Gangster Love

by ThatBlackGirl

Huey Freeman is the leader of a gang in the streets of Chicago who never expected a night out would make him meet a girl like Jazmine Dubois. As time goes on, he realises that it's not easy being a gang leader let alone being in a relationship. Especially with a looming threat hanging over them. Can they find a way to work together or is it too much for them to handle?

36. Chapter 36: Four Date & a Crime

Ghost looked down at gun. He checked to make sure it was full of bullets and that the safety was off. They had tracked down Mary's brother and were on their way to retrieve him. Huey had to delete the memory of her slapping him across the face because if he didn't, he would've left her brother but that wasn't the type of person he was. He had to save Carl. They have been on a lot of rescue missions ever since the war had officially started which was weird but they never left a person behind. They would continue to do so if they needed to even if some people saw it as a waste of time.

"How far we got left to go?" Ghost asked his driver.

HO looked down at the GPS location that Pedro had sent to them after searching for Carl's tracker. It has been in the same place for the past 20 minutes. "5 minutes."

"Good."

Ghost rubbed his forehead. It was pitch black outside, autumn showing off how dark it could get. He always knew how much harder it was to do what they needed to do in such conditions but he trained as much as he could in these conditions and that the rest of his people did too. Chicago was known to have bitter winters which could make it harder to fight and hold weapons but he made sure people were prepared for any condition. They needed to be prepared for any given situation as much as possible. There is nothing worse than having numb fingers when you're trying to pull a trigger. That few seconds of numbness can cause you to go numb forever.

Ghost heard his phone ring, he looked at the screen and saw Jazmine was the one calling him so he answered with no hesitation, he hasn't heard from her since he left to go down to his cousins' school.

"Hello."

"Hey, how did it go at the school?" Was the first thing she asked. Hearing her voice put Huey at ease because something was telling him that this was not going to be a simple rescue mission. Every gang member needed an attachment to the world outside of the violence and the drugs and Jazmine was becoming that very person for him.

"As bad as one could get."

"You find the guy?"

"Not yet, I got Pedro working on that."

He heard her sigh on the other side of the phone. "I feel for Anthony and Dante you know. That must be scary to hear a stranger, a dangerous one at that, talked to your daughter while they were away from you. How they taking it?"

Usually, Huey disliked when people constantly asked him questions but from Jazmine, it wasn't that way. He could hear her genuine concern for his family and not just for him which said a lot about her character. He always knew how much of a caring person she was and she always looked out for other people around her. He mostly saw it when it came to her friends who he already knew she would fight for in any given situation.

"I hear that." Huey was about to answer her question but saw HO was slowing down. "Jazmine, I have to go now." He didn't want to end the conversation so soon but he had to get back to what he was out for.

"Ok, that's fine, I understand. Be careful please and text me when you get home so I know you're safe." She instructed him.

He raised an eyebrow, despite her not being able to see. "But won't you be sleeping?"

"So?! I wanna see that you text me at whatever time you got home so I know you're ok. If you don't, I'll ignore you for a whole month."

"You wouldn't." He pushed.

"Oh but I would." She pushed back. "Text me Huey Freeman!" She shouted at him playfully but firmly at the same time because she knew if he didn't, she would be paranoid if she never wakes up to a text saying he was safe and at home.

"Ok, I will. Bye."

"Byeeee. Stay safe!"

He had to stop the snort he was about to let out. "Yeah, I don't know what that is."

"Huey!"

"Goodnight Jazmine."

"Ugh, night Huey..."

Huey hung up and jumped out the van, gun already in his hand as his people were already outside waiting for him. It was just him and HO tonight as his other right hands handled other business or in Dante's case, spend some time with his daughter. The incident had really shaken him up and the rest were working on finding out who the man was.

"Are you sure this is the right location?" One of the members asked as he looked around the open space.

HO nodded but not sure himself. "Yeah, this is the location I was given."

Ghost looked around as well, not liking the situation either. "We look around and in five minutes, if we don't find anything, we leave, got it? No need to wait around if there is nothing here." The 5 others standing with him nodded. "Guns out, mask up, let's go." They did just that and split up, scanning the area.

With each step, Ghost made sure he listened out for any type of sound. A pained moan, a dragging of a body of someone injured and crawling, rustling trees and bushes, anything. Anything that can give him a sign of life around him. The emptiness around him didn't feel right, he wanted to get out of there quick time, this was not a place he wanted to stay long.

"Ghost!" The same person from before called his name. "Look..." He took his eyes away from his leader and back to what he found, barely alive.

Ghost walked over and looked at what the other man was looking at. "Shit." Was the first thing that slipped out his lips.

There on the ground, was Carl hanging onto dear life, his own life, covered his blood and bruises with a random girl bloody and clearly dead next to him. "Them folks are evil..."

HO found his way over to the two and went straight to the body. "There's a pulse but barely, we need to take him now or he's going to die."

"At this point, he's better off staying in this ditch anyway and just dying."

"You know that's not what we do, we're going to take him back and take him to the hospital. What happens from there is up to the family to decide." HO told them.

"I just think-"

"You're not. If you was, you would be helping HO move his body to the van so we can get the fuck out of here." Ghost cut him off sharply.

The man had to hold himself from giving a smart comment because he knew that could get him killed in seconds. "Fine le-"

Ghost squinted his eyes shut as he felt warm liquid spray onto his face. "Fuck!" He heard HO scream and duck. Ghost looked down and saw a new body on the floor, this one still warm with a single bullet hole through its skull.

"Silencer. We need to get out of here now!" Ghost picked up the deceased man and ran as fast as he could with the extra weight as HO did the same with Carl, the person they were looking for. One of the members held open the van door but was then shot in the neck. "Not another..." Ghost mumbled under his breath in frustration as he threw the first body in his arms in the back of the van before helping the new victim get into the back. He did not have time for his team to be dropping like flies.

"Ahhh!" Ghost heard from his left. He looked over just in time to see Mirror collapse to the floor, gripping her leg with a pained look on her face. Next to her was the last member with them, who looked like he got shot too.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Ghost shouted before sprinting over to help. "Come on!"

"I'm good, help him." She told him through gritted teeth as she stood with the help of Ghost.

Ghost used his body to shield her as he saw that he was not being targeted and did his best to drag the other man that got shot back to the van. It took longer than he wished but he managed to do it. He flung himself inside and slammed the door shut, HO pulling off before he could even shut the door.

Mirror ripped off her mask and immediately used it as a bandage to try and stop the bleeding. Ghost checked over the other men that got shot during their rescue mission.

"I've already contacted Alex, I'll get us there quick!" HO shouted as his foot didn't get lighter on the acceleration.

Ghost sighed, clearly pissed off at how the night changed. "Don't bother rushing. These three are dead. Just take us to the hospital so we can drop off Carl so his family can see him. Mirror how you doing?" He asked the woman sitting across from him.

"I've stopped the bleeding so the detour is fine. Just make sure Alex is there please. I don't want to bleed out like these guys did."

"Fine." Ghost leaned his head against the side of the vehicle and looked up at the roof. He now had blood on more areas of his skin and it pissed him off that it was from his own people. If he had to make a choice of whose blood he preferred to have on him, he preferred it to be his enemies as he found satisfaction on making them suffer for trying him. He knew something was wrong the moment they got there, the area was too empty. No house, no store, not even a little shed, nothing. They lured him there to show off. They didn't shoot at him because that was too easy. They wanted to see him suffer the consequences of having his team die and him untouched and unmarked. It would look very suspicious to others. They knew that even targeting HO was too easy, they needed to get the extras. They would look like dead weight to Ghost and make him look like a terrible leader which was the last thing he needed people thinking. He didn't need anyone turning on him now, even if they tried, they would be dead as soon as. As much as he hated to say at a moment like this but he was ready to start recruiting more people. This business was forever growing and he needed more people. They lost 3 in one night, who knows who else is going to be next.

"We're here." HO announced from the front.

Ghost guessed they arrived to the hospital and went to grab the door handle. "You sure you don't want to just get fixed up here?" He asked Mirror since they were already at the hospital and he didn't think she would want to wait any longer even if it isn't ideal to enter a hospital with gang related injuries. That's when things got complicated.

She shook her head, breathing slightly heavy. "No, it's fine. I don't feel like answering their questions."

He nodded, respecting her decision before turning and opening the door. They all knew if she did, the hospital would most likely go on lock down, have police involved and a lot of questions being asked, one's Ghost wasn't ready or willing to answer.

They were by the ambulance station where two people were coming over with a gurney as Ghost pulled out the still unconscious Carl.

"What happened?" One asked as they got the body onto the gurney, ready to bring inside but to be truthful, Ghost had no clue himself.

"Found him. He looks in bad shape." Was all he told them. He slammed the back doors shut before they could look inside and see the other dead bodies and start asking more questions and walked to the passenger side, driving away without looking back.

"How the fuck did that just happened?" HO thought out loud, clearly confused but annoyed about what just happened.

Ghost shook his head, understanding his partners annoyance. "I have no clue but that just made things more complicated. These motherfuckers are not catching me a break and its pissing me off. I got other shit to do and all they wanna do is destroy every fucking thing."

"They just don't learn."

"And seem to be getting braver. They need to be picked off and I'm not talking one by one, I mean in large quantities."

"I hear that..." HO sighed. "And here I was hoping I could have a relaxing night. I just got something for Ming I know she is going to love and this ruined my mood."

"What's that?" Ghost asked, genuinely curious, the conversation changing to their girls without even realising.

"I got her something for her on Wednesday, for us to go on a date. I told Caesar about me taking her out on a date and he's planning something the same night. I think Riley might be onto something now as well."

Hearing that made Huey think. He has yet to take Jazmine out since she got back and maybe it will be a nice little get away from his crazy work. It sounded bad that he was ready to dismiss what happened tonight, at least for a few hours, as if three of his men wasn't lying dead in the back of the van, Mirror was bleeding and Carl was in hospital having doctors scrambling over his body trying to find out what was wrong with him but sometimes he just needed a break. He was going too hard the last few months and he wasn't going to stop, that was for sure but he just needed that one night off and he was going to do it with Jazmine. He would figure out what they would do later, for now he had a problem to sort out. He had to concentrate on being Ghost.

"I'll think of something for Jazmine... for now, let's get Mirror to Alex and have someone tell the rest they lost a family member."

"I'm glad I don't have to do that." HO sighed as he continued to drive to the warehouse also mad about how the night just switched. This has just created more problems they didn't want to have. He knew Ghost was about to be stressed the fuck out. Now telling a family they have lost someone was going to be nowhere near easy, that was the one job he refused to do.

A few more minutes past by when Ghost phone rang, this time it was from an unknown number. He looked over at his friend who was pulling up to the warehouse before answering.

"..."

He didn't say anything first, waiting for the unknown caller to answer.

"Ghost? It's me, Dre." The person on the other line announced.

Ghost didn't like the sound of that. He almost never got a call from Dre at this time. Even by the sound of his voice, Ghost was not going to like what he was going to be told.

"Yes?" Was all he replied at first.

"Its not looking good for you man..." He trailed off.

Ghost heart picked up in pace. He didn't like the sound of his voice. It was concerning and it took a lot to cause him to become concerned. "What is it?"

Dre sighed from the other side of the phone which was then followed by a police siren coming closer to him. "It was a slaughter man. Killed everybody."

"I'm going to need a little more than that Dre." Ghost told him as he felt his blood pressure rise. HO heard this but was waved off before he could question what was wrong and focused back on helping Mirror inside to Alex. The bodies would be taken care of soon.

"The nigga your beefing just cleaned out two of your spots. He even killed two bystanders. Theres 8 people dead here Ghost and bullets wasn't even the main cause..." He finally told the leader. He was used to seeing dead bodies but there were always those few crimes scenes that would make your stomach turn. This was one of them.

Ghost was now even more pissed than earlier. It was almost like getting Carl was a distraction. He slipped up. Within an hour he lost 9 of his people and two bystanders were killed in the process. There was also the random girl they found with Carl, he should probably tell Dre about her. "Fuck... not one of them survived?"

"Well one... but they might need to start thinking if they want a wood or metal leg." Dre joked but his tone was far from being humorous. "Look, sort your shit out. You said you was going to handle shit but it looks like a crack pandemic is about to kick off again and I don't have time for that. I don't want to spare my men and women for some shit you're doing."

Ghost rolled his eyes. "You're a fed. It's your job. As a matter of fact, I make your life a whole lot fucking easier but I don't be hearing no thanks for the shit I do."

"Your shit is killing people Ghost."

"Your men and women are killing innocent black people Dre. We all got blood on our hands. At least I'm the one that can own up to my own fuck up instead of sweeping it under the rug like a lot of you pigs like to do." Ghost was met with silence on the other line. "Yeah. I thought so."

"Whatever. Just wanted to tell you that you got a bath load of blood out here tonight. I'll make sure you get the pictures." Ghost could hear the frustration in the man's voice by having being told the truth about his career, especially from a criminal like Ghost, no matter the kind of mutual relationship they had created. Ghost sounded a little hypocrite but it needed to be said, it was only fair.

"As always. There's another body for you to pick up. I'll let you know."

The two hung up, not even giving the other a proper goodbye and went back to their own business.

The young leader took a deep breath before walking inside, going to find out who else needed to be added to the deceased list. They went from being picked off one by one but now was going in groups, like how he suggested they do back. The problem was, the Russians had gotten better at hiding their locations and it was frustrating. The Panthers were slowly making progress but Ghost wasn't going to allow it to be slow any longer, it was time to pick back up the pace. He knew one of the ways he could do it was getting that DNA test. He needed to know if there really was another Freeman because that could help him with future plans. Freeman's were always loyal to Freeman's but if that was the case, why the fuck was she with the enemy?! It was key he found out. The anticipation was killing him but until that was sorted out, he had a date to plan.

---

"You got us a ticket to kickball competition?!"

"That's right baby."

It was date night. Everyone was out with their significant other on a date the boys had planned without the girls knowing where they were going, they were only told the dress code. The girls had to beg to be told what to at least wear so they were somewhat prepared for whatever craziest they were going to get dragged to. Hiro opted on surprising Ming with tickets to her favourite sport that just so happened to have her favourite team playing. It was a team from her home country. They were currently standing in the parking lot of the stadium they drove nearly two hours to get to when Ming just realised why they were there.

"And not just any tickets... VIP tickets."

Ming gasped. "You got me VIP tickets to see my old team?"

Hiro's grin dropped, looking lost but shocked. "Wait, your old team?"

"Yeah, kinda, the Wushung Kickball Team but this is the adult team. I played juniors."

"Dang, I learn something new about you all the time."

Ming looked at him confused. "I thought I told you about this before?"

He shook his head. "No. We only talked about it briefly. You didn't go into much detail about it. I just knew you was super good."

"Yeah. My grandfather trained me since I was 3 and the training was no joke. I was serious competition. He's probably upset I'm not on that team right now."

Hiro saw her getting sad and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know he will forever be proud of you. Even if he wasn't, who cares, as long as you're proud of yourself."

She slightly smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're so sweet."

"I know." He shrugged, acting causal but he was really happy inside that he could make her smile. It was the many goals he had for their relationship. "You know if you told me you know them folks, I would've just had your ass walk up to the gate and show your face."

This made her roll eyes. "That's not how it works."

"It's worth a try."

"Wait, I don't even have my jersey. Shit!" Ming cursed in Mandarin. If she knew she was coming, she would've carried it with her to show her support for the team.

Hiro smirked before moving away from Ming so he could go in the trunk. She watched him open a bag and reveal her jersey. "I had Jazmine give it to me before you could find out."

"You guys are sneaky." She shook her head.

"Only when I need to be." He walked back over and kissed her cheek. "Now, putting it on baby." Hiro handed the jersey over and with a big grin on her face, she threw it over her hoodie since he told her to dress comfy and warm. "Now that you have the right fit, let's go."

Hand in hand, the two walked towards the entrance and went through with ease. The whole time Ming had a large grin on her face and Hiro was happy he could help her smile that hard.

"Can we get some food? I'm hungry." Ming asked.

"Of course, anything for you." He told her gently.

They walked towards the food stands and ordered a whole bunch of food, snacks and drinks to at least get them through the first half of the game.

"It's been years since I've been to a game and you got me tickets to my home team? Yeah, I am beyond happy. Thank you Hiro."

Hiro grinned as they found their seats right at the front and grinned. "You're welcome."

Ming pulled out her phone and started recording. "Jazzy you sneaky bitch! How you know and not tell me?! Either way, your girl is about to have the time of her life out here. If I don't come back, you know why, peace." She pressed stop and sent if off to her group chat. "Just had to flex with my man real quick."

"Well as long as you're with me, you'll get tired of trying to flex all the time because I'm going to be treating you good all the time." Hiro told her truthfully.

He could see the light blush form on either side of her smile. "Hiro... you're so sweet."

"For you, always."

They leaned in close and shared a soft kiss.

"Lemme get another one." He asked against her lips.

"Greedy." Ming mumbled back but gave it to him anyway.

The two pulled away but kept their eyes locked on one another. "We love to see it."

"We really do."

It didn't take long for the game to start and Ming was on edge the whole time. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she watched the game. A part of her wanted to relive the moment just for a second. It was her childhood dream after all. To be in a stadium full of people that was there to watch her play but times has changed. The fact that she could also see some of her old team mates on the team was crazy to her. After she left, she never really talked to them again so it was nice to see at least 3 of them went on further to this level. She was grateful Hiro brought her here.

Hiro watched his girlfriend shout at the game in her native tongue. He had no idea what she was saying since he only knew how to speak Japanese fluently but after today, he really wanted to learn Mandarin so he could at least understand some of what she was saying. Despite not know what she was saying, it was entertaining to see, if he understood, it probably would have him dying of laughter on the floor. He has never seen her watch something as intensely as she was now. He was glad he could see the smile (even if it wasn't on her face whenever the other team got the upper hand) on her face. He had missed her so much when she went to Woodcrest, he thought he would never see her again but like fate, she came back. He refused to let her go again. He never understood the quote that basically said 'if you love something, let it go. If it was true love, it will find its way back' but now, he understood and he has loved the quote ever since. He was not going to have his lifestyle mess up the best thing that has happened to him in years.

"Yes!" Ming shouted as her team got a point.

"That is the end of the first half, meaning it is time for half time!"

Ming took a deep breath and turned to Hiro who had his arm on the back of her chair. He looked so relaxed and so sexy to her right now. "Sorry about that. I know you didn't understand any of what I was saying."

He shrugged. "No big deal. I actually enjoyed listening you scream your head off. I mean I would like to have that same reaction if we go back to my place but that's up to you." He casually flirted.

This made Ming choke on the words she thought she was going to say and watched the smirk grow on his face. Before she could reply the best she could muster up, she heard her name being called.

"Ming? Is that really you?" She heard in Mandarin.

She turned to see one of her old teammates so she replied back in their language. "Amy! It has been so long."

The girls leaned forward and gave each other a hug despite having a barrier between them. Hiro just sat there watching the two, knowing he wouldn't understand nothing for the next minute or so.

"I know. I haven't heard from you in years since you left China after your grandfather's funeral. He was a great coach when he actually helped out with the whole time."

Ming nodded. "Yeah, grandad was something. If he didn't spend time on his business, he would train me to be the best."

"You were the best! I bet you still are." Amy laughed.

"Nah, I don't think so. It's been years since I have played."

"Oh come on Ming. You and I both know you still got it in you. What do you even do out here anyway? Last I heard you was in, what's that place called? Wood something."

"Woodcrest." Ming answered for her. "And I made some friends there and we moved to go college in Chicago."

"Wow and I hear your parent's business have been going well. Soon it will be yours, right?"

Ming held her smile but could feel her body wanting to duck away to try and hide from that question. That was far from the truth. If she didn't know better, one of her male cousins was currently in college to take over the business like they wished she would've done. She decided to turn to the only person that could help her now.

"Uh, Amy, this is Hiro. My boyfriend. He actually brought the tickets as a surprise."

Amy looked between them in shock. Throughout the time they knew each other, Ming was never boy crazy, she was always focused on the game. She never looked like the one to get into a relationship but she guesses times have changed, they were no longer kids. "Boyfriend?"

Hiro, feeling as if he was being introduced stood and stuck his hand out. "Hi, my name is Hiro."

"Amy." She shook his hand before turning back to Ming. "He's cute." She laughed in Mandarin.

Ming laughed, now having the conversation switch to English. "I know."

Amy looked down at the passes around their neck. "Well, I see you have VIP tickets so why don't I give you VIP treatment. Come on." Ming looked at her confused, making Amy roll her eyes. "Come on Ming! It's gonna be fun."

Ming looked over at Hiro who shrugged, showing it was her decision. She sighed, not really wanting to put up much of a fight. "Alright."

With a little help with Hiro, Ming jumped over the barrier and walked across the field, following Amy.

"I wonder what's happen- wait. It cannot be." The commenter started off. "Ladies and gentlemen, if my eyes are not deceiving me, it seems as if Ming Long-Dou has just walked on the field! Her grandfather was a very respectable man in the kickball community back in China and she was trained under him. She was known for being more powerful than anyone had seen in years. Some people have wondered where she has been for years, especially after the passing of her grandfather. It seems as if Amy is giving her the stage to let us see if she still has the moves." He summarised, making Ming roll her eyes. He really just told the whole stadium and people at home her business. She didn't think she would be spotted. Her parents were definitely going to see this.

"How do you know I'm any good since it has been years from when I have last played?" Ming emphasised again as she walked over to her place, waiting to kick the ball.

Amy stood next to the best pitcher on the team who just so happened to have been on the junior team too. "You got this, I believe in you." Amy turned to the pitcher. "Don't go easy on her, I know she got it in her. Remember how she used to play."

He nodded and Amy walked away to get into position.

Ming closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was on a kickball field again after all these years. She never thought she would again but she would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it, despite being a little nervous. She just had to find her centre, just like how her grandfather taught her.

'You can do this Ming. You got this.' She pumped herself up. Once she opened her eyes, she almost instantly locked eyes with Hiro who was now standing, watching her. He gave her a simple smile and wink. A small gesture that made her feel warm inside and also got her to zone in. She gave him a slight nod before turning to face the right direction. She could hear the faint cheers from people confused but interested about what was about to happen but she blocked them out and focused.

That's when the pitcher started to wind up his throw which she already knew was going to be quick and powerful. As he released it, it was just as she thought. She locked eyes on the ball and from there, years of training overtook her body, she barely remembered what she was doing. All she felt was suddenly feeling weightless and connecting her foot against the ball.

"Wow! It seems Ming Long-Dou still has skills like no other which brings up the question, why isn't she on any teams?!" The commenter shouted as the crowd all began to cheer for Ming.

Amy ran over to Ming with a large smile on her face. "See! You did that like it was nothing! None of us even wanted to try and catch that ball. That would've made us break a bone like you did that boy years again."

Ming laughed. "Yeah I guess I still got it."

"You should seriously come back to China and join the team. We would be undefeated until your retirement."

"Sorry but kickball is not in my future. At one point I thought it was but, I think Chicago is my new place." Ming slightly smiled as she looked past Amy for a second. She could see Hiro smiling proudly at her.

Amy saw the look on her face. "There are plenty of boys in China that would want you. You'll be fine without Hiro and you've dreamt of this moment since we were little."

"As I said, it was a dream but I've moved past it now. You're living yours, I'm going to get mine."

Amy sighed at her old friend. She didn't understand how she was going to give up a career that Ming could easily get with barely a battered eyelid but she guessed each to their own. It was crazy to come to terms with but that wasn't her business. She's living the dream she wanted and she was happy about it. "Whatever you say Ming. If you ever want to join, you know where to find us. Just don't come late."

"You won't have to worry about that."

The two said goodbye so Amy could go back on her break as Ming went back over to her seat.

"I didn't know you had skills like that! You were on fire! Seriously, at one point, I thought I saw fire on the ball."

Ming laughed at Hiro as he helped her back over to her seat. "You're so childish."

"But your love it."

"Debateable."

They shared another laugh before Hiro continued their conversation. "But for real, you're seriously skilled Ming. I ain't never seen shit like that before."

"As I've said before, years and years of training."

"Well at least I know what sport is going to be the family sport and the kid's starter sport." Hiro said without missing a beat.

Ming's head flung around in to look at him in shock. "Huh?"

"Oh look, the game is starting up again." Hiro deliberately ignored her confused look and grabbed a handful of popcorn, all without taking his eyes off the field.

Ming grabbed her own handful and turned to the game too but not without seeing the large grin on Hiro's face. He knew he caught her off guard when he said that and he didn't care. Seeing her reaction was hilarious to him that he had to stop himself from bursting out loud. Ming didn't mind it though, she was going to get him back soon. She was going to play nice now since he was treating her but later, all bets were off, he better prepare himself. For now, she was going to enjoy the game that her boyfriend surprised her with. It was honestly the best date she has ever been on and she couldn't wait for more they would go on. He had actually listened to what she said she was interested in instead of just picking somewhere to go.

Hiro was definitely a keeper.

---

Cindy and Caesar sat on the bench tying their laces and making sure it was tight because if it wasn't, this night could end with one or both of them in the emergency room.

"I still can't believe you brought us ice skating."

The two were on their own date and Caesar decided to take her to ice skating for their date. It was something he would never willingly choose to do but he wanted to be different so he settled on ice skating. He also wanted to laugh as they watched each other struggle. He always thought dates should be light hearted and fun so everyone feels comfortable and just enjoy themselves without the pressure of thinking they were actually on a date. He wanted Cindy to let loose from the stress and pressure they called life.

"It's going to be fun, don't even trip."

"I hope not."

Once they were sure their skates were secure on their feet, they stood and made their way towards the ice that already had about 25 other people skating or trying to.

"Damn, is this what it's like walking in heels?" Caesar couldn't help but to ask. It really did feel like he was wearing heels.

Cindy laughed. "Nah, heels are much much worse and that's coming from someone who hated heels with a passion. I was a basketball player, I wore basketball shoes or sneakers majority of the time until the girls eventually broke me into some heels. It took me a good while to get comfy in them."

"You sure, because it feels like it and I would've loved to see your ass struggling like Bambi." Caesar tried to argue as they got to the entrance of the ice rink.

"Boy, it's not even close. Now come on, let's go on the ice." She subconsciously reached out for his hand as she stepped onto the ice.

"Shit!" Caesar let the cuss word fly out of his mouth as his foot slipped as soon as he stepped on the ice. "Man this couldn't even give me a second?!" He asked rhetorically, clearly over the whole ice skating thing already.

Cindy burst out in laughter as she realised what was happening. "Wait, don't tell me you can't ice skate? Oh my gosh this is going to be so funny. Why did you choose this if you can't skate?"

"First of all, I can skate. Just not on ice. Second of all, sorry if a nigga wanted to be adventurous. I thought this was going to be us laughing at each other watching us fall on our ass." Caesar told her as he took the hairband out his pocket to tie up his dreads, needing everything away from his face. From the way Cindy stepped off the ice so causally, he guessed she had some sort of experience, whether it was a good or bad thing, they were about to find out.

"Damn, sorry. Only one of us is dropping today." She teased. "Hold my hand, I'll teach you."

"Nah its cool. I go-" Caesar tried to say he had it but he slipped again. "You know what, I'll take you up on that offer."

She laughed as she felt his iron grip on her hand. "Ok, one foot in front of the other. Allow yourself to glide across the ice. Just think of it as roller skating and you'll be fine."

"Roller skating is not this cold."

"Stop being a baby and come on." Cindy turned so she was skating backwards and holding onto his hands. She saw his eyes going down to his feet. "Don't look down! That's going to throw your shit off. Look me in my eyes."

"How do you even know how to do this? I never took you as an ice skater." Caesar curiously questioned as he looked her in the eyes as she said to.

Cindy sighed. "My mom made me join an ice-skating class when I was 9 as one of her many ways to try and get me to be 'a proper girl' as she liked to say. She wanted a daughter but not one that would end up being like a son."

"Shit, I'm sorry, I should've asked before coming. I didn't know you wouldn't like it." Caesar apologised but stopped when he saw Cindy shaking her head.

"It's fine. You didn't know. Plus, I don't mind ice skating. I like the cold."

"Ok Elsa." Caesar joked, lighting the mood.

She rolled her icy blue eyes but laughed. "You're so annoying you know that? And cheesy. And a weirdo."

He faked being hurt. "Wow Cynthia, I am hurt. I think you froze my heart."

"Call me Cynthia or reference Else again and I will let go of you right now."

"Ok, ok. I take it back." Caesar quickly apologised, not wanting to be left on his own and potential fall on his ass.

"Glad we're on the same page." She sent him a not-so-innocent smile his way as she got him to retract what he said. She had come to the conclusion years ago that she would always have beef with her full name. "See, without even realising, you made it around perfectly fine. You didn't fall on your ass."

Caesar let out a deep sigh as he looked around. "Good because that would've been terrible to see a big black man dropping on his ass doing ice skating."

"Ain't no shame in a little embarrassment."

"You're saying it like you won't skate away and leave me."

"I mean... you're not wrong."

Caesar pretended to cry. "Wow, I never knew Elsa was this mean."

"Ugh, don't call me Elsa."

"Elsa."

Cindy lightly punched him in the arm. "Stop."

"I'm going to tell Riley to change your name from Christiana to Elsa."

"You wouldn't." She squinted her eyes at him but all he did was smirk.

"Oh you know I would."

She thought about hitting him again when she thought of something else to do and smirked. "Let's have a race."

He smirked back at her. "Sure, as soon as we leave."

"Nah uh. Right here, right now, on the ice. Two laps. Winner gets the final say in this little disagreement."

Caesar held out his hand for a handshake, not one to back down from a challenge even though he had just learned to ice skate, barely at that. "Ok." The two stood side by side. "Imma count down since you will cheat." Cindy rolled her eyes at the comment but got ready either way. She knew she was going to leave him in her dust anyway but it was cute to see he thought he had a chance. "On your marks... get set... go!"

The two took off and Cindy was by far ahead. Caesar only had one trip around the whole ice-skating rink and that was with the help of Cindy. Neither of them understood why he would agree to the challenge. He should've just backed out while he could.

Cindy was on her second lap while Caesar was half way on his first.

She skated by and slapped him on the ass, making him jump and tense from the sudden feeling. "Ay! Don't do that to a nigga!"

"Haha!" She laughed as she watched him try and catch up to her now that she slapped him. "Come on Caes! At least give me something to work for."

"Black people don't do ice."

"Stop being a baby Caesar."

"I'm not being a baby." He stood on the ice with his arms crossed and a pout on his face.

Cindy crossed her own arms with a raised eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Really."

She skating closer to him. "You sure?"

He licked his lips in anticipation. The ghost of a smile on her lips were inviting his own to rest on hers.

"Very much so."

He leaned down to capture her lips when she skated away from him at the last second. The sudden movement caught Caesar off guard, making his knees buckle. "Bombo!" He exclaimed as he tried his best to regain his footing.

Cindy burst out in laughter as she watched her man cling onto the side for dear life. "I'm deceased!"

"Not funny Cynthia."

"But it was Michael."

Caesar shook his head but couldn't help but chuckle a little. To anyone on the outside. She looked like a girl you wouldn't want to cross, which was true but he got to see the sweet and innocent side of her. When he was first trying to make a move on her, he had to admit that it was hard. She refused to let him get close but after her shift at Empire, she gave him a chance and he was happy that she did. He wanted to show her that he meant serious business and wanted to try have a relationship with her and not anything small. Caesar had to admit that he has never seen his group of friends become so serious over one girl before. Hiro had two serious relationships, Huey had one and then there was him and Riley who played the game ever since they were teens. Now, they both only had one female in their line of sight who was about to have them completely wrapped around their finger.

"Caes you alright?" Cindy asked as she saw him space out. It was not like him to be so quiet.

He turned his attention back to Cindy. "Yeah I'm good. Just thinking about how lucky I am being here with you."

A light blush formed on Cindy's pale cheeks which she could blame on the cold temperature if teased about it. Caesar was a smooth talker and it had big effects on her when she finally listened to what he was saying rather than ignoring it. She blocked out all the sweet things he would say to her in the beginning but now she was listening and she had no idea how to react, so her first reaction was to blush. "I- I'm glad I'm here with you."

He let a large grin spread across his face. "I know, everyone says that."

"And then you had to ruin it." She rolled her eyes and they both just laughed.

Just then, an older white couple skated past them. It wouldn't have been a problem but they were giving the new couple a look of disapproval. Caesar and Cindy could feel the judgement radiating off them.

"Disgusting." They heard the female say under his breath.

Instantly, Caesar got defensive. "Whatchu say?!"

People started to look over at Caesar who started to get angry. Cindy didn't want the issue to escalate since she was actually enjoying herself and didn't feel like slapping someone upside the head so she stepped in before it had the chance to.

"Don't let them get the best of you. They're lucky I'm actually having a good time or I would've dragged their ass across the fucking ice and kicked them with the bottom of my skate in their necks." Cindy said the last sentence loud enough for the couple to hear as an indirect warning which worked.

They heard. The older couple heard as well as people that were going past who looked on in interest at the drama that could be brewing. The other couple that decided to voice their unnecessary opinion sent the two a glare before skating off the ice rink and leaving with not another word.

Cindy continued to glare at the spot they just left until she heard Caesar kiss his teeth. "You alright?" She asked as she turned to him. She could see he was annoyed.

"Man people can be so negative for no damn reason sometimes." He sighed. "You know the reason they most likely said that right?"

Cindy scratched her neck. She knew this was something that needed to be brough up from the start but she didn't expect it to be this soon.

"Maybe because you're black and I'm white." She nodded lightly. "Yeah I've gotten that a few times. Dated two black guys in the past, same problem and look at least once. It's very annoying but something I won't ignore because people need to be put in their place."

"That's right. I'm probably going to get heat for dating a white girl, you know, being called a sell out and everything."

"It's not your fault who you like."

"I honestly wish it was that simple."

They both sighed before looking at everyone else skating past them. Relationships are never easy, being in an interracial relationship was not going to be easy. Many people still had issues with it to this day for different reasons. Caesar understood that him being with a white woman was going to seem like a slap in the face to some black women and it was nothing like that. He has seen this issue come up many times when there was a black male celebrity that was married to a white woman.

He didn't care the race of whoever he dated, if he liked you, he liked you, that was it. That was all he really cared about. He never cared for people having their opinions on things they didn't know about but all he would have to say when the time came was that him being with someone outside his race doesn't mean he hated black girls or would put them down. He will continue to uplift the very person who brought him into the world as well as all the other sisters, where ever they were in the world. He will always love them and protect them, no matter who he was dating. He knew it was going to be a journey.

"You know, I think we should get out of here."

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that Caesar, I already told you that I liked this surprise. It was sweet. I'm just tired of watching your knees buckle like you're a deer. I think we should get back on dry land." She tried to lighten the mood and it seemed to work.

He rolled his eyes. "Haha very funny. Let's go."

Caesar started to turn towards the exit when he felt Cindy tug his hand. "One more lap, then we can leave. We can go get some cocktails and steak or some shit."

"Ohh, I see you wanna get a little fancy to end the night."

"More like tipsy but that works too."

"Alright fine."

Cindy went to skate off when Caesar grabbed her hand this time around. "I don't know where you're going Elsa. You best hold my hand and if you let it go, we're going to have problems."

"You know I can't stand you sometimes." She laughed at his cringing pun that he just had to throw in, no matter how many times she told him to stop with the Frozen references. "Fine, come on Sven."

"What nigga is-" Caesar went to ask when he remembered the other characters in the film he was forced to watch with his cousins. "Woooooooow. We doing niggas like that?"

"Come on Caes I wanna taste some cocktails!" Cindy pulled him along while laughing her head at how fake his hurt he sounded.

"I mean you can taste this co-"

"Just skate!"

After a struggling lap, the two walked out hand in hand laughing at whatever Caesar's brain decided to blurt out and made their way to the closest bar to end their nights with some cocktails. They already forgotten about their little incident earlier and was back in their own worlds. Caesar was actually thankful they didn't stay long because he felt it in his spirt that his behind was going to land on some cold ice and he did not want to feel that. He was mostly glad that Cindy at least enjoyed herself for the time they did spend ice skating. Now, he was happy that he didn't have to skate on the slippery ice and go and enjoy the company of his girlfriend over some cocktails.

It was really his ideal night and he was glad he had Cindy to share it with.

---

"So where we going since we're the only one that actually dressed up?"

"We're not far, just have to wait and see."

"Surprises give me anxiety Huey."

"Jazmine, just hold on a little longer."

Jazmine playfully pouted and crossed her arms from the passenger seat of Huey's pitch-black car. The two have been driving for about 15 minutes and Jazmine was already fidgety. When they were all getting picked up for their dates, her friends were all wearing casual but cute outfits while Jazmine was told to dress up so she picked out a simple but classy dress with heels. Even Huey was dressed different from the guys. She really wanted to know where they were going.

"How much longer we got left?" She asked for the 5th time already.

Huey looked over and smirked before looking back at the road, leaving her with no answer. He liked seeing the anticipation in her eyes as he could see them darting around the road trying to figure out where they were going to. He knew she had no clue where they were going.

"Hmph. Fine." She pulled down the mirror and started to check her hair when an idea popped in her head. She knew if she really wanted to find out where they were going, she had to break him.

She slowly pushed the mirror back up and turned to face Huey. She moved her hand over the gearshift and rested it on his thigh, catching him off guard.

"Jazmine... don't start something you won't be able to finish." He warned her.

She smirked as she heard his voice shake a little when he said her name. She moved her hand up higher and instantly felt him tense, making her giggle.

"Is someone trying to control themselves?" Jazmine mockingly asked the driver.

Huey cleared his throat and pushed his foot on the acceleration a bit more. They were close to their destination, he could hold himself back. Oh how badly he wanted to take her right here, right now in his car. All he had to do was push his seat back and have her jump in his lap and onto his- no. He needed to stop thinking like that. When he got the pleasure to please and satisfy Jazmine in ways she wouldn't be able to comprehend after, was not going to happen in his car. No, it was going to be somewhere she could happily spill all her-

"We're here." He hastily announced before Jazmine's wondering hand could go up any further. His mind was spinning and he had to do his best to regain some sense. Imagine a few simple touches could make Huey's knees tremble like never before. It made him wonder if she was a witch or something because no one should have such control over another person.

Jazmine was no longer focused on her location and destination of her hand and focused on their surroundings. They were in a parking lot but to what, she did not know, she was still confused. "Where are we?" She asked and looked over at Huey for the answer. She was only met with a smirk and then the back of his neck as he stepped out the car. She sat and watched Huey come around to her side to open the door, awaiting some type of answer. "You still not going to tell me?"

"I don't need to tell you when we're here. Maybe if you stopped asking questions, we could be inside by now."

Jazmine rolled her eyes at his cheeky comment but happily accepted his hand that he held out for her to take a hold of. They walked in silence, excluding the sound of her heels on the concrete, hand in hand. Huey was his usual calm self while Jazmine was secretly bubbling with anxious thoughts even more than she was in the beginning. She couldn't wait any longer so she picked up the pace towards the building to get inside and see what awaited her on the other side.

They got to the door which Huey held open for her and they walked inside.

"Oh my..." Jazmine softly gasped as she stepped into the warm and cosy building. Smooth and calming jazz was playing throughout the room as she took everything in. It was nothing she had ever been to before. It was breath taking.

The grey and white walls where filled with paintings, drawings and photography while the floor had different sculptures planted around the space from what they could see. There were a good few people in their, sipping champagne and discussing quietly at each art piece.

"Huey... you took me to an art gallery?" Jazmine asked softly, even though she already knew the answer to it. It was obvious but she was so surprised, she had to ask the obvious.

He shrugged casually but deep down inside he was nervous that she didn't like the idea. His friends and brother had taken their girls out to lively places while he picked the quiet place. He hoped Jazmine liked it. "Something different for a night out."

"I never took you as an artsy person."

"That's because I'm not, that's more Riley's thing. As a matter of fact, this is his right here." Huey pulled her over to one of the first canvases on the left. He pointed to a simple but amazing spray painting. It was of a pair of big red lips on a black background that had grillz and biting a bullet. "He completed this about a year ago." Huey told her.

Jazmine walked over to read the caption in front of the art. "Riley Freeman, Chicago born and raised. A real gangster. His love for grillz and ladies really came into play as he expresses the classic saying 'bite the bullet'. Only the real can recognise the realness of this art." She read out loud. "Yeah that last bit sounded like Riley. How long did it take him? I never knew he could do art and so well at that!"

"I say about 4 months or something like that, I don't know and he's always been into it since we were kids. He was doing art before boxing so that kept him out of trouble for a while. No one would've thought he would end up this good." Huey explained to her.

Jazmine slightly frowned at that, she didn't like when people underestimated others. She got that a lot growing up and it made her insecure. Now as a woman, she has overcome her insecurity but it wasn't to say it wouldn't creep up every now and then in stressful situation but she was doing much better than before. She just wished people would have more faith in each other instead of putting them down. For some reason, people found it easier to spread hate rather than love. "Well that's not nice. Did you believe in him?"

"In the beginning, no." Huey admitted but continued as he saw the slight disappointment in Jazmine's face. "But as time went on, I did. Although I never told that to his face. I saw he was actually caring for his work. He still does it every now and then back at our parents so he can hide away from us. This is actually his first art work he has put in a gallery. Its black owned which is one of the reasons why I thought I should bring you here. See the art that is in the streets of Chicago but something people fail to see."

Jazmine began to smile as she watched him talk about his brother all while only stealing a few glances her way before looking at the painting. She knew the boys rarely or never have said it out loud to each other but you could really tell they loved each other. They had each other's backs throughout anything. "I really like this, I can't wait to see more of the art."

Before Huey could reply, a man came over with a tray of tall champagne classes, filled with the bubbly drink. "Champagne?"

The couple took a glass each and thanked the man. Huey gave him a quick tip before turning back to the woman of the day.

"Here's to a wonderful night." Jazmine spoke into existence and leaned her glass forward, Huey following suit, making their glass touch before taking a sip. "Hm, this taste good." She leaned up to kiss Huey on the cheek, considering she was still shorter than him even in her heels. "Let's go see what else is here."

They walked away with one hand holding a champagne glass and the other holding the others hand over to the next painting, already observing and interrupting the art. Not many people could do these types of dates but it was something Jazmine appreciated. Over the time she has known Huey, she knows he is someone who analyse and thinks a lot, he liked to interpret and pick apart different things and it was something she enjoyed listening to. He would give off facts and hard information while she would speak about the creatively, freeness and detail of the art. Two different perspectives that meant for an interesting conversation. It was their way of getting to know each other on a different level by seeing how the other worked, how the other thought and it was better than they could ever imagine. It was the first time Jazmine has ever been on a date like this, it just goes to show the difference between Huey and the other boys she has dated. She called them boys because this was a real man. A strong, intelligent, beautiful black man. She was winning in so many areas.

"So, what do you think of this?"

Hearing his soothing deep voice brought her out of her trace about him and she turned her attention to the man of the day. "Huh?"

Huey smirked at her. "Day dreaming about me, are we?"

She began to blush. 'How did he know?! Can he read my mind? Creepy...' She thought to herself before finally opening her mouth to say something back.

"I'm not trying to get your head any bigger so I am going to turn my attention back to the art." She held her head high in a playful manor before turning to the art. Her breath instantly caught in her throat. It was truly one of the most breath-taking pieces she has seen all night. It was a painting of 7 different featureless women of different shades of melanin. They all had their own unique hairstyle, colour and even texture, all being seen in one painting. She looked at the one with the skin tone that was closets to her shade and lightly laughed. "That one even has my go to hairstyle, two afro puffs. I remember how much I hated my type for hair for the longest time. Begging my parents to straighten my hair so I could have straight hair like my mother. Being told by other kids my hair looked like a bird's nest. I wanted to damage or even cut my hair so badly that I would cry so much. Then sometime during my teens, with the influence of my friends and other factors, I got my shit together and started to love my hair and love myself for who I was. I am a biracial woman who is more than just that and starting to love my hair and managing it really got me to be a better person today."

"I understand just what you're saying." A shorter woman with dark skin and a short, thick afro walked up to the couple catching them off guard but they all put their attention back on the painting within seconds. "I had dark skin, thick thighs and thick hair in middle school? Yeah I was just asking to get bullied. In a time where being pale, skinny and having straight hair was the norm. My momma hot combed my hair one time and it didn't even last 3 hours. She swore to never do it again because it was a waste of time which I am now grateful for, even if it was because she wanted to save time, it saved me from damaging my hair, just like you. Little girls with melanin need to have role models to see their hair is everything and nothing to be ashamed about. We can't let our children grow up insecure about what grows from our own scalp like we did..." She sighed and turned to the couple and smiled. "I apologise for just interrupted like that."

Jazmine shook her head and shared the smile and held out her hand. "Don't you worry. I'm Jazmine. It's nice to meet you."

The woman happily accepted. "Same to you, I'm Victoria." She took a glance at the man behind Jazmine and smirked. "When was you going to introduce me to your new girlfriend Huey?"

"Didn't get a chance." Huey stepped up and wrapped his arm around Jazmine's waist, making Victoria's eyes grow wide. For as long as she has known him, she knew he was never one for PDA. "Victoria, this is Jazmine, my girlfriend. Jazmine, this is Victoria. She went to the same high school as us but was two years above me and the guys. She also owns this gallery."

"Yup, even dated their friend Hiro for a little while." She told Jazmine casually, making it her turn to make her eyes go wide.

"You dated Hiro?" She questioned shocked.

Victoria laughed. "Don't look so shocked. Hiro was one of those Asian boys with swag that girls wanted to get a chance just to talk to him. He didn't even realise he was getting some hot sauce and collard greens type of flavour in his style as he hanged out with the niggas of all niggas."

"Woow, that's crazy to know. He's currently dating my friend Ming. Well my friends are dating Huey's friends and brother."

"Damn that is crazy." She chuckled. "But don't worry girl, I am happily engaged and on baby number 2." She rubbed her stomach, making Jazmine realise the small bump on her stomach.

Jazmine gasped excitedly. "Congratulations! You must be excited! Do you know if you're having a boy or girl?"

Victoria loved the energy Jazmine was giving off, even if she was surprised to see she was with the person that was the definition of monotone. "I have a 6-year-old daughter and I am about to have my first son in 4 months' time." She informed the dancer.

"Aww I am so happy for you. Aren't you happy for her Huey?"

Hearing Jazmine say his name made him jump back into the conversation. "Uh yeah, congrats."

"Thank you guys and thank you for coming."

"I am so happy Huey brought be here! These paintings are seriously beautiful." Jazmine complemented the room as she looked around once again, really aw struck at the work.

Victoria smiled at the woman's enthusiasm, it was on the level of a child but not on a level that it was creepy or overbearing. "The painting you was just looking at is my own."

"Seriously? That is amazing! You are so talented. I would love a couple of my own." Jazmine praised again as she thought out loud. The painting was truly beautiful to look at.

"Done." Huey spoke, making Jazmine look at him confused. "How much for it?"

"Huey, what are you doing?" Jazmine asked as she saw him reach into his pocket. He pulled out a roll of cash that she somehow missed. There was so much there she had no clue how she missed it.

"You said you liked it so I am going to buy it for you." He told her as if it was the simplest thing he has said all night. The sentence was simple, it was just the context was lacking.

"How do you know this is for sale?" Jazmine crossed her arms as she looked at him.

Victoria couldn't help but laugh at the question. "Oh honey, art is always for sale."

Huey smirked. "See. No problem."

"You don't have to." Jazmine sighed, not really wanting him to make a big fuss out of her simply liking some art.

"I know I don't but I want to." He unrolled the cash and started counting. Soon, he separated some of the cash and handed the notes he counted out in lightning speed over to the artist. "500 enough?"

Victoria's eyes grew wide as she counted the money. This was the most she has ever sold a painting! "This- this is more than enough, I- um, thank you! Seriously. I was selling this for much less, you can take some of it back if you wish."

Huey shook his head. "Nah, keep it as a baby gift or whatever."

"Baby shower gift." Jazmine whispered as she corrected him.

"Yeah that."

"You know... I knew you was a good nigga. I always knew that about you. Obviously, besides all the killing and shit, you a real nigga."

"I can agree on that." Jazmine smiled and gave Huey another light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you baby."

"It's nothing... now come on, we still got another thing to do." Huey started to lightly pull Jazmine away from the painting that he had just purchased for her.

"Huh? Where we going?"

Victoria chuckled at the confusion on his girlfriend's face. "Have fun!" She called out as she watched them fade into the back of the gallery, already knowing where they were going to and hoping Jazmine liked the effort Huey put in for their date.

"Close your eyes."

"Why? Is this where you have been planning on killing me all along? Trying not to look me in my ey-"

"Jazmine." Huey cut her off sternly as they stopped in front of a door.

"Sorry! I told you surprises make me anxious." She apologised. They were standing in a stairwell that had more art work plastered on the walls which made Jazmine a little comfortable knowing people actually did come up this way from time to time.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked her. He saw the slight frown that landed on her lips and waited for her to answer.

"Of course I do, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." She apologised once again.

He kissed her forehead before looking her in her emerald green eyes. "No need to apologise. It's fine. Now, close your eyes."

She sighed but did as she was told. She allowed Huey to guide her the rest of the way with her hand gripped tightly around his. She slightly shivered as she felt the autumn night of Chicago, making her realise they were outside.

"Open."

Jazmine heard the simple instruction and became breathless for the second time during the night. "Huey! I love it!" She spun around to wrap her arms around his neck. She wanted to wrap her legs around him so bad but then her dress would've ridden up. Huey smirked, glad that his surprise went well and wrapped his own arms around her waist, holding her close.

They were out on the roof that had beautiful sensory of the city. There was a set table with candles and rose petals that trailed off onto the floor towards where they were standing as a little pathway. Hand and hand, they walked closer to the table and Huey guided her to her seat where a card sat on her plate with her name written in cursives. "Aww this is so cuteeeee."

"I'm guessing you like it then." Huey smirked as he held out the chair for her. Once she was seated, he walked to his own chair and sat.

"I mean of course! I never took you as a romantic person." She told him truthfully.

"That's because I'm not but I know these types of gestures are things you like. As long as you like it, I will do it for you." He answered genuinely.

Jazmine began to tear up as she heard Huey say that to her. They had gone on a dinner date in the beginning of them getting to know each other but at first it was to make up for the crazy night before, now it was intentional. They knew they were on a date and it was planned and thought out. She couldn't wait to find out what else he had in store for her in future. "Thank you so much."

"You haven't even seen anything yet." He pulled out his phone and began typing before putting his phone away. "Champagne?"

She nodded. He reached under the table and pulled out the bottle of champagne that was chilling on ice. He popped it and began to pour the bubbly in her glass then his own. Once done, they lifted their glasses. "To new beginnings." Jazmine toasted to something different for a second time that night.

"To new beginnings." Huey repeated.

As their glasses met in clink, the door opened and two waiters came out with a plate each that was covered.

"Ohh fancy." Jazmine rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Thank you." Huey pulled off the covers and presented a vegetarian pasta meal. Jazmine could feel her mouth-watering at the sight and now the smell of it as it hit her nose. "Did the girls tell you I have been craving this?" He nodded, making Jazmine laugh. "You guys are so sneaky."

They dove into their meal, taking moments to appreciate the flavours in the mouth. "This is so good. Where is it from?"

"There is a vegetarian restaurant around the block." He shrugged.

"Well I will make it my mission to go back there to actually sit inside and see what else they can do. We should definitely go there soon. Like- wait, isn't your birthday next week?" Jazmine cut herself off as she thought about the month they were in.

"No." He tried to deny but she knew better. She was always good at remembering people's birthdays.

She checked the date on her phone before giving him a disappointed look. "Really? You were going to try and hide that from me?"

He shrugged as he took a sip of his drink. "You would've found out soon enough anyway. Its just another year closer to death anyway."

"Way to be dark." Jazmine playfully rolled her eyes. "I hope you don't say that to no children."

"Dante and Anthony already warned me about that."

Jazmine let out a full belly laugh, not expecting that answer from him. "I can't stand you! Leave them poor babies alone."

"They going to find out at some point." He said casually as if it was the easiest concept in the world. He seemed to have an answer for almost everything.

"I will never understand how your mind works." She shook her head light heartedly. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You must want something."

"Nope."

"I'm getting you something."

"You don't have to."

"But I am."

Huey shook his head this time. There was no point in trying to argue, she was as stubborn as he was and she loved celebrations. He was going to receive something from her one way or another however, what it was, she wasn't sure. She needed to find something quick, she only had a couple of days.

Jazmine felt her phone go off and took a quick glance which she already knew she was going to ignore anyway but paused when she saw the message.

Jayden: Hey JD, I see you're in Chicago. We should meet up soon, can't wait to see you xx

'Fuck... I keep forgetting about him.' Jazmine cursed in her head. She honestly forget about him. She has been so caught up in starting her new relationship with Huey, she forgot she sort of led on her ex by having sex with him constantly. Curse her high sex drive.

"You alright?" Huey had seen the colour slowly drain from her face as she read the text she got. "Do you need to leave?"

She shook her head. "No no, it's just... Jayden just sent me a text." She confessed. There was no point in lying, she didn't want there to be lying in their relationship already. It was also something that would need to be addressed at some point, they both had a little baggage on them.

"What did he say?" He felt himself get tense and had to try and calm himself down. This is not what he wanted to hear about on their night out but either way, this guy needed to know that he was the past and Huey was now Jazmine's future, he should quit while he's ahead.

"Just that he heard I was back and that he wants to see me."

"What you going to tell him?"

Jazmine was shocked at the question, she thought it was obvious what she was going to do. "Uhm, tell him that there is nothing happening between us anymore and that I am in a relationship with you."

"Ok."

"Ok? Nothing else?" He shrugged at her. "Not, 'you should've just kept your legs closed Jazmine, how could you run back to your ex just to have sex?' Nothing?"

Huey refilled their glasses with more champagne as the waiters came back to take their empty plates and bring out dessert. "I won't judge you for what you do with your own body. You're a grown, capable woman. You did what you did because you wanted to, I'm in no place to judge. I did the same thing, only I cut her out as quick as I got her back in and she wasn't an ex, just a past time which sounds even worse."

"I think going back to an ex who obvious still has feelings for you is worse." Jazmine lightly joked before laughing. "I need to tell him that there can never be an us but I need to do it face to face."

"Do you want me to come when you do it?" He offered but she shook her head at the question. She knew the two in a room together will cause there to be an increase in testosterone and problems and she had no patience to witness any of that.

"Nah, this is something I'm just going to have to do on my own."

"Good, saves me from putting your friend in the hospital for trying to fight me. He has kids to teach." Huey smirked.

Jazmine burst out of laughter, not expecting to hear Huey say that. "You're something else."

"But you love it." He joked but all she did was smile at first.

"Yeah I think I do."

They held onto each other's gaze for a few more seconds, feeling comfort in the other's eyes. Suddenly, Huey's phone went off, just as the dessert, which was chocolate cake and ice cream, came out.

"Answer it, it must be important." Jazmine encouraged him as she saw his face change like how it did when he had to handle business. "Go on."

He slightly nodded before answering the phone while Jazmine dove into her sweet dessert. The flavours tasted so good on her tongue.

"Yeah... give the product to the runners, they'll know what to do. Remind them to be careful, the feds are more active and I don't have time to be having our lawyers in and out all night. That nigga Dre can only let so much of them off at a time. Just keep low and strapped up at all time. I don't want a repeat of last week. I got shit to do, don't call again." Huey hung up and immediately turned his attention back to Jazmine.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, nothing my people can't take care of."

"You really care about the gang, don't you?" Jazmine suddenly asked, licking the chocolate off her fork.

Huey looked surprised at the question but answered it either way, trying not to be turned on by her licking the fork, wishing it was him. "Yeah, we're more than a gang, we're a family." He started to eat his cake. He wasn't one for dessert, especially one as sweet as this but he did it for Jazmine. "We take care for each other, look out for one another. Loyalty is an important part of the Panthers. It's something my past grandparents have implemented and I will continue honouring that because I feel many people in our generation have forgotten what loyalty really means and looks like." Half way through his explanation, he took a piece of the cake with some ice cream on it and held it out towards Jazmine, who happily accepted, humming at the delicious taste. Food always tasted better from someone else's plate. "People on the outside only care about the killing and the drug dealing that happens but we're more than that. We're protectors. Just like the Blood and Crip's once were. They were built to protect their communicates but once the government interfered and fucked everything up with drugs, money and guns, everything turned into a blood bath for no reason. We try and avoid that shit but it's hard to, we're not the only gang in the city, that's a fact but our main principle is protection, we want to protect our own while also trying to build."

Jazmine listened to him closely. She had heard a little bit about what happened in the past, especially about the crack cocaine era which was a devastating time for many black people. She could see he didn't want the past to repeat itself. "How so?"

"Business. Generational wealth. Having the black dollar circulate in the community." He started before going on to explain. "I have a night club and strip club which is just the start. I want to buy land and create my own real estate, have my own store all that. Providing jobs and rebuilding the city the best way I can."

"Wow... that's amazing." Jazmine was generally interested about what he was saying. It was nice that Huey was branching out to more things. He knew he had what it takes to own a business, multiple at that. He was doing well with Empire and The Blue Moon already, she couldn't wait to see what else he could do. He just always had a businessman's mindset.

"It's going to take some time but I feel good about it. I'm only going to be 26, there's no race." He concluded.

"That's right. Everyone is busy trying to get rich quick when it all really takes time and we're still young. The girls and I have been discussing stuff and we will see how it all goes."

"Good. Remember, if you need anything, you know where to find me."

Jazmine gave him a smile. She decided to get out her seat, walked over to where he was and find a new seat in his lap. Her new favourite spot. She placed a hand on his chest as she leaned down, capturing his lips with her own. The kiss was slow, passionate and sweet as they could taste the chocolate cake in the others mouth. His hand travelled around her body, wanting to feel every part of her on him.

"I won't need to find you if you're right next to me." She whispered against his lips.

"Glad you know... want to get out of here?"

Jazmine pulled away and looked at the table which had nothing left but empty plates and glasses. "Well we are finished..."

"Alright, let's go."

They stood and walked out the art gallery hand in hand, making sure they said their goodbye to the owner. The painting Huey had purchased for Jazmine was waiting for them by the entrance which they happily accepted and carried out.

"Wanna come back to my place?" Huey asked Jazmine as they got to his car, the painting sitting comfortably in the back.

She nodded. "Sure. We can watch a movie and cuddle." He agreed and got into the driver's seat to drive back to his house. The whole time Jazmine was frustrated that mother nature decided to stick around a day longer than usual because if she didn't, Huey was definitely going to get all of her. Sadly, he had to wait for another day and she couldn't wait for that day to happen.

Jazmine felt a hand on her lap and turned to look at the culprit who had his eyes glued on the road. He slowly started stroking her exposed thigh, making her shiver from the touch. 'Why does my period have to be the biggest cock block?!' She screamed in her head but out loud she just sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do. Instead, she settled on resting her own hand over his and watch the city go past them.

He just continued to surprise her at how different he acted with her compared to others. He treated her with care and special without hesitation. He put her needs and likes before his own. If this was just the beginning, the want to see their relationship months down the line is crazy just to think about it. There was so much to happen.

It was a beautiful night and she didn't want it to end. She was just happy she got to spend the night in his arm. Hopefully soon, it will become an every night thing, she would love to have Huey hold her every night. It feel so good to be next to him. A smile formed on her lips just thinking about it, he was really driving her insane.

---

On the other side of the city, Riley decided to take Royalty somewhere they could have fun and laugh at. He decided to go to a carnival, one he has been going to since he was a kid. He would never admit it out loud but he loved these type of places. The excitement, the food, the games, everything. He wanted Royalty to experience a part of him tonight.

"You so fine." Riley told her as he looked her up and down. All she had on was a simple jeans, t-shirt and sneakers but looked so good wearing it.

Royalty giggled and tried to hide her face, careful to not bend her eyelashes. "Stop lying."

"But a nigga ain't even lie." He pulled her arms down so he could finally see her face again. "Hm, so fine." He repeated to emphasise how good she looked to him or to anyone that could see her at that fact.

"I could say the same to you. I always wanted a set of grillz. They make you look extra sexy by the way." Royalty pulled down Riley's lips with her thumb to look at the gold bottom grillz he had put on for the night.

"These are just my basic set, you should see my others but I can talk to my guy and he could do some for you. Anything you want, gold, silver, diamonds, one, five, anything, I got you." Riley told her as they made their way inside the carnival after making sure they had everything they needed.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Lovely..." Royalty trailed off, already thinking about what type of grillz she wanted to get. She had the money to do it but she just never got some, she guessed now was the best time to get one so she could match with her mans. Well, not her man yet but soon. They still haven't made it official but when the moment came, she was ready. He just needed to show he was ready to commit.

"What you wanna do first?"

"Hmm, mi nah know." She answered. When Riley didn't say anything, she looked over at him confused. He was just staring at her, not like how he was looking at her a few seconds ago, it was different. "What? Is there something on my face?"

He snapped out of his gaze to snicker as he saw the worry on her face but knew he had to reassure her before she panicked. "Nah nah you cool. It's just I love it when you talk in your accent. Why don't you talk with it more often?"

Hearing that made her heat up, not expecting him to comment on that. "Uh, thank you and ever since I was young, we would be taught 'proper English' in school back home so I know how to switch up my accent whenever I need to. When I came to the states, the longer I spent here the more it became natural but the Jamaican dialect and all that will always be my first. It makes it easier for people to understand me too because I can talk fast when I speak Patois." She explained to him. Seeing him genuinely interested made her feel butterflies in her stomach, she could see the effort he was putting in and it was sweet to witness.

"Well when you with me you don't need to put on anything. If we finna do this, I'm gon' need some practice so I know if your people are cussing me out or not so for the rest of the night, I want to hear you OG accent." Riley told her playfully, making her laugh.

"Fine but trust me, you will know if they're cussing you out... anyway, let's get to the fake carnival you brought me to."

Riley looked at her offended. "Fake? Girl watchu mean fake?"

"I have so much to teach you about Caribbean culture. This is going to be fun, by the end of it, you will love it but I will tell you another time, for now, show me some skills." She lightly nudged him towards one of the shooting games.

"Well what a lovely couple we have here! All you have to do is shoot 7 of the ducks in 20 seconds. If you get that, then you win a big price. Get 5 or 6, you get a small prize, anything less you get nothing. Why don't you win the misses something unless you're not man enough?" The man at the booth instigated without missing a beat as he saw Royalty and Riley step closer to his booth.

Riley squinted his eyes at the man, immediate falling into his trap. There was one thing you should know about Riley, you should never question his masculinity, he hated that. Now, he had to prove the man wrong. "Ok. Now you gotta see how a real nigga be. I bet I can shoot every one of them damn ducks in the 20 seconds."

The man laughed at Riley's confidence, finding it admirable. He got him to come over but this was even more than what he bargained for, entertaining him. "Impossible."

Riley raised an eyebrow while Royalty just watched on in amusement. "You sure? There're only about 15 ducks. Barely over a second for each duck. If I get them all, you give my girl any prize she wants and I get to keep my money." Riley pulled out a five-dollar bill. "Abraham is waiting."

"Deal." They shook on it and he smirked. He got money and got to see the humiliation on the man's face when he lost in front of his girlfriend. It was going to be very funny to watch, he decided to bring around an audience. "Ladies and gentlemen! Come and see the man who claims he can shoot all 15 ducks within 20 seconds, which has never been done before! Will he be able to succeed or will he crack under pressure?!"

People around heard the announcement and made their way over to the booth, interested to see what the commotion was all about.

Royalty shook her head at the man. "You are so sneaky." The man just laughed again. She turned to Riley who picked up the gun that he had to use. "You don't have to do it you know, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone."

"Nah its cool, I'm going to show him what a real nigga looks like." He winked at Royalty before turning back to the man. "Let's go."

"Alright...3 2 1 go!"

Riley pulled the trigger and one by one, a duck was shot down as it moved across the booth. 10 seconds left and 5 ducks left.

"He's actually going to do it."

"That's crazy."

"Awesome!"

The time ended and the ducks were all shot down.

Riley held a big smirk on his face as everyone began to clap around him but he just looked at the worker, making sure he could see him in all his glory. "You were saying?"

The man in the booth tried to hide how upset he was but it was easy to see he wasn't pleased on the outcome. "Congratulations..."

"Haha!" Royalty stuck her tongue out childishly at the worker before resting her hand on her chin, looking over the prizes she was about to pick. "Hmm, I'll take that duck and that red teddy bear, please and thanks." She told him, remembering the deal he and Riley made.

"You heard the lady. Pay up." Riley picked up his 5 dollars he put down and put it straight back into his pocket. The man turned and got the prizes Royalty requested with a frown on his face. "You know what, for that stank ass attitude, give my lady something else too. You best do it, you already seen what I can do with a fake ass gun." Riley threatened. He sighed and pulled down another toy, this time, he handed her a stuffed lion. "That's what I like, come on girl."

With full arms, Royalty and Riley turned away from the embarrassed man and made their way over to somewhere else. "I didn't know you was that good, you really spent a lot of time here."

Riley shrugged. "I guess but I also handle guns for a living so that helped."

"I guess so... maybe we should go back to the car to put these back." She suggested, referring to how full her arms were becoming already.

"Look, why don't we play more games, win as much prizes as we can and then put it in the car. Then we can come back, eat and go on rides. Deal?"

Royalty smiled, liking the idea. "Deal."

And that's exactly what they did. Riley smashed it at the basketball game with just as much ease as the shooting game while Royalty cheered by his side, already looking at the basketball she was going to get for his prize. Royalty knew Riley could be playful and competitive but this was different levels, he didn't miss, at all! He was winning game after game that she just had to look at what prize she wanted when they stepped up to the booth. She did play some herself but she found more joy in watching Riley getting excited over the games. After nearly clearing out all the games and stuffing their prizes in the car, they went back to go on every ride possible. The whole time they screamed and laughed at each other, teasing the other about being scared. Being in the company of the other made them forget all about their outside problems and enjoy the moment they had together.

They sat at the top of the ferris wheel, looking over the dark sky and bright lights with the carnival music being heard from below.

"It's cold as a motherfucker up here." Royalty couldn't help but curse as she put lip gloss on her lips for some warmth and to stop it from getting dry.

Riley chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "You good?"

She nodded and looked over at him. There wasn't much light where they were but she could still see his maroon eyes staring at her. "Yeah I'm good. I really enjoyed this date. I have never been on a date like this before." She admitted.

He raised a eyebrow at her. "Serious?" She nodded. "Damn... I mean, I've never taken a girl out on d date like this either but with you, I want to do all the fun stuff."

"Like drive in cinema, mini golf and paintballing?" She jokingly suggested.

"Hehe, yeah all that stuff if you up for it." They smiled at each other when a thought popped up in Royalty's head. Riley saw her lips twitch as if she was about to frown. "What's on your mind?" She felt stupid for thinking about it. The problem happened months ago and it wasn't a big deal. They got over it and moved on, she had no idea why the memory suddenly unlocked in her head again. "Come on, you can tell me." He encouraged when he saw the uncertainty in her face.

She sighed before spill her thoughts. "I was just thinking about how I thought I was pregnant when we first started messing around and how glad we were that it was negative but I know we both were a little, tiny bit disappointed but didn't want to admit it. We were not in an official relationship, which we're still not and it would've been a huge shock for us. Now when I come back, I hear another girl is pregnant with a baby that could be yours and it makes me think what if I was the one that was pregnant? Like, what would've happened if I found out I was pregnant, would we have stayed?"

"Damn. Nigga never really thought about all of that..." He started off, trying to gather his thoughts on how best he should reply and his opinion. It wasn't something he had really thought about after that day or something he expected her to bring up on their first date. "I mean I hope that hoe isn't having my baby or she finna give me hell."

"This is why they say be careful who you stick your dick in. Can't just be any ol' girl." Royalty playfully rolled her eyes.

"Yeah a nigga should've listened more. Anyway, I would've actually preferred if it was you having my baby than Adidas. You have more sense. I fucked up but I'll deal with the consequences, no doubt. I'm trying to do better from now on and stop being selfish. When the time comes, we will have kids, don't you worry. You already know I love the making part." Riley leaned into her and started kissing her neck, making her giggle.

"You a damn fool."

"One you love tho." He looked up just in time to see her roll her eyes. They felt the wheel turning again as they were coming to the end on the ride. "Can I kiss you?"

That request caught her off guard. He was never one to ask, he was more about actions than words. Hearing him ask for permission was cute to hear, she would've never thought he would be one to ask just to kiss her. Since she came back, they actually haven't even been intimate in ways they used to be. This would be the first time he kissed her since she arrived back in Chicago and she wasn't going to let him wait any longer.

"Yes."

That one word granted him permission and he immediately smacked his lips against her plumped lips, not even caring that his lips were going to be sticky and shiny from her lip gloss. He just missed kissing her. He reached up and held her jaw, pulling her in closer. This was driving Royalty crazy, she has never felt Riley touch or kiss her with so much feeling and emotion before. It was missing before but they now found it and it was the best thing they have ever done.

A few short seconds later they pulled their lips away but their eye stayed connected. "I missed your kisses." He confessed. "I miss everything about you, I don't want another day to go past without you being my girl... so with that being said, Royalty Empress-Kiara Williams, will you be my girlfriend?"

Royalty pouted as she heard the proposal. It was adorable to see his eyes twinkling against the carnival lights as he looked deep in her soul, he would call it gay but she didn't care. It was cute. "Yes Riley Escobar Freeman, I will be your girlfriend."

With large grins on their face, they shared a quick kiss which would've lasted longer if the ride wasn't over. They stepped out and walked away hand in hand. "You know that was kind of cliché. Kissing on the ferries wheel and all that." She joked.

Riley rolled his eyes but laughed at her statement, knowing it was true. He never planned it but it just felt like the right moment. "Shut up, you know you missed a niggas kisses." He pulled her into her arms and began kissing her while she tried to shake him off.

"Riley!" She giggled at his playfulness. "You best not buss my lip with the grillz in your mouth."

He smacked his lips as he stopped kissing her. "Not me, shit I've been in a fight with these things on and nothing."

They stood in the middle of the pathway just looking at each other. Everything around them was fast pace but all of a sudden, time stood still for them. "How about we go get some food and then go back to your place?" Royalty suggested. Just looking at him was turning her on, she was ready to seal the deal of their relationship that very night in another way they both enjoyed. As she said before, she missed him. She wanted to feel him again and he felt the same way. He could see in her eyes what she wanted, what she longed for and he was more than happy to give it to her, they just had to make it home.

"Bet, you just have to feed me when I drive."

She giggled again. She was annoyed with herself internally for how much she giggled, a habit she was sure to blame on her orange haired friend but she had no time to lecture herself, Riley was staring at her with lust and she couldn't control herself. "No problem. Let's get going."

So they did. It took longer than they wished to decided what they wanted to bring home and ended up with two bags of cotton candy, two pretzels, two bags of popcorn, two hot dogs and nachos. Their hands were full, making them glad their put their prizes in the car before getting food. The whole time they laughed and joked about random things and Riley's antics without a care in the world, finally being themselves with each other. Their relationship had officially started and they couldn't wait to explore each other in more than just a physical level. It sounded crazy to them but they were 99.9% sure they were ready to commit to a real relationship.

It wasn't going to be easy but they could do it, they had hope and that went for all the couples. They had a long road ahead of them but they saw the light. The date night was just the beginning, there was going to be many more memories to be created together and they were prepared to create them.

---

Riley opened his eyes as he woke from his slumber.

It was the night after his date with Royalty and he was having all types of feelings. He laid naked in his bed with another naked body sleeping away peacefully in his bed, one he definitely didn't want to kick out his house.

When they arrived back home from the carnival, it didn't take long for the two to be all over each other again but this time, it was different. They took their time with one another. It wasn't rushed like how they were used to, it was slow and sensational. Riley has never felt that way before. It was crazy to think but what they had wasn't fucking, they were making love or at least the closest thing you could get to it for two people who were not in love as of yet. Royalty had put on some soft R&B in the background which helped them so much. They music was another way to guide each other's movements to the rhythm of the songs. He didn't know he was capable of such things but he loved taking his time to make sure she reached the maximum level of her orgasim which he caused. Holding onto all her curves for the whole night was enough for him to finish quick but he didn't want that to happen. The night was special and he was pleased with the way it ended. Even if they didn't have sex, he could still go sleep knowing he treated the girl he had feelings for and decided to treat like her first name.

He was cut off by his flashbacks when he heard a soft knock on the door and something slide through his mail slot. He guessed Huey went downstairs to check the mail. He was going to leave it but when he released how dehydrated he was, he thought he should go get a bottle of water and get one for Royalty because she might need it too. They were up all night.

He stretched as he walked to his front door, naked, to see a brown envelop on the floor. He picked it up, got the two chilled bottles from the fridge and dragged his feet back to his room. He chooses to sit at the edge of the bed and open the letter there, not thinking much of it.

He ripped it open and pulled out the first bit of paper and read the tittle.

'NON-INVASIVE PATERNITY TEST'

"Oh shit." Riley mumbled under his breath, the first words he spoke since he woke up. Reading the tittle made him long forget about the water that he would need even more by the time he finished reading. The test had finally come. It was finally here but that didn't mean he was ever less nervous. As a matter of fact, he felt even worse. The day had come where he would find out if he was going to be a father or not. "Oh shit." He said louder unintentionally as he felt the weight of the letter weighing on his shoulder.

This caused Royalty to stir in her place in the bed. When she reached out to feel if Riley was still next to her and didn't feel anything, she sat up to see if she could try and find him. She saw that he was sitting by her feet, looking down at something. "Riley? What's wrong? What are you looking at?" She asked as she saw he looked frozen and his shoulders looked tense. "Riley?" She called his name again when she got no answer.

"The results are here."

It took her a second to understand what he meant but once she did, her eyes grew wide. "Oh shit." She said the same thing he said when he found out.

"Fuck man." Riley cursed. All he had to do was pull the piece of white paper up and read what it said. He didn't know why it was taking him so long. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner the situation could hopefully be put to bed.

"You want me to read it?" Royalty offered as she saw he was struggle. This was not what she wanted to wake up and see after a night of passion but it had to be done. They needed to act like adults and handle their business.

He shook his head. "No, I need to do this myself." He told her respectfully and she nodded in understanding, waiting for when he was ready. He had to take some deep breathes because he felt as if he was about to hyperventilate which is something he has never done before. It just goes to show how badly the letter was affecting him.

'Get it together nigga! You're Riley Escobar motherfucking Reezy Freeman! You can do this! This ain't shit. You've been shot and stabbed before, this is little.' He tried to hype himself up but knew he told lies. This was bigger than any bullet or blade. This was life. 'Ok, ok, let's do it... now!'

He snatched the letter out of the envelop and began to read.

Royalty sat nervously behind him, waiting for something.

A whole minute passed.

Nothing.

If he wasn't the father, he would be jumping for joy right now... wouldn't he?

"Riley..." She trailed off cautiously as she called his name. She crawled forward, letting the blanket fall from her bare chest and reach out to touch his naked back.

He slowly turned to her and the way he looked made her stomach drop. His soul looked like it was ripped right out his throat.

"It's mine... I am the father."

---

*Sigh* I be trying guys but I just be so tired all the time and I will be going back to education next month which is about to be crazy so my bad if the updates are even worse, I really be trying. My chapters are subconsciously getting longer too so hopefully that makes up for the long waits. Anyway, lemme know what you think about the dates AND the little , HAPPY JAMAICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY. It wasn't even intentional but oh well. Big up my people dem.

BoondocksFanGirl/GREENPEACE1990/RuffinNoRelation: I am glad you guys liked the training scene, I did my best and I'm glad it paid off. And who knows, maybe they might need to use their new skills on their girls night out.

Bulmas Ego: Thank you for your encouraging words, just know I'm still reading your work I'm just a *very* slow reader. Don't worry baby Cairo will be making an appearance soon and no Raven and the girls together in this chapter but soon. And the chick might just pop off again with her bro and all now...

Chel29: Girl I couldn't have ANOTHER kidnapping, well, at least not yet anyway. If there even is going to be one. Of course I see what you did there, really bad girls watched Cheetah Girls (Disney+ reminded me of that too). AND YES! Us queens do have to stick together. Thank you so much for your constant support. I appreciate it so much.

^^That goes for everyone that reads even if they don't review, I see you.

Guest: I never really thought about a spin off... maybe I should do a little short story of them starting off at the strip club? I don't know but that doesn't sound too bad. Hm, I'll think about it. And I will check out that show, I googled it and it seems interesting.

Until next time

TBG