Chapter 18

Zuri crawled to the end of the sofa looking for LJ. LJ raced to the other end and popped up. She fell into a fit of laughter and raced to where LJ was. She looked down to see no LJ and began to cry. LJ popped up behind her and tickled her until she squirmed. She had an obnoxious laugh like her mother and it made LJ laugh too. Safaree raced down the stairs in his briefs and water dripping down his chest. LJ looked up and laughed even harder cause SB hit his foot on the table. Nicki walked around the corner and shook her head.

“You ran down here pretty fast Mr. Protective Father.”

“She was crying.”

“Because LJ was hiding from her don’t worry so much.”

“How can I not my Princess might be hurt?”

“Well if you had your iPad hooked up to the security system you’d know what was going on instead rushing down here hurting ya foot on tables.”

“I don’t have time for that Onika.”

“Okay, Lloyd.”

She huffed walking back into the kitchen. He limped to the kitchen then grabbed Nicki’s arm. She turned around and slipped her hand into his briefs. He pulled back, but she held onto it.

“Every time you move, I’m a squeeze.”

“Why play games this afternoon?”

“Cause my hand is on your stick shift.”

She smiled backing him into the wall. She stood in front of him and leaned on his chest. They hadn’t had sex in months, but every chance they got they teased each other. Today happen to be Nic’s day. He groaned as her other hand covered the head of his penis and the other massaged.

“Now, that I have your attention. Karen called your phone and why is that?”

“Nic…”

He moaned. He tried pulling her arms out, but she squeezed down on his genitals. He let go and she continued.

“Answer.”

“She.. She.. Wants to work it out.”

“What out?”

“Us.”

“Do you?”

“Uh…”

“Do you?”

Nicki let go and stepped back looking into his face. He didn’t look at her, but at the floor. By the silence she knew what he wanted and it pissed her off. She grabbed the dish washing liquid and washed her hands then looked out to see Zuri and LJ still playing on the sofa.

Safaree walked up behind Nic and kissed her neck. He kept kissing down until he got to her ass. He sat down underneath her and patted her ass like a drum. She reached down and smacked him.

“Beautiful.”

“Leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Fuck your sorry. That’s…”

Nic shifted as SB’s fingers entered her walls. Once he knew she wasn’t going to fight anymore he lifted her lower body off the floor and ate her from behind. She looked up to see LJ coming their way.

“Faree! LJ!”

“So.”

“LJ coming.”

“Fuck.”

Safaree let her down and stood beside her to hide his erection. LJ skipped into the kitchen and grabbed his cup then reached up and grabbed Zuri’s from her high chair. Nicki and SB watched as he left the kitchen still innocent. Nic moved out of SB’s reach and fixed her shorts.

“You’re an ass.”

“You love me doe.”

“Obviously the only one doing the loving.”

“Nic, I don’t want to get a divorce and neither does she.”

“But you want to still be in my bed and be selfish as to who I can and can’t be with.”

“He wasn’t the one.”

“And neither are you!”

She shouted throwing a glass at him. He dodged it then went after her. She slammed the door in his face and started packing his things.

“I’m so tired of letting you back in for you to leave again.”

“Then why you do it?”

“For LJ! Let me know how it goes when YOU tell him YOU’RE leaving AGAIN!”

Safaree sat on the edge of the bed and shook his head. He knew his home, life and love was here, but he couldn’t shake Karen just yet. He reached for Nicki as she walked back pass him. She looked at him as tears fell down his face.

“Tell me you’ll be here when I get back.”

“No.”

“Nic?”

“No, I can’t and won’t.”

He grabbed his stuff and walked out the house.

———

[Month)

Nicki sat up as Zuri began to cry and scream. LJ sat next to her looking over her as if he’d been up for awhile. She pulled Zuri close and snuggled her.

“Dada!”

“He not come back!”

LJ shouted angrily sliding out of bed. Nicki began to cry again. The last month had them all upset and arguing more. LJ was angry at the world and Zuri had her moments. Nicki wouldn’t eat, hardly slept and stayed home most of the time. She decided to home school LJ since he had gotten kicked out of his private school for fighting.

“Ma’ma!”

“I’m so sorry Zuri.”

“Jay Jay!”

Nicki reached over the bed and pulled LJ back up. He snuggled next to her and stared down at his fingers. All three laid in silence. LJ finally broke the silence.

“Why he not call?”

“He don’t want us?”

“Did we make him angwee?”

“He don’t love us.”

He looked over at her and wiped her tears away. He knew she was sad, but he was too angry to care about it. At this moment all he wanted was for her to stop crying and for Daddy to make it all better cause this was his fault.

———

Safaree entered the boutique. He sported a clean cut and some jeans with a V neck. He looked around at a few things then walked to the check out. Lauren rolled her eyes at him and pointed to Melissa. They exchanged whispers and burst into a fit of laughter.

“You have some nerve coming here after a month without notice.”

“I needed to clear my head.”

“Where? In Karen’s pussy.”

“What? Man NO! It’s not like that.”

“Damn sure seems like it.”

“Where is Onika, man?”

“Not here, she doesn’t leave her house.”

“I just went there.”

“Not that house. Her other home.”

“I need to see her and my kids. Please tell me where.”

“No-one knows, but Nancy sorry.”

He sucked his teeth and hit the check out desk. The whole boutique grew quiet as he ranted off a lot of cuss words. Lauren pointed to the back and he followed after her. She pointed to the chair and sat on the edge of the desk looking at him.

“Safaree my girl can’t even sleep, won’t eat or leave the damn house because of you. You’re really selfish to put her heart through what it's going through.”

“I didn’t…”

“But you did it. She left a good man for you and you did that to her. LJ is acting a fool! Got kicked out of school and taking his anger out on everyone around him which is only Nicki, Zay”More and Nancy. You only thought about yourself and that ho of a wife.”

Lauren handed him a folder and a box then left out. He opened the folder to see nude pictures of him and Karen from a few years ago. He became angry all over again. He then opened the box to see his boxers, Karen’s lingerie and a used condom. He was pissed. What the fuck is her problem?