"Throw me my shirt" I said to ashanti and she threw it to me. Me and Koby was in town for the week. Ashanti moved back to harlem a few months after she moved to cali wit us. We was stayin wit her until it was time for us to go back "Ayo you really ain't gone go wit me" I asked her as I put my shirt on and buttoned it up. I looked at her and she shook her head. "Nope. I got a lot to do" she said. "But I don't wanna go wit out my baby" I said through laughs and she laughed. "I'm playin. But I really want you to go wit me ma. What you gotta do" I asked. "Ashanti got a date" she said and I arched my eyebrow. "Ashanti who" I asked and she laughed and I stared at her wit a straight face and she stopped. "I ain't meet nobody" I said. "Oh shut the fuck up. I never meet any of the girls you fuck around with" she said. "It's different wit me" I said. "How different is it seaton" she asked as she sat on the dresser in front of me. "Different as fuck" I said as she fixed my tie. "You belong to me" I said and she smirked. "Yo I seen Mariah the other day. She look real good" she said. I ain't talked to mariah ever since all that shit happened a year ago. "Aw yeah" I asked her and she nodded. I walked over to the bed and grabbed my sponge. I stood between her legs and bent my head down so she could sponge my hair. "Yeah. Jacari gonna be mad at you" she said and I shook my head. "Shit I know" I said. She rubbed my gel through my hair and the door opened. "Come on" Koby said. "Dang" he mumbled. "Nigga I'm comin" I said. "Don't call my baby that" ashanti said. "Right tell him twice mom" he said. "How bout both of yall shut the fuck up" I mumbled. I grabbed my keys and looked at ashanti. "How I look" I asked and she smirked. "I'd tap that" she said and I laughed. "I bet you would" I said and I kissed her cheek. "have fun on yo lil date" I said. "Okay love you and koby" she yelled from upstairs. "I love you too" I said. "Love you too mom" he said and we walked out the house and ran to the car. I got in and drove off. "What time is it" I asked. "Just turned 4" he said and I nodded. "Try to be cool alright dad" he said. "What you mean" I asked. "Because I know mariah gone be there and I don't want nothin happenin" he said. "Don't even worry bout that son. Ima keep my distance and mariah gone keep hers" I said. "I miss her" he said through laughs. "Yeah" I mumbled and I continued to drive. We made it there and we got out the car. We walked inside the building and everybody was there. "Seat" I heard somebody yell and I looked and seen Jamere and all the boys sittin at the table. Koby ran over to the table and I made it there and looked at jacari and he avoided eye contact. "Cari" I said and he shook his head. "Shutup" he said. "I'm sorry I ain't make it yo I was busy wit some shit. Stuff I couldn't push to the side" I said and he looked at me and shook his head then he smirked and stood up. "It's coo b. Im just glad yall made it to the party" he said and I dapped him and everybody else up. "Congratulations uncle jacari" Koby said. "Thanks man" he said. I heard somebody clear they throat behind me and I laughed when I seen angel standin there wit her arms crossed. "Wassup ma. Congratulations" I said. "Mhm" she said. She hugged me and I kissed her cheek. "Koby" she said as she smiled. "Hey angel" he said and she grabbed his hand. "mariah here" she said to me then they walked away. I looked around and my eyes landed on a girl. She was turned around so I couldn't really see her face. She turned to the side and it was mariah. I watched as she smiled and grabbed angel's grandpa's hand and he stood up and danced wit her. She did look good. Well she always look good. But the older she get , the more good she look. She laid her head on his shoulder and I continued to stare at her. "Reminiscing huh" I heard somebody say. I looked and seen madison and I laughed and she smirked. "Nah just lookin" I said. "Im gonna fucking kill cameron" she said. "What happened now" I asked through laughs. "My feet hurt" she said. "So that's cam fault huh" I asked and she laughed. "Hell yeah. Do you see how big I am" she asked and I looked at her stomach. She was big and it look like lil cameron was gone come any day now. "You big as hell" I said and she laughed. "Fuck you" she said and I laughed. "See you" she said and I nodded then She walked away and I looked away from her and back at mariah. She was lookin at me. She slowly looked away from me and I turned away. "Yo. Kemora ass embarrassed me in front of seaton last night" Jamere said and I laughed as I sat down. "She always on yo ass son you might as well be her son" cameron said and we all laughed. "Man word" I said. "You aint gone speak to mariah" Jacari asked and I shook my head. "You bein a bitch. Knowin you wanna go speak" Jamere said. "Nah Im good. She look real good though" I said. "You ain't never lied" Lloyd said. "How you gone let koby speak to her before you" Jamere said. I looked back and seen her and koby huggin. I shrugged. "His tall ass better make it to the NBA . All that height he got" cameron said. "I was just thinkin the same shit" Lloyd said. "He gone make it there fasho" I said. "How ashanti doin" cameron asked. "She ight. She was gone come wit me but she got a lil date" I mumbled. "You sound hurt" Lloyd said. "Hurt for what" I asked through laughs. "You still diggin ashanti" he said. "Come on man. I aint really diggin nobody" I said. "Dad" I heard koby say and I turned and seen him and mariah. "Yeah" I said. "Look it's mariah" He said and I nodded and turned back around. He smacked his lips. "You can speak" he said. "No it's okay. It was nice seeing you" she said. "Jacari I'll see you later. Congratulations" she said. "Alright ma" he said. "Alright mariah" Cameron said and everybody else said bye. "See ya" she said. "Bye koby. It was nice seeing you. I missed you" she said. I looked at them and he hugged her. "Nice seein you too , believe me I missed you too" he said. She smirked. "I love you" he said to her. "I love you too" she said as she broke the hug. "Bye" she said and then she walked away and I watched her walk away. "Who is that" koby asked jacari. "Angel lil cousin" he said and koby smirked and fixed his suit then he walked her way. Jacari laughed and shook his head. "I a be back" I said as I stood up. I walked outside and answered my phone. "Yo" I said. "Ayo marc told me to call and ask if you got that" This dude that work for me said. "Yeah I do. Be by round 12 tomorrow so yall can do that" I said. "Ight" he said and I hung up. I sighed and put my phone back in my pocket and the door opened. I looked and seen mariah then I turned back around. She walked past me and I watched her. Seein her and koby back there made me think a lil bit. My kid really love mariah, shit I did. Well I do. "Mariah" I said and she stopped and looked at me. "Yeah" she said and I walked over to her and sighed. "Wassup" I asked. "Hey" she said and I stared at her. I cleared my throat then looked down. "How have you been" she asked. "I been coo. You know" I said and she nodded. "You" I asked. "I've been better" she said and I nodded. "That's wassup" I said. "Angel and jacari really got married huh" she said through laughs and I laughed. "Word that shit wild crazy" I said through laughs then it got quiet. I hate this shit. She broke the silence by clearin her throat, "I'm gonna apologize for what I did." She said. "It was wrong and I'm sorry. I'm not really looking for an apology because I deserved to get what I got. You don't even have to forgive me but I really am sorry" she said and I nodded. "Its coo." I said. "That shit so old yo I been over that" I lied. and she laughed. "Yeah" she said. "I really love you" she said and I looked at her. "love you too mariah" I said. "I just wanted to see wassup wit you. Ima get back inside though" I said. "Okay i'll see you around" she said. She hugged me and I hugged her back as I rubbed her back. I sighed and kissed her cheek and she held onto me. She started to cry so I let her go. "Ima see you later" I said and she nodded then started to walk away. Me and koby headed out a lil bit after and headed to ashanti house. "Mom" he yelled as we walked in the house. I walked upstairs and opened her door. "Wassup" I said. "Sup" she said. "How yo lil date go" I asked. "I canceled it Im tired" She said and I nodded and sighed. "Did you see mariah" she asked. "Yup" I said. "Seaton. I love you so ima be honest wit you. You love mariah and you miss her. And that's okay. But you don't gotta be so stubborn. Go talk to her" she said and i rubbed my fingers through my curls. "I know shanti" I said. "Go" she said. I got in my car and dialed madison number. "Hello" she said. "Yo this seat. What's mariah address" I asked and she gave me the address and I drove until I made it there. I got out the car and locked my doors then I went and knocked on the door. I slid my hands in my pockets and a few seconds later the door opened. "Hey" she groaned. I nodded and she let me inside. I followed her to her room and she laid down and I took off my shoes and laid next to her. I felt her starin at me but I continued to stare at the ceiling. "Seaton" she said. "wassup" I said. "Do you really still love me" she asked. "Yeah" I said. "But not like I used to" I said truthfully and it got quiet. "Okay" she said. "Why" I asked. "Just was asking" she said. "Can you hold me" she asked. "Mariah
i ont think that's a good idea ma" I said and she scooted closer to me and she laid her head on my chest anyways. I hesitated then I sighed and put my arm around her. I rubbed her shoulder and she sighed. "Just like old times" she said and I stayed quiet. She stared at me and I looked down at her. "I'm so in love with you" she said and I stayed quiet. "I don't know how you feel. But I still feel the same. Nothing or anybody can change the way I feel about you" she said. "I love you" she said. I sat up and sighed. I put my shoes back on and grabbed my keys and she ran to the door and stood in front of it. "Your not leaving" she said. "Move" I said in a low voice. "No" she said in a cracked voice. "Mariah im not playin yo move" I said. She wrapped her arms around me and started to cry and I sighed. "I'm not tryna do this again wit you" I said. "I love you too much to put you through this shit again. Cause I know I hurt you too" I said. "And I forgave you why can't you just forgive me" she asked through tears. "I been forgave you ma" I said in a low voice. "No matter what. We a always be coo. Always gone be good friends. That relationship shit just ain't gone work" I said. "You said you'd always love me no matter what" she said. "And I keep my word. You know that." I said. "Ima always love you. You the only one who put up wit my shit even though you coulda just left for good. We grown mariah. It aint that I don't wanna be wit you. I just got so much shit goin on in my life right now I barely got time for anybody else , shit I barely even got time for my damn self. I love you babygirl. Ain't shit changin that. i promise" I said and she nodded. I looked at her and wiped her tears away and she kissed my cheek. "Love you" I said. "Love you too" she said. "Do you have to leave" she asked and I shook my head no. She grabbed my hand and we walked over to the bed and I took my shoes off and laid down. I pulled her closer to me and she laid her head on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. No bullshit, I love mariah wit everything in me. But deep down inside I know I ain't the one for her. I enjoyed the ride. I learned alot of shit , been through alot of shit. But now it's time to focus on me and my son.
