Page 82 of Standing In The Sun
He not only came from money but he was a celebrity with fans, ex-girlfriends, and hoes he just smashed. He also liked to sometimes roll with niggas that toted guns. Nothing about that situation seemed like the best one for her.
Then there was him…that really scared her yet made her want to jump into his arms at the same time. Ahvi knew being around him outside of the house would really push her heart past its limits. That was scarier then niggas with guns because she grew up around niggas with guns. Hell, she was just robbed by a nigga with a gun.
“I ain’t never needed nothing more than I thought I needed my daddy.” Lunar turned her head so she could see his face. “But I need you and Kamari there.” Licking his lips he thought over his words. Was need a good word? “Nah I want y’all there. I couldn’t have gotten through this phase of my life without you. Don’t start pulling back now.”
“The world…I won’t take it,” Ahvi reminded him of their previous words. The ones where she revealed how much Ish and Sheena had damaged her heart. To anyone else, letting him whisk her off into a fairytale was a no brainer. But for Ahvi, it went against everything she’d ever been taught. Her life’s lessons were harder to break than a drug addiction.
Lunar kissed her neck, making goosebumps coat her arms. “Let’s start with the sun, Ahvi…if it gets too hot, I won’t keep you. I’ll let you run,” he lied.
eighteen
Ahvi held her breath,watching Kamari stand without assistance. Her fingers twitched at her sides. She wanted to yell and scream, but Lunar had already got on her about it, told her to chill and stop scaring him every time he did something new. So, she kept her mouth shut and pressed her lips together so tight they tingled.
“Come on, Kamari,” Lunar called, crouching down with his arms out with just enough space for Kamari to take maybe ten steps to get to him. “You got that shit.”
Ahvi kissed her teeth. “How you get to say something but I can’t?”
“You be yellin’ and shit. He don’t like that,” Lunar shot back, smirking like he was enjoying this a little too much.
Kamari laughed too like he understood what was going on. The way Lunar talked to him like he was his best friend in the whole world, Ahvi believed her baby really did understand.
“That’s crazy,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest. “He be clapping to your music and you act like it’s a genius level…havin’ full blown conversations and celebrations. But let me get excited…”
“You do too much, Ahvi. Then you start crying and shit.”
“Nigga, please.” She rolled her eyes but didn’t let them linger, afraid she’d miss Kamari’s steps.
Kamari took one shaky step, then another. His arms flailed a little for balance, but he was locked in. His little feet moved cautiously across the hardwood.
Ahvi’s mouth parted. Her chest filled up with pride and ached as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from squealing. She looked at Lunar out of the corner of her eye, and he was already watching her like he knew she was dying inside.
“You better not cry,” he warned, playful but lowkey serious.
“I’m not,” she whispered.
Kamari was five steps in when the front door flew open, slamming against the wall. The sound of it made Kamari focus on the noise while falling to his butt.
“Hey y’all,” Noodle shouted making Kamari fall on his butt.
“The fuck?.” Lunar stood up halfway. “Ahvi what I told you ‘bout not locking the door?” He glared at his family who just walked in like they lived there.
Aku stomped past Kamari. Throwing her whole body on the couch, she groaned into a pillow. “I’m heartbroken,” she mumbled, flipping over. Her eyes were red-rimmed, hair wild like she’d been rolling around in a field. “Ahvi, we’re going out. I need to turn up with my girls. I need loud music, irresponsible decisions, some good weed, and a fire ass drink.”
Bu walked in, shaking his head before yanking Noodle into his lap. “Aku, you really be dramatic. You was just clowning the nigga, now you crying?”
“Have you ever had your heart broke, Bethune?” Aku snapped, not waiting for his reply because she knew the answer. “I didn’t think so…we was supposed to be gang sisters,” she fake cried, holding her arms out for Noodle.
Ahvi covered her mouth to contain her laughter.
“He don’t deserve you anyway,” Noodle added, nestling deeper into Bu’s lap.
Ahvi blinked, and snapped at them, “Y’all just gon’ bust up in here like Kamari wasn’t about to win a marathon?”
“I saw him,” Aku said, sniffling. “He walking now. Love that for him, but I’m dying, so can we focus on me?”
Lunar scoffed, “He took six steps, coulda took more if y’all didn’t come bustin’ in like y’all were invited.”
Noodle got up, going into the kitchen. She was tired after jetting across the country to meet with producers though, she wasn’t actively working on her next album yet. Instead, she was keeping her options open to songs and beats. With the success of her debut albumChasing Galaxies, she had time to let it simmer before her fans demanded something new.
