Out of the Shadows

chapter 5

"The foods ready, let's go eat." I say. Everybody gets up and heads to the kitchen to see what she's made and to fix their plates.

"Aye Niq let me holla at you for a minute ma." She comes and sits next to me on the sectional.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Are you taking everything I'm saying to you seriously?" I asked.

"I mean for the most part yeah, I just don't know when you decided you were ready for all this? And although we both know we got feelings for each other, this is big Roc. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to be hurt. I can't go thru that with you. We'd kill each other, you do realize that right?" she asked.

"You knew it was always going to be this Niq. You know you love me just like I love you. You belong to me, always have always will. Stop running from this, because regardless of how long you run I'm going to chase you. Yea it's going to be tough with us living where and how we live but if we want it, we'll fight for it. I'm ready to fight for you, I just need to know you're fighting with me." I tell her waiting for her to tell me what I need to here. She stares at me for a minute, watching to see if I was showing any signs of lying.

"Done," She said as she went to get up from where she was sitting.

"Wait, hold up. Are you comfortable?" I asked her. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Yea, why?" she asked chuckling.

"I think I can make you a little more comfortable." I say smiling. I grab the leg closest to me, and I take her shoe off. I rub her foot for a minute then motion for her to give me the other one and then I repeat what I did a few seconds ago.

"Better?" I ask with a smirk on my face while still holding her feet captive.

"It's cool but if you really want to make me comfortable, you would let me sit right here and eat. I wish I didn't have to move." She says while laughing.

"I can do you one better, come with me." I tell her.

"That means I still have to get up Roc." She whines. I hold my hand out for her to take, and when she does we go to the landing by the stairs. We then go down the stairs to an open room. On first sight, it just looks like a chill room. But it's really the media room. I hit the button and the projector comes down from the ceiling. The wall opens to show every game system, set up and ready to play. The speakers that you didn't notice before become noticeable all thru out the room. I walk her over to the movies.

"Pick something and get situated, I'll be right back." I say walking back the way we came. When I enter the kitchen, everyone's piling their plates with food.

"Aye, we in the media room." I say to them. Lana and the guys nod their heads, while Demaris and the girls look around the room. Seeing how this is a new house the girls don't know their way around yet.

"Just follow them niggas. They know where they going. I'm fixing me and Niq's plates." I say to them. They all start heading out the kitchen, and Jazzy hangs back like she has something to say.

"What's up fool?" I asked her.

"Roc, I need you to not hurt my sister. I know we talk a lot of bull shit but she wouldn't be able to deal with that, not from you. You have been the glue to keep her together. If shit goes bad with you two I don't know what she would do. She's tough on the inside and out, but her sanity is on a thin string. If she snaps, we might not be able to bring her back bruh." She said to me looking like she was scared for Niq.

"Jazzy, I won't hurt her. Little do you know she keeps me grounded too. You don't know how many niggas Niq has saved in the time we've been knowing each other. That woman is my everything, even before we decided to be more than friends. And I know what she's been thru, and I know what that punk ass nigga did to her. What they all did to her, but this ain't that ova here. I'd never think of doing that to her. There isn't a woman I know who can hold a candle to her. And believe me when I say, she will one day have my last name." I told her straight faced. I need everyone to understand that I'm not going anywhere.

"And know this Jazzy, I'm going to love her like she's never been loved. That girl got my heart, I'm shocked you don't know that." I said to her.

"I do know that Roc. I also know that only you can hurt her. These other niggas don't mean anything to her. Just some shit to do. It's been that way since you two met. But my question is what took so long? I know you both feel the same way about each other. So why the long wait?" She asked me.

"I had to let her heal, she wasn't ready for me back then. Plus, what everybody is assuming is going to crush her is what's going to complete her. Me...... what makes her seem fragile to everyone else makes me smile. She's way stronger than anybody gives her credit for. My baby won that battle, and we will conquer. That's my queen. I'm cool Jazzy, I'm not hurting my baby. Really you should be worried about me. She hurts me, she's setting a monster loose on these streets. Cause I'll never hurt her even if she hurts me. But these streets. I would have No mercy, and that's my word." I tell her.

"I believe you bruh, I know y'all love each other. Just be ready for the fun you're about to have. She's going to make it so hard for you. Or maybe not, you're the only one who can handle her. She doesn't have to be hard all the time with you. That will be good to see for a change." Jazzy smiled.

"You'll be seeing a lot of change. I promise that." I said to her smiling.

"That's what's up bruh, y'all deserve each other. And I don't think anyone else could handle y'all but each other." Jazzy said laughing at her own joke.

"Are you done laughing at us? Can we go eat and chill the hell out now? Nigga's probably done eating, sleep and shit." I say mugging her ass.

"Stop crying nigga, she not going nowhere." She mugs me right back. Then we both bust up laughing at each other.

"On some real shit bruh, I'm happy for y'all. About damn time, slow asses." She heads back down stairs with her food.

"Smart ass" I mumble. As I head down stairs and everybody damn near split into couples. Well except for Jazz and Jazzy. Niq is sitting in my usual spot. I smile and sit next to her handing her the plate. I see Jazz out the corner of my eye. I laugh to myself, Jazzy just don't know she has met her match. This nigga keep looking at her, not in a stalker kind of way but with a you just don't know look. This is going to be good for them both, they both need somebody who's going to call them on their bullshit. Jazzy gets up to go to the bathroom. How do I know that, because she had to tell the whole room.

"Roc where's the bathroom?" she asked not looking at me. I look over at Jazz. And he nods.

"The one down here fucked up, having some work done to it. Use the one upstairs off the kitchen." I tell her looking around the room to make sure no one puts me on blast. Niq, of course notice what me and Jazz are up to and shakes her head.