PREVIOUSLY ON FRIENDS FIRST, BENEFITS SECOND:
"I'd like to introduce y'all to my sexy-ass date and my girlfriend." Riley boasted loudly, placing a non-discreet hand on her ass. Her distasteful, ultra-revealing, and majorly obscene ass in that dress.
"Everyone, this is Tish. Tish... everyone." Riley smirked at everyone's wide eyes, his own landing firmly on Cindy's, who's narrowed instantly.
"Charmed, I'm sure." Tish greeted, sounding sarcastic as fuck while she gave everyone a haughty smirk of her own, tossing in a wink in Cindy's direction.
This bitch.
Cindy's POV
What. The. Fuck.
He wasn't serious. He couldn't be serious. Not about this bitch, who was par for the course with her ensemble. She was literally missing the left side of her dress as her entire leg, hipbone, and side-boob were blatantly exposed.
Cindy couldn't be bothered with that, she refused to, staring only back at Riley. The look in his eyes irked her to the core. He stared back at her with such a smirky "now what" expression that made her blood pressure rise immediately.
Because what the actual fuck was this really about?
"Go 'head and slide in, baby." Riley spoke, giving Tish's ass another unnecessary pat. "Make room y'all." He added, redirecting his eyes towards Cindy's once again.
She managed to bite her tongue as she and the rest of the group shifted. In one glance she had been able to catch the reactions from the others. Jazmine's face was pink as she seemed to be looking everywhere but Tish and her indecency. Huey's jaw was set firmly as he kept his glare pinned on Riley. Caesar and Lindsay's faces were mirrored in surprise, already seeming to anticipate the upcoming drama.
Cindy lifted her eyes towards Landon's at the feeling of him taking her hand beneath the table. She managed to give him a forced grin while she squeezed back, thankful for his presence. Promptly after, she was all but shoved into him as Tish forced her way into the booth directly beside her. Cindy squeezed Landon's hand even tighter to keep her composure as she shifted closer next to him to avoid Tish's elbows.
"What's the occasion anyway?" She asked, making herself at home by beginning to prepare herself a drink.
"A private birthday celebration." Huey was surprisingly the first to speak, making no attempt to keep the disdain out of his tone as he watched her pour.
Tish raised an arched eyebrow at him. "You chose this for the celebration?"
"We like it here." Jazmine cut in smoothly before Huey could re-open his mouth.
Tish all but scoffed. "Whatever your preference, honey. Just know that there are better options."
"Thanks for your input." Cindy snipped, already done with her presence. She could feel the tension in her shoulders as Landon gently slid his arm around her in a casual manner. And though she was thankful for the comfort, the feeling grew even more at the way Tish's scrutinizing eyes moved from Cindy to Landon.
"And who's this handsome gentleman?" She asked with way too much interest in her voice.
"I'm Landon. Cynthia's boyfriend." Landon introduced simply, not understanding the severity of the question. But Cindy did. Her fists balled at the conniving grin growing on Tish's face as she leisurely lifted her glass from the table.
"Oh, are you?" She said in faux surprise. "I'm assuming you must know Riley then?" She said in nonchalance before taking a sip of her drink.
Cindy's stomach dropped at the feeling of Landon's arm now tense around her shoulders. Her glare shifted from Tish over to Riley beside her in disbelief. While he remained silent, his eyes did flicker towards Tish at her statement.
"I'm sorry," Landon let out a humorless chuckle and Cindy blushed, feeling his gaze linger on her although he was speaking to Tish. "But what does that mean exactly?"
The sadistic way her eyes lit up at the question was more than Cindy could handle.
"Yo, what the fuck are you getting at?" She barked right as Tish was opening her mouth.
Tish stared back, the smirk still on her face while her eyes stiffened. "Why so defensive, Cynthia?"
Cindy stood to her feet in an instant, glaring down at her in warning. "First of all, don't fucking call me that." Tish smoothly rose to a stand as well, not backing down as she sized Cindy up. Before she could respond, Riley leaned around her as he sucked his teeth noisily.
"He literally just called you that. So you need to chill the fuck out."
Landon cleared his throat lightly, surprising Cindy as he then stood to his feet behind her. "I think we all need to dial it back a bit. Don't you think, Riley?" He asked pointedly as he stared him down.
Riley leaned his elbows on the table slowly with a nasty scowl on his face while he stared up at him. "I wasn't fucking talking to you, was I?"
"Riley!" Cindy reproached, mortified he was doing this in front of Landon. To Landon.
Amazingly, it didn't seem to unravel him. The opposite really, as he doubled-down his glare and spoke again, in a dangerous tone that Cindy had never heard from him.
"And now I'm fucking talking to you."
The next moment happened so fast that all Cindy could do was watch as Riley practically jumped to his feet, grabbed ahold of the table with one hand, and yanked it over forcefully, causing it and all the contents to crash loudly onto the floor away from them.
"RILEY!" The others exclaimed in shock, jumping up from the booth and their chairs at the scene while people at other tables turned their way. But Cindy, too stunned and horrified to speak, was only focused on Riley as he made a drunken bee-line to Landon beside her.
"What's good, bitch?" He sneered, barely feet away from getting in Landon's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the way Landon's shoulders were now squared off as he turned to face Riley head-on.
"ENOUGH!" She demanded, stepping directly in between the two. When Riley looked like he was going to try and go around her to further approach Landon, Cindy took a step forward and grabbed onto both of his arms.
"Riley please! Stop this!" She begged, forcing him to look at her. He was in such a blind stupor she was surprised that he did. They now had the attention of everyone in their surrounding vicinity unfortunately. All she wanted to do was to snap Riley out of it long enough for them to settle down and get the hell—
Her train of thoughts came to a screeching halt when she was caught off-guard by two hands pushing against her. Hard.
Tish's.
Contrary to Riley's sudden display, this one seemed to happen in slow motion for Cindy as she felt herself falling. She hadn't seen it coming, so her footing in her heels wasn't steady, causing her to stumble and fall backwards. Luckily, her back had still been facing the booth, causing her to fall awkwardly into the seat bench.
"Cindy!" Jazmine and Caesar exclaimed, rushing beside her.
Landon was already in front of her by the time she landed. "Are you alright?" He asked as he scanned his eyes over her, worry sketched all over his face.
But Cindy couldn't focus on that. Her eyes landed right back over to Riley, Tish now standing directly in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"Keep your hands OFF my man." She demanded like the idiot she was.
Cindy practically looked right through her, directly at Riley standing behind. The shock on his face was noticeable as he stared down at Cindy in the booth, clearly as surprised as everyone. But it was too late to turn it around and take it back now. Way too late. And she knew that he knew it.
"This is who you lay with?" She said lightly at first, sitting herself up in the booth as she stared at him.
"Cindy, it's okay." Jazmine told her calmly.
"I need you to take a breath, Cin." She heard Caesar tell her near her ear. At the same time, she felt him gently begin to put his hand around her arm.
Oh hell no.
Before Caesar could tighten his subtle grip, she wrenched away from him as she shot to her feet and maneuvered around Landon. She didn't hesitate as she fiercely locked her eyes onto Tish and shoved her out from in front of Riley and down onto the ground away from them. And despite everything in her to finish the bitch, she whipped her head back to Riley as she pointed a finger down at his so-called girlfriend.
"This is who you fucking lay with?!" She shouted in his face, ignoring the burning sensation behind her eyes. Not in sadness, but in anger. She watched the expression on Riley's face as he stood his ground while she got in his face, but yet wasn't able to look her in the eyes directly, almost shamefully. He almost looked like he was ready to open his mouth, but his eyes shifted away from her, widening.
"You fucking laid with him too, bitch! Don't get it twisted!" Tish screamed, coming at her from her right. Dragging a chair with one arm as if she was about to hurl it.
"WHOA, chill out!" Riley exclaimed, stepping in front of Cindy and grasping onto the chair as he held Tish back.
Cindy took a few steps back and watched in disbelief as Tish struggled against Riley while security had already quickly made their way over. "Nah, nah, keep your fucking hands off me!" She yelled at them as they tried to take hold of her arms.
Cindy turned to Landon when she felt his arm slide around her waist. "We need to go."
"Like right fucking now." Caesar added, already moving beside them as he held onto Lindsay's hand.
"Are you alright?" Jazmine asked Cindy again seriously, keeping Huey in place as he tried to pull her along.
"I'm fine, let's just go." She brushed off, starting to walk as well.
"Hey!" One of the security members called, beginning to approach them.
"Don't even." Huey warned, tugging Jazmine closer beside him while he stared the man down.
"We're already leaving." Cindy waved him off with an eyeroll, not slowing down her pace. Instead she looked over as she walked, at the trainwreck happening just feet away from them.
Tish was still screaming at security, making it worse for both her and Riley as she continued to cause a scene. He on the other hand was looking away from her, using his hands to rub at his eyes and forehead, clearly fighting an early-rolling hangover. He paused as he noticed them leaving, his eyes seeming to focus as he stared after Cindy. She locked eyes with him as she passed, her face rigid and her eyes stony as she willed herself not to blink, the burning sensation behind her eyes welling up again.
Damn him. And fuck her. And fuck him too. She turned her face away as they continued to exit, refusing to waste another moment or thought on them.
Riley's POV
His head was fucking killing him. Already. Which pissed him off. This shit was supposed to wait until the morning.
Riley winced as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool window, trying to subdue his overlapping thoughts. But it was useless.
"Stupid bitch."
His eyes opened slowly again in defeat, staring out the window in annoyance.
Especially with that.
He didn't have to turn towards Tish sitting next to him in the Uber. He knew without looking that she was still examining the minor scratch on her elbow from Cindy's shove. It hadn't even bled. And yet she was ready to throw a whole chair because of it. And continue to talk shit from the time they got their asses tossed from the club.
"You ain't need to take it that far." Riley spoke his thought aloud, still staring out the window.
He heard her scoff from beside him. "She disrespected me."
"You started with her first."
"And who's side are you fucking on?" Her voice was sharp.
"I ain't on a side-"
"Wrong answer." Tish cut him off immediately. "Because unless you're on mine, your actual girlfriend's, then you're on that bit-"
Riley whirled on her in an instant, suddenly in her space and clearly startling her. "I'm gonna tell you this ONE time, and I'm deadass." He told her seriously. "I'm on your side, but that's still my fucking friend. So you need to fucking chill with all that or we gonna have a problem. You got that?"
Tish glared up at him, letting out a slow eye roll as the Uber came to a stop in front of her building. "Yeah okay, Esco." She muttered scornfully, opening her car door and stepping outside. "Are you coming or not?"
"Not. I've gotta go home tonight." He said, shifting his body so he was looking straight ahead again and away from her.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I'll see you tomorrow." He dismissed her.
Tish let out another scoff. "Do what you fucking want." She hissed before slamming the car door and turning away. Riley finally spared a glance at her retreating back, watching her march away heatedly. At this point, his chances of seeing her anytime soon were most likely off the table, which was probably for the best. They both needed time to cool off. He also didn't have the energy to deal with crazy and drama right now. Tonight was enough.
"Where do you want me to take you?" The driver asked him.
Riley opened his mouth to answer, then hesitated. All he wanted to do was sleep this shit off and recover in the morning. In his current state, it's exactly what he needed to do. Most definitely what he should do. And yet here he was, his drunken conscience making stupid decisions for him again.
"Fuck, man." Riley let out in exasperation, pulling out his phone.
"Uhh, I'm sorry?" The driver said in confusion.
"I got the address." Riley rolled his eyes, quickly composing a text.
Riley checked his phone for the umpteenth time as the elevator continued to rise. He sighed at the fact that there was still no response, even though he sent her several messages and apologies. Even though he could clearly tell that she had read them all and left him on seen. It wasn't surprising though. He knew he'd have to swallow his pride to be able to do this with her tonight.
He stepped up to the door of the apartment, taking in a deep breath before he knocked loudly and repeatedly. He pressed his ear against the door after and waited in silence. It was faint, but he could just about make out slight movements from the other side, like footsteps. The noise stopped, a considerable distance away from the door, so Riley knocked again.
"Come on, I know you're in there. Can you please open the door, C? I need to talk to you. I didn't know it was gonna go down that way and I'm sorry."
He heard the footsteps begin again, moving closer to door now. Riley straightened up and let out a breath in relief, hearing her finally unlock the door. He knew the conversation wasn't about to be easy by any means, but at least she was willing to talk to him…
…Or at least he had thought, until the door opened to reveal Landon, staring hard down at Riley.
Riley wasn't able to mask his surprise as he stared back at his rigid face. A slight movement from further inside caught his attention, and he noticed Cindy standing across the room from behind Landon with her arms crossed. He stared at her in confusion until Landon moved, cutting off his view from her.
Riley cleared his throat and forced himself to make eye contact with him again. "Look… I know you probably don't wanna see me, but I need to talk to Cindy."
"You're going to talk to me first." Landon told him directly, taking a step forward while he began to pull the door shut. Riley briefly caught Cindy's expression as he moved, noticing the way her eyes widened from behind him. Riley didn't have time to focus as he had to move backwards out of the way, Landon damn neared plowed right into him.
"Away from the door." He instructed, beginning to walk down the hallway towards the elevator.
Riley cast a glance back towards Cindy's door, specifically her peephole, having no doubt that she was watching. For now. Not that there'd be any chance she would see or hear what was going on at the end of the hallway.
He grudgingly started to move his feet, following Landon down towards that end. He was already waiting for him impatiently, his arms crossed as he stared him down. There was something about his presence that made Riley uncomfortable. He kept his guard up as he came to a still a few paces away from him.
"Talk." Landon ordered him in a low voice.
Riley glared slightly, not appreciating the demands. "As I said, I just want to apologize to Cindy. And… to you too, I guess." He forced himself to say, trying to keep his voice calm.
Landon took a step forward to him at that, narrowing the gap between them. "You disrespected us both. Especially her."
"Look, I didn't mean for it to go that far. And I didn't know that my girl was going to act like that-"
"I don't give a damn about her, I'm talking about you." Landon cut him off. "You're supposed to be her best friend, so I hear."
"And I am!"
"Yeah, and apparently more than that." Landon shot back quietly, surprising Riley at the statement. He knew his expression had blown it by the way Landon eyed him. "So it's true?"
"…It was a long time ago." He lied, doing his best to keep his face neutral.
"How long?"
"How long ago?"
"How long was it going on?" Landon demanded.
"Man, I don't know, a couple weeks?" He suggested.
"Was it serious?" He asked him simply enough, but it didn't fool Riley.
"I mean, it was what it was." He answered lightly, trying to keep it as vague an answer as possible.
Landon took another quick step into his proximity. "I'm going to ask you again." He said, his voice slightly harder. "Was it serious? And are you serious about her?"
Riley stared back at Landon and could easily see the seriousness in his eyes at the question. This nigga felt threatened. Which, Riley had to admit, he reveled in. Unfortunately for him, it was hard to even enjoy the moment in the current circumstance. Especially at the weight of the question.
Are you serious about her?
Riley took his time before answering. "As a friend… it wasn't serious." He said, the words just feeling like words coming out of his mouth. It didn't even sound real or believable to him. And probably not to Landon by the way he looked at him.
"I hope not." He stated plainly, still staring at him like that.
Riley raised an eyebrow, not really sure what that meant. "Okay…? Like I said, I'm sorry. I'd like to go apologize to Cindy now."
"Cindy needs some time. You can talk to her another day." Landon told him easily enough, which pissed him off.
"Are you speaking for her or…?" Riley asked, borderline sarcastically. He could tell Landon picked up on it by the way he doubled down on his glare and his stance shifted.
"In this case? Yeah, I am. And like I said, you fucking disrespected her, and worse than that, hurt her." He said harshly, striking a nerve with Riley. "She needs some time and I'd appreciate it if you would get off her property." He said, making his point by tapping the elevator button.
Riley stared at him in disbelief, taking the brief second to size him and the situation up. Dude looked ready to go based on the way he was standing, his glare, his tone, everything. And as much as Riley hated it, if homebody was gonna try something, he was in no state to challenge or defend himself. He was still way too exhausted and too drunk/hungover to stand a chance.
Riley looked away from him as the elevator doors opened, moving around him to head inside. "I'll be back to talk to Cindy." He told him lowly.
"Give her the week." Landon replied smoothly.
"I'd rather make amends with her sooner than that, if that's alright with you." Riley bit back as he smacked the button for the ground floor.
"Then you can text her." Landon shot back, staring him down. "But until then, stay away from her."
"Or what?" Riley demanded, glaring straight back.
As the elevator doors began to close, he was unsettled at the way Landon practically grinned at him in return.
"Come back and find out, Riley." Landon replied lightly before the doors closed.
Cindy's POV
She continued to pace back and forth in front of her door in silence, more than a little disturbed. The entire day had gone to shit thanks to Riley, who now had the nerve to be here. After he ruined Jazmine's birthday celebration. After his dumb bitch of a girlfriend put her hands on her and got them all kicked out. Now he had the nerve to show up here and cause even more stress? Especially when her boyfriend had already heard more than enough and surely would want to talk more about that topic soon.
She could only imagine what they were talking about. She had initially tried to listen, running immediately to the door as soon as it closed. She even saw Riley look at her apprehensively through the peephole, clearly not wanting to chat with Landon. Cindy wasn't able to see or hear anything once they walked away from the door, which killed her.
What could they possibly be talking about? And why the hell is it taking so long?
She jumped and turned to the door at the sound of it opening. Landon came through alone with a blank expression, closing the door behind him.
"What happened, is everything okay?" She asked him at once.
"Yeah. You heard him, he wanted to apologize." He stated, his back turned as he locked the door.
"Well, where is he?" She asked. She was surprised when Landon turned back around with a slight glare now on his face.
"Do you really want to see him now, after what happened?"
"What? No, not necessarily."
"Good." He told her, walking past her to go to the couch.
Cindy followed him. "Okay, but where is he?"
"I sent him home. I told him you needed some time. Which you do."
"…Oh." Cindy didn't know how to answer other than that.
"Are you disappointed?"
"No, I'm not." She told him, not exactly sure whether she believed it or not.
"Hm."
"What?"
"When were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" She asked quietly, feeling her face flush at the distant way he stared at her. She knew that he knew exactly what he was referring to. It was confirmed by the way his gaze hardened at her.
"Riley told me. Not you." He said tersely.
"There was nothing worth telling." She tried gently, putting a hand on his leg.
He glanced down at that as he let out a dry chuckle. "You think not mentioning that you hooked up with your best friend isn't something worth telling your boyfriend?"
"Landon, it was months ago."
"Months!" He let out another short laugh, louder this time. "How reassuring. Riley made it seem conveniently longer."
"Honey, it was. And what happened between us is in the past. It was just… casual." Cindy felt herself redden more, hating how bad it sounded.
Landon shook his head, looking away from her for a moment. "Why do I feel it was more than that?" He muttered to himself.
"…It wasn't."
"I certainly hope not." He said in return. Cindy didn't know what to say to that either, so she remained silent. "I don't think you should see him anytime soon." He told her seriously, turning back towards her.
"It's not like I want to see him anytime soon."
"Good. I told him the same."
"Oh?" Cindy said again, still not entirely sure what to make of him speaking on her behalf.
"I told him that you needed space and to give you the week before coming to 'apologize.'" He air-quoted with an eyeroll.
"And how did he react to that?" Cindy decided to ask.
A slight smirk appeared on his lips. "He tried to push back a bit." Cindy nodded, expecting as much. "It'd be in his best interest not to test me." Landon added, his voice a little darker in tone again.
Cindy reached out to hold his hand, wanting nothing more for him to calm down so they could move on. "I appreciate you having my back, baby." She told him, gently smiling up at him.
He looked down at her and easily took her hand in both of his, leaning in for a soft kiss. "Always my love." He smiled at her as he pulled back, finally sounding like himself again. "I'm so sorry for how tonight ended."
"It's okay. It's just one night." She shrugged a shoulder.
"Let's make it a better week then."
"What'd you have in mind?"
"How bout I stay with you?" He asked breezily.
"…You mean for the entire week?" She asked, angry with herself for the slight pause, but he had thrown her off. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice.
"Yeah, it'll be fun! We can plan some things to do and spend some quality time together." He suggested, still smiling.
"Oh, okay." She nodded, not really knowing what else to say. Her thoughts on everything were still processing in her head.
Landon's gaze steadied on her, the smile slightly dropping from his lips. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all, baby." Cindy shook her head, hating herself for seeming distracted. "Why would I mind?" She asked him with a smile, doing her best to reassure him. Landon grinned back at her, leaning in to give her a kiss and pull her into him on the couch. He nuzzled his face into her neck with kisses as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Yeah, that should be fine." She told him, quickly thinking about her initial plans for her week. "I have a normal-ish schedule for work this week. The only thing I want to do tomorrow is say goodbye to Jazmine and Huey. They're heading back up to their university after brunch tomorrow."
"I think I'll head up to my apartment to pack some things for the rest of the week, that way I can be back here by the time you get home. Tell them goodbye for me?"
"Sure honey."
She felt him tense slightly as the kisses to her neck stopped. He pulled back slightly as he looked at her. "You don't think Riley will be there, do you?"
"After tonight? Probably not." Cindy shook her head.
"If you think there's a chance, I can always go and get my stuff later and come with you instead." He told her, completely serious.
"Baby it's fine, really." She rubbed his arm again. "He's definitely not going to be there. I'd rather have the full day to spend with you once I get home. Go and get your stuff in the morning and I'll meet you back here after. Things will be fine, I promise."
"I know that. I just… I don't feel comfortable with you around him right now." He admitted with a frown.
"I don't want to be around him right now."
"I don't trust him."
"You don't have to worry about him." Cindy shook her head.
Landon practically snorted. "Oh, I don't worry about him." He told her, pulling her against him again to resume his kisses.
And though they were nice, Cindy couldn't help but to focus on the silent "he needs to worry about me" that hung in the air.
Jazmine's POV
"Do you see it anywhere?" She asked frantically.
"Jazmine, no. I have no idea where you left your shirt."
"Do you think it's in one of the hampers? I really don't want to leave it behind."
"I really don't want to dig through dirty laundry over one tank top." Huey rolled his eyes. "It's probably at your parents' house. And before you ask, no I'm not going back over there to check. Just ask your mom to bring it when they come over."
"I'll ask Daddy, he's the one who does laundry." Jazmine began composing a text right away, plopping down on the bed.
"If they can't find it, you'll have to look for it again the next time we come home. We are leaving at noon." He told her as he zipped up his bag.
"Not without my favorite shirt." Jazmine mumbled under her breath with a grin.
"Everything else is already packed, Jazmine. We're not going to be held up over a shirt."
"We'll see." She giggled when he turned around to look at her, shaking his head as he walked over.
"You are ridiculous."
"You love me." She smiled, meeting his lips as he leaned down. He pulled back after a moment, rolling his eyes as he heard rapid footsteps in the hallway. He turned his body to face the door, right before Granddad burst into the room dramatically by flinging the door open.
"Y'all better not be makin' no babies in here!" He said loudly, looking between the two of them.
"No Granddad." They responded simultaneously, used to his wild and random pop-ins.
"Well good." He nodded, about to head back out of the room. "Oh yeah," He turned back around and extended the phone in his hand towards Jazmine. "Phone's for you, Cutie Pie."
"Oh, thank you." Jazmine said in surprise, taking it from him. "Hello?" She answered as Granddad left the room.
"Don't hang up." The voice on the other line said at once.
"…Riley?" She said in disbelief.
"Hang up." Huey told her, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to his belongings.
"J, I mean it, hear me out."
"You've got a lot of damn nerve, Freeman."
"Jazz, I'm sorry-"
"You ARE sorry!" She interrupted him. "What the hell, Riley?"
"I made a mistake, okay? I didn't know shit was gonna go down like that."
"So you thought bringing that witch along to the club when you already know her and Cindy don't like each other was going to end well?" She scoffed.
"I said I made a mistake. Stop acting like you walk on fucking water." He snapped.
She didn't need this. "I'm done, Riley." She told him, holding the phone away from her ear to disconnect the call.
"Wait-wait-wait, fuck. Jazmine seriously, wait. I'm sorry, please don't hang up." He pleaded with her.
"Give me one reason." She rolled her eyes, her finger still hovering over the End button.
"This is important. It's about Cindy."
"I don't care! If it's about her not talking to you, I don't wanna hear it. I'm not getting in the middle of this."
"Jazz, it's not even that she won't talk to me, but her fucking boyfriend won't allow it."
"What do you mean Landon won't allow it?" Jazmine asked in confusion. She noticed that Huey turned back to her at the statement, raising an eyebrow in question. She shrugged, pressing the button to put the call on speakerphone.
"I tried to talk to her last night. I texted her like ten times before going to her house. And when I got there, the nigga wouldn't let me in or let me speak to her, even though she was standing right there." He explained in frustration.
Jazmine shrugged a shoulder again in silence, looking at Huey. "What did he say?" He asked, coming over.
"He said to give her the week. And not to come back or try to talk to her before then."
Huey gave Jazmine a look back, making a face at that. "Hm."
"Fucking bitch." Riley continued, clearly pissed off about it. "Tryna order me around and shit. He was lucky I wasn't in the position to fight him, man."
"Did he put his hands on you?" Huey questioned again.
"That's gay. But nah. He looked like he was willing to square up on me though. He made this bitch-ass comment like, 'see what happens if you come back.' The fuck outta here."
Huey looked again at Jazmine, clearly not happy. "Okay, that I don't like." She spoke up again.
"I don't like him around Cindy." Riley responded.
"Just because he's being overly protective in this case, because you were definitely 100% wrong, doesn't necessarily mean he's bad for Cindy."
"It doesn't mean he's good for her either." Huey countered.
"Look, I just wanna talk to her. And for real apologize. But homeboy acting like if I come around her and try to talk her, he's gonna do something."
"I wish he would." Huey muttered under his breath. Jazmine gave him a look.
"Do y'all know if he's coming with Cindy today?" Riley asked.
Jazmine hedged slightly, already knowing the answer. She rolled her eyes at herself before giving in. "He's not. Cindy texted me this morning. She'll be here within the hour."
"Really?" Riley sounded hopeful.
"Yeah."
"I'll be there."
"You better come correct, Riley." Jazmine told him.
"I want to make this right, Jazz. But if I don't even have the chance, how can I?" He asked her.
Jazmine and Huey shared a look at that and she conceded. It wasn't too much longer when they wrapped up the conversation and she hung up, tossing the phone on the bed as she plopped herself backwards to lay on it. Huey turned back to his arranging his dresser and Jazmine watched him carefully.
"You forgave him pretty fast." She said casually.
"Trust me, no I didn't. He fucked up your whole birthday." He responded at once, not turning towards her. "Just because I agree with him, it doesn't mean we're good."
Her body shot up at that. "You agree with him?"
"I told you, there's something off about Landon."
"Are you kidding me, you would react the same way if someone disrespected me and then expected to talk to me right after. Are you saying you wouldn't?"
"That's different." He dismissed.
"It's really not."
"He threatened him." He said, turning to face her fully.
"What?" Jazmine squinted at him.
"'See what happens if you come back?' That's a threat, Jazmine. I don't care what the situation is. No one has permission to threaten my brother but me."
"Even though that doesn't make any logical sense." She smirked.
"You're an only child, you wouldn't understand."
"True." She shrugged. "But still. For all we know, Riley could be exaggerating the story. And either way, let's not act like Landon doesn't have a reason to protective and pissed right now."
"Those things I get. The aggression, I don't. And I don't like it."
"You can get aggressive too, babe." She pointed out.
"I'll own that." Huey gave a shrug of his own. "But Landon…." He trailed off, not seeming to have the words. He turned back to his dresser. "I don't know… there's just something about him."
Cindy's POV
Cindy tried not to laugh as Tom hugged his daughter, sniffling significantly more than she was. Huey stood to the side next to Sarah, mirroring her expression as they both glanced towards each other.
"Daddy, we'll be back soon." Jazmine chuckled, patting his back. "Thanksgiving's less than a month away."
"Not soon enough." He mumbled into her neck.
"Oh for God's sakes, Tom." Sarah said in annoyance. "Get yourself together, the kids need to get on the road."
"She has a point." Huey added.
Tom choked back his sob as he pulled away from Jazmine, using his sleeve to rub the tears from his eyes. Huey took advantage of this by grabbing ahold of Jazmine's hand and leading her toward the door.
"Y'all be good and drive safe, boy." Granddad told them before turning back to tend the kitchen.
"Bye Granddad, bye Daddy, bye Mommy." Jazmine smiled, blowing a kiss to each of them as they began to exit. Cindy grabbed her bag and followed them out the door, finally allowing herself to laugh once she closed it.
"I'm sorry but your dad is such a drama queen." She snickered.
"I know, I know." Jazmine shook her head. "He's just sensitive."
"He's just over the top."
"Huey Freeman." She chided him with a swat. Cindy laughed again as they reached the bottom of the porch steps.
"You've already got everything packed in the car?" She asked.
"Yup." Jazmine said, glancing at the road before turning back towards her. "Give Caesar a hug for me."
"I'll give him a kick instead. He should've called off work."
"He said it was a last-minute thing, it's no big deal." Jazmine shrugged. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"
"Landon will meet me back at my house when I get back. He's going to spend the week with me." Cindy explained.
"Ohh, how nice." Jazmine gave her a smile, but she had a weird look on her face that confused her. She also noticed the way Huey gave her an overdrawn stare from behind her.
"And what are you giving me that look for, McHater?"
His look shifted back to indifference as he shook his head. "No reason."
"It sure looked like there's a reason."
"The reason is that he'll miss you too even if he won't show it." Jazmine cut in, wrapping her arms around Cindy in a hug.
"That is absolutely false."
"I'll miss you guys too." Cindy ignored him, closing her eyes as she squeezed Jazmine back. She became distracted at the noise of an approaching car with loud bass music. Her eyes opened as she realized the noise was getting closer, the sound of the motor now familiar.
You've gotta be kidding.
Cindy's thoughts were confirmed once she pulled away from Jazmine and turned to the road. Sure enough, Riley's loud-ass car was speeding down the street, coming to a curt stop right behind Huey's car. She crossed her arms and glared at him as he hopped out his car, seeming uncertain as he started to make his way up to them.
"What is he doing here?" Cindy whisper-hissed to Jazmine. All she did was shrug and shake her head in return.
"I wanted to catch y'all before you left." Riley spoke as he approached, looking between Huey and Jazmine.
"Bye." Huey dismissed him, walking right past him to the car.
"Oh, come on!" Riley complained to his retreating back.
"We've accepted your apology, but we're done with this shit, Riley. Get it together." Jazmine told him, following suit as she passed right by him. However, after just a few steps she paused. In the next moment, she turned back around and gave him a quick hug.
"Bye." She told him quietly. "We love you. So does Huey."
"Yeah yeah." Riley said while hugging her back. "Sorry."
Jazmine gave him a half-grin as she parted from him and headed to the car, gesturing back towards Cindy. "Go."
Cindy dropped her jaw at that as she watched them get in the car. Jazmine turned back and gave her a look from the window with a sad wave. Cindy grudgingly gave her a wave back. She'd definitely have to have a word with her later.
As soon as their car pulled off, Riley turned his attention towards her. Cindy kept her expression hard as he made his way up to her. His face on the other hand was guarded and unreadable as he stood before her, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"Can we please talk, Cindy?" He asked her calmly.
"What could there possibly be to talk about?" She asked him dryly.
"Everything." He said, giving her a look.
"Not from where I'm standing." Cindy rolled her eyes, ready to walk around him.
Riley side-stepped in front of her. "Cindy, come on. I'm sorry. You'd know that if you'd answer your phone."
"I don't have to answer my phone. I don't owe you anything."
"I'm not saying you do." He admitted. "I know I fucked up."
"Yeah, you did." She scoffed.
"And here I am, trying to apologize."
"And what, do you want a cookie? That's not always good enough!"
"Then what do you want from me? What can I do?"
"Nothing... I want nothing from you, Riley."
Riley gave her a look at that, dropping his shoulders. "Why are you being like this? You're not even gonna give me a break?"
"Do you think you fucking deserve a break right now?"
"All I want is for you to hear me out and you're not even giving me a chance."
"Because you don't fucking deserve one when I've given you how fucking many! I'm over this shit with you."
"Is this about your fucking boyfriend?" He scorned, starting to piss her off even more.
"That's funny, coming from you. When it was your fucking girlfriend who caused all the shit yesterday and that's on you."
"You act like I fucking control her like she's a dog or some shit!"
"What I know is that she's a fucking bitch and you better keep her on a short leash because I am done, Riley." Cindy snapped, now in his face. "She steps to me again and I'll knock that ass out."
He stared down at her unwaveringly, but the look in his eye darkened. "Cindy… watch it." His tone was nonnegotiable, but she didn't care.
"Oh, is it not okay for me to talk like that about her?" She played dumb. "When she's the one who talked that shit to me, put her damn hands on me, and was ready to throw a fucking chair at me?"
"And I'm not defending her. But you're not about to keep talking that shit and I mean it." He warned.
"Ooh, am I threatening her?" She mocked.
"About as much as your little boyfriend threatened me." Riley shot back.
"The fuck are you talking about?" Cindy asked, putting a hand on her hip.
"Oh, he didn't tell you about that? The shit out in the hallway?" He asked with fake interest. "Tell me, what did he say went down, I'm curious."
"You know exactly what went down. He told you to go home and give me my space. And he was right for that."
"Did he tell you that I'd 'find out what happens' if I come back and even try to talk to you?" He demanded, causing Cindy's eyes to unwillingly flicker. "Yeah, I thought not. Did he tell you the way he interrogated me about the situation between us too? With his jealous ass."
"He's not jealous." She snapped at him. "And even if he was, it's a normal fucking reaction since your girl's the one who said that shit about us out of spite!"
"And what does it matter now? We have nothing together." He retorted back at her.
Cindy narrowed her eyes at him. "We sure don't."
"Cindy, you know what I meant. Other than our friendship."
"If we even have that." She bit back at him, trying not to react to the hurt look she caused in return.
"That's messed up." He said quietly.
"Yeah it is." Cindy looked away from him as she tried to pass by, but he put his arm out to stop her. "Move." She pushed his arm out the way.
He firmly held her in place. "Stop."
"I said to move." She pushed him harder.
"And I said to stop. And fucking look at me." He demanded, now holding onto both of her arms, forcing her to face him. Cindy shot daggers up at him expecting to be getting the same in return, but he only stared down at her with intensity.
"You are my best friend." He told her strongly. "You fucking know that. My relationship with you is the most important to me."
"Please. More important than your girlfriend's?"
"You come first. Period." Riley spoke at once, not even hesitating. And Cindy had to admit, it surprised her. And if she was being truthful, made her feel slightly better… maybe.
"I didn't have to tell you that for you to already know." He continued, his expression softening in response to hers as he let go of her arms. "This shit is dumb. And honestly, your boy isn't making it any better."
"Neither is your girl." She pointed out.
"Cindy, I'm serious. He's fucking jealous."
"Not everything is about you." She rolled her eyes.
"I know that it's not, but I'm being for real. He's making it personal. He didn't even give you a say when he was talking to me, he just said to 'stay away from you.'"
Cindy shook her head, trying to brush that off. "He's just being protective."
"There's a difference between protective and possessive."
"Thanks for the lesson." Cindy snipped, giving him a look.
"I'm not kidding around right now. I don't like him around you."
"You don't get a choice." She told him plainly, taking a step around him to head down the walkway.
"I'm worried about you, aiight?" Riley followed right beside her. "Is that what you want to hear?"
"I think you're being overdramatic."
"Why would I make this shit up? I'm telling you exactly what he said and how he acted with me. Like he was gonna do something."
"He wouldn't." She shot him a look.
"How do you know?"
"Because I know him."
"Do you?" He challenged.
Cindy sucked her teeth, drawing her car keys from her bag. "Goodbye, Riley."
"Can you please not leave this way?" Riley complained, not giving her time to react as he quickly swiped the keys from her hand.
"Give me my damn keys!" She demanded, attempting to snatch them back but he pulled them away out of reach.
"I said I don't want to leave it this way." He told her again stubbornly.
"How the fuck else would you like to leave it?!"
"1-on-1." He said at once.
Cindy gave him a glare, crossing her arms. "I don't have time."
"First to ten points." He ignored her, hitting the unlock button on her fob. He headed to her trunk once it opened, no doubt looking for the spare ball she always kept back there.
"I'm not in the mood." She tried again.
"Neither am I, so I don't wanna hear it." He slammed her trunk closed after he retrieved the basketball, sliding her keys in his pocket as he headed to the adjacent court. Cindy groaned aloud in irritation as she followed behind him, obviously not having a choice.
"What the hell is this going to prove?" She said to his back.
"Absolutely nothing." He responded simply, spinning back towards her once he reached the center to check the ball to her.
Cindy tossed her bag to the ground just in time, managing to catch the ball. "So why are we doing it?" She glared, checking the ball back to him with a bit more force.
"To get it out." He answered while he checked the ball back to her harder on purpose, not giving her time to recover before he was right on her in an attempt to block any shot.
Cindy dribbled and kept him at arm's length as she looked for a way around him. "I'd rather get this out alone."
"Rather not with your boyfriend?" Riley practically sneered.
Cindy whipped her head around to him in indignation. "Oh fuck you." Before she knew it, Riley had taken advantage of the moment by stealing the ball, maneuvering around her to make a quick shot. Cindy cursed again at that as she promptly tied her hair up into a high ponytail.
Riley smirked as he walked back from retrieving the ball. "Don't get too sensitive now." He taunted, tossing the ball to her lightly.
"Shut the fuck up." She didn't even give him the chance to get in position as she checked the ball at his turned back. He turned around just in time to catch it awkwardly.
"That was cheap." He said with a look, checking it back.
"You're cheap."
The impromptu game continued that way... at least in the beginning. And despite Cindy's frustration and denial, somewhere during the game they seemed to fall back into their rhythm. The tension and aggression had significantly lessened. The trash talk insults became less heated and more light-hearted. There was even a moment during the game that Cindy's keys had fallen out from Riley's pocket. She had barely given it a second thought as she kicked them off towards the side and off the court. She knew it had been worth it as soon as she sank the final basket, winning the game.
"The fuck kinda block was that?" She said immediately, turning to Riley with a grin. She was now baring her gray workout bra, having ditched her long-sleeve midway through the game. "How do you swerve the wrong way? Dusty ass." She snickered, walking towards him. Riley, now in just his black beater and shorts, hung back at the centerline, having way too much of a smirk on his face as he watched her.
"What?" She asked him, still grinning up at him.
"There ain't nothing that can bring a smile to your face like winning, man." He said while shaking his head.
"Oh, so you're saying you let me win?" Cindy put her hands on her hips.
"I ain't sayin' nothing like that. Good game though."
"...You little shit, now I know you let me win." She couldn't help but chuckle. He was never a good loser.
"You needed it." He teased again.
"Fuck you." Cindy shoved him playfully. In the next moment, she was being pulled into him.
"Sorry girl." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"For letting me win?" She pretended with a light eyeroll, allowing herself to be hugged.
Riley pulled back slightly to look down at her, still in his arms. "For everything." He told her, and she could tell that he meant it. "We good?"
"We're aiight… for now." She let out a smirk.
"Gotta always be so damn difficult."
"Gotta always be so damn clingy."
"Yeah, I'm so clingy." He grinned, immediately tickling her sides. Cindy squealed and tried to wriggle away from him, but he pulled her down onto the ground and straddled on top of her, continuing to tickle her relentlessly.
"I can't stand you!" Cindy exclaimed through her laughter. She panted once he gave her a chance to catch her breath, feebly trying to shove him while he snickered at her. He caught her hand and held it against him while he looked down at her.
"Back at you." He replied simply, giving her his trademark grin. Cindy rolled her eyes as she gazed up at him. Why did he have to be like that? Why did he have to look at her like that? Being so damn…
Whatever thought she was about to think was interrupted as Riley's phone buzzed and vibrated from his pocket. He let go of her hand as he pulled out his phone, answering it as soon as he lifted it to his ear.
"Hey." He said, rising up from Cindy. He looked like he was ready to hold out his hand to help her up but faltered as his face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait… Tish, slow down I can't understand you… what? The fuck you mean someone was inside your house?"
The fuck? Cindy thought, sitting herself up in surprise as she stared up at him. She couldn't even take the time to be nosy as her phone began to ring, her ringtone blaring from her bag off to the side. She stood up and went to it, stealing glances back to Riley's concerned face and pacing movements as she dug through her bag. She looked down once she grabbed her phone, hating the way she felt her stomach drop.
Landon.
"Hello?" She answered casually, trying to keep her voice light.
"Hey honey." He said, sounding a little exhausted. "I was a little late getting here, traffic was terrible. I thought you'd already be home. Where are you?"
"I'm still at the Freeman's house. We're wrapping up now."
He paused. "I thought Jazmine and Huey were leaving at noon."
"Oh… no, no, they just left." She kept her voice low as she turned her back to Riley. She was such a liar. "I'm about to be on the way."
"Did Riley come?" He asked again.
Cindy stole another glance back. "No, he didn't. Just like I told you." She told him quietly.
"Okay good." Landon said, sounding satisfied. "Hurry back, baby."
"Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye." Cindy disconnected the call, slowly walking back towards Riley. He seemed to be finishing up his conversation too.
"Yeah, I'm on the way, just stay put… alright… bye." He said, pulling the phone from his ear.
"What the hell happened?" Cindy asked him.
"Someone was in Tish's house." He told her, grabbing his T-shirt from the ground and pulling it over his head.
"Damn." She didn't like the girl and karma was a funny bitch, but still. That was scary stuff. "Did they steal anything?"
"Not that she noticed. Her house is pretty fucked right now though." He shook his head, checking his watch. "I'm gonna head over to help her look around."
"Be careful, Reezy." She told him.
"Aww. You care about me again?" He grinned at her after picking up her basketball.
She gave him an eyeroll at that. "I could never stop caring for you. You know that."
"Just like you know that I care about you too. I meant what I say about Landon."
"Look at that, you finally got his name right." She deadpanned.
"I'm not tryna fight with you again." He continued, ignoring the comment. "I just want you to be okay."
"I am okay, Riley. And I'm happy. He makes me happy."
He seemed to hold back a sigh while he gave her a shrug. "As long as you're happy. I don't want no dumb shit affecting our friendship."
"I don't want dumb people affecting our friendship either."
"You already know that you're number one. And I've already told that shit to Tish. Maybe you need to clear that up with your boy."
"He knows." She told him, trying to sound convincing.
By the way he looked at her, he didn't seem to believe it either as he slid her ball back into her hands. "Not from where I'm standing."
"There had been so much on her mind, she hadn't registered it until she had walked in the door and Landon took one look at her.
"Where are your clothes?" He asked her at once in surprise. "Why are you dressed like that?"
Shit. She thought, glancing down at her workout bra and leggings. "Oh, I left my shirt in the car. I just got really hot when I was there." She said, sliding off her shoes by the door.
"Inside?"
Cindy cursed herself before turning back towards him, forcing a nonchalant expression. "We ate on the patio in the back." She explained simply as she went to him. "They ended up staying a little longer so we hung out and played a couple games outside and-"
"Who's the we?" He cut her off. "Was Caesar there?"
"No. Just Huey and Jazmine and their families."
"And Riley?" He pressed.
"Honey, I told you. He wasn't there." She lied calmly, but gave him a look at his edginess. "Are you alright?"
"Yes… I'm fine." He said, scratching his head slightly. "I just worry about you."
"Regarding Riley." She clarified.
"Let's just say, he's not on my good side right now."
"…Did something happen between the two of you when he came over?" She asked him carefully, her voice gentle.
"Just what I told you."
She continued to look at him. "Nothing else happened or was said…?" She trailed off.
"What else would there be?" He countered, cocking his head slightly at her in question.
Cindy shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know. I guess I'm just wondering, how long this… whatever it is, will change after this week is over." She told him honestly.
"After the week everything will be fine, sweetie." Landon assured her easily. "I just want him to respect our space for now and to give us some time to recover after that ridiculousness. As soon as he wants to make his amends with you next week, by all means. In fact, I hope he does."
"So do I." She nodded, forcing herself to bare a grin.
"I'd like to be present of course." He added, making her grin falter.
Too late.
"What do you think is going to happen?" She asked with a chuckle, although she was serious.
"I have no idea. He could come in angry for not being able to speak with you yesterday. He did seem a little upset by that." He insisted, and out of nowhere Riley's earlier comments rang through her thoughts.
"He's fucking jealous."
"He's making it personal."
"There's a difference between protective and possessive."
"I don't think so." Cindy shook her head, brushing the last of her thoughts away.
"You never know." Landon continued. "But it'll be fine honey, we can discuss that later. At any rate, that is one of the reasons I'm worried about you. This is another one." He eluded, pointedly giving her body the once-over. "No one needs to see you without a top on."
If only you knew what I normally wear at the gym.
"I'm sorry." Cindy apologized, already feeling bad enough for lying so much to him. "If it will make you feel better, I won't wear just this anymore."
"Thank you." He told her, finally taking a step closer to kiss her and pull her into a hug. She rested her head against him, enjoying the warmth of his body. She felt him gently play with some of the loose strands of hair while he pressed his face against her neck.
"You smell like cologne." He said calmly, his lips still lingering along her neck.
Fuck. "I hugged Huey goodbye."
"I wouldn't take him for a hugger."
"He's not." She ensured, the most truthful thing she'd said to him all day. "He hates it. I always have to force him." She told him, pulling back to smile at him. She felt relief when he gave her a wink back. She rubbed down his arms as she pulled back, squeezing both of his hands as she gave him another kiss.
She wrinkled her nose in confusion after their lips met, glancing down to the feeling of wetness on her left hand. When she let go of him and turned over her hand to look, she saw a smudge of damp redness on her palm.
"What the…" She grabbed the hand she was holding again and turned it to the side to look. "Honey, you're bleeding." She said, seeing a rough scrap and spots of blood on the side of his hand near his pinky finger.
"I'm sorry." Landon pulled his hand away as he looked at it, wiping away the drops of blood.
"Don't apologize, what happened?"
"Oh, when I was digging through my closet when I went home, I cut my hand on an old storage box. It keeps bleeding on and off for some reason."
"Let me go try to find you a band-aid to cover that, it looks deep."
"It definitely didn't feel good."
"I'll be back, give me just a second." Cindy told him, leaving the living room and heading down the hallway. Her phone began to buzz in her pocket as she walked. When she pulled it out, Riley's face lit up the screen. He was calling.
Oh great. Cindy sighed to herself, pushing the bathroom door shut once she was inside. She debated back and forth before she hit the decline button, composing a text to him right after.
Sorry can't talk right now. What's up? She took her time, starting to look through her bathroom cabinet for the first aid supplies. She didn't have to wait long before he texted back, his text short.
I figured.
Cindy rolled her eyes. What's going on?
Her house is fucked yo. Broken shit everywhere.
Damn. That sucks. 5-0 there yet?
Yeah they been here awhile. She's gonna stay with me for a few days.
Cindy made a gag face as she texted back. How nice.
Shut up.
She grinned. Did the police find anything yet?
It seemed to take a little longer for Riley to respond and she couldn't wait around in the bathroom for that much longer. Right before she was going to text him again, he sent over a photo and her jaw dropped. It was only a picture of Tish's spacious bathroom, but holy shit. Whoever was in her house had a score to settle. The room was trashed from top to bottom. Open and spilled products were strewn all over the floor and walls, the tub looked like it was filled to the brim of dirty standing water, and her vanity was wrecked completely. Aside from the amount of mess all over her the sink counters and the way even her cabaret bulb lighting unit had been yanked from the wall, there had been three massive blows to her mirrors in a row, side by side.
Holy fuck.
The cops found some blood on one of the mirrors and said they're gonna test it.
Hopefully it's enough to catch whoever the hell did this.
For real. I'll let you know what happens.
"Babe?" Landon's voice called from outside the bathroom door, startling her. "You alright?"
"Oh yeah, I'm fine!" She called back as she quickly composed a text, thankful she had shut the door all the way shut. "It just took me a little longer to find the Neosporin." She lied again, hopefully for the last time that night.
I'll see you next week.
Before she opened the door with the few items in her hand, she used her other to quickly mute and delete Riley's thread of messages before sliding her phone back in her pocket.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks or any of his characters.
(: hi friends :) I told you I'd be back, idk why y'all always think I'm gone for good. Not gonna happen. Just, as you know, life.
I know it's been a minute. It took me awhile to get back in the groove of this story and this chapter was a lot to unpack. I know it was very Cindy-centric, I promise next chapter will be more evenly POV-ed from everyone.
What are your thoughts? And what happens next? I'd love to hear your opinions :)))
No disclaimers this time, you already know the drill. I will be getting to those thank-you shoutouts to your PMs, I didn't want to spend another second on anything else but this story, so I felt it was best to dive back in.
I will tell you right now, I do not know when exactly I will be back. Hopefully not AS long as before. It has been chaotic and I have a lot of life changes coming for me, which I will divulge some other time…
JK, I'm getting married y'all! :D
So excited, but SO drained with everything. No one ever tells you have much WORK it is to plan a damn wedding, they only tell you how much fun it is….. *I* will tell you the truth and tell you that that's a damn lie. It's exciting. It's a lot. But FUN? Nah fam. Like I said, it's WORK.
Anywaysss, so that's why I will be a leeetle busy until the end of the year. I will of course do my best to get another chapter from any of my stories out when I can. When the inspiration hits, it hits, but when it's on pause… let me tell you what lol.
Thank you all soooo much for continuing to send the love! You guys are the real ones and I appreciate the hell out of you! I'll be back as soon as I can for y'all and I'll do my best!
Thanks again!
~Schweetie