settle on Annie.
Everything around him fades.
The music. The conversations.
The wheels rolling across the floor.
All he sees is her.
Up close, sheâs somehow even prettier than she was from across the rink.
Her lip gloss catches the colored lights every time she smiles.
Her cheeks have a soft glow to them.
He lets his eyes drift over her for just a second. The Apple Bottom outfit.
The bracelets. The little pigtails.
Damn. Sheâs beautiful.
For a momentâŠhe completely forgets what he was about to say.
Annie feels every second of his stare.
It sends butterflies tumbling through her stomach.
She swallows hard before finally looking him over too.
The Sixers jersey. The fitted.
The gold chain. The Rolex.
LordâŠheâs too damn fine.
âSup wit you?â Smoke finally asks.
Annie opens her mouthâŠNothing comes out.
Her entire mind goes blank.
Rhonda gently bumps her shoulder.
Annie lets out a tiny nervous laugh.
âNothing much⊠you?â
Smoke smiles to himself.
âNothing. I seen you out there.â
He nods toward the rink. âYou know what you doinâ.â
Annie giggles.
The sound hits Smoke right in the chest.
He swears he could listen to her laugh all night.
âYeah,â she says with a shy smile. âI know a little somethinâ.â
She tilts her head.
âI see you know what you doinâ too.â
Smoke nods once. âFoâsho.â
He wants to ask. He really does.
Who was that dude?
But he stops himself.
He doesnât have that kind of claim on her. Not yet.
And he damn sure isnât about to sound jealous in front of Tobias and Rhonda.
Before Annie can say anything else, someone skates up beside her.
Smoke looks over. His shoulders stiffen. Itâs him.
The same dude. âAnnie,â he says with a grin, âyou gonâ introduce me?â
Smoke waits.
Annie clears her throat. âSmoke⊠Tobias⊠this is my younger brother, Edward.â
Smoke blinks. Brother?
The knot thatâs been sitting in his chest all night instantly loosens.
He almost laughs at himself.
Damn. All that over her brother.
Edward sticks his hand out with a grin. âHello. And Iâm her older brother. Donât let her lie to yâall.â
Annie rolls her eyes. âEd, stop it. Just âcause you believe it donât make it true.â
The siblings immediately start laughing.
Smoke looks back and forth between them.
He canât help the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
YeahâŠTheyâre close.
For the first time all nightâŠHe can finally breathe.
Just then, the DJâs voice echoes through the speakers.
âAlriiight yâall! Itâs time for limbo! Everybody who wanna play, make your way to the floor!â
A chorus of cheers erupts throughout the rink.
Annieâs eyes light up. âCome on, Ed!â
The siblings hurry onto the floor, leaving Rhonda standing with Smoke and Tobias.
Workers lower the limbo pole as everyone lines up.
The music switches to something with a Caribbean vibe, and one by one, people begin making their way underneath.
Smoke folds his arms across his chest, watching from the sidelines.
His eyes never leave Annie.
She laughs the entire time, clapping whenever someone falls or stumbles.
Then itâs her turn.
She glides forward confidently.
Without breaking her stride, she leans back, bending lower⊠and lowerâŠ
The crowd erupts.
âOHHHH!â
She clears the pole with ease.
Smoke canât help but grin. âDamnâŠâ
She really can skate.
Annie pops back up laughing while Edward throws both hands in the air, celebrating like she just won a championship.
Smoke chuckles to himself.
He loves seeing her smile.
A few minutes later, the DJ calls out again. âAll fellas! Fellas only! Ladies clear the floor!â Pharrell-Frontin comes on.
The women skate to the sidelines.
Annie and Rhonda lean against the rail, watching.
Smoke pushes off alongside Tobias.
The second the beat drops, the two of them slip effortlessly into routines theyâve clearly practiced for years.
They weave around each other without touching.
One skates backward while the other spins forward.
They switch places without saying a word, their movements perfectly timed.
They even break into a few signature footwork combinations that only they know.
The crowd starts clapping.
A few people whistle.
Annie watches with wide eyes.
He makes it look so easy.
Like the wheels are part of him.
Every move is smooth.
Controlled. Confident.
She canât stop smiling.
Beside her, Rhonda cups her hands around her mouth.
âOkay then, Smoke!â
Annie joins in, cheering and clapping as he glides by.
Smoke hears her over everyone else.
Even with the music blasting.
His eyes find hers for just a second.
He flashes the smallest grin before skating off again.
Annieâs heart flutters.
She can tell heâs been doing this his whole life.
When the DJ announces âAll skate!â everyone floods back onto the floor.
This time, Annie and Edward decide to sit down for a minute.
Their legs could use the break.
Rhonda, on the other hand, heads right back out to the rink.
Annie and Edward settle at a table near the edge of the floor with their drinks.
Across the rink, Smoke and Tobias return to their usual spot against the wall. Backs against the wall
It doesnât take long before a group of girls notices them. Two walk over smiling.
One points toward the rink.
âYou wanna skate?â
Smoke shakes his head politely.
âNah, Iâm good.â
Another girl turns to Tobias.
âWhat about you?â
He laughs. âIâm cool.â
The girls linger for another moment before eventually walking away.
Annie watches the entire exchange.
Something uncomfortable stirs in her chest. Jealousy.
She looks down at her drink.
Of course girls were gonna come up to him.
Smoke was fine as hell.
Sheâd noticed that from the first day she met him.
And he wasnât hers.
He could skate with whoever he wanted.
So why does it bother me?
Edward glances between his sister and Smoke before smirking.
âSisâŠâ
Annie looks over. âHmm?â
âDonât be lookinâ like that.â
She furrows her brows.
âLookinâ like what?â
Edward laughs.
âDonât even play with me. I can see the jealousy all over your face.â
Annie lets out a nervous laugh and shakes her head. âYou crazy.â
But she never actually answers him.
Because deep downâŠHe isnât wrong.
Just then, the DJâs voice booms through the speakers.
âAight, yâall⊠last song of the night! If you got somebody special, grab âem. Itâs couple skate!â
The opening notes of Alicia Keys and Usherâs âIf I Ainât Got Youâ fill the rink.
Almost instantly, skaters begin pairing off.
Some people head for the floor.
Others decide to call it a night and make their way toward the exits.
Rhondaâs eyes immediately find Tobias.
She smiles to herself before skating over to him.
âYou gonâ skate with me?â she asks.
Tobias grins. âI thought youâd never ask.â
They roll onto the floor together.
Meanwhile, Annie remains seated beside Edward.
Before she can even think about getting up, a guy she doesnât recognize skates over.
âYou wanna couple skate?â
Annie smiles politely and shakes her head. âNo thank you.â
The guy shrugs before skating away.
Across the rinkâŠ
Smoke sees the entire exchange.
His heart starts pounding.
This is it.
If he doesnât ask her nowâŠ
Somebody else eventually will.
Before he can talk himself out of it, he pushes away from the wall.
His wheels glide smoothly across the polished floor until he comes to a stop in front of Annie.
She looks up. Their eyes meet.
For a secondâŠNeither of them says anything.
Smoke slowly holds out his hand.
âCome skate wit me.â
Annie stares at his hand. Then at him.
Her pulse races. She glances over at Edward.
Edward looks between the two of them before a grin slowly spreads across his face.
He gives her a small nod as if to say GO.
Annie smiles shyly before placing her hand in Smokeâs.
The moment their fingers touch, a warm rush spreads through both of them.
Smoke gently helps her to her feet.
Without letting go of her hand, he leads her toward the center of the rink.
The music wraps around them.
đ¶Some people want it allâŠ
But I donât want nothinâ at allâŠ
If it ainât you, baby⊠đ¶
They begin skating side by side, their hands still intertwined.
Smoke gives her hand a gentle squeeze before smoothly twirling her beneath his arm.
Annie lets out a surprised laugh as she spins.
Her back is now fully against his chest , Smoke slides his arms carefully around her waist.
They begin gliding backward together, moving as one.
Annie suddenly becomes very aware of how close they are.
His hands resting securely around her.
Her heartbeat pounds so loudly sheâs convinced he can hear it.
Smoke smiles to himself.
He can feel the nervousness radiating off of her.
He leans closer, speaking softly in her ear so only she can hear. âRelax for me.â His voice is calm. Warm. âI got you.â He pauses. âYou donât gotta be nervous.â A small smile tugs at his lips. âItâs just me.â
Annie lets out the breath sheâd been holding. SomehowâŠThose words settle every nerve inside her.
She relaxes into his hold.
Their movements become effortless.
Their skates glide in perfect rhythm across the smooth wooden floor, weaving through the other couples like theyâve done this together before.
đ¶ Some people search for a fountainâŠPromises forever young..đ¶
Annie breathes in. His cologne wraps around her, warm and clean with a hint of spice. It makes her smile without even realizing it.
She canât believe this is happening.
Just the other day they were exchanging letters.
NowâŠTheyâre here. Holding each other.
She tries to fight the smile growing across her face. She loses.
Smoke notices immediately.
Seeing her smile because of him fills his chest with a warmth heâs never experienced before.
He lowers his head slightly into her neck, catching the soft scent of her Pink Sugar perfume. Sweet. Light. Completely her.
He closes his eyes for just a second.
If he could freeze this momentâŠ
He would. Nothing about this feels rushed. Nothing feels forced.
Holding Annie this close simply feelsâŠ
Right.
Standing near the sidelines, one of Monicaâs friends spots them skating together.
Her eyebrows lift. âOhâŠâ
A knowing smirk crosses her face.
She already knows exactly whoâs going to hear about this before the nightâs over. Monica.
Back on the rink Smoke has the urge to kiss her. Itâs what heâs wanted to do since the very first moment he saw her. He goes back and forth about it and then he makes his decision.
Smoke lifts his hand and turns Annieâs head toward him to look at him.
She leans a little to the left.
đ¶ Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everythingđ¶
Smoke stares in her eyes while they continue to glide.
He leans his head in and kisses her lips softly and then the kiss deepens.
Their tongues dance slowly.
As they continue gliding around the rink, the rest of the world seems to melt away. The musicâŠ
The lightsâŠThe conversationsâŠ
None of it matters.
For these few minutesâŠ
Itâs just the two of them.
They never break their rhythm skating even while kissing.
Smoke tastes her lips gloss. It tastes like peaches. Annie tastes the mint on Smokeâs tongue.
Rhonda and Tobias look at each other while they skate hand in hand and laugh at them.
Edward Smiles from the sidelines.
They keep kissing, neither of them wanting to break it. Smoke moans a little and Annie feels the vibration against her mouth. Finally he breaks the kiss. And Annieâs chest heaves.
She smiles big at him.
The song slowly comes to an end.
Neither of them wants to let go.
Even after the music fades, they remain hand in hand as they skate off the floor.
Rhonda and Tobias meet them near the benches, both wearing knowing smiles. Nobody says a word.
They donât have to.
The four of them sit down and begin unlacing their skates.
The sounds of wheels rolling across the floor, lockers slamming shut, and people saying their goodbyes fill the rink as everyone starts heading toward the exit.
Once theyâve changed back into their shoes, they walk toward the front doors together.
Just before Annie steps outside, Smoke gently reaches for her hand.
His touch stops her in her tracks.
âLet me talk to you for a minute,â he says.
Annie looks up at him and nods.
âOkay.â
Edward glances over his shoulder.
The second he sees Smoke standing there with Annie, a grin spreads across his face.
He doesnât interrupt.
Instead, he keeps walking outside with Tobias and Rhonda, giving them a little privacy.
For a momentâŠNeither of them says anything.
The music from inside is muffled now.
People continue walking past them toward the parking lot.
Smoke looks at Annie, trying to gather his thoughts.
There are a hundred things he wants to say. Only one comes out. âI really wanna talk to you.â
He smiles a little.ââAnd when I say talkâŠâ His eyes meet hers.
ââŠI mean I wanna hear yoâ voice.â
Annie immediately knows what heâs asking.
A soft giggle escapes before she can stop it.
Smoke smiles to himself. âSince you donât wanna be the one to call meâŠâ
He rubs the back of his neck. âCan I call you instead?â
Annie studies him for a second.
He suddenly doesnât seem nearly as intimidating as she thought.
He almost seemsâŠNervous.
Smoke chuckles quietly.
âPlease?â His smile grows.
âYou donât gotta be shy witâ me.â
He pauses. âAnd even if you areâŠâ
He shrugs. âI like it.â
Annieâs cheeks warm.
âI wanna hear those pretty words leave yoâ mouth instead of just readinâ âem on a page.â
A blush immediately spreads across her face.
She lowers her lashes before smiling.
âOkay.â
The smile that spreads across Smokeâs face is different from all the others sheâs seen. Itâs genuine.
Bright.
The corners of his eyes crinkle, golds flashing
And thenâŠShe notices them.
Dimples. Deep ones.
Her heart skips so hard she nearly forgets to breathe.
LordâŠHow he get even finer?
Smoke tilts his head.
âSoâŠâ
A playful grin tugs at his lips.
âCan I have yoâ number, Annie?â
She finally looks back up at him.
âYes, Elijah.â
Hearing his real name on her lips sends a warmth through his chest.
He quickly pulls his Nokia cell phone from his pocket.
âGo ahead.â
Annie softly recites her number.
Smoke types each digit carefully, making sure he doesnât miss a single one before saving her contact.
He slips the phone back into his pocket. âIâm gonâ call you.â
He points at her with a grin. âSo make sure you answer for me.â
Annie smiles. âI will.â
She nods once. âI promise.â
Smokeâs grin widens.
Without thinking too hard about it, he leans in and presses a gentle kiss to her cheek. âHave a good night.â
Annie smiles so hard her cheeks begin to hurt. âYou too.â
They finally walk outside together.
Smoke stands near the entrance, watching Annie make her way over to Edward.
The siblings exchange a few quiet words before a car pulls up to the curb. They climb inside.
Before the car pulls away, Annie glances back through the window.
Smoke is still standing there.
Still watching. He lifts one hand.
She smiles and gives him a small wave.
Then the car disappears into the night.
Smoke lets out a slow breath he didnât realize heâd been holding.
A smile spreads across his face as he looks down at the phone in his hand.
He finally got what heâd been wanting since the day they met.
Her number.
And somehowâŠ
He has a feeling this is only the beginning of something different.
As Tobias walks up beside him, Smoke shakes his head with a quiet laugh.
âWhat?â Tobias asks.
Smoke slides his phone back into his pocket, still smiling to himself.
âNothinâ.â
But he knows. This has been one of the best nights of his life.
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Friday morning sunlight pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the kitchen in warm gold.
The entire space smells like vanilla, butter, and sugar.
Dajia stands at the oversized island in one of Stackâs old t-shirts stretched over her baby bump and a pair of biker shorts. Her dreads are piled on top of her head in a messy bun while flour dusts her fingertips and the front of her shirt.
Her iPad sits propped up on the island.
Thousands of people are tuned into her TikTok Live.
Some are there because they love her photography.
Some are there because they love her personality.
And some are there because they simply think sheâs fine as hell.
Before Stack, Dajiaâs audience had mostly been men.
Now her following is a healthy mix of women and men who enjoyed watching her navigate pregnancy, marriage, business ownership, and everyday life.
Music blasts through the speaker.
đ¶ Ainât too proud to beggggg đ¶
Dajia sings loudly and off-key while dancing with a whisk in her hand.
The comments fly so fast she can barely keep up.
âOkay yâall,â she says, looking directly into the camera. âTomorrow is the baby shower so Iâm makinâ cupcakes.â
She points toward several cooling trays.
âI already got the first batch done.â
The comments immediately start rolling.
WE LOVE A HANDS ON MOMMAđ
Girl you shouldâve hired somebody
I know Stack offered to pay for itđ€
Dajia laughs. âHe absolutely did.â
She starts measuring flour into a bowl.âHe said, âBaby girl, why donât you just let somebody do it?ââ
She deepens her voice to imitate him.
ââCause thatâs what money is for.ââ
The comments explode with laughing emojis.
Dajia shakes her head. âBut I wanted to do it myself. Plus I needed content.â
She winks. âIâm trying to be more active wit postinâ and promotinâ my business. Yâall know I disappear for three weeks at a time.â
More laughing emojis flood the screen.
âSo if anybody wondering, for this amount Iâm using three cups of flour.â
She scoops another cup.
âAnd donât come on here judginâ me because I know somebodyâs grandmother watchinâ.â
The comments immediately prove her right.
My grandma said sift it first đ
You measuring with your â„ïž
That baby adding extra seasoning
Dajia throws her head back laughing.
âI am measuring wit my heart.â
She starts dancing again as TLC continues playing.
đ¶ If I need it in the morning or the middle of the night đ¶
She sways her hips while stirring.
More comments roll in.
You glowingđđ„°
Pregnancy looks so good on youđ
Can you come cook for me?
I need a wife like her. đ€
Nah I need HERđ°
Not you singing ainât 2 proud thatâs why you pregnant now. đ
Dajia snorts. âYâall are ridiculous.â
She reaches for another ingredient.
Just as sheâs explaining how much flour to use, Stack walks into the kitchen shirtless.
âSup baby girl?â
Dajia turns her head immediately.
A smile spreads across her face.
âHey babe.â
Then she looks at the camera.
âItâs my husband yâall. So behave.â
She starts giggling.
Stack walks behind her and presses a kiss to her neck.
He smells like cologne, soap, and whatever expensive body wash he insists on using.
He glances toward the camera and nods. âSup yâall.â
đ¶ If I need it in the morning or the middle of the night. I ainât too proud to beg no. If the lovin is strong and he got it going on and I ainât too proud proud to beg no. đ¶
She dances against him, her belly bumping into him.
Her hands stay spread wide so she doesnât get flour on him.
Stack starts dancing too.
His shoulders bouncing.
His head nodding.
They both get entirely too into it.
Soon theyâre laughing so hard they can barely stay on beat.
Stack points at her. âThis yo theme song baby.â
âHell yeah it is.â
She points right back. âItâs yours too.â
Stack laughs. âDamn right.â
Dajia almost forgets sheâs on Live.
She walks back over to the iPad and starts reading comments.
âAwwww yâall so cute. đ„°â
âGod itâs me againđđœâ
âWhat prayer you prayed?â
âOn the phone that I pay forđâ
âDamn yo husband fine as shit! Where you been hiding him?đâ
âDo he got a brother who look like himđâ
Dajia cracks up.
âYes. He has a twin who looks just like him but heâs married. Sorry ladies.â
Stack walks over grinning.
He leans down and starts reading too.
âThank yâall for the compliments.â
He says it all bashful.
Dajia rolls her eyes.
âDonât blow his head up yâall. Itâs big enough. Soon I wonât have any room in this house.â
âWhatever. You the one wit the big head.â
He kisses all over her neck and rubs her stomach.
The comments lose their minds.
THE NECK KISSES đ€€
HE LOVE HER REAL BADđ
IâM SICKđ°đ€§
I WANT THISđ€
Dajia keeps scrolling.
Then she reads another comment.
We see why you pregnant. Iâd have all his babies. đ
Dajia immediately busts out laughing.
That makes Stack laugh too.
He bends down and starts reading for himself.
Then his eyes land on some of the menâs comments.
Damn you was supposed to be having my baby. đ
Stack immediately responds.
âWell she havinâ mine nigga. Too bad.â
Dajia shakes her head and walks to the counter.
Stack keeps reading.
About time you turned around. We been waiting forever.
His brows knit together.
âAye yâall niggas on here wylin.â
He points at the camera.
âTryna look at my wife ass and shit.â
Dajiaâs head snaps around.
âStack donât start.â
He ignores her.
Leans closer to the camera.
âThat ass is mine. Ainât nobody looking at that no more.â
The comments erupt.
LMAOOOOO đ€Łđ
HE STANDIN ON BUSINESSđȘđœ
WE STAN A PROTECTIVE KING
IF MINE AINT STRICT LIKE THIS I DONT WANT HIMđ€
Stack keeps scrolling.
My heart broken. You supposed to have my last name.
He shakes his head.
Then another one catches his attention.
Mannn Iâll be the dad that stepped up. I got enough money to take care of you and the baby.
Stack gets irritated instantly.
âSee now you niggas goin too far.â
He points at the screen.
âYâall thirsty as hell. Talkin to a married woman like that. My son got a fuckinâ Daddy. He ainât EVER gonâ have a Step Dad. Nigga talkin bout trickin off. Niggas that talk about money like that be broke as fuck.â
He shakes his head in irritation.
Then something catches his attention.
His eyes narrow.
He looks at Dajiaâs hand.
Then back at her. âWhere the fuck is yo ring?â
Dajia sighs. âOn the counter Stack. I didnât want it to have flour all on it.â
âNah fuck that.â
He points toward the counter.
âGo put it on.â
Dajia smirks.
Entirely too amused.
She canât even take him serious when he gets jealous like this.
âWhat you smilinâ for?â
ââCause here you go, Stack.â
Before he can respond she grabs his face and kisses him.
Deep. Slow.
Right there in front of everybody.
The fight drains out of him instantly.
Stack groans against her mouth.
âBaby girlâŠâ
He kisses her neck and Dajia melts.
The comments become complete chaos.
THE LIVE ENDED FOR ME RIGHT HERE đ„”
WE INTERRUPTING SOMETHINGđ
THAT SHOULD BE ME. FUCK THAT NIGGA đ€
IâM BLUSHING âșïž
THAT NIGGA DONâT KNOW WHAT TO DO WIT ALL THAT ASS.
STACK DONâT LOOK AT HER LIKE THATđ
THIS NIGGA STOLE MY GIRLđ€źIM SICK
Then suddenly Stack slides his hands under her thighs and picks her up.
Dajia squeals.
âWait Stack, what you doin?â
âYou already know.â
He looks over at the iPad.
A slow smirk spreads across his face.
âSorry yâall. She gotta go.â
The comments go insane.
âShe gon be back in a few hours.â
Dajia throws her head back laughing.
âStack!â
He reaches over. Ends the Live.
The screen goes black.
âStack, I know you didnât just end my live.â
He starts carrying her toward the bedroom. âI did. So what?â
She laughs.
âYou started it.â
âIâm cooking Elias.â
âAll I need is fifteen minutes baby girl.â
Dajia shakes her head smiling.
âOkayyyyyy.â
And despite all her protesting, she wraps her arms around his neck anyway while he carries her down the hallway.
Annie and Smoke are at a boutique Annie frequents. She loves supporting Black stylists, and sheâs trying to find a dress for the baby shower tomorrow.
She couldnât decide, so now itâs down to the last minute.
Smoke sits in a chair, patiently waiting for her to come out from the fitting room.
A moment later, Annie steps out in a short brown off-the-shoulder dress.
Smoke smirks. She looks so beautiful.
He loves her in brown. It complements her skin perfectly. Then again, just about every color complements Annieâs skin.
Annie studies herself in the mirror and huffs. âI hate it.â
âIt looks good, baby. What you hate about it?â
Annie turns to look at him. âEverything.â
Smoke chuckles.
Annie frowns. âWhatâs so funny, Smoke?â
âYou. This is the fifth dress, and youâve hated every single one.â
âSo? I look like a damn elephant.â
âNo, you donât. Stop it.â
Annie stomps back toward the fitting room without another word.
A few minutes later, she emerges in a flowing pink dress.
She walks to the mirror and slowly twirls.
Smoke stays quiet, taking her in.
Before he can say anything, Annieâs face crumples.
Tears spill down her cheeks.
She sniffles.
Smoke immediately sits up straighter.
âAnnie?â
âLeave me alone, Elijah.â
She rushes back to the fitting room.
The boutique owner glances at Smoke with concern.
âIâll go talk to her,â he says.
He heads to the back and knocks on the door.
âGo away, Elijah.â
âNo. Annie, open the door.â
âIâm okay.â
âNo, you not. Let me in.â
Annie huffs, but eventually unlocks the door.
Smoke steps inside.
Sheâs sitting on the bench with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
He sits beside her. âCome here, baby.â
Annie shakes her head.
âStop beinâ stubborn.â
He gently pulls her onto his lap, one leg on each side of him. He wraps his arms around her.
Lifting her chin, he makes her look at him.
A tear slips down her cheek.
He wipes it away with his thumb.
He knows her emotions are running high. He knows she hasnât felt like herself lately.
âTalk to me, Mama.â
Annie sighs. âI feel like nothinâ looks good on me. I miss my body, Elijah. Will I be able to bounce back?â
Smokeâs brows knit together.
âFirst off, you look good in everything, Annie.â
He brushes another tear from her face. âAnd second, yes, youâll bounce back. Even if it takes time. You still you, Mama. Youâll always be beautiful to me. No matter what.â
Annieâs eyes fill again.
Smoke keeps wiping away her tears.
âI know this is hard on you. I know yo bodyâs changing every day, and sometimes you donât recognize yo self. But you doinâ somethinâ incredible. You carrying our daughters. Thatâs a blessinâ.â
His hand settles gently on her stomach.
âYou make the clothes look good, Annie. The clothes donât make you.â
The tears continue to fall.
âDonât cry, baby.â
His voice softens.
âYou a goddess to me. My moon, my stars, my earth. You so gorgeous.â
He presses his forehead against hers.
âI feel lucky every single day that I get to call you mine.â
Annie closes her eyes.
âAnd I know this ainât really about what I think. I know you gotta learn to love what you see too. But until you do, Iâm gonna remind you every chance I get.â
He kisses her forehead.
âYou beautiful.â
Another kiss lands on her cheek.
âYou strong.â
Then the tip of her nose.
âAnd you giving our girls the best home they could ever ask for.â
A small laugh escapes Annie through her tears.
Finally. A smile.
âThere she is,â Smoke murmurs.
Then his tone shifts to something deeperâsensual.
He cups her face in his hands.
âI love these lips.â
He kisses them softly.
Then he trails down her neck to her chest.
âI love these breasts.â
He kisses the top of them.
He grips her ass. âAnd I love this ass.â
He moves back up to her ear.
âYo husband loves every inch of you.â
Then he looks her in the eyes.
âLet me make you feel better real quick, baby.â
He kisses her neck again.
âYou gon let me do that for you? Hmm?â
Annie closes her eyes and nods, tears pooling on her lashes.
âGood.â
He reaches between them and pulls her panties to the side.
Annie inhales while staring into his eyes.
He takes two fingers and rubs her clit gently.
Annieâs breath hitches.
She slowly starts to grind against his fingers.
âThere she go,â he murmurs.
He rubs a little faster.
Annie groans, and Smoke kisses her to swallow the sound.
Then he grabs one of her hips and makes her stop moving.
His mouth moves back to her ear.
âHereâs what you gon do. You gon take yo ass out there and find somethin to wear.â
He keeps rubbing gently.
âThen you gon bring yo ass in here and try it on.â
He rubs with his middle finger in circles.
Annie takes a deep breath.
âThen you gon come out and show Daddy. You gon model that shit for me. Do my lil spin I want you to do.â
Annieâs chest rises and falls rapidly.
âThen you gon turn around and look in that mirror.â
Annie grips Smokeâs shoulder, trying to hold on.
âAnd you gon look and see how gorgeous you are. You understand me?â
Annie nods.
Smoke taps her ass.
âY-yes, Elijah.â
Smoke moves to her mouth and kisses her. Then he continues,
âThatâs right, âcause if I do somethinâ for you, you gotta do somethinâ for me.â
âSmokeee,â Annie groans.
âWhat? You wanna come, baby?â
âYes,â she replies in a breathless whisper.
âI know you do. You gon do what I say?â
âYes, Daddy.â
âGood. Now come on, baby.â
He rubs faster, while Annie throws her head back. She floods his fingers.
She screams. âAhhhh!â
âShhhhh,â Smoke says.
The boutique owner hears.
She walks to the back and knocks on the door.
âEverything okay?â
Smoke covers Annieâs mouth and stares into her eyes.
Smoke yells out,
âYeah, everything good. We finna come out now.â
âOkay. Iâll be up front.â
She walks off.
He uncovers Annieâs mouth.
âAll the places I done made you come, and you still ainât learned how to hold yo damn screams and moans in?â
Annie looks down, embarrassed.
âI couldnât help it, Smoke. Iâm sorry.â
âMhmm. Come on and pick out another outfit.â
He makes her get up and leaves her in the fitting room.
Five minutes later, Annie steps out in a yellow two piece outfit adorned with green flowers. The skirt flows around her legs with every step, featuring a slit up the side that gives it just the right amount of movement. A matching one-shoulder crop top sits perfectly against her growing frame, leaving her round belly on full display.
Smokeâs eyes instantly light up.
He loves it.
Annie catches his expression and immediately knows what heâs thinking. The look on his face says it all.
She slowly spins for him.
Smoke smirks and gives an approving nod.
Annie turns toward the mirror, expecting to find something wrong like she had with every other outfit. Instead, she pauses.
She actually loves this one.
The bright yellow compliments her skin, and the flowing skirt makes her feel beautiful instead of self-conscious.
Smoke rises from his chair and steps up behind her.
Annie meets his eyes in the mirror.
âI really like this one, Smoke.â
Smoke kisses her cheek.
âMe too. This the one.â
He wraps his arms around her waist and gently rubs her belly.
âI actually want my babies to be showinâ. This they day too.â
Annie smiles.
Smoke turns her around and presses a soft kiss to her lips.
âCome on, Mama,â he says, resting his forehead against hers. âBig day tomorrow.â
The early afternoon air inside Zen hums with excitement.
Bright LED lights, spill across the polished floors making the yellow and green decorations glow. The scent of vanilla cupcakes, buttercream frosting, and fresh flowers lingers in the air, blending with the faint smell of helium balloons and party supplies fresh from their packaging.
Dominique pushes through the doors carrying a tote full of extra decorations. Antonio follows behind her with a rolling cart stacked with supplies.
The moment they step inside, both of them stop.
Dominiqueâs eyes widen. âOh wow.â
The room is stunning.
A massive balloon arch stretches across the main wall, filled with varying shades of sunshine yellow, sage green, white, and touches of gold. Some balloons are oversized while others are tiny, tucked between the larger ones to create depth. Gold butterflies and artificial greenery weave throughout the arch, making it look almost magical.
A camera shutter clicks. Click. Click. Click.
Titus is already hard at work.
He moves around the room with his camera hanging from his neck, snapping pictures of every detail before guests arrive and disturb the setup.
âAfternoon,â Antonio calls.
Titus lowers his camera and nods.
âAfternoon. Dajia told me not to miss a single thing.â
âSounds like her,â Dominique says with a laugh.
Their attention shifts toward the front of the room.
Four throne chairs sit beneath the balloon arch.
Two elegant yellow thrones sit side by side for Annie and Smoke.
The chairs are upholstered in soft yellow velvet with gold trim, giving them a regal look. Decorative pillows rest against the backs, and yellow roses spill from floral arrangements surrounding them.
Beside them are two matching green thrones for Stack and Dajia.
The rich green fabric pops against the gold detailing, tying perfectly into the theme for Baby Eli.
Behind the chairs, a custom backdrop reads:
DOUBLE THE BLESSINGS
ANIYAH âą ANIJAH âą ELI
Dominique places her hand over her chest.
âOh Annie is absolutely gon cry.â
Antonio grins.
âSmoke probably gon cry too.â
Dominique laughs.
âYou right. He ainât foolinâ nobody.â
The tables throughout the room are dressed in crisp white linens with yellow and green runners flowing down the centers. Gold chargers sit beneath matching plates, and cloth napkins are tied with satin ribbon.
Every detail chosen with love.
The dessert table immediately steals Dominiqueâs attention.
It stretches nearly the entire length of one wall.
âDajia went crazy,â she mutters.
Tiered stands display dozens of cupcakes she baked herself, each topped with perfectly piped buttercream swirls in yellow and green. Chocolate-covered strawberries sparkle beneath decorative drizzle.
Cake pops stand upright in gold holders. Sugar cookies shaped like baby bottles, rattles, crowns, and tiny footprints are arranged across decorative trays.
Glass jars overflow with yellow and green candies.
Mini cheesecakes, brownies, and rice krispy treats fill every remaining space.
The sweet scent of vanilla and sugar hangs heavily around the display.
Antonio immediately reaches for a cupcake.
Dominique slaps his hand. âNo.â
âIâm helping.â
âNo, youâre eating.â
âItâs called taste testing.â
âItâs called get away from the damn table.â
Antonio laughs and raises his hands in surrender.
Soft music plays through the speakers while people finish setting up.
Titus continues snapping photos.
Click. The balloon arch. Click.
The dessert table.
Everything is being documented before the celebration begins.
Dominique slowly turns in another circle, taking it all in.
The bright colors. The flowers. The treats.
The love poured into every detail.
The room doesnât just look beautiful.
It feels beautiful. Like family. Like happiness.
Like a celebration that had been dreamed about for months.
Antonio wraps an arm around Dominiqueâs shoulders.
âThis baby shower gon be legendary.â
Dominique smiles as she looks toward the four throne chairs waiting for Annie, Smoke, Stack, and Dajia.
âYeah,â she says softly. âIt really is.â
An hour later, the space grows even livelier.
Legacy, and a few of Annieâs aunts and cousins move around adjusting centerpieces while soft R&B plays through the speakers. The room is nearly ready.
The balloon arch sways gently whenever someone walks past.
Titus continues working. Click. Click. Click.
He captures the throne chairs from every angle before moving to photograph the food table.
Near the entrance, the doors swing open again.
âWell damn.â
Antonio immediately grins.
âHere come the troublemakers.â
Cornbread walks in first, dressed in a green button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Therese is beside him looking effortlessly beautiful in a flowing yellow sundress.
Right behind them are Bo and Grace.
Grace carries a large gift bag decorated with tiny baby feet while Bo struggles with two oversized boxes stacked in his arms.
âI canât see!â Bo hollers.
Grace rolls her eyes.
âThatâs because youâre hardheaded and refused to make two trips.â
âI ainât making two trips.â
âYou also ainât seeing where youâre walking.â
Bo almost bumps into a table.
Antonio starts laughing.
Bo finally makes it inside and carefully sets the boxes down.
âSee? Handled perfectly.â
âYou almost took out the cupcake table,â Grace says.
âBut I didnât.â
Cornbread shakes his head.
âThatâs only because God was watching over you.â
Everyone laughs.
Thereseâs eyes travel around the room. The massive balloon arch.
âYou know damn well whatâs wrong wit it. I can see yo titties. Itâs showinâ too much.â
âStack, you never have a problem wit it no other time. You normally pick shit out like this for me.â
âI know, but you ainât wearinâ that shit today. Not wit that lame ass nigga there takinâ pictures and shit.â
Dajia throws her hands up.
âSee? There it is. Stop worryinâ about him.â
âNah, âcause I told you I ainât want him there, but you insisted. So you not wearinâ it. Take it off.â
After getting tired of waiting, Smoke and Annie walk into the house.
The second they step inside, they hear them going back and forth.
âNO, STACK! I ordered this months ago! Itâs pretty and Iâm wearinâ it!â
âNo, you not!â
âYes, I am!â
âTake it off!â
âHell no!â
âSee, thatâs yo fuckinâ problem! You never wanna listen to yo husband!â
âIt ainât about listeninâ, Stack! You got trust issues and thatâs on you!â
âThis ainât about trust! Itâs about respect! You beinâ disrespectful wearinâ that shit in front of that nigga!â
âStack, I wear my clothes for me! Donât try and change who I am!â
âOh, here we go wit the fuckinâ guilt-trippinâ! Iâm not tryna change you. I always let you wear what you want, but today I draw the line, got damn it!â
Smoke and Annie walk into the room.
âAye, whatâs goinâ on in here?â Smoke says.
Annie adds, âYeah, the whole neighborhood can hear yâall.â
Dajia rolls her eyes.
âHe wants me to change, and Iâm not doinâ it.â
âOh yes, you are!â Stack fires back.
âNo the fuck Iâm not!â Dajia screams.
Smoke immediately grabs Stackâs arm.
âCome on.â
He pulls him from the room before things escalate further.
Once theyâre gone, Dajia looks at Annie.
âHow did this start?â Annie asks.
Dajia shakes her head.
âHe donât want me wearinâ this because Titus is there.â
Annie nods slowly.
âI see. Now, you know Iâm all for women empowerment, LeDajia, but sometimes you like creatinâ issues between you and Stack.â
âUh-uh, Annie. Donât even try that shit, âcause you the Queen of creatinâ issues wit you and Smoke.â
Annie laughs.
âYeah, but Iâm learninâ how to pick my battles wit him.â
Dajia folds her arms.
âYou on his side?â
âNo. Iâm on the side of peace.â
Dajia rolls her eyes again.
Annie continues.
âYou know Stack didnât want Titus at the baby shower, but heâs still gonna be there, and that is what you wanted. Right?â
âYeah. Itâs what I wanted.â
âOkay. Then can you give Stack what he wants? Compromise wit him just a little, best friend. You know how he is.â
âSo I gotta change because heâs insecure about Titus?â
âDajia, you knew this is how Stack has been since the day you took it there wit him. Heâs always been possessive. Iâve never seen him try to control what you wear, though. Doesnât he always encourage it?â
âYeah, he does.â
âOkay. So that tells you that, in this instance, heâs uncomfortable. You workinâ alongside Titus is still somethinâ heâs tryna get used to. Heâs never had to navigate anything like this before. Itâs new for him.â
Dajia stays quiet.
âWhy canât you make it just a little easier for him?â
Dajia sighs heavily.
Annie softens her voice.
âMarriage is a partnership. Sometimes one person has to compromise. Stack loves you so much, Dajia. Help him navigate his feelings. Take his feelings into consideration when you do certain things.â
Dajiaâs shoulders slowly drop.
She thinks about everything Annie said.
About Stack never being in a real relationship before.
Never loving a woman enough to be jealous.
Never caring enough to worry.
Never having anything to lose.
Annie is right.
This is new for him.
And maybe she hasnât been giving him enough grace while he learns.
Meanwhile, in the living roomâŠ
Stack paces back and forth, mumbling under his breath.
Smoke watches him for a minute before speaking.
âStack, calm down. This an important day. Talk to me.â
âMan, I donât want her wearinâ that shit, Smoke. Her titties out and shit. I ainât havinâ it.â
Smoke nods.
âI hear you. But you ainât never cared about what she wore before. Ainât you the one who be pushinâ her to wear sexy shit?â
âYeah, I do.â
âSo whatâs the problem now?â
Stack finally looks at him.
âThe problem now is that nigga Titus gonâ be there. Takinâ pictures. Lookinâ at her titties and shit. I ainât havinâ it, Smoke.â
Smoke finally understands.
âI hear you, Stack, butââ
âHere you go with the âbut.ââ
âNah, just hear me out.â
Stack sighs.
Smoke continues.
âYou got a beautiful wife, Stack, and you gotta learn how to be secure within yo self. Sheâs yours and yours only. Thatâs yo trophy. Show her off.â
Stack listens.
âBelieve me, it took me a minute to get used to niggas starinâ at Annie. But sheâs mine, and she fine as hell. Iâd be crazy if I thought no niggas was gonâ stare.â
A small grin tugs at Stackâs mouth.
âAt the end of the day, they can look as long as they donât touch.â
Stack huffs.
âManâŠâ
But thatâs all he can say.
Smoke keeps going.
âIf you didnât want these problems, you shouldnât have gotten wit a good-lookinâ woman.â
That makes Stack laugh despite himself.
Smoke smirks.
âAll three of them beautiful, Stack. And all three of us gotta fight for our lives wit beinâ secure daily.â
Stack shakes his head. âFacts.â
âWe lucked up. They chose us. Always remember how lucky you are.â
Smokeâs expression softens.
âDajia loves you and wants only you. I can see it in her eyes. I can see it by how much sheâs changed for you.â
Stack thinks about all the ways she has.
The way she makes room for him.
The way she checks in with him.
The way she talks about him when heâs not around.
The way she carries his son with pride.
âDonât lead wit control,â Smoke says quietly. âTrust her. Trust that you picked right.â
Stack looks down.
âShow her off. âCause a million niggas would love to be in yo shoes right now. They wouldnât give a fuck about what she wore as long as they had her.â
Stack thinks back to her live yesterday.
All those thirsty ass men in the comments.
Begginâ. Flirtinâ. Throwinâ themselves at her.
Yet her attention stayed on him.
Always him.
A smirk spreads across his face.
Smoke laughs. âYeah, nigga. I know.â
Stack shakes his head. âShut up.â
âNow go in there and apologize.â
Stack nods.
He heads back toward the bedroom.
Inside the closet, Dajia is already searching through dresses.
Trying to find something else to wear.
Annie walks out of the room.
Smoke looks at her. âYou took care of her?â
âMhmm. You take care of him?â
âOf course.â
They high-five, then naturally lace their fingers together.
âCome on,â Annie says. âLetâs go wait in the car.â
They leave.
Stack walks into the closet.
âWhat you doinâ, baby girl?â
Dajia looks over her shoulder.
âFindinâ another dress to wear.â
Stack immediately shakes his head.
âNo, baby. Donât do that.â
She pauses.
âWhat you mean? I thought you wanted me to change.â
âI did.â
He steps closer.
âBut I changed my mind.â
Dajia turns fully toward him.
âKeep it on.â
His eyes roam over her.
Not with anger this time.
With love. With admiration. With pride.
âI know I be overreactinâ and shit.â
Dajia smiles faintly.
âI just hate the thought of a nigga beinâ close to you.â
His hand settles gently against her stomach.
âBut you mine.â
His voice grows softer.
âYou havinâ my baby.â
His eyes shine.
âAnd you carryinâ my last name.â
Emotion clogs his throat.
âI won, Lee Lee.â
Dajiaâs eyes instantly soften.
âI won, and Iâm proud to show yo fine ass off every chance I get.â
She laughs through the tears forming in her eyes.
Stack smiles.
âI got a baddie. I gotta deal wit everything that come along wit that.â
He leans forward and kisses her forehead.
âIâm sorry, baby girl.â
Dajiaâs face completely melts.
âItâs okay.â
She reaches for him.
âI apologize too.â
Stack looks down at her.
âI need to start considerinâ how you feel too. I know this is new for you, just like it is for me.â
She rubs his cheek.
âI promise to consider you from now on.â
Stack smiles.
Then he kisses her. Soft. Tender. Full of love.
Dajia kisses him back.
And before long, the kiss deepens.
All the frustration. All the tension. All the love.
It pours into that kiss.
They kiss like two people who can never quite get enough of each other.
Stack wraps his arms around her and lifts her effortlessly.
Dajia squeals.
âStack, baby, wait. Annie and Smoke are waitinâ!â
âSo let âem wait.â
He carries her toward the bed.
âI just need ten minutes, Lee Lee.â
Dajia cackles loudly as he drops kisses all over her face.
While everyone is still laughing and putting the finishing touches on the setup, the doors open once again.
This time, the room settles slightly. Not because anyone is told to be quiet.
But because the woman walking in naturally commands attention.
Dajiaâs mother steps inside carrying a large gift bag wrapped in green satin ribbon.
She looks elegant as always.
A fitted cream dress hugs her figure, and gold jewelry glimmers beneath the sunlight pouring through the windows. Her locs are pinned into a sophisticated updo, and her perfume trails behind herâsoft floral notes mixed with vanilla.
Dajia got her beauty honestly.
âWell look at this,â she says as she surveys the room.
Her eyes slowly move across the balloon arch. The throne chairs.
The flowers. The dessert table. The gifts.
A proud smile spreads across her face.âOh, this is beautiful.â
Dominique immediately walks over to hug her. âHey mommaâ
âHey, baby. You ainât been by to see me. I guess you makinâ partner and beinâ married got you even more busy.â
Dominique giggles âYes maâam but I promise to do better.â
Her eyes narrow. âOkay Iâm gonna hold you to that.â
Antonio cuts in. âDonât worry. Iâll make sure she comes through.â
She looks over at him.
âI knew youâd have my back Antonio. You always do.â
âYou know it.â
Grace and Therese greet her next.
Cornbread nods respectfully.
âMs. Maingot.â
âCornbread.â
Bo grins. âLooking good as always.â
She laughs. âBoy, hush.â
Everyone chuckles.
Her attention returns to the front of the room.
Specifically to the green throne waiting for Dajia.
For her daughter. For her grandson.
Her smile softens.
The kind of smile only a mother wears. The kind that carries memories.
She can still picture Dajia as a little girl. Running through the house barefoot. Talking nonstop.
Turning every room into her own personal stage.
Always with a camera in her hand.
Always dreaming. Always determined.
Now that same little girl is about to become somebodyâs mother.
The realization hits her all over again.
She blinks a few times before composing herself.
Dominique notices. âYou okay?â
She nods. âYeah.â
Her voice grows softer. âIâm just⊠proud.â
The room quiets.
She looks toward the green throne again. âSeems like yesterday I was bringing Dajia home from the hospital.â
Therese smiles knowingly. âThey grow up too fast.â
âWay too fast.â
Her eyes become glassy for a moment. Not sad. Just emotional.
âNow sheâs having a baby.â
Cornbread nods.
âAnd sheâs doinâ a good job too.â
A smile returns immediately.
âShe is.â
There isnât a trace of hesitation in her answer.
Because despite Dajiaâs stubbornnessâŠ
Her loud mouthâŠ
Her tendency to do things her own wayâŠ
Sheâs always had a good heart.
Always loved hard.
Always shown up for the people she cares about.
And now sheâs building a family of her own.
The thought fills her with pride.
Antonio gestures toward the dessert table.
âYou seen all these cupcakes she made?â
Her eyes widen. âShe made all of those?â
âEvery single one.â
She walks over to inspect them.
The yellow and green frosting.
The tiny decorations.
The attention to detail.
She shakes her head. âLawd.â
Grace laughs. âWhat?â
âThat girl gets that from me.â
Everyone busts out laughing.
âHere she go,â Cornbread says.
âIâm serious!â
âYou sound just like Dajia,â Dominique teases.
âAnd?â
More laughter follows.
Titus captures the moment. Click.
A genuine smile. A proud mother.
A few minutes laterâŠ
Pearline and some of Smokeâs cousins just walked in
Then the doors open again right after.
This time, itâs Sammie.
He steps inside wearing dark jeans and a green polo that fits perfectly with the shower colors. A gift bag hangs from one hand while his other hand is shoved into his pocket.
The moment he walks in, his eyes sweep across the room.
Some of his family walking around
The photographs Titus is snapping.
And for a moment, he just stands there.
Taking it all in.
He huffs âDamn.â
Antonio hears him and laughs. âWhat?â
Sammie shakes his head. âNothinâ.â
But it isnât nothing. Not really.
Because standing in this room feels surreal.
Growing up, Smoke and Stack had been larger than life.
His older cousins. The ones everybody knew. The ones everybody talked about.
When Sammie was younger, he used to follow them around whenever heâd get the chance. Used to sit quietly and listen when they talked. Used to watch them pull up in their cars with music blasting.
Watch people greet them with respect. Watch them move through the neighborhood like they owned it.
Back then, he thought they were the coolest people heâd ever seen.
He wanted to be just like them.
The problem wasâŠBack then, being like them meant something different.
It meant the streets. Fast money.
Fast living.Taking risks.
Making choices that couldâve ended a hundred different ways.
Sammie remembers being twelve years old and thinking Smoke and Stack had it all figured out.
Now that heâs olderâŠ
He realizes they were just young men trying to survive. Trying to make it out.
And somehowâŠThey actually did.
His eyes land on the four throne chairs.
The yellow ones for Smoke and Annie.
The green ones for Stack and Dajia.
A smile tugs at his lips.
Because if someone wouldâve told him ten years ago that Smoke and Stack would be sitting on throne chairs at a baby showerâŠ
Celebrating three babiesâŠ
Surrounded by family and friendsâŠ
He wouldâve laughed in their face.
Cornbread walks over. âYou look emotional.â
Sammie laughs. âMan, shut up.â
âBut you do.â
Sammie glances toward the chairs again. âNah, Iâm just thinking.â
âAbout?â
He shrugs. âSmoke and Stack.â
Cornbread nods. âYeah?â
Sammie smiles to himself.
âYou remember how wild they used to be?â
Cornbread immediately starts laughing. âRemember? Hell, I survived it.â
The room chuckles.
Sammie shakes his head.
âMan, when I was younger, I thought them niggas was superheroes.â
âSuperheroes?â Antonio asks.
âYeah.â
âThatâs because you ainât know no better.â
Everyone laughs.
Sammie grins. âIâm serious though.â
His gaze drifts back toward the balloon arch.
âI used to wanna be exactly like them.â
The room quiets slightly.
Because they know heâs telling the truth.
Sammie continues.
âI looked up to everything they did.â
He pauses.
âNow I still look up to them⊠but for different reasons.â
That gets everyoneâs attention.
Even Titus lowers his camera for a second.
Sammie nods toward the throne chairs. âLook at this.â
He gestures around the room.
âThese two got businesses.â
Another gesture. âFamilies.â
Another. âHomes. People depend on them.â
He shakes his head.
âThey really built somethinâ.â
Nobody says anything.
Because there isnât much to say.
Itâs true.
Sammie smiles. âWhen I was younger, I wanted the lifestyle.â
His voice softens. âNow I want what they got.â
Cornbread folds his arms.
âWhatâs that?â
Sammieâs eyes move from Smokeâs throne to Stackâs.
âPride.â
The room falls quiet again.
Not awkward. Just thoughtful.
Because everybody understands exactly what he means.
Not money. Not jewelry. Not cars.
The pride of building something real.
The pride of having people who love you. The pride of becoming the kind of man your family can depend on.
Sammie exhales and smiles.
âYeah.â
He nods to himself.
âI definitely still wanna be like my cousins.â
This time, his voice carries admiration instead of youthful fascination.
And as he looks at the four throne chairs waiting for Smoke, Annie, Stack, and Dajia, he realizes something.
The men he looked up to as a kid became even better than the heroes he imagined.
Because they didnât just survive.
They grew. And somehow, that was far more impressive.
Annie and Smoke pull up to Zen, and he parks way in the back.
Not that many people have made it yet. Itâs still early.
Annie looks over at him. âWhy you park way back here?â
Smoke gives her a sly grin.
âBecause Stack and Dajia got the right idea.â
Annieâs eyebrow raises. âWhat you mean, Smoke?â
Smoke looks at her.
âYou know exactly what I mean. Come on.â
Annieâs stomach flips.
She gasps. âRight here, baby? In broad daylight?â
Smoke chuckles and reaches for her hand.
âRelax, Mama. I just want some of you before everybody get here.â
Annie rolls her eyes, but sheâs smiling.
âYou so nasty.â
âMaybe,â Smoke says. âBut once we get out this car, everybody gonâ want a piece of us. And right now I want a piece of you.â
âSmoke, Iâm too big now. How Iâm gonâ fit in yo lap over there?â
Smoke shakes his head
âStop witâ them excuses, baby. We gettinâ in the back. This a SUV. We got plenty of room, with tinted windows. Come on.â
Annie smiles. âOkay.â
Five minutes laterâŠ
Smoke is on his back in the backseat while Annie rides him slowly.
She keeps looking around nervously.
Smoke stares up at her.
âBaby, canât nobody see us. Stop worrying. Look at me.â
She looks down at him.
He grips her ass and rocks her on him.
âMmmm,â Smoke growls. âThis shit so fucking good. You drivinâ a nigga insane right now, fuck.â
Annie groans and throws her head back.
Smoke studies her.
âThatâs right, baby. I know itâs feelinâ good to you. You acted like you didnât even wanna give me some a minute ago. Now look at you.â
He speeds the pace up for her, and Annie presses on his chest.
âShit, Elijah. Iâm finna come.â
âGood. Thatâs what I want. Ride this shit, Mama. Itâs yours.â
Annie lets out a breathy moan.
âKeep talkinâ to me, Daddy.â
âYou so pretty, Annie. Daddy love the way this pussy grip him. Love when you take control and ride this dick like you was born for it.â
He taps her ass.
âI love them faces you be makinâ for me. You look even prettier, and I ainât even think that shit was possible.â
Annieâs heart melts.
âUghhh, Smoke. You say the right shit.â
âI say it âcause itâs true. I canât wait til you drop my babies so I can have the bottom of yo feet touchinâ the headboard again. I miss that shit.â
âAhhhh. I miss it too.â She whines
âThis shit like fine wine, it just keeps gettin better baby.â
Annie reaches down and chokes him slightly
Smoke moans.
âYeah, I like that shit baby.â
âWho ridinâ you like this?â Annie asks
Smoke answers immediately
âShit, You mama.â
Annies stomach moves
Smoke catches it and rubs it.
âOh shit, Our babies upâ
âWe woke em up.â Annie breathes out.
âI know baby. Now can you come for me? Can you give me what I want, Annalise?â
He thrusts up into her faster.
That opens the floodgates, and she lets go.
She screams. âShit Smoke!â
Smoke says,
âIâm not gonâ come, Mama. I donât want you walkin around messy like that. Come on and get up.â
Annie looks at him crazy, but she obeys.
She doesnât want him going without, so she takes him in her mouth and sucks him until he explodes.
Inside Zen, everything is already coming together beautifully.
Titus is still moving around the room snapping pictures while Dajiaâs mom and the rest of them make sure everyone places gift bags where they need to be.
The doors open. Roland steps inside.
He pauses immediately. His eyes slowly travel across the room.
A smile spreads across his face.
His Annie was having babies. Twins at that.
Lord, where had the time gone?
Roland shakes his head and chuckles to himself.
It feels like yesterday he was meeting a fifteen-year-old Annie for the first time.
Back then, she wasnât smiling much.
Her mother had finally left James and moved them to Mississippi after years of enduring his abuse.
Annie had been angry at the world.
Protective of her mother. Protective of Legacy. Protective of herself.
She didnât trust easily.
Especially not men.
Roland remembers the first time he came around.
Annie sat in the corner of the living room with her arms crossed and watched him like a security guard.
Every question he asked got a one-word answer.
Every joke he told earned him a blank stare.
He laughs under his breath just thinking about it.
That girl put him through a trial period.
And honestly? He respected it.
She had every reason to be cautious.
Over time, though, things changed.
He showed up. Consistently.
School events. Band performances. Basketball games.
Graduation.
The little things and the big things.
Not because he was trying to replace anybody.
But because Annie deserved at least one man in her life she could count on.
Eventually, she stopped looking at him like an outsider.
Then one day she started calling him Roland instead of âMamaâs boyfriend.â
Then laterâŠwhen her mother got marriedâDad.
Rolandâs eyes drift back around the room.
Now that same guarded little girl was about to become a mother herself.
The thought makes his chest tighten.
âYou did good, Annie.â
His voice is barely above a whisper.
Cornbread walks over and slaps him on the shoulder.
As Annie and Smoke are wiping themselves off with wipes, they hear a knock on the window.
Annie freezes. âOh my God.â
Instant panic floods her face.
Smoke, on the other hand, barely reacts. He calmly pulls his pants up while Annie hurriedly pulls up her panties and smooths her skirt down.
âStop panicking. Itâs just Stack,â Smoke says.
âNo, Elijah. This is embarrassing.â
âNo, itâs not. He was just doinâ the same shit.â
Annie groans and covers her face.
Smoke opens the door and climbs out. Annie reluctantly follows behind him.
The second they step out, Stack and Dajia busts into laughter.
âNah,â Stack says, pointing at them. âAnd yâall was just judginâ me and Dajia?â
Annieâs cheeks instantly warm.
Smoke sucks his teeth.
âShut the hell up, Stack. Wasnât nobody judginâ. Yâall left us sittinâ outside forever.â
âOh, my bad,â Stack replies with a grin. âMaybe we shouldâve did it outside like yâall.â
Dajia loses it.
Her laughter is so contagious that Annie starts laughing too.
Smoke whips his head toward her.
âOh, so we funny now?â
Annie tries to compose herself but fails.
âIâm sorry, babe. I canât help it. Heâs hilarious.â
âDonât laugh at him. He got some fuckinâ nerve.â
Smoke points at Dajia and Stack.
âMaybe we shouldâve done it in Zenâs office instead.â
Dajiaâs mouth drops open.
âSmoke!â
Annie bends over laughing.
Smoke nods
âMhmm. Thatâs right. The employees at Flexx heard yâall.â
Now itâs Dajiaâs turn to look embarrassed.
She points at Annie.
âIt ainât that damn funny Annie.â
Stack waves them all off.
âMan, whatever.â
The look on Dajiaâs face only makes it worse.
A few seconds later, all four of them are standing in the parking lot laughing so hard they can barely breathe.
Eventually, Smoke shakes his head and starts walking toward the building.
âCome on. Before we miss our own damn baby shower.â
That only makes everyone laugh..
A minute laterâŠ
The doors to Zen open, and the four of them walk in together.
They all stop.
For a few seconds, nobody says a word.
The room is beautiful.
Soft yellow and green decorations fill the space. One of Annie and Smokeâs pictures from the maternity shoot they did, has been turned into a giant poster. Another large picture of Stack and Dajia from when Stack popped up at her shop sits right next to it. A large balloon arch stands at the front of the room. Tables are covered with matching linens, plates, and centerpieces. Trays of sweet treats sit beside the cupcakes Dajia spent all day baking. Four throne chairs that sit beneath the balloon arch.
One chair for Annie. One for Smoke.
One for Dajia. One for Stack.
The room is buzzing with family and friends, but somehow it still feels quiet.
Like time has slowed down.
Annieâs hand automatically goes to her belly.
Her eyes begin to water.
She looks around slowly.
A few years ago, she was stressed over blueprints, project deadlines, and proving herself as one of the youngest engineers on her team. She had her career, but there were still parts of her life that felt uncertain.
NowâŠSheâs THE engineer she loves being.
Sheâs married to the man of her dreams. Theyâre homeowners.
And sheâs carrying twins. Twin little girls who are already so loved.
She blinks away tears. Smoke notices immediately.
His hand settles on her lower back.
âYou aight, Mama?â
Annie lets out a shaky laugh. âIâm just⊠look at this.â
Smoke follows her gaze. And suddenly, he gets quiet too.
Because heâs thinking about everything. The clubs.
The restaurant. Moore Life Lounge.
The long nights. The risks. The sacrifices. There was a time he and Stack were just trying to make it.
Now they own three successful businesses. People work for them.
Depend on them. Respect them.
And somehow, in the middle of building all of that, he found his wife.
His best friend. And now sheâs carrying his daughters.
He looks at her belly and slowly shakes his head.
A smile spreads across his face.
âDamn,â he says softly.
Annie looks at him. âWhat?â
He chuckles. âI really got everything I prayed for.â
Annieâs eyes fill again. ,âSmokeâŠâ
He kisses her forehead. âI mean it, Mama.â
A few feet away, Stack looks around and lets out a low whistle.
âThis crazy.â
Dajia smiles. âIt is.â
âNo, for real.â He gestures around the room. âLook at us.â
She does. And suddenly sheâs emotional too.
Her photography studio has been thriving. Sheâs built a name for herself.
Booked out months in advance.
Sheâs doing what she loves every single day.
And nowâŠSheâs married. Pregnant with a little boy.
Standing at a baby shower with her best friend, both of them rubbing their bellies.
She laughs softly because life really surprised her. She never wouldâve guessed this. Not in a million years.
Her eyes start stinging.
Stack looks over. âOh hell.â
She laughs. âWhat?â
âYou got that look.â
âWhat look?â
âThat cryinâ look.â
She smacks his arm.
âI am not cryinâ.â
A tear falls.
Stack starts laughing. âThere it is.â
She laughs through her tears.
âShut up.â
Stackâs smile slowly fades into something softer.
Because truthfullyâŠHeâs emotional too. He looks at one of the green throne chairs. His chair. For him. For his son.
A man who once swore heâd never settle down. Now heâs discussing diaper bags, nursery colors, and baby names.
He owns three businesses with his brother. Has money, stability, and purpose. And somehow, the thing heâs proudest of is standing right beside him.
He looks at Dajia. Sheâs wiping her eyes. Pregnant. Beautiful. His wife.
He slides an arm around her shoulders. âYou knowâŠâ he says quietly.
She looks at him.
âWe really did it.â
She blinks. âWhat?â
He smiles. âWe built us a life.â
Dajia looks around the room one more time. Then back at him.
Then over at Annie and Smoke.
Her best friend and her brother-in-law. All four of them standing there. Healthy. Happy. Successful. In love. Starting families.
She smiles through her tears.
âYeah,â she says softly. âWe really did.â
The four of them stand there for another moment, simply taking it all in. The decorations. The laughter.
The love. The babies.
Everything theyâve built.
Everything theyâve overcome.
And for the first time all day, none of them rushes to the next thing.
They just stand thereâŠgrateful for how far theyâve come.
Annie is glowing in her bright yellow and green two piece, with her belly on full display. Her skin practically shines beneath the lights, and she canât stop smiling.
Beside her, Smoke has on a yellow button down and khaki slacks, his hand protectively resting on her lower back.
Right behind them are Stack and Dajia.
Dajia is stunning in her soft green dress, one hand on her belly while the other is intertwined with Stackâs. Stack is dressed in a Burberry button down and cream pants, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
Everyone starts clapping and cheering louder.
Smoke laughs and shakes his head.
âYâall doin too much.â
âThe hell we are!â Cornbread yells back. âThis a celebration!â
Annie laughs, already covering her face. âOh my God.â
Dajiaâs mouth falls open as she takes in the decorations all over again.
Stack just grins.
People immediately start making their way toward them. Hugs. Handshakes.
Congratulations coming from every direction.
Smoke and Stackâs cousins surround them first.
âThere go the daddies!â
âMy niggas finally settled down!â
âNah, this crazy.â
Smoke laughs as one of his cousins pulls him into a hug.
âI still canât believe it either.â
Another cousin grabs Stack.
âYou really about to be somebodyâs daddy, man.â
Stack grins. âI know. Crazy, right?â
âVery.â
Titus appears seemingly out of nowhere.
Click. Click. Click.
He captures them laughing together.
Then another picture. Then another.
Stack notices him.
He narrows his eyes. âThis nigga.â
Titus lowers his camera. âWhat?â
âYou movin like the paparazzi or some shit.â
Everyone laughs.
âItâs my job.â Click. Another picture.
Stack shakes his head but chuckles.
âWhatever.â
Then the crowd parts.
Their cousin Andre walks over.
Hand in hand with Annieâs cousin, Monique.
Silence. Annie blinks. Stack blinks.
They look at each other.
Then both busts out laughing.
âI KNOW fuckinâ you lyingââ Stack says.
Annie points. âHold on. Wait a minute.â
Andre starts grinning.
Monique immediately starts laughing.
Smoke folds his arms.
âSo you just ainât told nobody nothinâ?â
Annie looks at her cousin.
âMhmm, Monique. What the hell? We normally tell each other everything.â
âI mean⊠yâall cute together or whatever.â
Monique laughs. âThank you.â
Stack shakes his head. âThis is wild.â
âYou mad?â Andre asks.
âNah. Just shocked.â
âYeah, me too,â Smoke adds. âI definitely wasnât expectinâ this.â
Dajia laughs. âI think theyâre adorable.â
Andre grins proudly.
âSee? Thank you, Cuzâ
âDonât get too comfortable,â Stack says.
Everyone laughs.
Then Dajiaâs mother makes her way over.
Her face lights up instantly.
âMy babies!â
She hugs Dajia first.
Then she pulls Stack into a hug.
As she steps back, she notices his shirt.
She busts out laughing.
âStack! I KNOW you didnât.â
Dajia immediately starts laughing too.
Stack looks down at himself. âWhat?â
âYou really wore Burberry to a baby shower?â
âI thought itâd be funny.â
He shrugs. âPlus⊠I love Burberry.â
Dajia is cackling âYou know heâs a big joke.â
Stack cuts his eyes at her. âWatch it now.â
She immediately bites her lip. âIâm sorry.â
âNo, you not.â
Her mother laughs and hugs him again.
âI donât care what you got on. Iâm so proud of you too.â
Stack smiles. âThank you.â
âI cannot wait until my grandbaby gets here. Iâm gon have him all the time.â
Stack and Dajia grin.
âOh, all the time?â Dajia asks.
âEvery chance I get.â
Stack chuckles.
âWe gon remember that.â
Then Annie spots her father. âDad!â
He opens his arms. She walks right into them.
He squeezes her tightly.
When he pulls back, he smiles at her.
âDang, Pumpkin. You look so beautiful.â
Annie grins. âThank you.â
He looks around the place.
âAnd this here place is very nice.â
Then he looks at Smoke. âGood job.â
Smoke smiles. âI appreciate it.â
He nods toward Annie.
âI see youâve been taking care of my baby. She looks radiant.â
Smokeâs smile grows.
âOf course, Pop. Thatâs my job.â
Her father nods approvingly.
âI know thatâs right.â
Suddenly, Cornbreads loud voice fills the room.
âMove! Excuse me! Family coming through!â
Everyone starts laughing.
Cornbread and Therese make their way over with Bo and Grace right behind them.
Cornbread opens his arms.
âThere my people!â
He hugs Smoke first.
Then Stack. Then Annie. Then Dajia.
He steps back and looks at all four of them.
âMan⊠all yâall grown.â
Smoke laughs.
âWeâve been grown nigga.â
âNo. Yâall grown grown.â
Bo laughs. âHe got a point.â
Cornbread gestures wildly.
âBusinesses. Babies. Homeowners. Look at yâall.â
Grace smiles. âWeâre so happy for yâall.â
Therese hugs Annie and Dajia.
âYou ladies look beautiful.â
âThank you,â they both say.
Cornbread suddenly looks at Stack.
âYou actually look responsible.â
The room erupts.
Stackâs face twists.
âWhat the hell that supposed to mean?â
âIâm just saying. You look like you got life insurance.â
Even Smoke laughs
Stack points at him. âStop laughing.â
Cornbread turns to Smoke.
âAnd nigga you look like somebody that asks people if they drank enough water today.â
Now everybodyâs laughing.
âI hate yâall,â Smoke says.
âNo you donât,â Cornbread replies.
Dajia wipes tears from her eyes.
Annie is laughing so hard she has to hold her belly.
Bo looks around at everybody smiling and talking.
Then he grins. âI ainât gon lieâŠâ
He gestures toward all four of them.
âThis right here look good on yâall.â
The laughter settles.
Because everybody knows exactly what he means.
All four of them make their way over to the thrones and sit down.
Immediately, Dominique and Antonio walk over, with Legacy right behind them.
âHey, best friends!â Dominique squeals.
She hugs Annie first, then Dajia.
âYou girls look so good!â
She places one hand on Dajiaâs belly and the other on Annieâs.
Then she bends down toward Dajiaâs stomach. âHey, Eli! Itâs TT Dominique. Make sure you eat good today.â
Dajia busts out laughing.
âHe definitely is. He donât miss a meal.â
Dominique grins and moves over to Annie. âHey, Niyah and Nijah. Itâs TT Dominique.â
Suddenly, she feels a kick.
Her eyes get huge. âOh! Thatâs Anijah. Hey, TT girl! I canât wait to meet you. You should see this big olâ party out here for you and your sister.â
Another kick. Dominique cracks up.
âThere she go again!â
Annie shakes her head.
âThere you go gettinâ them all riled up.â
âThatâs my job, girl. So get used to it.â
Everyone laughs.
Legacy walks over and hugs Annie carefully.
âI canât wait till my nieces get here. Itâs almost time.â
Annie smiles. âI know. Itâs crazy.â
Legacy rubs her belly gently.
âMy babies almost here.â
Smoke grins at that.
Antonio daps both guys up.
âMy boys.â
He hugs Smoke and then Stack.
âIâm proud of yâall for real.â
âAppreciate it, bro,â Smoke says.
âDefinitely appreciate it,â Stack adds.
Just then, Shaad walks up.
He looks around.
âDamn, yâall. Itâs nice as hell in here. Yâall did yâall big one.â
Stack looks over. âDamn. When you get here?â
âLike five minutes ago.â
Everyone laughs.
Then Shaadâs eyes land on Legacy.
He smiles. âHey.â
Legacy smiles back. âHey.â
Everyone immediately starts looking between them.
Shaad notices. âWhat?â
Nobody says anything.
Annie and Dominique exchange a look.
Smoke smirks. Dajia grins.
Shaad sighs. âYâall annoying.â
More laughter.
He looks back at Legacy.
âYou gonâ come sit wit me?â
Legacy nods. âSure.â
Shaad reaches for her hand, and she lets him take it.
As they walk away, Annie smiles the biggest smile.
Smoke notices. âWhat?â
She keeps smiling. âNothinâ.â
He follows her line of sight. âOh.â
Annie nods. âYeah.â
Smoke chuckles.
Fifteen minutes later, Dajiaâs dad walks in with his wife.
The second Dajia sees him, she stands. âDaddy!â
He walks over and wraps her in a big hug.
She hugs him right back.
When they pull apart, she folds her arms.
âDaddy, why you always late? You in the military. Ainât yâall supposed to be prompt?â
He chuckles. âMy flight landed today.â
Then his eyes move to Stack.
âHello, Elias.â
Stack stands. âSup.â
Preston smirks.
âOr should I say⊠son-in-law?â
Stack smirks back. âI guess that work too.â
Preston looks back at Dajia.
âIâm still mad I wasnât a part of that, by the way.â
Dajia sighs. âDaddy, donât start.â
He crosses his arms.
âYou know I had dreams of walking you down the aisle. You just snatched that dream completely away.â
Stack glances at Dajia.
He immediately notices the irritation on her face.
He speaks up.
âAye⊠you feel like this the right time or place for that? This supposed to be a joyous occasion.â
Dajia grabs his hand. âItâs okay, babe.â
Then she looks at her father.
âDaddy, Iâm sorry you wasnât there, but nobody was there. Plus, you know that wasnât really my dream in the first place.â
âIt donât matter if it was your dream or not. It was mine. And you left your parents completely out of it.â
Before Dajia can answer, her mother walks over. âPreston, donât even start that shit.â
Everyone gets quiet.
âItâs done and over with. Donât bring me into this. Was I sad at first? Yes. But Iâm happy my baby is happy. Sheâs a wife now and about to be a mother. Let up off her. Damn.â
Preston looks at her.
âYou always support the impulsive shit she does. Who used to have to come to her rescue every time? Me.â
Dajia cuts her eyes.
âImpulsive? Marrying Stack wasnât impulsive, Daddy. I love him.â
Stack sucks his teeth.
âYeah⊠I feel like you beinâ disrespectful right now. And if thatâs the type of energy you on, you can go âhead and leave.â
Dajia looks at him. She knows that look. The one that says he ainât backing down.
And if her father wants to take it there, Stack is more than willing to go there.
Smoke senses the tension immediately.
He stands. âAye, Stack. Come walk wit me real quick.â
Stack looks over.
He knows exactly what that means.
He nods. âAight.â
He squeezes Dajiaâs hand before walking off with Smoke.
Preston exhales.
âI apologize for bringing it up here, but I still feel how I feel. Iâm entitled to my feelings.â
âThatâs fine, Daddy. But it doesnât change how I feel either.â
She gestures toward where Stack walked away.
âThatâs my husband. And you being disrespectful to him isnât warranted.â
She places a hand on her stomach.
âHeâs good to me, and I love him. It doesnât matter how we got married. It matters that we did. And the only two people who really needed to be there were me and him.â
She shrugs. âBecause thereâs only two people in a marriage anyway.â
Preston opens his mouth. Then closes it.
Because he doesnât have a comeback.
Finally, he sighs. âFine.â
He reaches out and gently rubs her belly.
âI see my grandson is growing just fine.â
Dajia smiles. âHe is. You wanna know his name?â
Still looking at her stomach, he nods.
âSure.â
âItâs Eli Preston Maingot-Moore.â
Prestonâs head snaps up. His face softens instantly. âYou named him after me?â
Dajia smiles.âOf course, Daddy. Who else?â
She reaches for his hand.
âI still love you, even though we bump heads.â
He swallows hard. Then pulls her into another hug. âIâm sorry.â
He kisses the side of her head.
âI just always want the best for you. I gotta remember youâre an adult now and can make your own decisions.â
He pulls back and looks at her.
âIn spite of everything, Iâm so very proud of you.â
Dajiaâs eyes water. She smiles. âThank you.â She hugs him again. âThatâs all I needed to hear.â
About thirty minutes later, everyone is seated and eating.
The room is filled with laughter, conversations, and the sound of soft R&B playing through the speakers.
Empty cupcake wrappers and half-finished plates sit on tables while guests mingle.
Dominique suddenly walks to the front of the room with a microphone.
âAlright, everybody! Attention, please!â
The room gradually quiets.
She grins. âSo, before we get into games, weâre doing our diaper and wipes drawing!â
A few people clap.
Others start looking around curiously.
Dominique holds up a decorative glass bowl filled with folded pieces of paper.
âEverybody who brought diapers and wipes got their name entered. ButâŠâ she pauses dramatically, ââŠthe person who brought the MOST diapers and wipes got extra entries.â
âOh hell,â Bo says.
Everyone laughs.
Dominique reaches into the bowl.
âAnd the winner gets a one hundred dollar gift card!â
âOhhhh!â several people say.
Cornbread sits up straighter.
Therese laughs. âWhat you sittinâ up for? You ainât even won nothinâ.â
âI got a feelinâ.â
âYou got a gamblinâ problem negro.â
âI got instincts.â
Everyone cracks up.
Dominique shakes the bowl around.
âOkayâŠâ
She reaches in. Pulls out a piece of paper.
Opens it.
Then her eyes get big. âNo way.â
âWhat?â Annie asks.
Dominique starts laughing.
âThe winner isâŠâ
She pauses for effect.
âCornbread and Therese!â
The room erupts.
âNoooo!â Bo yells.
âAinât no way!â
Cornbread jumps up from his chair.
âI KNEW IT!â
He starts clapping.
âI told yâall! I told yâall!â
Therese falls over laughing.
âThis fool.â
Cornbread points around the room.
âDonât hate on a nigga, let me be great!â
He practically jogs to the front.
Dominique hands him the gift card.
He looks at it.
Then holds it in the air like he just won a championship. âLetâs go!â
Everyone is dying laughing.
Smoke shakes his head. âYou doinâ too much.â
âNo, Iâm doinâ exactly enough.â
Stack laughs. âNigga, all you won was a gift card.â
âA WIN IS A WIN!â
More laughter.
Cornbread points at Annie and Smoke. âYou hear me? We contributed to the babies!â
Then he points at Stack and Dajia.
âAnd to my nephew too!â
Therese finally walks up beside him.
âIâd like everyone to knowâŠâ
She pauses. âI picked out all those diapers and wipes.â
The room explodes.
Cornbread turns slowly.
âWhy would you say that?â
âBecause itâs true.â
âNo, it ainât.â
She folds her arms. âWho bought them?â
âWe bought them.â
âWho picked them out?â
Therese raises her hand.
Everyone starts clapping.
Cornbread looks betrayed.
âOh, wow.â
She laughs.
âYou literally just pushed the cart.â
âI was emotional support.â
âNo, you wasnât.â
âYes, I was!â
Even Titus is laughing while snapping pictures.
Click. Click.
Cornbread looks around.
âAye, donât take pictures of me while Iâm vulnerable nigga!.â
Click. Another picture.
âMan!â
Everyone is in tears.
Finally, Cornbread wraps an arm around Therese. âAight, fine.â
He raises the gift card again.
âWe won.â
Therese smiles. âYes. We won.â
He looks around proudly.
âAnd since we wonâŠâ
Everyone groans because they already know.
ââŠI expect a little more respect around here.â
Sammie immediately stands up.
âSit yo ass down!.â
The room erupts.
Cornbread starts laughing so hard he nearly drops the gift card.
Annie is cackling.
Dajia is rubbing her stomach while she laughs.
Even Preston and Roland are laughing.
Stack shakes his head.
âI swear this nigga act like he won the damn lottery.â
Cornbread grins from ear to ear.
âMaybe I did.â
He looks over at Annie and Dajia.
âBut for realâŠâ
His voice softens. âWe happy for yâall. These babies already got so much love around them.â
The room settles.
Annie smiles. Dajia smiles.
And for a moment, everyone looks at the mountain of diapers and wipes stacked in the corner. A small thing. But somehow, it feels huge. Because every boxâŠ
Every pack⊠Every gift⊠Is another reminder that these babies are already surrounded by a village.
After the laughter from the diaper drawing dies down, Dominique grabs the microphone again.
âAlright, alright! Itâs game time!â
The room cheers.
âOh hell,â Smoke mumbles
Annie laughs.
Dominique grins mischievously.
âThe first game is for the couples.â
Immediately, people start groaning.
âI donât like that smile,â Bo says.
âItâs simple!â Dominique says. âOne person is blindfolded and has to feed their significant other baby food. The person being fed cannot use their hands. First couple to finish wins.â
The room erupts.
âOh hell no!â Cornbread yells.
âI ainât eating no baby food!â Bo adds.
âYes, you are!â Dominique says.
Everyone starts laughing.
Tables are pushed back to make room.
A long table is set up with little jars of baby food and plastic spoons.
As soon as they step onto the sidewalk, everybody stops.
Silence.
Thenâ âWhat the hell?â Dajia says.
Parked outside are three Power Wheels.
One pink Jeep, One yellow Jeep.
And one red Mustang
Everybody blinks. Then looks at Shaad.
Then back at the Power Wheels.
Then back at Shaad. Silence.
Then the entire group erupts.
âNooooo!â
âBoy, what?!â
âShaad!â
Dajia bends over laughing.
Annie has both hands over her mouth.
Stack is actually cracking up
Smoke looks absolutely bewildered.
Shaad is grinning ear to ear.
The pink one has a giant bow on it.
The yellow one has another bow.
The red one has a bow and a little sign that says: Reserved for Eli.
âOh my GodâŠâ Annie laughs.
Stack points. âNiggaâŠâ
âWhat?â Shaad asks innocently.
âWhat is this?â
âGifts.â
Everybody erupts again.
Smoke wipes tears from his eyes.
âThese babies ainât even born!â
âSo?â
âSo?!â Stack repeats.
âThey canât even hold their heads up!â
The room loses it.
Shaad shrugs.
âI wanted to think ahead.â
Cornbread falls against Antonio.
âHe bought toddlers gifts for newborns!â
Shaad folds his arms. âAnd?â
âAnd what they gon do with these?â Grace asks. âTheyâll grow into them.â
More laughter.
Dajia walks over to the red one. âOh my God.â
She is absolutely cackling. âYou are ridiculous.â
âI know.â
She shakes her head. âYou bought my unborn son a car.â
âYep.â
Annie is laughing so hard she has tears running down her face.
She points at the pink one. âAnd this one?â
âThatâs for Aniyah.â
She points at the yellow one.
âAnd thatâs for Anijah.â
Smoke walks over and opens one of the little doors. âNahâŠâ
He starts laughing again. âThey got seatbelts.â
âThey sure do.â
âWorking headlights?â
âAbsolutely.â
Everybody is dying.
Stack looks at the red one.
Then at Shaad.
Then back at the Power Wheel.
Then he starts laughing. âI ainât gon lieâŠâ
âWhat?â
âThis dope as hell.â
Smoke nods. âIt actually is.â
âNo!â Annie says through laughter.
âYes!â
âTheyâre newborns!â
âThey wonât be newborns forever,â Shaad argues.
Bo points. âSee? I agree been saying!â
Grace shakes her head.
âYâall are insane.â
Titus is laughing so hard his camera is shaking. Click. Click. Click.
He captures Annie doubled over. Click.
Dajia standing next to the red Power Wheel laughing. Click.
Smoke opening and closing the door.
Click.
Stack inspecting the tires like heâs buying a real car.
Then Shaad walks over to the red one and pats the hood.
âEli gon be outside.â
Then he points at the other two.
âAnd my nieces gon be right behind him.â
Annie laughs. âI donât know about all that!â
âYes they are.â
âNo, theyâre not.â
âThey are.â
âIâm scared they gon crashâ
Everybody is cracking up.
Finally, Smoke walks over and pulls Shaad into a hug. âYou crazy as hell.â
Shaad laughs.
âBut I appreciate you âSmoke grins. âI really do.â
Stack hugs him next. âI canât believe you bought my son a whip.â
âOnly the best for my nephew.â
Dajia is still laughing.
Annie wipes tears from her eyes.
Then both women pull Shaad into a hug. âThank you,â they say.
He smiles. âAnything for my family.â
Everybody goes quiet for a second.
Because beneath all the jokesâŠ
It was actually incredibly sweet.
And judging by the way everyone immediately starts taking pictures beside the Power Wheels⊠They all think so too.
People slowly start heading back inside, still laughing about the Power Wheels.
Dajia stays outside with Titus.
Theyâre standing beside one of the Power Wheels while he scrolls through the pictures on his camera.
Dajia is completely engrossed.
âOh my God,â she says, smiling. âLook at this one.â
Titus smiles too. âI knew youâd like that one.â
He flips to another picture.
Itâs one of Annie and Smoke laughing on their thrones.
Then one of Legacy hugging Annie.
Then one of Dajia and her mother.
Dajiaâs face lights up.
âThese are so good, Titus. You got great angles of everything.â
Heâs proud of himself. âI told you I had it.â
As heâs flipping through more photos, he casually drapes an arm around her shoulders.
Neither of them think anything of it.
Dajia is too focused on the camera.
Sheâs completely tuned into the pictures.
Inside, Stack is talking to Bo and Cornbread.
Then he looks around.
His smile slowly disappears.
He doesnât see Dajia.
He checks the room again.
No Dajia. His brows furrow.
He heads toward the doors.
As soon as he steps outside, he sees it.
His wife. Standing with Titus.
Titusâ arm around her shoulders.
Everything in him goes hot.
Instantly. His jaw clenches.
His chest tightens. His ears start ringing.
Again. Another boundary.
First the lunch, The car. Now this.
And sheâs justâŠStanding there.
Laughing. Smiling.
Letting another man touch her.
He doesnât even think. He storms over.
âDamn, look at this one,â Dajia says.
ThenâWHACK.
Stack smacks Titusâ arm clean off her shoulders.
Both of them jump.
Titus looks up. Stunned.
âWhat the fuck is your problem?!â
Stack is breathing hard.
His eyes are dark.
âDonât touch my fuckinâ wife. Now you doinâ too much.â
âStack!â Dajia yells.
He ignores her completely.
Titusâ face hardens.
âYou too got damn insecure! Get your shit together!â
âNah!â Stack snaps. âI ainât insecure. I just donât tolerate disrespect! Ainât no nigga touchinâ my wife. I donât give a fuck who you are!â
Dajia steps in front of him.
âStack, calm down. Itâs okay. He didnât mean nothinâ by it.â
He looks at her like sheâs lost her mind.
âHow the fuck is it okay, Dajia? How?â
She opens her mouth. Nothing comes out.
Because she honestly hadnât even realized his arm was there.
Sheâd been too busy looking at the pictures.
People start spilling back outside.
Cornbread. Grace. Bo. Therese. Sammie.
Everyone immediately senses something is wrong.
Titus is angry now.
âIt wasnât even like that! We tryna work!â
Dajia tries pulling Stack away.
âBaby, pleaseââ
He doesnât budge. Doesnât move an inch.
Heâs staring holes through Titus.
Then Smoke and Shaad step outside.
âWhat happened?â Smoke asks.
Nobody answers.
Titus points at Stack. âThis nigga crazy!â
Stack looks at Smoke âHe touched my wife.â
Titus throws his hands up.
âI put my arm around her shoulder! We was lookinâ at pictures!â
âSo? Donât fuckinâ touch her!â
Dajiaâs eyes fill with tears. âStack, stopââ
âNo! Cause this shit keep happeninâ! Itâs always some boundary gettinâ crossed!â
Titus laughs. An angry laugh.
âYou really a bitch ass nigga who tries to act hard.â
Everything and everyone goes still.
Titus shakes his head.
âAnd to be honest? Dajia deserves better than your simple minded ass.â
Stack swings automatically.
BOOM. His fist connects with Titusâs nose.
Titus flies backward and lands on his ass.
Everybody screams. âOh shit!â
Smoke and Shaad rush him instantly.
âStack!â Smoke yells.
They grab him before he can get another punch in.
Heâs fighting against them.
Breathing hard.
âYeah! Who the bitch now?!â Stack yells. âLook at you, I knocked you right on yo ass!â
Dajia is frozen. She canât believe what just happened. She canât believe Stack actually hit him.
Annie, Dominique, and Antonio rush outside.
Antonio immediately goes to Titus.
âYou good?â
Titus groans and gets up, his nose bleeding.
Meanwhile, Annie and Dominique rush over to Dajia.
Sheâs crying.
âWhat happened?â Annie asks.
Dajia shakes her head.
âTitus had his arm around my shoulders and Stack flipped out.â
Annie closes her eyes. âOh hell.â
Dominique puts a hand on her chest.
âOh my God.â
Dajia starts crying harder.
âThis was supposed to be a happy day.â
She looks over at Stack. âAnd now look.â
Annie rubs her back. âItâs okay.â
âNo, itâs not! Everybodyâs out here. Titus got punched. Our baby shower is ruined.â
Dominique pulls her into a hug.
âItâs not ruined. We still had a great day.â
But Dajia canât stop crying.
Smoke is still holding Stack back.
âCalm down, Stack! This ainât the time or place! What the fuck is wrong witâ you?â
Stack yanks against him.
âHe called me a bitch!â
Titus yells back âAfter you smacked my arm and went crazy!â
âYou touched my wife!â
Shaad looks between them.
Then shrugs. âNormally Iâd be on Smokeâs side and say calm down.â
Smoke cuts his eyes at him.
âBut that nigga was touchinâ his wife. And Smoke, you would do the same shit.â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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She remains unmarried. With a list of betrothals broken off due to her being a "difficult" woman to deal with by past suitors, her council, desperate to find her a husband hatch a plan to host a tournament for men across the land to fight for her hand in marriage. Two Mercenary twin brother's, down on their luck, see it as their moment to strike big. The biggest they've ever went to bat for.
Content: enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, violence, peer pressure, manipulation, misogyny, sexual tension, slow burn, political intrigue, eventual smut
Cw: explicit language (not the healthiest coping mechanisms), sexual situations, *light* manhandling, voyuerism... shit idk, Its alot going on.
And if your a minor... Dont read this shit bruh.đ
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As soon as the door to the library closed behind her she moved swiftly through the darkened corridors like the devil was on her heels. Her night robe gently swayed every which way at the speed of her gate. She clutched the robe tighter to her body.
She felt off balance. Like her skin was too tight for the body it was wrapped around. She felt hot everywhere despite the chill of the night. A prickle of moisture just beneath the surface of her skin was lying in wait to eventually perspire down her body was ever lingering. Her heart was racing, and it wasnt just from the speed at which she walked.
Damn him, she cursed in her mind.
Most of the staff had gone to bed by this time. The only people occupying the halls were a sparse few royal gaurds, as most of them were concentrated on the outskirts of the property. They gave small bows to her as she passed by, she gave a brief curtsy and bid them goodnight.
She finally reached her chambers after what felt like hours, eventhough at max it was closer to five minutes. Somehow heading back from the library to her room felt longer than heading to the library to find her frustrating husband.
Despite her erratic movements from before, she closed the door slowly with a quiet click careful to not wake anyone nearby. As soon as the door closed behind her she leaned her back against its cool surface, letting out the longest sigh into the empty room. The cool wood, juxtaposed to the heat emitting off her frame had a small calming affect on her.
It didnt last long.
An irritation of two kinds bubbled to the surface. She clenched her jaw, "The fuckin' nerve on that man." Annie could hardly recall any man doing something like that to her.
But what pissed her off even more, was the fact that he had her in such a vulnerable position so easily and she didnt put up any fight. How docile she got just from a little handling from him. She just let herself land in the palm of his hand, and the things he was saying to her-
She covered her face with her hands letting out a bemused groan. Sitting right beside the anger she was feeling, was embarrassment.
The way I just asked that man to tell me what he'd do to me. That was way out of character for her. Even if it wasnt- it cut too close to begging for her comfort. It was even worse knowing that if he pushed just a little more she would've shamelessly let him do whatever he wanted to her right there in that library. Propriety be damned.
Made her almost forget herself. Something he seemed to have the knack for doing. It was getting out of control, even worse now that he now knew that she wasnt nearly as against his advances as previously let on.
He did all that, put her in a vulnerable position, leaving her wanting, just to pull away suddenly? Make demands? Talkin' 'bout how he'll keep doin' her like this 'till she confesses that she wants him as much as he wants her. If she was in her right mind she would've cussed his ass out- 'cause how dare he?
But instead she fled.
A man never made her run as much as he did. He was just so... intense when he's ready. Far from the men she was used to dealing with.
She placed a hand to her chest. Her heart was still beating rapidly, and she could feel every trecherous pulse of it beating right between her thighs. Like a constant reminder of the affect he had on her body... On her.
She grunted, pushing herself stiffly off the door and went straight to her bed, rearranging the pillows in the way she liked for sleep. She put the rest of the decorative pillows onto the ottoman that sat at the foot of her bed.
Once it was set to her liking, she grabbed her silk bonnet, turned off the singular light in the room that casted a warm glow across the room, and eased her way under the silk sheets. She shimmied her body around until she found a position that felt just right, and closed her eyes.
It seemed that the position she chose didnt sit quiet right with her. She didnt feel her body sink into the feeling of sleep like she wanted so she switched positions again, facing the curtained glass doors that led outside to their shared balcony, trying to melt into the bed and relax her body.
It didnt feel right again, her neck and chest still felt hot.
That incessant heat that settled low in her belly had not cooled down.
She was restless. She turned on her stomach, which became equally as uncomfortable after a while, her chest was pressing a bit into her ribs. She flipped over to her side again, hand tucked under her head as she stared into space in her darkened room, letting out a frustrated breath.
She flipped on to her back, eyes to the ceiling. Sleep was struggling to find her, a buzzing energy settled underneath her skin. That consistent pulse that she felt between her thighs was not going away, refusing to allow sleep to find her. The heat in her belly had not cooled down, every change of position, every movement of her legs added pressure exactly to where she was starting to ache. A temptation to touch was steady growing-
No. She refused.
He dont deserve my pleasure.
It seemed like her refusal made the throbbing worse. A budding wetness made its self known, she clenched her legs in hopes that it would stop it from getting any worse.
It didnt.
Her mind kept buzzing with the words he said, the way he touched her, wrapped his strong arms around her soft waist, how easily he maneuvered her around as she was by no means a petite woman. The feel of her body pressed against his. How for a second of insanity she purposefully brushed her hips against his when he spun her around to get an Idea of what he was carrying in those undergarments of his.
She was not disappointed... far from it as a matter of fact.
Those thick, full lips of his- She briefly imagined what they would look like between her legs- his wide callous hands wrapped around her thick thighs as he took his fill of her...
She clenched, her legs crossed between eachother tightened the slightest bit more.
A trecherous need to quench the fire that was building was steady growing. Her fingers twitched.
But once again she refused.
Like if she touched herself off the back of what just happened she would be admitting defeat of some nonsensical game they were playing with eachother. 'Cause thats exactly what it was, and thats what he was playing at. For her to give in to him. Her ego couldnt allow something like that, for some reason a paranoid, unreasonable part of her mind believed that if she touched herself to the thoughts of him, he would know in some way.
Knowing him, he would never let her have peace if he ever knew and with the last words he left her with he clearly had no intentions of coming up off from her.
She scoffed into the empty room, he has enough audacity drippin' off him to drown the whole kingdom with his annoyin' ass.
She resolved herself to simply refuse thinking about him. Veering into thoughts of duties that she had to take care of as a distraction, old wrinkled faces of the elders . In a way it did work... almost immediately dosing the fire building in her to just embers.
Her sleep was very fitful.
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__________________
Annie was not in a good mood.
Her lips seemingly stuck in a twisted in a frown as she rubbed at her puffy eyelids.
She didnt get nearly as much sleep as she would've wanted and it made her feel highly irritable. All thanks to Smoke.
The thought of his name crossing her mind made her grimace, but as always, a quiet knock at the door shifted her attention. She already had an idea of who it was before the door was cracked open.
"Goodmorning my Queen." Ruth piped cheerfully as she fluttered about the royal chambers, followed closely by Pearline, her smooth voice wafting across the room, "I hope you got yourself some good rest."
The queen kissed her teeth.
There was no way in hell she was gonna tell Pearline the reasoning behind her lack of sleep. Still, not wanting to be rude she answered anyways, prim, proper, and formal, "It was fine. Thank you for asking." Short and sweet.
The response made her friend lift a curious brow, but Pearline knowing Annie as well as she did made the choice to leave it for now. As stubborn as the queen was, trying to wrestle out what was troubling her was like pulling teeth.
She'll tell me when she's ready... Atleast I hope she does...
She made a beeline towards Anisa's closet, looking for a gown of the day.
Annie moved to her vanity and Ruth started on getting her hair in order, as the, usually, timid girl quietly rattled off about what kind of new braidstyles were in at the moment and if Annie wanted to try any. Annie let her choose what style the queen would wear for the day, " I trust that you wont have me out here lookin' crazy Ruth, go on an' choose a style for me." Lending the young girl a soft smile.
She figured giving the girl some freedom would aid in building up her confidence, make her feel more sure of herself. She could tell it was working little by little as the young girls footsteps no longer sounded like she didnt want to be heard, sounding more sure of herself, like she belonged here.
Annie turned her eyes toward Pearline sorting through her clothes and noticed the pointed absence of Mary... Once again. The last conversation she shared with her other friend crossing her mind " Why Mary aint with yall today?"
Pearline paused, before letting out an irritable huff "I dont know what's up with her, she all sulky an' she refuse to tell me whats wrong- oh, what color you feelin' today Ann'?", she added, still focused on the task at hand.
"Im feelin' red, -You know what got her down enough that she dont feel the need to show her face round here an' shirk her responsibilities?" Annie raised a manicured brow, her dormant irritation threatening to breach the surface.
"Girl, she aint tell me a thing-but judgin' by how she look at me with enough heat to set me on fire since her twin kissed my hand? I can think up a thing or two." Pearline finally wrenched out a warm red gown, just shy of looking almost orange. "How you feel 'bout this color. Its not a solid red, but I think it'll look real nice against your skin."
"Looks nice Pearl, I like it..." the queen trailed off, there was a thought plaguing her mind and she was deliberating on how much she wanted to divulge, if she wanted to say anything at all. From how things were looking there was already a simmering tension between Pearl and Mary, she decided against it for now. But she will most certainly have a conversation with Mary.
Cause clearly what I told her aint go through that thick skull of hers.
After Pearline and Ruth made their final touches on her outfit, Annie had an urge to take a stroll outside the estate walls before taking on the stress of the day.
She looked at the clock and knew forsure she'd have enough time to.
Just before the two ladies were about to excuse themselves for the rest of the morning, Annie spoke up,
"Before yall leave... would yall like to... Go on a walk with me?"
While she was met with enthusiasm with Ruth giving an immediate yes, Pearline paused for a second, face wrought with subdued suprise because, when was the last time the queen, her friend, offered to hangout outside of obligated times?
Annie's anxiety starting to bleed into her nerves as each second ticked by without a response from Pearline. She contemplated taking back the offer. She didnt want to make her long time friend feel as if she was obligated to just because she was monarch.
She didnt have to wait much longer because soon her worries were calmed when a warm smile slowly spread Pearlines lips, one that could be heard in her voice when she spoke."Which route you wanna take?"
"Let's go to some of the walkways just outside the estate, someplace I can exhale without my breath feelin' restricted. Its too stuffy up in here." Annie fidgeted around, unconsciously proving her own point.
"Girl, I thought you'd never ask- c'mon Ruth!" Pearline motioned excitedly.
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"Im not gone lie Anisa, I dont know how you do it. Even me bein' here a few days back Im already startin' to feel stale. Like some old bread. Them few weeks I spent visitin' family- even with my ancient husband, was such a nice change of pace... You need a vacation or somethin' that takes you outta here for a little while, take a little edge off."
"I already had a vacation. I had a honey moon." Annie supplied confidently, brushing off the suggestion.
"-Which was still spent here and knowing you? A majority of that time was spent actin' like that man you married aint exist..." Pearline turned to Annie, her gaze expectant.
"I... It wasnt that bad, I allowed him to help me with my garden." The queen crossed her arms, and if Pearline was in her right mind she could've sworn it looked like the queen was pouting.
"You 'allowed' him?"
"Yeah, after I discovered he wouldnt stop pesturing me. I figured I might as well have given him somethin' to do."
"Anisa. Theres no way in hell you both felt refreshed from somethin' like that. An' seein' the way you two loom around eachother in all that loaded silence yall both walk around here with? You two carry enough tension to set this whole place on fire."
Annie stiffened, was it that obvious?
Almost as if Pearline read her mind, she Annie patted her on the back with a delicate hand, "Dont worry, aint nothin' obvious when it come to you an' that husband of yours. But I know you Anisa..." she trailed off.
A tension of a different sort say between them. One of a disconnection and a friends past unsuccessful efforts to be close once more.
Ruth, sensing a shift in the atmosphere between the two women slowed her steps giving them some space, before wandering off the trail into the long grass fields, a small movement between the blades caught her attention.
"Dont go too far now!" Anisa called, before she quieted down again, looking somewhere into the distance. She heard Ruth's response back, but didnt fully registered what the girl said.
Pearline didnt speak for a moment, panic in her mind started to set in. Feeling like she ruined what could've been a simple nice one on one outting with her closest friend that she hadnt had the chance to have in God knows how long. She should've been satisfied with just that... she shouldve-
"Hhm..." Annie breathed with introspection. "When you put it that way... I guess you gotta point. Might have to plan a vacation sometime. By myself." She asserted.
"You aint takin' Smoke with you?"
"His ass can stay here an build a damn castle from the ground up for all I care, since he got his nose stuck in all them damn architect books. He irritatin'."
Pearline chuckled, taking note of her friends stiff, closed off posture. While Anisa has been mostly herself, she could feel a buzzing energy of irritation surrounding her. She always had one, as she was having to constantly deal with egos and incompetency at times, she was always good at hiding it for the most part.
But today, she could tell Annie needed to get something off her chest, wether it was steam or something else entirely. Clearly as far as Pearline could tell, the source of her deepened ire was quiet obviously directed towards the king.
"He done anything wrong by you?" Pearline question seriously.
"No... maybe.." the previous annoyance on the queens face morphed between a strange mix of irritation and bashfulness. Her lips twinge.
Interesting
Though Anisa didnt say anything, Pearline had an idea of what it was that was bothering the queen.
"Anisa."
The weight in which Pearline uttered her name immediately drew Annies attention, she turned her eyes towards her friend.
"If this comes off as oversteppin', Im sorry but... have yall been intimate?"
"..."
"-Not that you gotta answer or anything. I just- well... I know what its like to feel a bit frustrated from the lack of, ehm..." Pearline looked towards Ruth wanting to know if she was within ear shot. Not because she felt it was a subject too grown for her ears, she was almost a woman grown and should be aware of these kinds of conversations, but because she didnt want to broach a personal subject of the Queen while others could be with in earshot.
"Hmph!" Annie let out a derisive snort, a scowl twisted her glossed lips.
Pearline stopped in her tracks, eyes widened. "Wait!... Annie" she said in disbelief. Her mind working into over drive. It wasnt an answer, but it was an answer.
Annie turned around, confused by the sudden outburst. "Huh... Girl what's wrong with you? Whatchu doin' all that for?"
"Annie... Anisa."
"Yes Pearl? You better start sayin' somethin' 'cause you 'bout to piss me off."
"Oh hush Anne, like you dont walk 'round here on the edge of cussin' somebody out all the time... as a matter of fact its only gotten worse since that Smoke of yours came along..." she stiffled a fit of laughter trying to escape.
"He aint my Smoke" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest.
"Well you sure is his Annie though..." Pearline teased cheekily, a chesire grin spread across her mouth.
"Now Annie. Even if you wasnt my friend, anyone with eyes can see how that man dont play when it come to you... Now I aint seen much, but from all the whisperin' them servants do when they aint got nothin' better to do, and from what little Ive seen of that man? C'mon now."
"What you hear 'bout him from the servants? What they whisperin' about me an' him?" Annie was curious but on gaurd. Of course people talk, she didnt feel any sort of way about that, it was apart of being royalty.
"Well, when it comes to him, he's a more reserved man but he's been nothin' but kind to 'em..." she trailed off.
The queen hummed, but she could tell there was something Pearline was holding back.
"Go on" Annie prompted, "I aint gon' bite your head off or nothin', I can tell theres somethin' on the tip of your tongue you wanna spill."
"Well, I heard ol' boy came back not too long ago, Brandon. Went as soon as he came. Some said he was flyin' like a bat outta hell."
Annie tampered the smile threatening to break across her face when Pearline mentioned the speed at which Brandon got the hell on back to wherever he came from.
Pearline continued, leaning in conspiratorily, "Heard your husband had his ass cornered, bit the barrel of a gun right to his head. Scarin' the piss outta 'em. Don't help that some of the house keepers were talkin' 'bout how they could smell it off him when he left."
"Oh really?" She played, fake suprised.
"Nah, dont play me Anne. You was my friend longer than you been my queen, you been known about this."
"Yeah, I knew, he told me what he did that same night..."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Im not too suprised. He almost too upfront. Not that I mind really."
"Ah... I see." Pearline nodded in some understanding.
Annie cocked her head to the side quizzically, "I know you mentioned some of the housekeepers and servants gossipin', but Im curious... How you know them kinda details? He never mentioned usin' any kinda weapon. Though I wouldnt put it pass 'em.." Her mind floated back to the time he told her about his background as a mercenary with his twin.
Pearline sneered slightly, "Well, before that 'lil heffa decided to be all weird to me all 'cause she aint gotta leash on her twin, she told me a bit that she heard a bit from Stack, probly pillow talkin' or somethin'."
"Huh..." the queen muttered a knowing look on her face. Her mind was churning,
Smoke made no mentions of his brother bein' involved... Mary steady runnin' her mouth... Stack stirrin' things up...
She kissed her teeth, I aint got the patience for this shit...
Seeing her friend visibly getting worked up over the info she just gave her Pearline tried to soothe it over. " Im sorry, -I aint meant for this to upset you-"
Annie held a hand up to stop her mid sentence. "No Pearl... You didnt upset me, Im just thinkin', I... Thanks for lettin' me know." A smile returned to her face, honestly this little walk she's had with Pearline unfurled some of the tension she didnt realize she was carrying, her shoulders loosened slightly.
Maybe Pearline wasnt someone she had to keep at arms length... Maybe she could let her in just a little mor-
"Queen Anisa!"
Ugh
She knew that shrill voice anywhere. Pearline and Annie turned towards the direction it came from, Ruth a little deeper into the field doing the same.
Councilwoman Maevis, with her ever present scowl etched upon her face made her way to the three women, with two royal gaurds in toe.
"Looks like our little walk is comin' to an end early..." Pearline sighed.
Annie snorted, "Was only a matter of time. Things were too calm...", she turned to her friend, quiet for a moment. Hesitant in what she wanted to say to her.
"Thanks for takin' a walk with me." She let out a loose chuckle, " I didnt realize how much I needed this. How much I missed this..." Annie felt her eyes unexpectedly get heavy with emotion, a tell tale sign of her eyes feeling a bit misty, just before she steeled herself from getting too emotional.
Pearline grabbed a hold of both her hands, "Anisa... Im just happy you wanted me to come with you, I know things haven't been easy. Our friendship can't be what it used to- I mean, we aint kids anymore obviously, but..." she squeezed her hand a bit firmer, Annie felt the warmth of Pearlines hands seeping into her own, a stark contrast from the cool, crisp morning air. "Thank you."
"What you thankin' me for? I didnt do much-"
"Oh girl hush all that nonsense that's bout to leave that mouth a your's an' just listen." She said sternly. Surprisingly, Annie didnt argue, patiently waiting for what she had to say.
"I just wanted to thank you for trustin' me. For lettin' me in even for a little bit, even if its just this one time."
Annie wordlessly pulled Pearline into a long warm hug, slightly rocking eachother side to side, pouring into her what words could not suffice. "It wont be a one time thing Pearline... not if I have any say in it." She could feel her friend melt into at her words, releasing a quiet exhale like a weight was lifted off of her, the both of them really.
Looks like she needs this just as much as I did...
She could tell how sad it made Pearline to see Anisa pull away as she took on her duties over the years. At the time Annie thought it was the right thing to do. The paranoia was just too high to go from having a family one moment to both taken away from her for reasons that remained unknown to having the highest seat in the kingdom. To dealing with men and women alike always looking for an angle...
But maybe... just maybe she could let people get close again...
"Your highness!" The voice got closer.
"Alright", Annie started to pull away, not before rubbing her friends forearms soothingly before she let go of her. " Time to find out what this woman wants." She turned towards the field, seeing Ruth inspecting a black fuzzy caterpillar inching away along a blade a grass. "C'mon Ruth we headin' back now!", waving her over.
Maevis finally reached the pair at the same time Ruth scrambled her way to them aswell. The older woman face forever in that permanent scowl she carries, spoke, her voice slightly out of breath "Did you not here me calling for you?"
"Mhm" Anisa hummed noncommittedly as she began to make her trek back to the estate, her long gait caused the shorter woman to pick up the pace to remain next to her. "And you're all the way out here with no security. Why didnt you respond bac-"
"-Cause last time I checked you weren't in my schedule for today." She cut in sternly, making sure that Maevis could hear that she was not in the mood for any of her nonsense today. "So now Im here wondering what has you walkin' all this way to come and bother me while Im out here enjoying nature with my ladies?"
Maevis was quiet for a moment, taken aback by how biting the Queen was being this early in the day. Today was a day for her to tread lightly, as it seemed that Anisa's fuse was shorter than it normally was.
"I- uhm, well." Maevis cleared her throat, she felt her face warm with embarrassment from her sputtering, "Councilman Cyrus called for another meeting."
"What for?"
"He wanted to check the temperature on the king, see how he's doing with the blueprints for that Youth Center."
"Didnt we just give him those yesterday? How has there been enough time to check for his progression?" A frown already taking over Annie's lips.
"Its not a check for progression, he just wants to know where the king is at with it."
Like that aint vague as hell, Annie quipped in her mind, she already knew it was some bullshit from the get go. It didnt help that she didnt want to see Smoke's ass either.
"So what do I have to do with this? Why not just meet with him yourself?"
"We figured it would be good for you to just have an ear in it, just so your up to date."
Annie sighed, If yall were competent and did good on what you said, you wouldnt need me to be around all the damn time to listen to every little ass detail.
"Alright."
_______________
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.
.
Annie stiffly took her seat next to Smoke, agitation radiating off her in waves. He already looked heavily uninterested in this last minute meeting that he most likely thought was bullshit too.
The only good thing to thos was the fact that Maevis and Obidiah were more subdued in their demeanor this go 'round. No doubt they could feel that she was not in a very patient mood today like she normally was.
All that ire she was carrying in her chest; Mary, Stack, the Council, the whispers, Elijah without allowing much to spillover thanks to that much needed outting with Pearline was beginning to ramp back up. Especially now that she was right between two of the culprits that were part of the reason.
She spared no greeting, no aknowlgment whatsoever of her husband. He had the nerve to look put off by her restricted demeanor.
He needa fix his damn face, lookin' at me like I done him wrong or somethin'
Luckily her thoughts didnt show up on her face which remained neutral and stoic.
No one spoke, they all were looking to her to say something to get the ball rolling.
Already on a short fuse, Anisa broke the silence, voice low and clipped, "Well Im hear now. You dont need to wait on me to start."
All but Smoke fidgetted uncomfortably in their seats, the jingle of jewelry chiming together with each stilted movement with some quiet grumbling from the council.
It was a very clear sign to the elders that she was not having it with them today. Hell, she'd probly fire them on the spot if they said one wrong thing trying to push their luck like they would any other day.
Cyrus, sensing some of the mounting tension lightly coughed in his hand to add a break into an ever mounting tension. "Ehm- first I want to say thank you your majesty's for coming to this meeting on such a short notice... It is greatly appreciated. I assume Maevis explained the nature of this meeting my queen?"
She hummed in agreeance. It was the most aknowlegment he was going to get out of her today, so he went straight into the order of business.
"So... My King, how are you finding the planning for that youth center? I take it you been hard at work?"
Smoke gave a distracted hum, he had not taken his eyes off the Anisa from the moment she entered the councul meeting room all while she was pointedly not meeting his eyes. "Seein' as I only got the blueprints yesterday there aint much to report on, but its been goin', kinda wanted to rework the orginal build so Its been keepin' me busy."
"I bet it has" Anisa muttered under her breath. Smoke no doubt could detect the sarcastic haughtiness in her tone.
"Yeah. The library damn near became my second room right behind my bedroom." He grunted.
She stiffened a bit at the mention of the library, but her face gave nothing away. She hummed, choosing to ignore his goading, "Is that enough of an update for you? Councilman Cyrus?".
The older man seemed caught up in trying to piece together what was being said between the royal spouses and what wasnt said at the same time. "Cyrus-" Her stern voice cut through his wondering.
"Oh- uhm, yes my queen?" He sputtered, unsure and a little embarrassed to be caught not paying attention while simultaneously being the one to call this impromptu meeting in the first place.
"I believe, as you can see Cyrus, the king has everything under control, Im sure he'll ask for your aid should he he need it immediately." And with that, as far as Annie was concerned her part of the meeting was over, she shifted in her seat, ready to make her exit as soon as possible.
Luckily, for once in their old incompetent lives the elders got the hint and swiftly and quietly exited the room.
'Cause what she was not gonna do is play along with what Smoke was trying to get at. Tryna be lowkey slick mentionin that damn library. Let alone at a council meeting infront of company. Granted it was such a subtle comment, given the nature of the discussion, that no one would piece together an idea of what he was implying underneath, but still. It was already taking all of her patience to hang onto (barely) some form of politeness with everyone. That was not reserved for the man that was the aided in her being this prickly in the first place.
Once everyone left, Anisa fixed her skirts before getting up. As she did Elijah wrapped his strong fingers around her wrist, her bangles jingling at the motion. "You aint gotta be all snippy with me, the day just started and it look like you startin'."
This man-
She roughly wrenching her hand out of his firm hold. "Dont go on touchin' on me. I told you before already, you been lost your damn mind." She was out the door before he could get another word in. The skirt of her dress fluttering about with the speed she exited the room with.
It was like being brought back to the beginning, with the queen having this seemingly magical ability to dissappear from him again.
.
.
.
She didnt make an appearance at their shared balcony that evening, what had steadily become their ritual spot of quietly sitting with eachother before going to bed. Whether in shared silence or small talk.
Oh she real mad.
Elijah folded his hands behind his head staring up into the night sky. Watching the thin string of smoke from his cig curl amongst the numerous stars.
He let out a long exhale.
Maybe I pushed too much... He could feel something almost close to regret lightly hold around his chest. Not quiet a squeeze.
No... He immediately shut the thought down. With a woman like that, he'd have to draw it out of her, 'cause if he left it up to Annie, her stubborness wouldnt allow shit to happen whatsoever even if she herself wanted to. She'd just run all over him.
As fucked up as it was he couldnt find himself to fully feel bad about it. Not like she hadnt been teasing him all this time to get a reaction out of him.
And seeing how she reacted when he wrapped his arms around her... Elijah closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. That glimpse of her showing how she desired him- He shook his head, softly chuckling to himself before putting out the cigarette and heading to his bed.
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_________________
The next day didnt prove much difference.
Anisa was still holding out on him, avoiding him when she could, and when she couldnt she was being snippy with him, appearing to always have something to say whenever he spoke. She mostly did that when there weren't other people around, keeping things tense but still respectful infront of company.
It was amusing at first, but after a while Elijah was starting to get annoyed, already over the attitude that she was constantly, unrelentingly, giving him.
.
.
.
He managed to catch her walking down one of the outside corridors where there was always a pleasant breeze blowing through its columns.
He walked up next to her, discreetly folding his hand in hers. She must've been deep in thought because she jumped in suprise at the unexpected touch and proximity from him.
On realizing who had a hold on her arm he saw her face makeup almost instantly, she tried to pull her hand from his, but this time he was prepared for her to do something like that. He firmed his grasp on her hanf preventing her from leaving, "What are you?-",
"Just what do you think you doin'?" He grunted, eyebrows furrowed.
"Huh? What I think Im doin'? Tryna stay the hell away from you is what. Which you like to make impossible for me the way you chasin' me around like you some unruly dog with nothin' better to do."
"You better watch yourself woman." He warned.
"Or what?" She stopped and turn towards him, pushing into his space, puffing her chest out against his. "Whatchu gon' do Smoke? Huh?... Run your mouth some more? Talk about how you mean whatchu say? Drone on 'bout how you not like them "other" men?"
"Nah, you dont get to do me like that."
"Boy if you dont leave me 'lone-"
He firmed his grip on her arm and pulled her right back to him, "Uh-uh, Now what you not gon' do is start sayin' shit that aint true. You know what kinda things Im willin' to do for you. Things Ive already done. I even left that lame ass friend of yours live instead of just killin' his ass 'cause he made you upset in your house."
She paused, he saw her eyes flutter, she faltered slightly.
"Oh so you quiet now? Seemed like you couldnt run outta shit to say to me these past days."
That quickly broke her out of her little quiet spell she just had. At first she looked angry for a split second, before it quickly dissipated, replaced by a cool expression.
She hummed thoughfully, though the silence she held was charged.
"You know... not too long before I came to get you again from that meeting. The one where Cyrus first gave you those blue prints, I talked with Mary."
"..."
"She havin' some problems with that crazy twin of yours. Think he cheatin'."
"Hm." Smoke felt himself increasingly become more apprehensive, unsure of where she was going with this.
"Mhm. Said she wanted to switch twins cause he givin' her a headache... Maybe she's right."
She felt Smoke stiffen next to her
"The fuck you mean by that." His anger flared.
"I mean exactly what I say."
He kissed his teeth, " If you were in your right mind, you wouldnt take half the words that girl says out her mouth."
"And what? Im supposed to take your word over her's?"
"If you know whats good for you"
"If I know whats good for me?" She reiterated, incredulous. "You think just 'cause you been here a lil while as King and I give you some projects means you must know everything then huh?"
"That aint what Im sayin'. You need to watch that friend of yours."
"Mary? The woman thats been one of my closest friends since I was a child?" Her eyes turned to slits. "You gettin' way too comfortable to be sayin' shit thats not your place to say."
"Not my place? Im your husband, the one you married an' said all them vows to, so- I'd say its definitely my place to say that. You need to get rid of her ass."
"Why?"
"Cause she aint no good to you."
"How?"
Elijah paused, mulling over whether he wanted to tell her about the fact that she'd nearly slept with every past suitors of hers. Shit for all he knew those could've aided in her broken betrothals.
"She been sneakin' behind your back."
"Sneakin' doin" what exactly?" She folded her arms across her chest. Still agitated, but holding enough space to hear him out.
"All them past suitors of yours? The broken betrothals? She slept with a good amount of those men behind your back."
She froze as if she was put on pause, air didnt even stir from her. She held her breath altogether at the new information, digesting the bomb he dropped on her. She was quiet for what felt like hours before she finally spoke again, her voice quivered slightly but otherwise remained even.
"How do you know this? Where'd you hear that from?"
"Stack."
Her eye twitched. "Stack." She deadpanned.
"Mhm."
"An' Im just supposed to believe that? Comin' from the twin that like to stir up trouble?"
Elijah felt a flare of defensiveness over his younger twin but he kept his voice even, "You aint gotta believe it for it to be true, you cant keep someone around that moves like that. Its bad for business."
"Just bad for business?"
"Nah, it aint just that. She a shitty friend too."
Annie stared at him blankly, face unreadable, completely shut down from him. The change took him aback, loosening his hold on her. Her anger he was used to, her passion he was used to, and in small little pockets her joy as well, but this? The complete lack of reaction took him off gaurd.
His lax hold on her gave her room to slowly turn around and leave. Leaving him alone with nothing but an empty hall way and the gentle wind brushing against his clothes, and the ever growing distant clicking of her heels against the pavement.
.
.
.
She puts him on ice for several days after that. It wasnt like the previous times when she avoided him because he got on her nerves. This was pointed, overtly so.
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________________
Smoke ventured out the estate again, but instead of his usual trek around the perimeter he took a detour. Walking through the dense, thick foliage-covered narrow path. The path he first walked through when he came here.
Damn, havent even left this place since I won that tournament...
Annie. His wife was the reason he was walking around in the middle of the forest.
He would never admit it, but her silent treatment was getting to him.
Regret that had been hiding in the shadows of his mind were trying to make itself known, and not for the first or second time either. His earlier bravado and confidence he carried was starting to flag and doubts started to seep through.
He took a deep inhale of his cig, head tilted up towards the sky, watching the dappled rays of sunlight flash through the thick canopy of trees overhead. The air here was thick and humid with the type of warmth that sits and doesnt move. He'd only been walking a few minutes and there was beads of sweat cascading down the sides of his temple.
He exhaled, watching the smoke dissipate into the air, mind in deep thought.
Maybe... I should just leave her be... Give her space...
It was obviously the best thing to do.
The sane thing to do in a situation like this...
But Smoke was anything but sane when it came to Annie. The very idea of accepting her distance made his stomach churn, as if his body rejected the very thought of doing something like that despite his wife's very obvious attempts at keeping things like that between them.
"Shit dont even sound right." He said outloud to nobody but himself.
He knew that speaking on Mary would only drive a further wedge between them but he couldnt bring himself to regret that either. She needed to be aware of some one that moved with that kind of specificity in her circles.
The way Mary moved was pointed, a pattern...
Elijahs mind started thinking of all the possible motivations for Mary doing what she did, what for?
Did she want to be Queen? Was there hidden animosity on Mary's side? Is she just plain stupid? An adrenaline junkie that gets off on the idea of doing things she wasnt supposed to be doing?
After watching how Mary moved for a while he was inclined to believe that the girl was plain stupid and just loved trouble... Maybe she did want to be queen, but as far as he knew and what Stack ran his mouth about her, he didnt pick up on her making moves that could lead to that kind of conclusion.
Didnt hear about or see Mary communicate with the councilmembers or show any initiative in taking on responsibilities, quiet the opposite actually. She seemed to like to lounge around with nothing much to do and just enjoy the lavish lifestyle of the uppercrust. Then again, maybe she wanted to be queen from the little power trips she seem to like having, as small as they seem to be.
But she made no moves to network, or make friends or acquaintances with any of the staff and servants. Not even visiting lords or ladies...
Unless she tryin' to sleep with they asses too...
She seemed to isolate herself in all aspects except between herself and the Queen, and their friend Pearline. But even that is getting shakey now, seeing how Stack's interaction with the woman pretty easily drove a wedge between the two, judging how she was huffing and puffing and ready to blow the whole damn house down, when his twin kissed her hand.
Either way it didnt matter. If it was up to him, he'd get rid of her ass in anyway he could just cause. He knew Annie would hate him for it... Probly Stack too. Lord knows what the fuck they got goin' on 'tween them two...
He had no idea what the hell was the nature of the relationship between his twin and that girl. Either way he was gonna have to have a serious talk with Stack eventually. He could sense all the moving parts leading up to something. Whether it was good or bad was anybodies guess.
Smoke hummed, "Man... you really know how to pick 'em Elias..." He said sarcastically to no one in particular, it was just him and the trees and their roots there to offer him a listening ear.
"Damn..." His cigarette was already finished. His mind must have drifted longer than he thought. He couldnt help but laugh at himself, the irony of it all. One of the first things he told Stack before going through this crazy plan of his was that he wasnt going any Politicking. And now look at him, tryning to piece something together.
He knew the reason behind this change of heart. It was that frustrating woman he couldnt get enough of, the one currently driving him insane with the way she snatched her presence away from him, and how determined she was in keeping it that way. "Tch." He crushed the butt of his cigarrette before flicking it into the brush. He turned around, heading back to the compound, whatever was happening the fuse had been lit a long time ago. It was only a matter of time before things would blow up. It was anyone's guess as to exactly what that would look like.
Soon as he reached the front gate he saw his brother waiting for him, gesturing at him with his hands animatedly. "Man what the hell? You know I been lookin' for you? Where you been?"
"Took a walk, needed to clear my mind."
"An you just left by yourself? Don't no gaurd come witchu or some shit? Whatchu need to clear your mind for?"
"They seen how I fight, I dont need no gaurdin' I tell 'em when their needed an' when their not, and in this case Im still in the front yard of the property." He grumbled impatiently, his own fuse was getting shorter each day. Not like he had a long one to begin with.
"I aint never seen you walk off that far, what had you runnin up an' down the jungle cause it was botherin' you that much?..."
Smoke didnt answer. Something Stack noticed he was starting to do more and more these days. He didnt like it. This new found distance that he was starting to feel grow between them.
Stack stopped talking for a moment. There was only one other person on earth that he knew would have Smoke moping around like this.
"Damn, you walkin' around tense as fuck. Got your shoulders damn near scrunched up to your ears and walk all stiff like you got a stick up your ass or somethin'. If you dont go an' put it on her good, all this bickerin' you two be doin' might be the end of all of us". Despite light hearted manner in which he spoke, he couldnt help the slight frustration he was starting to feel with his older brother leak through.
Smoke breeze right on past him without another word.
.
.
.
He set out looking for her.
He checked the gardens, she wasnt there.
The council room?
Not there either.
The kitchens?
Nope.
Library?
Hell no.
He chanced their shared balcony, thinking maybe she retired early in her efforts in avoiding him the whole damn time.
He was tempted to ask one of the servants on her whereabouts. Maybe Nina? Probly not, she was damn near like a daughter to Annie the way she worries about her. Maybe Damian? He was damn near becoming a mini Smoke the way the young boy would shadow him at times. It didnt help that Elijah always seem to have his favorite sweets with him whenever Damian scampered about, most likely doing what he wasnt supposed to. The boy stayed getting in trouble with the head maid.
Nah...
Not only would word of him looking for her reach Anisa before he could ever find her with the way word travels fast through the halls, (probly why shes been so good at avoiding him so far.) he didnt really want to involve anyone in their petty little spat they were having, let alone the younger ones.
Pearline and Mary were out of the question.
Smoke left the balcony, then his chambers. Once again found himself wandering the the hallways until he walked past the central courtyard again, irritated and somewhat aimless. The rush of the garden waterfalls did nothing to calm his agitated nerves.
Until he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching him from behind at an increasing pace. His body tensed immediately. The feeling of being snuck up on made his body pull tight, ready to spring into action at a moments notice, but he had to remind himself that he shares a space with multiple people, and he wasnt in the mercenary business anymore.
A feminine voice, one that most definitely was not Annie, obnoxiously cleared her throat behind him. An indication that the owner of the voice was expecting a response from him.
He turned, a scowl firmly fixed to his face, to see who it was. He was met by the pissed off form of the very last person he wanted to see right now.
Mary.
In another slim pink gown, brunette hair perfectly curled, and the incessantly tapping of her foot echoing across the expansive corridor. She was close to wearing her heel down to the sole at the rate she was going.
"Now, I don't remember exchangin' any kinda of words with you, but just who do you think your clearin' your throat at?" He rasped warningly, low and quiet
Mary looked slightly taken a back. His tone sounded different, but she quickly gathered herself, eyes narrowed. "Just who you think your talkin' to Stack? I been lookin' all over for you-"
"Who do you think your talkin to?" He cut in, "For how you stay up under his ass you should be able to tell the difference 'tween us."
"Smoke?..."
"Mary"
Her previous bravado deflated almost instantly, realising she was addressing the wrong twin. Drawing into herself, becoming almost meek.
"Well- um... have you seen 'em? Your brother I mean."
"Yeah, just passed him at the front gate." He tileted his head in its direction. "That's where you'll find 'em if he aint move from now."
"Oh- ok..."
She stayed rooted to the spot.
Smoke turned to continue his search, but he felt Mary's hand grab his wrist before he could fully walk away, "wait!-". He turned towards her, and she let go of his wrist just as quickly, as if she unkowingly put her hand on a hot stove top and burned herself.
"Whatchu want girl, I aint got all day."
"You lookin' for Annie?"
His ears perked, but he had his reservations still, especially with this woman right here... But it had been several days since he last talked or seen Annie. Still he didnt respond. Not that he needed to anyways, as Mary continued talking even though he didnt say anything back, just stared at her with the same scowl he carried everywhere with him.
"She always dissappearin' it seems..." she trailed off.
Hm...
Smoke wasnt a stupid man, running the streets as long as he and Stack have. He had an inkling of where this was going, but he needed confirmation of something. 'Cause if there was one thing Annie pointed out that he couldnt blame her for being suspicious of, is the fact that the info he got from Mary primarily came through Stack.
A man that at this very moment, the queen trusted as far as she could throw him, which wasnt much at all.
And all Smoke had besides that were assumptions and suspicions. Nothing concrete.
Shit- this was more of Stacks area of expertise, but as far as he was concerned Mary was a liability to Anisa, to his brother. And for that simple reason he wanted her ass out of here.
"Is that right?..." he didnt like the idea of having to seem intrigued by this kind of gossip, but he needed to give her rope, and if his assumptions were right, it would be just enough for her to hang herself with...
"Yeah. You aint gotta say nothin' shes my friend, known her since we was kids and could barely string words together." Mary breathed out a light chuckle, filling in the uncomfortable stretch of silence, as Smoke remained stone still. His unwavering eye contact made her feel slightly uneasy, but she pushed on. "I know she aint always the easiest woman to deal with. Seein' whats been goin' on between you two its not hard to assume that it's somethin' your already aware of."
"What makes you say that? What's a 'lil bickerin' gon' do to me? That shit dont bother me none. I like a woman with a 'lil bite." He shrugged.
"Yeah, but all the time though? I cant recall a long enough period where yall two went without there bein' an issue. You dont crave a 'lil peace?..."
Oh she bold.
"An' whatchu know 'bout peace?" He grunted, like you dont do shit but carry trouble an' cause problems. His patience for this was already ticking with each second he was spent hold up by her and hearing how Mary was speaking of Annie was not helping.
He saw a flash of movement from the corner of his eyes. His sight briefly flitted to a shadowed hallway.
"Oh I know plenty 'bout it... Know enough to see that, that aint what you gettin' from her-"
"You betta watch that loose mouth a your's, talkin' bout my wife like that." He stepped to the woman, his presence looming over her slight form. Her eyes widened for a split second, her stance faltered.
Smoke didnt let up, "Dont think I dont know whatchu tryna do. What you've done already- goin' 'round behind her back, fuckin' the scraps she wouldnt give the time of day to."
She was taken aback, her body jerked as if he'd just slapped her. Her face heated with embarrassment, a ruddy pink marring her cheeks as she began to sputter, " I- wha? Where you hear that from?!" She hissed.
Not a denial. Not a defense. An accusation that carried venom and a silent vow to poison whoever leaked such info and allowed such a thing to spread.
"Dont matter." He gruffed, his words final.
"You tell anyone this?"
He remained silent, it was the loudest silence Mary ever heard in her life, her body language screamed of agitation. The way her fingers started fidgeting. That mouth of her's that always put on gentle smile contorted into a deep sneer. Until suddenly she stopped fidgetinf, he could see in real time the gears turning in her head as she was caught red handed.
Her light unbothered tone contrasted the twisted look on her face. "I find out anyone else know about this... find out if they heard it from you? If I Annie hear about this, Imma bury you. Ruin this shit for you an' your brother quicker than you can reach the end of this damn hallway, your asses will be gone 'fore the sun even get a chance to set the same day..."
He leaned away, a cool mask of indifference took over his expression, folding his arms across his wide chest. He cocked his head to the side, looked her up and down and it wasnt in a suggestive manner. He was analyzing her, deliberating.
"Im gone' tell you somethin', an' Im only gon' say this once. You can go head an' do whatever it is you do, just know this... You out here threatin' me... Threatenin' my baby brother, sneakin' my wife. Ill make sure your ass is buried 'fore the night ends whether they send my ass away or not. Shoot, I might even put your body beneath them pretty flowers beds by the fountain or maybe Annie's 'lil herb garden. 'Least that way you'd be some use to her, returning her kindness to you by bein' fertilizer for her lemongrass or her ginger root that she put in them little healin' remedies of hers..." the casual tone of his would've fooled someone into thinking he was discussing something as inoffensive as what the time was.
He scoffed, "Only thing savin' you from me gettin' rid of your 'lil pasty ass is that Annie would hate me for it." And with that he breeze past her unfazed, his path took a detour, fillowing the hallways where he could've sworn he detected movement.
Leaving a behind a speechless Mary rooted to the spot, her heart in her throat. A part of her wanted to retaliate, call his bluff but...Something about the older twin made her stop herself. If even half of the things Stack said to her were true about what he and Smoke did to make Brandon tuck tail and scurry on outta here... Then he wasnt a man that made empty threats, he made promises.
A shiver went up her spine. The chill that came over the intimidating man when she threatened him was unlike anything she experienced.
Mary resumed walking, her movements stilted and akward, as if in a daze. Her mind was a maelstrom with this new revelation that he knew of some of her escapades with the queens ex suitors which meant there were more than a couple of people were privy to the "rumor".
She was determined to find out how he found out. She had an inkling of who it might be...
_________________
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.
.
Smoke walked towards the hallways were he swore he could sense movement. He didnt know why but something in him told him to follow. He thought he was going crazy cause there was no noise to accompany the idea that someone was there, until he reached the open mouth entrance that led into an interior of the main building. A flash of a deep Azure hemline skirt disappeared around a corner before he could fully catch whoever it was.
He followed, his feet picking up the pace to catch up to them. Clearly the person heard him trailing because he could hear the click of their footsteps quicken, aware of the fact that they were being followed.
He bent another corner, almost crashing into Nina, "-Oh! Greetings your highness is there something going on? You look to be in as much of a rush as-"
"''Scuse me, sorry Nina- cant talk right now. I'll get back witcha'." Manuervering around the young lady without a hitch, just in time enough to catch more of the skirt of a royal blue dress dissappear around the corner.
The closer he got, he could hear the soft chimes of delicate jewelry brushing against one another. There was only one person that it could be walking around with that distinct noise.
He was increasingly closing the distance following through the maze of hallways, each turn getting closer and closer. Until one final turn had him able to see her fully before she turned another corner. The swiftness in which she moved was starting to make him dizzy and the constant evasion was starting to piss him off.
"Annie"
He heard her footsteps falter at the mention of her name... Right before she picked up the pace again.
Luckily for Elijah, that slight falter she made allowed him time to close the distance she was keeping between them just a bit more. When he his the next turn he was able to fully see the back of her. Her deep blue gown fluttering just above the ground, making it look as if she was floating across the stone floors. Her smooth, deep brown skin looked radiant even in the diffused lighting of the windowless hallways of the interior. Even now the glint of her ever present golden jewelry caught in the low-light like a beacon.
He drank the image of her in, like a parched man stumbling upon an oasis after wandering the desert for many days.
"Anisa."
She ignored him.
"Annie! I know you hear me callin' you-" he grunted.
She walked up some steps, the light of the sun coming back in full force. His eyes squinting against sun light peaking through the pillars of the second floor of the estate walkways.
He knew exactly where she was headed, as it was mostly royalty and their guests were stationed on the second floor of the main compound. She was heading to her chambers. No doubt to lock him out. Literally.
Just as he passed the door to his own room, Annie had her hand firmly wrapped around the door handle to her Royal chamber ready to twist.
"-You better come an' talk to me. I know you heard all that."
She opened the door with a little more force than necessary. He expected an immediate slamming of the door in his face as she physically communicated how much she did NOT want to talk with him.
She stormed past him but unexpectedly left her door completely opened. A silent invitation, albeit a tenuous one.
He slowly walked in, realizing in all this time he never been in her room before. It felt cozy, the warm, spiced scent washed over him like a phantom's touch. Cinnamon? Her room was an array of earth tones. He could see it having a calming effect on anyone embraced by the space. But at the very moment, it felt as unwelcoming as the woman who it belonged to.
"Well?..."
A dry, humorless laugh escaped her. She shook her head, her back still facing him. "Boy you... you REALLY got alot of nerve."
"Then tell me. Tell me how I got a lot of nerve then." For as deceptively calm they both sounded, there was an ocean of unresolved tension, things left unsaid, and an undercurrent of emotions in its depths threatening to spill over, like a fractured dam whose faults only grew bigger, and deeper overtime.
Annie let out a tired, frustrated sigh. "You... you just-" she turned, facing him. Her brows furrowed, face full of displeasure, her full lips turned up in a frown. None of it took away from how beautiful she was.
"You know what? Nevermind, I dont know what I was thinkin'. Leave." She waved him off.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no. I aint leavin' this here room." He said with an edge of stubborness, promising to be just as difficult as her in this moment.
"If you dont leave I'll-"
"You'll what? You been avoidin' for almost a while week now without another word. Were going to talk."
"There aint much to talk about."
"The fuck you mean there aint much to talk about?"
"Well, there aint. You proved your point. Heard it straight from the horses mouth that my friend I've known for almost my whole life been on some back doorin' shit. You happy now?"
When He didnt respond immediately Annie continued,
"For all I know she might be part of the reason for my reputation being known as being "difficult" to be betrothed to. The reason my council came up with makin' a whole fiasco of a tournament just to get someone to marry me, like Im some unruly, desperate woman whose unfit to be a wife. Shit- they probly makin' me look like Im unfit to be a damn ruler." Her breathing became slightly elevated, she was getting worked up.
"After all the things I gone through..." she locked eyes with Smoke. "She was right along with me, seein' all the moments where I started feelin' like I was inadequate. As a woman... As a potential wife..." her voice becoming uncharacteristically small, a crack in her vulnerability.
"An here I was, isolatin' myself from her an' Pearline, thinkin' it was the right thing to do. Maybe somethin' in me felt that things were off. I was just too distracted." She brought her hands to her face, covering it as she took a deep breath.
"Now Im here feelin' like a damn fool after you told me what she was about. An' I refused to listen...Is that what you wanted huh? To prove a point?" Her temper flaring back up.
"No thats not-"
"Maybe you shouldnt have turned her down. Since she seems to know so much about bein' a mans peace, seems like its worked for her so far, I aint built for that shit."
"You aint even makin' no damn sense right now woman. How much you heard?"
"I heard enough. I aint gotta make sense to you, you stay talkin' bout how you not like them other bums I dealt with before and you know what? You right. You way worse then any man I had to deal with, you just wanna prove a point, thats all you wanna do." She hissed at him, pushing at his sturdy chest.
"Now get the fuck outta my room Smoke, I dont know what the hell you thought you was gon' accomplish followin' me all the way up here." She turned her back, pointed letting him know that the conversation was over and she would ignore him beyond this point.
Wordlessly, and not for the first time either, Elijah grabbed a hold of her arm, spinning her around to face him, his eyes so heavy on her, she swore she could feel the weight of his gaze. "How many times you gon' grab me?!-"
His voice came quiet, low and raspy, " As many times until you remember that, that aint the name you call me." He walked her backwards, firm but not forcefully, his grip loose enough that if she wanted to escape she always could.
She never did.
The back of her knees met the side of her bed and he continued to press until her back met her bed. Her soft body jostled slightly off the springy mattress.
A sharp breath escaped her, completely caught off gaurd as Elijah loomed over her, strong hands still wrapped around her wrists. Her eyebrows creased together, nose widened in anger, preparing to curse him out or slap the hell out him, maybe both. "If you dont get your sorry ass-", he grabbed her face, pulling towards him, searing her lips with an almost bruising pressure. Teeth almost clacking together in the heat of it. As if he was trying to pour out every once of anger and irritation he was building towards her in that one kiss.
Disappointingly she feels her own body yield slightly. Feeling her shift in demeanor, he softened, with her now able to feel the plushness of his own lips fully as he switched to lightly nipping her own, before he pulled his face away from hers. His breath newly labored from him kissing her, his face showing only mild irritation. "You dont know what you do to me? You piss me off like nobody else." He moved his face to the side of her neck, she could feel the vibration of his voice rumble against her own chest. The warmth of his breath ghosted across the nape of her neck, " An' nobody put a fire in me like you do." He lightly kissed her neck. She instinctively moved her head to the side to give him more access letting out a soft sigh, before he started to travel a little lower. "If you aint have a heart for her ass, I woulda done her the same way I did your other "childhood friend, 'cept I would've finished the job" His voice rough and gravely, juxtaposed to how he softly nipped at her collar bone.
"Dont say them kinda things. You dont mean that 'Lijah", she groaned. Her jewelry chimed with every slight squirm she made.
There it was, the way her rich soft tone wrapped around her little nickname for him. He pulled back, "when you gon' learn woman? How many times imma have to tell you I say what I mean..."
His hands that rested at her wrists started to move. Gently grazing across her smooth skin with the delicate lightness of a feather, a sharp contrast to his earlier handling of her. Wherever he touched he left a trail of heat and goosebumps in its wake. Distractingly making her hyper aware of the position they were in now. That intensity in his eyes never changed, as his hand settled on her waist briefly.
"I know what gotchu more upset, you bein' more vicious than usual... Its my fault aint it?" He cooed softly.
His warm callous fingers lightly fanned across her body. His hands traveled up, brushing over her sides, chest, barely grazing her peaked nipples as he brought both hands to either side of her neck. Leaving a trail of heat in their wake wherever he touched, before he seared his lips across her own once more, this time much more gentler than before. Her breathing deepened and her body became restless.
He didnt linger too long, she felt his warm hands start to travel lower and could feel her body start to heat up in anticipation, her body kept the score from when he last touched her. When he set a fire in her so deep it refused to cool down since. Distance just made the ache worse.
She was so keenly aware of his touch as one of his hands traveled lower, brushing past her hips, Annie could've sworn she could feel every ridge of his fingertips prints through her dress.
She held her breath, body taut, wordlessly shifting her legs, slightly parting them. A silent invitation. One he took graciously.
His hand traveled up one of her plush thighs, before reaching its destination at its apex. He cupped her, resting his hand against her panties. Feeling of soft, warm, and undeniably wet she was, if the dampness he could feel there was any indication, before shifting it to the side, feeling the heat of her flesh underneath. Only a slight hitch of her breath was the only sound she made giving away how much his touch was affecting her.
"Looks like 'lil miss down her got more sense than you" he murmured. He held his hand still, barely applying any of the pressure Annie really needed as she'd been incessantly aching.
She shifts her hips, attempting to push herself onto his hand, but feels him pull back again. She let's out a sound of pure frustration mixed in with desperation, she was starting to ache just shy of being uncomfortable.
Elijah's voice roughly cut through, "I already told you what I wanted to hear from you Annie. I need to hear it straight from your lips-" she lifts herself up from her lying position, her elbows digging into the mattress. She was already at her wits end with want, and he just set her off with his demands of her.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Your dick dont work or somethin?" She hissed.
"Whatchu just say?"
"You heard me." She responded, defiant.
As defiantly as one could look with his hand beneath her skirt. He froze, his face blank aside from his blown out pupils, eyes almost black against the diffused sunlight that flitered through the sheer curtains against the windows of her room.
She almost regretted what she said until he felt his hand move, applying morr pressure to where she was silently begging the most. She lets out a light puff of breath at the change, becoming very still as she leaned back down.
"You angry with me baby?..." His hands start to gently caress her folds, fingers grazing her clit with lightness of a feather, more pressure than he applied before, but not nearly enough as she needed.
"Smoke-" she gritted her teeth, the feeling of desperation was slowly starting to rear its ugly head.
"That aint my name- and I asked you a question." He berated roughly.
"Yes! Im angry with you" She hissed, but there was an unmistakable whine saturated along the edges of her tone. She turned her head to the side, as if she wanted to bury herself away somewhere. The admittance making her oddly feel vulnerable. A small part of her wanting to escape the unwavering focus of Elijah's dark eyes. Until she faced him again, her doe eyes boring into his before allowing herself to release her unfiltered frustrations.
"You comin' and tellin' me that my friend that I've known for almost all my life, been sneakin' behind my back with men that were courtin' me, just for me to come and see her try that with you- and then you-." She stops herself mid rant, letting out a harsh exhale as Elijah started to add more pressure, circling her clit gently before sliding his hand further down to where her she was yearning for the most. He slightly pushed one of his fingers into her wet opening, not enough to penetrate, but enough to feel its promise.
"Elijah..." she quietly groaned, it wasnt enough.
"I dont give a shit 'bout that lil heffa you call friend, an' whatever the fuck she up to. Im talkin' to you, about you." He grunted, "Its a part. But that aint all why you angry with me." He rasped, he grabbed one of her legs, lifting it slightly and pulling it to the side, spreading her open a bit wider to give him some more room for his fingers to work, one of them inserting itself deeper into her
"Ah- I-", Annie turned her head to the side, eyebrows scrunched together, eyes screwed shut. She felt more wetness pool out from her, her kneejerk instinct to close her legs were blocked by his body being in the way, leaving her open at his mercy.
"That dont sound like nothing to me, use your words woman. You aint have no problems usin' em' when you was lashin' out on me. Like Im some aint shit bum on the street that you can talk any which way to, like I aint your husband. What else are you angry with me about?" He pushed, his smokey voice wrapped around her like his namesake.
She was soaking so much so from all the pent up sexual frustration she was feeling that she could hear how much noise her pussy was making. Even the intrusion from his finger had her walls fluttering, desperate to pull him in further, hungry for more
"Im mad at how... how you left me." She rasped. Anticipation was starting to kill her.
"How I leave you?"
"You already know how you left me-"
"Nah Annie, I already told you. You better start usin' them words or I swear 'fore God Imma stop right now."
Annie felt her temper flare "how 'bout you leave me the fuck alone then If you aint gon' do shit"
He pulled away taking her undergarment with him, the heat of his hand leaving her where she craved most had her ready to properly cuss him out.
"You-"
"Hush up all that damn noise" He barked, "You sittin' here yellin' at me, talkin' to me any sorta way- all while you leakin' like a faucet up under me, messin' up these nice 'lil expensive sheets of yours an' I barely even touched you yet."
He roughly grabbed her hips pulled her towards his. Resting her now bare pussy onto his clothed manhood. She unashamedly tried to grind herself onto him, just to seek some kind of release, any. But the infernal man firmed his strong grip on her hips, restricting her movement. She almost let out a sob, biting her lip to prevent such a pathetic sound from escaping.
At this point she didnt even understand her stubborness, her refusal to give him what he wanted, but he was really starting to wear her down. Little cracks were beginning to form in her previously iron clad resolve. She wanted him. Bad.
As bad as he wanted her.
Just as she was about to throw caution into the wind and take pleasure for herself she felt him starting pull back slightly again, to deny her again. Her thick thighs that were previously laid out to either side wrapped around him, preventing him from fully leaving.
"You talkin' 'bout how Im crazy an' you over here makin' no kind of sense. You tell me to leave you alone and then you got your legs wrapped round me like you aint ever want me to leave. Which is it huh? You want me gone, or you want me to stay? I already told you what I want from you."
"..."
"You better say somethin' Anisa or I'll leave you as is." He warned.
"I-...", She fell silent giving no answer.
Smokes patience was wearing thin, unexpectedly he grabbed Annies hips, tilting her pelvis slightly upward with her legs spread. She let out a startled grunt. He grabbed one of the pillows that was strewn about the bed in all the rustling they were doing and placed it under her hips. He leaned back slightly drinking her in, eyes half-lidded.
The skirt of her dress had ridden up past her hips, fully exposing her lower half. Her upper half was askewed, no thanks to his earlier ministrations. One of the sleeves of her dress hung off the sides of her shoulder, her generous chest threatened to spill out of her top, her body completely lax, her hands splayed to her sides. Her beautiful piercing eyes almost arrested him on the spot,
Fuck. There aint no one on Gods green earth that deserves to see such a sight. Hell, he didnt even know what good he did in his fucked up life to deserve to see such a thing...
He quickly regrouped himself, focusing on the task at hand. He hadnt said a word.
Eventhough just moments ago Annie wrapped her legs around him to keep him here this new position felt deeply vulnerable and exposing as from where he situated her, he was looking directly at her fluttering pussy.
Oddly enough, the need to cover herself never came, the new position allowed her to melt into the soft mattress, even with the intense scrutiny Elijahs hooded eyes were giving her. A quiet, maybe equally insane part of her loved when all of his focus was directed towards her. However intense it was, she consumed it all like an addiction.
His raspy graveled tone cut through the breathing silence between them,"You dont wanna tell me? Fine... but you better show me."
"Show you?" Her voice breathless.
"Mhm..." His voice low, eyes lowered.
She didnt know what possessed her, but she reached down between her spread legs, parting her lower lips and started touching herself.
Circling her stiff nub, before flicking it side to side, she needed more. She released a sharp exhale, not realizing how long she was holding her breath.
Elijah locked in on her hand, watching as it gradually became more and more covered in her own arousal, the glide of her fingers becoming smoother as she continued to play with herself.
"When's..." he trailed off at a loss of words. He was in a trance. "When's the last time you touched yourself?" The words came out uncharacteristically strained.
"I- It's been a while... I almost did..."
"When"
He watched her hand intensely as she moved it lower, cirling her entrance but never penetrating, not only could he see how wet she was getting, he heard it. Everytime she brushed her opening it was as if he could hear her pussy trying to suck her own fingers in.
He was impossibly hard, he was almost suprise his dick didnt just burst open through his trousers.
"T-that night after the library... When I left you." Her breath hitched, she fucking herself with her fingers slowly.
"Why didnt you?"
"I- ah, I didnt think you deserved it." She whined.
"Didnt deserve what? Your pleasure? Your pussy? You?" He asked, stern, but an edge of desperation. His control was wearing thin, fraying at the edges.
He grabbed one of her legs in an almost vice-like grip, lifting it up resting it against his shoulder, parting them wider, just shy of uncomfortable.
"Ahn-" The unexpected shift made her fingers plunge deeper than she anticipated.
"Im waitin' Annie."
"Yesss..."
He hummed.
"You didnt..." she paused, "you aint made no good on your promises. You left me..."
"How I leave you?" He mummured softly against the skin of her ankle, restrained but anxious to hear what truth would leave her trembling lips.
"You left me aching... I-" she sped up her pace, fingers working furiously, her thumb brushing back up against her clit as she fucked herself with her fingers. Her head tipped back, exposing the line of her neck, necklaces sliding against each other at the action, no longer nestled between her breasts as they pooled against her neck and collar bone. "Ugh..." she groaned, low in her throat.
Elijah felt the muscles in her legs tense up, her hips twitched, simultaneously lifting and pulling away, as if they were unsure whether they wanted to move away or towards the release she was chasing.
Elijah quietly watched her, watched as her fingers moved in and out of her pussy, the closer she got to her peaked the wetter she got. The wet, squelching noises emanating from between her legs were down right filthy. It was music to his ears.
Her whines reached a fever pitch. He watched as her walls clenched around her digits then released. Then clench again, then release. She was close, her face twisted in a grimace, biting the bottom of her full lips. Breathing heavily, concentrated on reaching her peak.
Just as she felt her release coming, Elijah grabbed her wrist, stilling her movements.
A sob escaped her lips, "Lijah please-!" She almost thrashed herself around the bed. He lowered himself, pressing chest to chest watching as she squirmed. Her eyes were wet with desperation, she looked close to crying.
"Annie... look at me." he cooed quietly, calm in a way that commanded her attention. "You let me take care of you. Ya' hear me?"
She nodded her head so slightly, he wouldve almost not registered it. "Elijah please... I want more... I want you, please... take care of me. 'Lijah." She begged quietly, she couldnt take anymore, she felt like she was about to explode.
He kissed her softly, before pulling back "Thank you mama. Thats my good girl..." he spoke softly against her lips.
He knew how much weight those words carried for her. It was more than just to satisfy her, he wanted her to let him take care of her in anyway he could. If she allowed.
He gently pulled her hand from between her legs, making her whine softly at the loss. "Shh... Dont worry, Imma make it all better. I know you achin' baby. I know its my fault." He brought her hand towards his face, her fingers coated in her essence, before he brought them to his lips, getting a taste of her on his tongue. He stiffled a moan that threatened to to make itself known. He needed to taste her, needed it more than anything right now.
He replaced her hand back with his own, she was soaking. It made it easy for him to glide his fingers through her lips before inserting his fingers into her heat, all the way down to the knuckle with almost no resistance. She clenched around him in a vice grip. He couldnt help the groan that escaped his mouth. Her pussy held on to him like she never wanted him to leave her.
The noises coming out of Annie grew in volume, stiffled moans and choked off whines were the only things she was could manage. Her body was vibrating.
He slid against her body, removing his hand while he was lowering himself until she could feel his cool breath ghosted across her heated center. It made her shiver in anticipation, her already elevated heart rate sped up just a bit more. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his shoulders. In turn he wrapped his strong arms around her thighs, anchoring him to her, leaving no space for her to run if she wanted to.
He didnt let her wait before he went straight to it. Dragging his tongue across her slit, before thrusting it into her opening, licking on her like he was trying to swallow her whole. The sensation coupled with his nose bumping across her clit in tandem had her groaning, long and low.
He felt her fingers card through his curls, her nails scraping across his scalp, just shy of pain. It sent a shiver down his spine. He traveled up, focusing his attention directly on her nub, flicking it side to side. He moved his hands, one thumb sliding across her slit before it crooked, pushing one of her pussy lips to the side, exposing her innerlips to the cool air of the room before he shifted his hands once more putting his fingers back where she needed it most, steadily thrusting in and out in a come hither motion.
He didnt stop his onslaught of him tonguing her down, like he was making love to her pussy. "Ugh... shit, Smoke- 'Lijah, fuck. Dont stop. Please ah-!"
He could her walls rhythmically spasming, she was getting close again. He sped up his efforts. The grip she had on his gair tightened, every part of her body pulled taught like a drawn bowstring ready to snap. Annie' legs started to quiver, until they tightened around his ears, her hips working in tandem with him, grinding back and forth. She was damn near impaling herself on his hand like it was his own dick in her chase for her release that had been denied from her so many times
She let out a low, desperate keen before her body locked up, keeping Smoke in place as he felt her inner walls spasming and tighten, and she damn near drenched his hand with a new wave of wetness as her orgasm finally hit her in waves.
He never stopped stroking and licking her through, riding each wave until she tugged on his hair. Silently letting him know it was almost too much, she was starting to get overstimulated.
He finally eased off, his fingers pulled out of her with a wet pop. Her legs went limp at his sides as she was still catching her breath.
Annie watched him with blown pupils, her mouth slightly agape. Elijah couldnt recall a time she was ever as subdued as she was being now. She moved placing her hands on both sides of his face, one of her thumbs caressed his lips, her eyes half-lidded, looking at them intently before she moved it to his cheek, gently moving her thumb back and forth. She had a look on her face he'd never seen before.
Open... The quietness she carried wasnt one thick with tension, but one that carried a delicate vulnerability she rarely showed. She almost looked like she didnt know what to do with herself in the aftermath of something like this. In the quiet.
Any previous fire from before was snuffed out. He shifted, laying his body next to her on the bed looking at eachother. Elijah's chest felt weird with the way she was looking at him. Warm from the inside out.
He didnt realize that the thought to get himself off didnt cross his mind. Just her pleasure. He wanted her to feel good, in the moment, it was all that mattered.
He saw her eyes droop slightly she was tired. It was more than just the fact that he wrung the pleasure out of her, but relaxed sleepiness that came with a release, sexually, emotionally.
He knew everything was laid out in the open, it was still an unfinished conversation. But looking at her heavy eyes, they could get to that later.
"C'mere go head an' rest some." He pulled her to his warm chest.
"I cant it's only the middle of the day, I got things I have to do..." she trailed off, her voice getting heavy with sleep.
"The kingdom wont fall if you take an afternoon Anne'" he mummured quietly. He felt her body melt into his, her breathing deepened, tickling the skin of his neck
She was already gone.
He tightened his hold on her before settling, her drowsiness contagious and the warmth of her being in his arms was all he needed to follow her. Closing his eyes, the afternoon breeze caressing the room, calming the heat that was once there.
Elijah couldnt recall a moment in his life where he felt this content in someone's presence.
But she wasnt just anyone, she was Annie.
His Annie...
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A/n: I dont even know... Just a whole lot going on, sorry for the waitđ„Ž
Fuck- I hate being shy, lowkey wanted to blow up writing this and not even post anything.đ
Just fade into obscurity, all dramatic an' shit.
*Im so sorry Annie, I dont know why I had that man torture you like thatđ*
Theres still alot of things left unsaid, conversations that need to be had so... Its only gonna get more convoluted from here, just lemme cook, I know where Im tryna land this planeđđ€âïž
A gritty, Neo-noir crime drama that explores themes of morality, brotherhood, and love.
An alternate universe where twin brothers Elijah âSmokeâ and Elias âStackâ Moore never return to Mississippi after World War I. Instead, they make a name for themselves during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, where number slips and jazz clubs fuel dreams. But when Smoke becomes enamored by a mysterious woman from New Orleans, he decides he wants to leave the game for good.
Contains: Explicit language, sexual content, drugs, violence, death, themes of love, loyalty, morality, and family.
Prologue
In 1917, Elijah and Elias Moore left the cotton fields of Clarksdale, Mississippi and never looked back.
With just the clothes on their backs they made their way to Manhattan, where they enlisted and shipped off with the 369th Infantry Regiment.Â
The Black Rattlers.Â
The Harlem Hellfighters.Â
191 days of front-line combat. Of trenches. Of gunfire and grenades. It changed them. But the Moore twins were carved by violence long before they set foot on European soil.
Their father used to beat them. Regularly. Mercilessly. From the time they were too young and weak to fight back. Then one day the pendulum swung. A sudden, bloody shift where the students finally outmastered their teacher.Â
So they took a train up north.
By the time they came back from the war, they swore theyâd never go back to Mississippi. Not to the cotton fields, not to sharecropping, not to their fatherâs shadow, and not to the klan or Jim Crow breathing down their necks.Â
Harlem was where it was at. It was glittering, alive, musical, brilliant. It was expanding, demanding, thriving. Becoming. It was the Black Mecca of the north. Some folks called it a Negro Renaissance. A revival.Â
Others would say itâs what should have been all along, but it never had the soil or sunlight to survive. Literati, intelligentsia, poets, physicians, engineers, singers, musicians, librariansâthinkers. Black folks in Harlem had the space to exist and expand.
The twins hustled from Central Harlem to Hamilton Heights. They joined the numbers racket in the 1920âsâ providing enforcement, protection, punishment.Â
They earned their nicknames in muscle, grit, and gunplayâÂ
The SmokeStack Twins.Â
Smoke was the controlled violence, the calm hand. Stack was social violence with a smile.
Now more than a decade later they were flourishing. From 135th, to 155th, to the Hudson Riverâ Hamilton Heights was their playground.Â
And Sugar Hill was where they called home.
Taglist: @myheartsaysyes @theethighpriestess
Soooo what y'all think so far? Is this something you'd like to see me continue? đŹ Drop an opinion in the comments.
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Elijah finally settled down for the night after making sure the other boys and Tiger were really asleep. Sighing softly, he lies down staring at the ceiling as he thinks about her.
âI wonder what Annie's doing?..â he muttered to himself with a thoughtful expression as his head tilted to the side of the pillow. His mind drifts towards her like it usually does when he starts to wonder about her.
A faint grin grows on his face as he thinks about the date they set for Friday.
Elijah starts to fall asleep, his eyelids slowly falling, for the first time in Elijah's life, sleep finally comes to him easily tonight.
That's new for him.
Five hours later.
Elijah woke up suddenly to a noise downstairs, and he glanced at the clock seeing it was three in the morning. Sighing he got up, thinking it's Tiger probably getting some water like he usually does.
He slowly heads downstairs, making sure not to be too loud so he won't scare Tiger. Elijah tends to do it by accident because of how quietly he moves.
He rounds the corner and pauses as he sees a tall body instead of the short and adorable body he was expecting.
Elijah minds rushing to figure out if it's one of the other boys or an actual intruder.
âHm, he's been eating good yo.â an almost familiar voice muttered underneath their breath as they reached for Smoke's good cheese and salami. They chuckled.
Elijah's eyes narrowed in confusion before grumbling under his breath as he realized who it was.
He moves slowly up to them before quickly moving his arm around their neck, quickly putting them in a headlock.
âWhoa!â They blurted out while Elijah turned on the light.
âWhat the hell are you doing, Stack?!â He asked firmly with a huff as he kept his hold around his brother's neck tight.
âHow did you know it was me?â Elias immediately asks as he struggles against his hold.
âThere's only one person in this world that messes with my food and it's you, fool.â He huffed out, letting him go with irritation written all over his face.
âMessing with my good cheese and meat, that's for my lunch.â Elijah sighed deeply as he moved to put away his sandwich ingredients.
âWell now, I ain't know it was for your precious lunch,â Eilas said as he moved to take a seat, rolling his eyes at Elijah's words. While he watches his brother grumble to himself as he grabs eggs deciding to make Elias something to eat anyway.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Elias speaks up.
âSo..how you been?â He asked softly with a faint smile as Elijah placed the plate in front of him. âI've been fine, you?..â he responded with a sigh as he took a seat across from him.
âWell I've been better, Mary ain't talking to me and I ain't got no place.â He sighed as he bit into the egg sandwich. âYou are the only one who knows how to make an egg sandwich right, I swear,â Eilas said softly with a chuckle as he looked at his twin.
Elijah shook his head and smiled faintly as he slowly got over his irritation. âItâs nice to see you too, Stack.â he said with a warm tone.
Elias smiled softly and nodded slightly as he resumed eating the egg sandwich. â You think I could stay here?â he asked after a moment. âJust until I find something for myself of course Don't wanna get you in trouble.â He added shortly after he wiped crumbs away.
Elijah hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to get in trouble with the school but then he remembered who ran it which helped him get over his hesitation rather quickly. âOf course you can stay, I ain't got no problem with that,â he said with a firm nod as he stood up âjust don't cause too much trouble, you do have my face remember?â He teased as he shook Elias' head slightly, knowing his brother couldn't stay out of trouble even if he tried..
âNow why would I cause trouble? I'm an innocent man,â he said loud enough for him to hear as Elijah headed back upstairs, shaking his head in amusement.
âSure, sure.â He muttered with a huff as he leaned against the railing, a chuckle escaping him.
âThere's a spare bedroom down here on the right by my office and extra covers in the closet if I'm not mistaken,â he mentions as he watches his brother for a moment.Â
Elias hummed quietly as he enjoyed his egg sandwich. Elijah wasn't good at cooking many things, but an egg sandwich was the one thing he could make right.
âTry not to stay up too late, and make sure to clean up when you're done,â he called out softly as he continued up the steps.
âThanks again Elijah!â he quickly responded.
âDon't mention it.â He said over his shoulder before re-entering his room.
â
11:34 in the morning.Â
Tiger wakes up and smells pancakes and bacon, he quickly gets out of bed, noticing the other boys heading inside the house. He beats them to the kitchen before pausing, something off.
âDamn, y'all look hungry,â Eilas said with surprise as he chuckled at them, he could see that they felt something was off so he decided to play into it.
He placed pancakes on plates. âY'all gonna eat or what?â He asked sarcastically.
âThis gotta be a trick,â Dwight muttered to the other boys.
âHe's..happy?..â Alex soon spoke as they all took a seat, a bit cautious.
Eilas's head turned into a smirk as he heard their words, âThis is gonna be funâ he thought to himself.Â
â
Meanwhile, outside.
âWhat the hell is taking them so long?â Elijah muttered to himself with a deep sigh as he glanced at his watch, they were supposed to be training by now.
He glanced at the barracks before seeing something move out of the corner of his eye immediately recognizing who it was.
âMiss Richard's, what a surprise,â he said with a hum as he tilted his head as he watched her walk towards him.
âYou're still surprised by me showing up?â She said with a chuckle as she adjusted her grip on her briefcase.
âWell no, just like saying that I suppose,â Elijah muttered with a faint smile as he glanced at her outfit. âYou look very nice today.â Her light yellow dress complements the deepness of her skin tone.
Annie held back a smirk as she watched his eyes linger a bit on her body before finally traveling back to her eyes. âThank you, you don't look bad yourself. Major.â She spoke softly as she chuckled.
âAh, it took me forever to pick out this outfit,â Elijah said with a bit of sarcasm as he adjusted his collar.
Annie giggles softly at his words, shaking with amusement. He watched her, his smile growing to a full-blown grin.
She glanced around the field. âWhere are the boys, Ain't y'all supposed to be training?..â she asked softly as she tilted her head, resting her hand on her hip.
He sighed deeply and nodded."We were, yes. I don't know what's taking them so long, they should've gotten Tiger by now.â He answered as he glanced at the house before it finally clicked for it.Â
âDamnit.â he sighed before starting to walk back to the house.
Annie looked at him confused before slowly catching up with him.
â
âWell major, I didn't know you knew how to cook.âDwight expresses disbelief while chewing his pancakes as the other boys nod in agreement.
âEh, I cook here and there when I feel like it.â Elias says as he sips his coffee having to stop himself from gagging at the taste âHow does my brother drink this shit?â He muttered to himself with a hint of disgust and irritation, hating how he was taking his role of pretending to be his brother too seriously now.
Tiger watches him closely, sensing something isn't right he just can't place what it is yet.
â
Elijah sighed deeply as he opened the door, he let Annie go first before entering behind her, moving towards the kitchen.
His eyes landed on the breakfast and then soon his brother who was clearly messing with the boys.
âWhat's got you so-â Annie starts saying before going quiet as she sees a man with the same face as the major, and soon disbelief grows on her face.
âThere are two of you?!â She blurted out without thinking, and the boys quickly turned to look at her before surprise grew on their faces as well, quickly glancing between both men.
âWhoa..â Tiger muttered with curiosity and slight awe at the fact that there are two of the Major now.
Elias pauses as his eyes land on her, a smirk growing on his face as he's back in his element.
âWell, who is she?â He asked with a raised eyebrow, his eyes traveling along her curves with curiosity and a hint of something else.
Elijah sighs deeply as he glances at everyone else before looking back at his brother.
âPretending to be me again, huh?â He said with a huff as he noticed the uniform on his brother.Â
âWell, who else besides me, hm?â He responded with a smirk as he leaned back in the chair, resting his hands behind his head.
âYou still didn't answer my question, Smoke,â he said with a hum as he stood up and basically glided towards Annie.
âWho is this beautiful woman?â He asked again with a certain charm in his voice as he smiled, gently grabbing her hand to press a faint kiss towards her knuckles.
Elijah rolled his eyes hard at his brother's antics.
The boys watch with curiosity and amusement as they glance at both brothers.
Annie stared at him in disbelief, having to make sure she ain't dreaming by pitching Elijah.
âReally?â He grunted softly as he looked at her before looking at Stack, who was still staring at Annie with a look he had no business giving her.
He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering what he did to deserve this before clearing his thoughts and moving Stack from Annie. âEveryone, this is my brother Elias..â He answered the question that was on their faces.Â
âStack, this is Annie. She's one of the school counselors here, she helps me with the boys from time to time.â He sighed as he finally answered Stackâs question.
âAnnie,hm.â He mumbled under his breath as he tilted his head.
Annie lets out a soft huff as she looks between the two of them again, just to make sure she's seeing correctly.
âYou didn't think to tell me you had a twin?â She expresses crossing her arms, stack eyes immediately traveling there unable to stop the freak in him.
Smoke's eyes do glance there but his gaze doesn't linger long like his brother's , he refocuses on her eyes after smacking stack on the back of his head.
âWhy you did that?!â Stack huffed out as he rubbed his head, glaring at the smoke.
âHuh, that's why he smacks us on the head,â Dwight muttered to Alex under his breath before continuing to watch the twins.
Smoke immediately glares right back. Stack rolled his eyes and shook his head as he looked back at Annie.
âWell, I was gonna tell you on Friday. As a conversation starter.â He said gently with a soft gaze he genuinely did mean to tell her.Â
It's not like he expected his brother to show up unannounced.
Stack looks between both of them, starting to realize what's happening. He crosses his arms, smirking to himself.Â
â
âI still can't believe you're a twin,â Annie uttered softly, still in disbelief at there being two of him.
Elijah chuckled faintly, finding her reaction a bit amusing even though he won't admit it.
âYou still finding that hard to beli-â he startedÂ
âIâm the better twin of course.â A voice suddenly spoke up behind them, spooking them.
Elijah had quickly turned around to punch whomever it was before realizing it was his brother. âDamnit, stack..â Elijah muttered with irritation, feeling a headache come on already and his brother has only been here for a damn day and he's already getting on his last nerve.
âWhoa, man! Chill with all that.â Stack huffed as he used his hands to block his face. âThis is the Second time he has done that, you know.â He says to Annie as he steps up to her, smirking trying to use his charms on her.
Annie chuckles faintly at Stackâs antics, tilting her head slightly, humoring him a bit. âIs that so?..â looking between both of them.
Elijah watched his brother through narrowed eyes, he's this close to choking him. He glanced at Annie, pausing as he noticed the look she was giving his brother and now he's ten times more annoyed.
Is he being a little irrational? Yes, yes he is..
Does he care though? No, no he does not.
âI gotta go..â he muttered to them before walking away, heading back to the training field.
â
Annie started to say see you later but smoke was already gone before she could get the words out.
âAh don't mind him,â Stack spoke up beside her, dismissively waving his hand watching his brother walk for a moment before turning to face her.
His gaze traveled along her body, unable to stop himself as he started to circle her.
âThat's a mighty fine dress you got on.â He said teasingly, voice a bit deep as he flashed a smile at her, a hint of his top grill showing a bit.
She let out a soft amused huff and tilted her head, resting a hand on her hip as he stopped in front of her.
âMhm, thank you.â She responded with a faint chuckle, fixing her head to look at him fully.
Stackâs smile grew bigger, his dimples getting deeper.Â
That usually gets them.
âSo, what's up with you and my brother, hm?..â he asked softly with a raised eyebrow placing his hands behind his back, stepping closer to her.
Annie paused a bit, surprised by his direct question.âExcuse you?..â
He chuckled, rubbing his mustache.âWhat's going on with you and my brother?..â he asked again, even more directly if that's possible.
âNothing is going on with Elijah and me," Annie said simply with a sigh as she crossed her arms. âWe're just friends.â
Stack stared at her for a moment, observing her expression before laughing.Â
âYou is funny, Annie.â He said in between laughter as he wiped away fake tears, a smirk on his face.
Annie blinked in surprise at the sudden laughter. âWhat's funny?..â
âThat you think nothing's going on with you and him.â
âNothing is.â
Stack pauses and tilts his head before chuckling, sighing gently as he looks her in the eyes.
âAnd you really believe that?â
She freezes before huffing softly, letting out a chuckle of disbelief.
âYes, I actually do believe that.â She says firmly with a sigh.
âSo what's happening on Friday?..â he asked simply, raising an eyebrow, chuckling as he saw her taken aback.
Clapping his hands, he steps back. âyou know what? I'mma just leave that alone..â He said softly.
Annie sighed and adjusted her bag. âJust be gentle with him, he got bad nerves!.â Stack called out watching her walk away.
â
Elijah hums quietly to himself as he walks around the grocery store, grabbing a few things. âSo you and Annie have a date on Friday?â Stack asked out of nowhere
âJesus Christ,stack!â Elijah said as he turned to face him. âStop sneaking up on me or next time I'm shooting your ass.â He grumbled with a huff ,turning back to the cart.
Stack chuckled as he moved to the side of him. âOh please, like you would ever do that,â he said while putting his things in the cart.
Elijah glares at him and if looks could kill Stack would be six feet into the ground about now.
âOkay maybe you will.â He muttered to himself as he smirked at him.
âStill ain't answer my question.â He said simply as he crossed his arms as they reached the check out counter.
âYou're really testing meâ He said back as he glanced at stack.
âYou know I ain't trying to take your girl right?.â Stack says with a small smirk as he knows exactly how his brother is going to react.
âShe ain't my girl,â
âShe ain't my girl.â
they both said, Elijah immediately turned to face stack.
âStop that.â
âStop that.
Elijah paused, glaring at him before speaking again.
âStack, stop.â
âStack, stop.â
Elijah takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose , knowing his brother wasn't going to stop.
âWe just friends.â Stack says immediately with him.
âYou know, she said the same thing.â He hummed as he rubbed his chin, watching Smoke before chuckling softly, shaking his head as he focused on the things getting scanned by the cashier.
Smoke took in his words, Annie said the same thing? He leaves his thoughts as Stack starts up again.
âSo what's happening on Friday?â He questioned again a bit more seriously now.âBecause you and your woman are dodging my questions.â
Elijah sighed deeply, this close to throwing him through a window.
âYou've only been here for a day and you already tap dancing on my last nerve.â He muttered underneath his breath with a huff.
"Dinner,just dinner. That's what's happening on Friday.â he sighed, eventually giving into his brother's persistent questioning.
âOnly dinner?..â Stack challenged with a raised eyebrow, tilting his head.
âYes, only dinner,â he started, paying for his and stackâs things. âAnd she ain't my woman, she's my friend. There's a big difference.â
Stack narrowed his eyes before smacking his lips as he grabbed his bag. âbig difference my ass, that's yo woman, rather you want to admit it or not.â he uttered sarcastically.Â
âShe's not my woman.â He muttered with a sigh, watching stack leave the store before following suit.
-
Thursday 2 :30 pm
Three days..
It's been three days and his brother has already caused some mess.
Stack being the man that he is, has flirted with every female teacher he sets his eyes on which has caused problems for Elijah because they all think he's him when they see him.
âHey, you think Miss James is married?..â Stack asks as he jogs by smoke.
âStack..I don't even know a Miss James." He sighed deeply as he glanced at him before focusing back on the jog.
âReally?â He muttered with a huff, "I thought you being here for six months, you've known everyone by noââ he gets cut off as smoke starts to jog faster.
âNow I know y'all can move faster than that, come on!â He said as he started jogging backwards to look at the boys.
Stack sighed deeply and narrowed his eyes before catching up with him.
âIs it because of her, that you haven't learned every woman's name at that school?.â he asked bluntly, sugarring coating nothing as he looked at his brother.
Smoke sighed deeply and faced forward.
âWho exactly is this âherâ,you speak of?..â he asked, he knew exactly who he was talking about because she's been the only thing he can think about..
Besides other things..
Stack rolled his eyes and shook his head.
âNow you know damn well.â he smacks his teeth,looking at smoke.
Elijah held back a smirk before clearing his throat. âGonna have to finish this conversation a different time, little brother.âÂ
âBruh! I'm your little brother by three minutes!..â Stack huffed as he started chasing smoke.
Later that day
 You remember Miss James? Yeah, here she comes.
âElijah, you didn't forget our date on friday?â she spoke up softly, standing in front of the lunch table he's sitting at.
Elijah pauses, blinking blankly at his sandwich he was about to tear up in a moment. âAin't you married?â he asked bluntly, looking at her with a bit of irritation.
âI ain't married.â she scoffed, crossing her arms.
He looked at her hands , searching for a ring or any indication she might be married. âWell youâre talking to the wrong twin.â He said after a moment, not finding anything that gave off married from here.
Now it was her turn to look at him like he was crazy. âThe hell do you mean âwrong twinâ?..â she narrowed her eyes.
Of course stack forgot to mention that important detail.
He sighed deeply and rubbed his nose, he just wanted to enjoy his sandwich.
â
5:20 pm, Elijahâs office.
âSo, what are you going to wear on your date?,â stack questioned with raised eyebrows.â Cause I can't have you going on that date looking crazy, you are a reflection of me.â He added shortly after with a nod.
Smoke looked up from the papers and stared at stack blankly.Â
âIt's not a damn date.â He corrected it for the millionth time. âIt's dinner.â
âFine, not a âdateâ..â stack reluctantly muttered with air quotes. âStill, what are you going to wear, bruh?..â he asked again.
âAlright, what's with this?â Smoke gesturing towards his brother doing air quotes, irritation entering his body, Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose.Â
âYou know exactly what this is.â stack muttered underneath his breath as he avoided smoke's gaze, knowing he probably glaring a hole into his face.
âAnd I don't know, I'm just gonna wear my whites.â Smoke added reluctantly, he sighed before going back to reading papers while keeping an eye on stack as he walked around the office.
âYour whites?..hm."Stack muttered to himself as he rubbed his chin in thought.
âMiss Annie does seem like the type of woman to like a man in a uniform..â he muttered to no one in particular.. âbig bro! You might get some Friday!."Stack exclaimed with a smirk as he walked up to him.
âStack, what the hell are you talking about?..â he sighed deeply as stack pulled him up.Â
âMy boy, you're getting some tomorrow night, and I'm gonna make sure of it.â stack expresses with a chuckle.
Elijah stared at him with a blank expression, watching him circle him like he was a model.
âYou gon need a haircut, definitely a shave around that beard..â stack muttered to himself , tilting his head as he stopped back in front of him.
Smoke raised an eyebrow at his brother's words before walking over to the mirror. âWhat's wrong with my beard? I like it.â He said with a huff as he glanced at himself,tilting his head side to side.
âWell of course you like it, you don't care about your appearance as much as i do.âhe said with an eye roll as he stepped to the side of him.
âYou wanna look good for Annie, yes?..âstack asked with a raised eyebrow.
Smoke glanced at his brother before looking away , sighing gently. He did want to look good for her, it's hard not to try to look good for a woman like that.
âFine.âhe uttered after a moment.Â
âJust don't cut too much off, please,â he quickly said as stack went to grab his clippers, stack never goes anywhere without them damn clippers. âI worked hard to grow this beard.â He added quietly to himself as he turned his gaze back to the mirror.
â
5:55 pm Annie's home
Annie was cleaning up in the kitchen, keeping her hands busy.
Her thoughts went to the date dinner that Elijah and her were having tomorrow. She honestly doesn't know what it means.
Two adults can go have dinner and not have it be a date..
Right?..
âAnn, why you moving around like a busybee?â A soft rusty voice spoke from the living room.
Theodore, her grandfather, had been watching his shows when he noticed how fidgety his Lil Ann was.
âHuh papa?..â She muttered softly, getting out of her head as she looked over her shoulder through the kitchen opening.
Theo let out a soft huff and shook his head. âI said why you moving around like a busybee,chĂšre?..â he repeated, still keeping the soft tone.
Oh..
Annie lets out a small sigh and gives a small nod. âJust trying to keep busy papa.â She says gently with a soft gaze before turning back to the dishes.
He watched her with a raised eyebrow âRight..â he muttered with a small sigh before focusing back on the tv..well tired too.
â
Friday 8:00 pm
It was finally time for their date..
Elijah stood anxiously outside her door, he glanced around the house seeing the modest yet warm feel it had , he could also tell she didn't live alone.
He turned his gaze to the flowers. âYou can't go wrong with roses, Smoke. Women love them.â Elijah recalled what his brother said.
He didn't really think Annie liked roses but he wasn't gonna show up empty handed either.
âHe cut too much of my mustache, man.â He muttered as he noticed himself in the window reflection, sighing deeply Elijah rubbed the bridge of his nose counting to ten in his head.
He paused before finally knocking on the door, he had stood out there for a good five minutes, his nerves getting the best of him.
â
Theodore watched his granddaughter with a soft and warm gaze.
âyou remind me of how your grandmother looked on our first date.â He spoke up softly with a small smile.
Annie beams at his words, smiling gently as she smooths out her dress once more.
âThank you papa, you never fail to remind me.â She kissed his cheek softly.
Theodore, usually the stoic man that he is, couldn't help the full grin that started to grow on his face, heâll proudly admit to his other grandchildren that Annie is his favorite grandbaby and he has no shame in it.
âSo..you still aint tell me nothing about your date, all i know is he took that job to work with that military unit at your school.â he spoke softly as he watched her head down the hallway to grab something.
âHis name is Elijah and he's around the same age as me papa.â She says over her shoulder she grabs her earrings off the nightstand and starts to put them on.Â
She didn't tell him that Elijah served in the military because he always told her to never marry one, ironically considering he served in the army.
 âElijah? Sounds respectable enough.â he thought to himself as he glanced at the tv before hearing the knocking at the door.
âAh, right on time.â He says to himself he stands up and answers the door, he moves quite fast for his age.
âWait pap-â she started to speak
â
Theodore stood tall as he looked the man in his eyes, giving a once over.
Noting the dress whites, he raised an eyebrow, his Annie forgot to mention that the man was also a military man as well.
âYou must be Elijah, I'm assuming?..â he asked simply. Holding eye contact with him.  Â
Elijah paused.
He gotta deal with her father now? His nerves are gonna be all over the place now.
âYes sir, I'm Elijah. Elijah Moore." He spoke with a nod as he extended his hand, fighting back the trembles.Â
Thedore noticed the trembles.
He knows exactly what they mean because he gets them from time to time. This man fought in the war, his expression softened up a little but not by much, didn't want Elijah getting too comfortable just yet.Â
He gave him a firm handshake, nodding as he
acknowledged the simple respect.
Most of Annie's dates in the past always gave half-assed handshakes and he never liked them simply because it showed they would half-assed love his grandbaby and he wasnât gonna let them do that to his Lil Annie.
âCome on in,sonâ he opened the door up, making room for Elijah to come in.
 âGuess the old man doesnât hate me yet.â he thought as he stepped through the threshold.
âYou must be her father,sir?â he questioned with a curious gaze as he glanced around the home.
Theodore stops in his tracks to look at Elijah before laughing right in his face.
âSon, I am not that young.â he chuckled as he patted him on the back while heading back to his favorite chair. âIâm her grandfather.â he added with a hum,relaxing into the chair.
 âThat's even worse.â Elijah thought cause now he really gotta prove himself to this man. A man that came from a generation where men paid for everything without complaining.
He gotta step his game up.
âSo what are your intentions with my granddaughter?â
â
Annie sighed deeply as she hid in the room for a moment, suddenly feeling nervous and she usually doesnât, what has Elijah done to her?
âGirl calm down, it's not that serious.â she muttered to herself as she looked in the mirror , putting one more pin in her hair. âIt's just dinner,nothing too serious.â she thought with a small nod before grabbing her clutch.
â
âWell me and her are just friends sir.â Elijah said to him, fidgeting with the flowers as he looked at the man.
âRight..friends.â Theodore says simply, not believing it one bit.Â
She stepped out of the room and headed to the living room where Theodore and Elijah were talking before the conversion went quiet as she entered the room
Elijah sat there starstruck, words stuck in his throat as his gaze traveled along her curves.Â
Theodore watched him with a small smirk, exactly how he was with her grandmother.Â
âThis might just work out.â He thought to himself as he watched Elijah stand up clearly going to approach her but his feet just won't cooperate at this very moment.
âY-you look incredible, ann..â Elijah finally got out as he met her gaze, his grip on the flowers so tight that they're starting to shake.
Annie smiled softly at his words and that almost sent him into a coma.
Theodore watched silently, letting out a small chuckle. âSon, you're supposed to give her the flowers.â He spoke up softly,lightly pushing him towards her.
Elijah glanced at the older man before looking back at Annie. âI ain't know which flowers you would've liked, so I went with roses.â he says with a small nod, rubbing the back of his head while giving her the flowers.Â
He ain't ever been shy like this before but this got him acting like a teenager with their first crush.
âThese are pretty, Elijah." She beamed.â Imma put these in some water and then we can go, okay?..â she says softly and he gives a small nod.
He watched her head to the kitchen and his gaze linger a bit too long for grandpa's liking.Â
Theodore cleared his throat very loudly, the way it sounded like a duck quaking.Â
Elijah sighed deeply realizing he just got caught staring by this woman's grandfather.
He turned to face him slowly, giving a tight lip smile.
âWatch them eyes, son.â Theodore said simply but the threat was very much clear.    Â
He responded with a small nod.
â
At the restaurant.
âYou donât really talk that much about yourself do ya?.â she said softly with a faint smile as she looked at Elijah, tilting her head slightly.
Elijah looked up from his food, having been focused on her talking. âI like to listen more than I speak.â He sighed as he gave a small nod.
She observed him as he returned back to eating. âArenât you a military kid?â She asked softly , taking a bite of her steak.
âItâs obvious..huh?..â he said softly with a faint smile as he wiped his mouth.
She gives a small nod.
âWell,me and my brother have been military kids all our life really, been all over the place.â He said with a nod as he adjusted in his seat. âMy father was a hard ass but he installed some great values into me and my brother.â He sighed.
âI just donât know how much stayed with stack, though.â He muttered softly with a chuckle as he tilted his head, matching hers subconsciously.
Annie chuckled softly , giving a soft smile as she looked at him. âSounds like your father was an okay man..â she spoke gently with a hum.
Elijah's smile faded a little . âYeah, I guess he was.â He muttered thoughtfully before switching the subject.Â
âSo Ann, why did you become a teacher?..â he asked softly as he sat up straighter, genuinely curious.
She tilted her head and smiled faintly, catching onto the nickname. âWell, I suppose I became a teacher because my grandma was one,âshe started off. âShe was no nonsense type of teacher but her students loved her to death.â She says with a warm tone , a hint of nostalgia entering her voice.
Elijah listened intently to her, saving the information for later.
But for a small moment his gaze traveled along her face , watching the way she always has a hint of a smile on her face or the way she tilts her head when she notices something.  Â
Or the way her eyes- âElijah?â Finally reaching his ears, he snapped out of it, clearing his throat as he met her gaze.
âDid you hear a word I said?..â she asks with a teasing tone, taking a sip of water as she stared at him with a knowing look.
He stared back at her , a faint smile growing on his face.
She caught him and he..likes that.
âI absolutely did hear everything you said.â He finally speaks, matching her tilted head.
She bites back a smile. âThen what was I just saying?â
Elijah raises an eyebrow at her, sitting up straight.
âYou were just talking about what has pushed you towards becoming a teacher,â he began with a hum. âAnd how your grandmother is your motivation and inspiration for yourself, you take pride in that.â He finished off, his gaze softening as he watched hers do the same.Â
âAnything else you would like to test me on?â He teased, feeling a bit more out of his shell around her.
Annie lets out a soft giggle, glancing away for a moment.
He smiled at that, biting the inside of his cheek before returning back to eating.
â
9:20 pm on the way to Annieâs house.
They sit in comfortable silence as Elijah drives her home, the radio playing Marvin Gaye quietly.
He hums along as he hears âI want youâ start playing.
âI want you , the right wayâ he starts singing quietly to himself , tapping his fingers against the stirring wheel.
Annie glances at Elijah as she hears him singing , smiling faintly as he keeps going.
âBut I want you to want me too.â
 âI want you to want me, baby.â She starts singing along and Elijah immediately looks at her, chuckling softly.
âWhat you know about this song?..â he teased, smiling softly.
She giggles at him , turning towards him. âWhat I know about this song? Baby ,this my favorite song.â She  responded back with a small smirk on her face.
He chuckles softly as he shakes his slightly âthought I was the only that listens to this album.â He exclaims with a warm tone, glancing at her as she sings.
âWell you thought wrong.â She teased,smiling as she resumed her singing.
 âOh, I give you all the love I want in return, sweet darlingâÂ
âI guess I did..â he muttered to himself as he watched her for a moment , his feelings for her getting dangerously serious.
But theyâre just friends..right?  Â
Right.  Â
â
âI had a good time tonight, Eli.â Annie says with a soft smile as he walks her up to her door.
Elijah chuckles and gives a small nod. âI did too, glad I found someone who also listens to Marvin Gaye.â He says with a smile matching hers as he steps up the stairs with her.
âThought I was the only one..â he mumbled as he looked at her.Â
âWell you ainât anymore.â She says back with a hum as she pulls out her key.
He watched her quietly, his gaze traveling along the side of her face, a tenderness passing through them as he noticed the faint dimple she has.
He leans against the door frame, paying attention to how he puts the key in the lock but doesnât turn it.
âElijah..â she started , pausing as she turned to him.
âYes, Annie?..â he whispered softly, his voice getting a little raspy without him realizing it.
âI-..I would like to do this again some time.â She whispered back, matching his tone.
(Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?đ)
âMe too.â He hummed as his gaze landed on her plump lips,the amount times he thought about them is down right crazy.
They stare at each other's lips for an eternity before Elijah finally gives in and presses his lips against hers,sighing into the kiss as it starts off soft but quickly turned heated.
He cups her face in his hands, tilting his head slightly as their tongues brushed against each other. He pulls back slightly for air before his mouth is on her neck, leaving wet kisses there.
Annie lets out a quiet moan. âE-Elijah.âÂ
He pulls back thinking he did something wrong before meeting her gaze and seeing the quite opposite, he pulls her closer resuming his kisses on her neck, grunting quietly as he feels her hand on his belt.
Before it can go further thereâs a knock on the window.
They immediately pulled away and turned to face the window, seeing Theodore standing there with raised eyebrows and a small smirk.
Annie immediately hides her face against Elijah's chest, he chuckles nervously and gives a small wave to her grandfather before turning to her.
âWell, um..â he tries to say anything but heâs stuck on that kiss they were lost in. âWell we just got caught..âhe finally gets out with a chuckle and, rubbing her back as she finally opens the door.
âSee you at school, ann..â he muttered with a small smirk as he looks at her.
âSee you at school, Eli..â she muttered back with a small smile before closing the door.
Elijah chuckles as he walks down the steps towards his car.
âI want you , baby.â He sang quietly to himself with a warm smile opening the car door.
â
Welp..what yall think?đâïž first time writing a kiss ya girl was nervous LOL
Sorry I kept y'all waiting! Work, work, work, life, Love Island, a building evacuation, and all that. Now I have made it home and in my own bed. This chapter is shorter because I felt it would better to cut it off before Smoke arrived in the Delta to propose to Annie.
Chapter 4
WC: 3.6K
Sobs shook Marcyâs body and echoed off the metal walls of her daddyâs old work shed. Her little Annie would be marrying the son of that evil Adam Moore. No prayer, spell, ritual, or poison could keep that man from getting her back like he said he would. Even from the grave. She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. âNot my baby, not my baby, not my, baby,â Marcy chanted over and over again just like she did when Annie was born sick. Her pain reached the depth of her bloodlineâpast when her people were stolen from their homeland in chains.
The more the tears flowed, the more she felt separated from the power that she used to rely on. Nothing answered back. She dropped to her knees and changed her prayer. âProtect her, please.â
Something moved under her, not enough to be seen but enough to be felt. That was all the confirmation she needed that she had been heard. The sweltering heat inside the shed now wrapped around her, drenching her in sweat. She ran to open the door and breathe in the fresh air and jumped back when she noticed her sister was standing there. âHelen! Why you gotta sneak up on folks like that?â
âI called your name, Marcy.â She zeroed in on Marcyâs tear-filled eyes and puffy face. âHe ainât like Adam.â
âThen why the hell he look so much like him?! Why would he have his eyes, his faceânothing of her. Nothing. Even the way he walk is just like his daddy! And you didnât tell me that he had been seeinâ my baby!â The betrayal she felt from her sister cut deeper than anything else.Â
Helen kept her cool demeanor and shrugged. âThis somethinâ bigger than us, Marcy and you know I donât get in the way of what need to be done. That girl in that house knowinâ her life about to change and you and Mama actinâ like fools.â
âShe donât know what she doin! She donât know how dangerous a man like that is! She donât know how he can drag her down.â Marcy pulled at her hair. âI donât want to watch her fall in love with him just to find out too late he ainât worth nothin.âÂ
Shifting her eyes to the sky, Helen pursed her lips. âShe ainât Lettie, Marcy. She ainât. She in that house right now probably hurtinâ and scared because how you actin. Annie think she doinâ the right thing for the family and you out here chasinâ ghosts.â
Rolling her eyes, Marcy pulled out a cigarette and lit it. With a deep inhale, she felt comforted by the sensation of the nicotine. âWell, everybody canât be like you, Helen. I like to feel stuff sometimes. I wasnât never gonna be happy about my baby marryinâ somebody like that.â
Something in her sisterâs tone caused Helen to stand up straighter. âWell, it ainât about you, itâs about Annie. Either you can help her through this or you can keep actinâ like the world is against you.â
Marcy looked past her sister allowing the silence to answer for her as she took another drag on the cigarette.
Casting one last pitying look at her sister, Helen turned and went on about her day.
**********
There was a lot of chatter around town about Smoke Moore returning to the Delta without his brother. DeLaurine didnât want to engage but decided it would be better if she could plant a few seeds. No one needed to know Annie was marrying Smoke for the deed but she couldnât hide their whole marriage when it happened.
âWonder what kind of scheming he cominâ down here to do, you think?â MaryLou, one of Delaurineâs oldest friend asked. âDonât know if itâll be better or worse without his brother with him.â
Shrugging, DeLaurine organized the cards in her hand. âHeard him and his brother doinâ good with them music clubs up north. Ainât doinâ all that gamblinâ like they used to.â
âHm.â MaryLou frowned, no doubt hoping to gossip about the Moore boys like she had done so many times with DeLaurine. She decided to try another way in. âI heard them boys that go up North, come back down here to find them a wife. Say the Northern women donât half know how to cook. You think thatâs what he cominâ back to do? He donât seem like he change women like his brother.â
âIf he is, I know it ainât me he tryna take as a wife,â DeLaurine sighed and moved her cards around again. âI bet a lot of girls down here gonâ jump at the chance to be with him. Ainât like he cominâ down here empty-handed like a lot of them boys.âÂ
MaryLou tossed a card down. âWell, all mine married already so I ainât gotta worry âbout it.â She eyed DeLaurine, curious about her old friendâs change of tone when it came to the Moore twins.
âI ainât worried about it either.â She tossed a card on top of MaryLouâs and grinned. âYou up to owinâ me fifty-cent. You sure you wanna keep goin?â
She threw her hand down. âNaw, I lose anymore, me and Edward likely ainât eatinâ nothin but cabbage for the week.â She pulled the money out of her coin purse and placed it in her friendâs hand. âAnnie and Christopher ainât been around town together in a while. They done with each other?â
Lips pursed, DeLaurine resisted the urge to roll her eyes at MaryLou. âDone as a holiday hen. She ainât like him that much. Sheâll find her way.â
âYou ainât got nobody in mind? You did pretty good with Mamie and the Doctor, and Jeanie and Frank, and Marcy and Robert. Got somebody in mind for Annie?â
âAnnie got a good head on her shoulders. Iâll see what she decide to do. I need to go make sure the truck picked up the meat from the slaughter house.â She was done with this conversation and didnât plan to say anymore right now.
******************************
A few weeks after they had returned from Chicago, Annie woke from a dream coughing uncontrollably. She gasped for air and rolled over in bed to sit up. The coughs continued to choke her until she felt light-headed.
The door to her room opened. Big Mama, Marcy, and Helen rushed in. âAnnie, breathe!â
âDonât you think she wouldâa done that if she could, Mama?â Marcy scoffed and went to sit by Annie on the bed and tapped her on the back, just like she did when her daughter was younger. âCome on, baby. Itâs okay it was just a dream. Itâs okay.â
âSmoke,â Annie choked out. âToo much smoke.â The coughing had calmed down and she was finally able to draw in a clean breath.
Marcy threw a knowing look at Helen. âWhat you mean by that, baby?â
Big Mama sat on the other side of Annie. âWhat you see, Annie?â
âSmoke everywhere. All over. In the trees.â Annie hung her head and drew in some deep breaths like it was her first time feeling air in her lungs. âIâm all right.â Her dreams had been more vivid lately and she wasnât stupid enough to act like they didnât have something to do with the man making his way down to the Delta to propose to her. She just couldnât say for sure what they meant. Glancing at her worried family, she waved them off. âYâall can go back to bed. Iâm fine now.âÂ
âItâs 9 oâclock in the morning, Lil Annie,â Helen laughed. âI think itâs time for you to get out of the bed. Come on, we got some work to do around here before any guests show up.â
âHelen, give her a minute,â Big Mama insisted wrapping her arm around Annie. âYou too, Marcy. Let her catch her breath good.â
Marcy wanted to protest but seeing the serious look on her mamaâs face, she gave Annieâs hand a gentle squeeze and stood up to follow her younger sister out the room.
Annie wanted nothing more than to tell Marcy to stay and sing to her like she used to when Annie was a little girl. She wanted to beg her mama to sit with her and let her know that everything would be all right after she said yes to Smoke Moore. She wanted to just talk to her about anything that could be said but if this situation showed her anything it was that she couldnât be that little girl crying for her mama to kiss her pain away. This was something Annie would have to do on her own, no matter how much it scared her. So she said nothing as her mother walked out the door.
Once the door was closed, Big Mama turned and took Annieâs hands in hers. âYo dreams been like that since Chicago?â She knew her granddaughter used to have night terrors that caused her to thrash and scream in her sleep when she was younger but the way she described this dream was different.
Shaking her head, Annie plucked at her nightgown. âSince before then. The woods get real smoky and I canât see to get out, usually. This time I couldnât breathe. The smoke was thicker than before.â Unlike the night terrors that Annie couldnât remember when she woke up, these dreams were burned into her mind long after sheâd open her eyes.
âYou think it got somethin to do withâŠhim?â DeLaurine had not accepted the idea of Elijah Moore marrying Annie but she was willing to tone down her dislike of him for the sake of her grandchild.
Shrugging, Annie yawned deeply before wiping the sleep from her eyes. âI think so but canât say for sure what it mean. Probably donât mean nothinâ though.â
âIt mean somethin. You ainât been in them woods, have you?âÂ
âNo maâam. Ainât got no reason to. In my dream, it wasnât them woods anyway. It was the ones in the north east where the stream is.
Then, Big Mama stood quicker than Annie had ever seen in her life. âWe gonâ talk about this later.â She was out the door before Annie could even ask where she was going.
************************
The day of Smokeâs arrival, Annieâs stomach was in knots. For the first time since she had come back from Chicago, little threads of doubt started to creep in. She couldnât say how she imagined being married but agreeing to get married in exchange for her familyâs land wouldâve never crossed her mind. She knew plenty of girls who had to marry the man their folks chose for them and suspected thatâs what would happen to her eventually but this was much different. Her family would rather her marry a duck in the pond than to ever be near Smoke Moore again.Â
Their words tossed in her head. What if this was the wrong thing to do? What if she does end up getting hurt? And if he wanted to take her back up to Chicago? Her stomach twisted more at the thought of being away from her family home causing her to squirm the chair as Fran curled her hair.
âBe still, lil Annie or youâll get burned again,â Fran warned. Her hands werenât as careful as Jeanieâs when it came to doing Annieâs hair but she was trying her best after Marcy refused to lift a finger preparing for Smokeâs arrival. âYou scared about today?â
Biting her lip, Annie nodded slightly. âOnly a little. My mama and Big Mama ainât said much today. They ainât talkinâ to each other and my mama ainât hardly talked to me since she found out.â Tears clouded her eyes. âWhat if he wanna get married next week or somethinâ and go back to Chicago? I donât know if I wanna go up there to live, Franny, and leave everybody here.â
Putting down the curling iron, Fran walked around the chair until she was in front of her cousin. She kneeled down and put her hands on her cousinâs knees. âAnnie, you grown so Imma be honest with you. This family got a lot of shit they ainât figured out. I spent my life watching Big Mama and aunt Marcy bein tore up about somethin all the time. The way they feel about the Moores is somethinâ deep that happened before me or you was born. They carried that even after Adam Moore died. You ainât gotta carry it.â She handed Annie a piece of cloth to wipe her eyes with.
âYou know what happened?â Annie sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. âWhy they act like Smoke and Stack is devils?â Her time with Smoke in Chicago came back to her. While his exterior was still rough, he didnât cross any lines or do anything to make her question the good in him. She mostly wondered why her family couldnât see what she saw.Â
âI donât know much except Adam Moore wanted to marry aunt Marcy and she not only said no, she said hell no. He was a music man and he liked to drink. Yo mama wouldâve walked the whole country to find somebody to marry before she married Adam Mooreâthatâs what Nadine said anyway. And you know what they said happened to him before the twins joined the army.â Once Annie stopped crying, Fran stood up and went back to curling her hair. âAnd you ainât gotta worry too much about him just takinâ you back to Chicago when you got him chasinâ you down to the Delta to ask for your hand. Tell him what you want, you ainât gotta let him control everything. You like him, donât you?â
Annie hadnât considered that she had choices in this matter too and so far, Smoke hadnât forced her to make any decisions yet. âI think so. I know he see things different than I do sometimes but life ainât been the same for him like its been for me. My mama and Big Mama donât really see that.â
âChile, donât try to get through this life worryinâ about what DeLaurine and Marceline donât see clear enough. Save yaâself some trouble. Save the stressinâ for that man thatâs about to ask you to marry him.â She finished curling Annieâs hair and started to pin it up in the back.
âIs that what you do?â Annie always admired how her cousin seemed unbothered by the things that had the other women in the family so unsettled. Fran hardly kept what was happening between her and Stack a secret. Big Mama was mostly mad that Fran treated it like no big thing than she was that Fran was fooling around with somebody she wasnât married to.
âYes, maâam. I figured out early one day Big Mama gonâ be gone and so will Marcy and Nadine and I donât plan on carrying they troubles with me. Life ainât that long, lil Annie.â
âYou think thatâs why aunt Margaret donât come around no more?â
âNot at all. That man she married really ainât good enough to wipe the shit off her shoe. She the youngest so she just hardheaded. Sheâll be back at that door foâ too long. Last I heard, they stayinâ with one of his cousins and he donât half show up to work. Got the cousin wantinâ to put âem out. They can say what they want about Smoke Moore but that man know how to make a way and he gonâ always be workin.â
Annie felt comforted by her cousinâs words but she was still worried about her grandma and mama.
**********
Not long before Smoke was set to arrive that evening, Marcy was nowhere to be found and Big Mama was yelling out orders to get the food ready and on the table. Junior dragged himself from his room looking a pitiful sight.
âPullinâ out all the stops for the new man of the house, I see,â he said bitterly to Helen who was arranging the silverware on the table.
âWell maybe if we impress him enough, he wonât give away our land to somebody we donât know,â Helen quipped. âYou got a lot of nerve actinâ like you beinâ done wrong when Annie only agreeinâ to do this because of your mistake. You oughta be thankinâ her.â
Junior walked towards the stairs and looked up. âThank you, Annie! Thank you for sacrificinâ all the comforts of being a Love woman so that you can enjoy all the comforts of being Smoke Mooreâs wife so we can keep our land! I am truly sorry I put you in such a terrible position to be a kept woman for the rest of your life!â
Upstairs a door opened and careful footsteps moved closer to the top of the stairs until Annie appeared. She wore one of the many dresses her mama had made for herâa baby blue color that stood out against her dark skin. Her hair made her look less like a young woman and more like someone who knew something about life. She held a tube of lipstick in her hand though her face was tear-stained and her eyes were red. âAunt Helen, can you help me put this on right? I donât know how to do it like my mama.â
Seeing her niece in distress had Helen moving quickly past her brother who she shoved on her way up the stairs. âHere I come, Annie.â They walked back to Annieâs room which was a wreck. All the dresses that Annie decided not to wear were strewn about the spaceâthe bed, the chair, the dresser, and the floor. âDid a tornado come and only visit your room?â
Sitting down in front of her vanity, Annieâs shoulders slumped. âIâll get it all picked up. I just didnât know what I wanted to wear. Thought about askinâ my mama for help butââ She dabbed at her eyes with an already wet handkerchief. âShe wonât even look at me. I just wanna talk to her and she wonâtââ She threw up her hands. âI could be goin to Chicago next week and she wonât say nothinâ to me. She done with me?â
Helen took the lipstick from her niece. âYou know me and ya mama donât see eye to eye on this situation but I know she ainât done with you.â She paused wondering how to continue. âEver since we was little Marcy always thought it was her job to make sure we ainât get hurt. Ainât nobody told Marcy that hurt gonâ happen no matter how much you try to stop it. She got real hard on herself when one of us got hurt. When she had Jeanie and then you, she promised not to ever let yâall get in any trouble she couldnât get you out of.â A humorless laugh left Helenâs lips. âWhen you got hurt that time, she was barely herself for a long time after. I think she started feelinâ like everybody was gettinâ hurt because of her. She ainât done with you, she just feelinâ sorry for herself.â
Maybe her aunt Helen thought telling her this would make her feel better but after hearing that all she felt was anger. âIâm sorry Aunt Helen. I gotta go do something.â She grabbed the lipstick back and moved quickly out the door and down the stairs. Stepping outside on the front porch, Finny ran up to her and barked, his big ears flopping. She didnât need to guess where her mama was, she already knew. She made her way down the dirt trail that led to the back of the property. Dust coated the bottom of her dress as she walked with purpose. She stopped at the small tin shed and pushed the door open.Â
Marcy sat on an old wooden stoolâthat had been there since before either of them were bornâwith a cigarette in her hand. âYâall done with supper already?â
âCome put this lipstick on me.â Annie held up the tube.
Annieâs tone caught her off guard. She never spoke to anyone that way, certainly not Marcy. âWait. You ainât just gonnaââ
âYes I am, mama, because I want this to look right and you the only one that do it how I like it.â She tapped her foot impatiently waiting for her mama to move off the stool. âIf Iâm gone by next week, just remember, this is what you wanted to do instead of helpinâ me.â
âHow Iâm supposed to help you, Annie? That man has our future in his hand and you the only one who can stop it but you wanna be with him anyway, donât ya? I donât know how to help you cuz none of this shouldâa happened.â
âI donât know if I wanna be with him! I just donât think he evil like you say. I donât think he mean to hurt me. And if marryinâ him will get that deed back, Imma do it! I wanted to talk to you because I donât know nothinâ about beinâ married and I donât wanna leave you and Big Mama and Aunt Helen and Fran and Mamie but you wonât tell me everything gonâ be fine. You wonât tell me how Iâm supposed to do this without you! You just hidinâ cuz you feelinâ sorry for yourself like my whole life ainât about to change! Whether things go good with Elijah or not, I gotta know that you ainât gonâ give up on me just because you donât like him.â She held up the lipstick again. âCome put it on me, please.â
Nodding, Marcy wiped her eyes and dropped the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. She took the lipstick to open it and examine the deep red pigment. âThis gonâ be a pretty color on you.âÂ
Almost collapsing in relief, Annie wrapped her arms around her mama and held her tight.
