“You know I love you, right?” he asked softly.
I nodded my head against his chest. “Yes, baby, I know.”
“Good,” he said, pulling away from me and slapping my ass. “Go ahead and take your ass home before I gotta shoot another nigga out here over you.”
I laughed and gave him one last kiss. “See you in a lil’ bit.”
Gio licked his lips as I pulled away. “You know it.”
I left the park and drove home with a smile on my face.
That man is something else.
By the time I got home, the sun was starting to drop low over Crenshaw. I carried the bags in, slipped into somethingcomfortable, turned on some music, lit a blunt, and started dinner for my man.
The bass from the speaker filled the kitchen, something smooth by Jhené Aiko played while I stood over the stove. The blunt burned slowly between my fingers, while smoke from the hot grease curled up to the ceiling. I liked to cook for him. It made me feel grounded, like no matter how crazy shit got in the street with him, in here, it was ours.
I got the chicken fried, the yellow rice done, and sautéed green beans all on the plate by the time I heard the front door open.
“Honey! I’m home!!” I heard coming from around the corner. I placed the food on the table and walked out to greet my man.
“How was the rest of your day, baby?” I asked as I kissed his lips.
“Shit, it was good, baby, but it wasn’t shit compared to this.”
Gio took my hand and led me to the table, and we sat down and tore up the bomb ass dinner I made. After dinner, Gio went by the front door and grabbed the duffel bag I sent him out with and dropped it on the table.
“Here’s the down payment on our house. I want you to put that shit up for me, and I don’t want to hear shit else about our plans, you hear me?”
I smirked and nodded.
He nodded back at me, reaching out his hand. “Come on, I’ma run a shower for us and take care of that body.”
This was the side of Gio that I loved. The side of him that nobody else gets.
He led us to the bathroom, started the shower, and took his time undressing me as the steam crept around us, and he kissed all over me.
“You want to know something?”
“What?” I asked with a slight smirk.
“My favorite part of the day is coming home to you and holding you at night.”
We got into the shower and let the water run over our bodies as he held me, swaying my body side to side.
He washed my body, then I washed his, and after the shower, he oiled my body, and we got dressed. I hopped into the bed before him and opened my arms wide for him to dive in, wrapping his arms around me, laying his head on my chest.
“My favorite part of the day is this,” I said softly, “Getting the side of you that nobody else gets but me.”
Gio looked up and kissed me.
“Always and forever, baby.”
Chapter 3
The Other Side
My nigga sense was goin’ off, waking me up out of my sleep before my alarm had the chance to. I reached for my phone and saw I had some messages from T. Before I opened them, I looked down at Islah draped across my chest, her leg over mine. She was at peace while I was anything but that.
