Page 28 of Nothing Like Your Ex

Melo smirked. “Thank you. I’m glad you pulled up. Was it a long drive?”

“Not really. I was talking to my best friend on the ride over, so it went by quickly,” she said, falling into step beside him as they walked toward the elevator.

Melo pressed the button, and the doors opened. With a hand on her back, he guided Kwinn in first, then climbed in and pressed the button for floor two.

“Good. I like this lil’ fit you got on,” he complimented, eyeing her frame. “You trying to match me, huh?”

“Boy, please.” Kwinn giggled.

“It’s okay if you are. I like that kinda shit. Come on,” he said as the doors slid open.

Kwinn followed him into the main studio and had to clear her throat as they entered. Roddy had just sparked another blunt minutes before they walked in.

“Aw shit. Look who it is,” Roddy joked, grinning.

Kwinn chuckled. “Don’t start.”

“Y’all know each other?” Melo asked.

“Nah, but we kinda met at the concert. Her and her best friend were trying to put hands on me for calling them old.” Roddy chuckled.

Melo shook his head. “Aw, well shit. Watch yo’ mouth then.”

Kwinn smirked. “Right.”

“I was gon’ introduce you anyway. This my brother, Roddy, my cousin Devin, their ladies, and that’s my engineer, Chuck,” Melo said.

Kwinn waved, greeting everyone warmly, then put two and two together. “Wait, you and DMacc are brothers, too?”

Melo smirked and nodded. “Yeah. We’re a year apart.”

Perplexed, Kwinn wondered what their family tree looked like and why Melo hadn’t mentioned they were real brothers. Kwinn wasn’t privy to everyone’s connections and couldn’t recall whether Saiko had ever mentioned it. Seeing the expression on her face, Roddy offered some clarification. He was under the influence and rarely bragged about having two rap stars as brothers, but he could if he wanted to.

“Me and DMacc got the same mama and daddy, and him and East got the same mama, but different daddies,” Roddy explained.

“So, you, Malone and DMacc have the same daddy?” Kwinn asked for clarification.

Roddy nodded. “Yeah, I’m the youngest on my daddy’s side.”

“A’ight. Enough family talk, nigga. She ain’t come here for all that,” Melo said, interrupting their ancestry conversation.

Kwinn faced him. “So, show me what I came here for then.”

Licking his lips, Melo’s low eyes said so much without him uttering a word. He liked that bold shit and fed right into it. Grabbing her hand, Melo led her to the soundboard. Chuck moved out of the way and let him take over. After pressing a few buttons, the song he’d been tweaking for the last three hours resounded throughout the room.

Immediately feeling the heavy bass in her chest, Kwinn’s head bobbed as her body swayed. The track had a Southern knock, an old-school menacing bassline, and a melodic loop that gave it a bounce, making Kwinn and the other women naturally move their hips. It was gritty yet hypnotic, with Laurent serenading over it. It wasn’t your typical trap song, and she liked that.

Kwinn unintentionally tugged the corner of her lip into her mouth when Melo’s verse came on. He was talking cash-cold shit about watching a pretty boss bitch ride his dick with all his ice on. How he’d gladly fill her purse and her pussy up, spoil her rotten, and make the last nigga regret ever losing her. Of course, he repped his set, making Kwinn smirk.

“I’m a cocky Eastside Terror nigga, known to get bread with the best hittas,” Melo rapped. “If she mine, ain’t no lettin’ up. Baby, let me get nasty when I’m in it, straight eat it up.”

Unable to hold his gaze, Kwinn broke eye contact and rubbed the back of her neck. Melo’s next verse followed the chorus, and a few lines made Kwinn wonder if he knew about her ex.

It’s a wrap for that lame nigga

He shoulda let you go before he played wit’ ya’

I taught her how to bring her freak out