The Games You Play : A Hood Love Story

Loren (13)

October 16th

"You ready?" Jayvin picked up my suitcase and walked to my bedroom door.

"Yes!" I bounced and smiled. He started laughing at me.

"This is our last time to spend together before the season." He smiled. "Oh yeah and you're meeting my family. Let's go."

"Wait, what the hell?" I stopped him. "You didn't tell me that was a part of this trip."

"It's a part of the many surprises I have planned." He smirked.

"Well what the hell kind of surprises-"

"You ain't getting anything if we don't hurry up we already running late!" We both started laughing. I checked my backpack to make sure I had everything I needed.

After getting down the stairs, my dad and my brother came to give me goodbye hugs.

"Loren-" My brother started.

"I know. I'll call you if anything gets out of hand and yes my location is on." I finished his sentence.

"How did you know I was finna say that?"

"Because. You think like me." I smiled at him
and he smiled back. He hugged me so tight he cracked my back.

"Love you, Lo. Have fun." I smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Come here, baby girl." Daddy hugged my just as tight and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm glad you're getting out. It's a big step for you. I'm proud."

"Thank you Daddy. I'll be back before you know it. Good luck with that." I pointed to my brother and Daddy laughed.

Jayvin hugged my dad and brother then began walking out to the car. Layla, Kenya, Smoke and Bryce were standing by the car waiting to say bye. I walked up to the girls and Jayvin walked up to the boys.

"Girl have fun! I don't know what we finna do for the next week." Layla said as she hugged me.

"I'll be back soon, girl! I honestly never thought I'd do this let alone with a nigga."

"Ain't it almost two months for y'all?" Kenya seemed excited.

"Yeah, on Monday." I answered.

"He definitely got something special up his sleeve." Kenta chuckled and gave me a hug. "Text or call us just to check in okay?"

"I got you. Love y'all!" They waived at me when they got back on the porch. Jayvin finished his conversation and Bryce came over to hug me and tell me to be safe. Smoke was riding with us so he could drop us off.

When we got to the airport, Jayvin grabbed all of my stuff out of the trunk. The boys stood by the trunk having what appears to be a serious conversation so
I didn't intrude. Smoke hugged me when they were done and wished us a safe trip.

"Alright, all of that is out the way." Jayvin bent down and kissed my forehead. "You ready pretty girl?"

"I'm excited. Can I know where we're going now?"

"Nope. Put ya headphones in so you don't hear anything."

"Ughhhhhh Jayvin! Please?!"

"No Loren." He started to laugh. I honestly didn't care where we were going I just wanted to be with him wherever I was. "Now put the headphones in please." He laughed again. I put my headphones in and shuffled a playlist. He obviously didn't want me to hear the lady announcing stuff by our gate. That would give away the destination.

To make up for how I was feeling, he bought me a burger and some fries. I was allowed to take the headphones off when we were nowhere near the gates. But when it was time to board our plane, he made me put them back on and made sure I didn't look at the plane ticket. After we got on the plane, he let me take them off.

"Baby, how long's the plane ride?" I asked him.

"Take a nap and we'll be there." He responded. So I leaned my head on his shoulder, shuffled a playlist, and fell asleep.

*************************************************
"Wake up, pretty girl." I felt a kiss in my forehead. "We're here. You okay?"

"Mhm." I sat up, stretched my arms, and yawned.

"We're about to get off. You can finally see where we are." I reached to open the airplane window next to me. "No, no. Wait until we get outside."

"Ugh. Hurry!" I yell-whispered.

"I have to wait for them to say we can get off it ain't up to me. Calm down." He started laughing at me and I slapped the back of his neck.

Once the pilots gave us the go, we stood up and grabbed our carryons from the overhead. The flight attendants greeted us as we walked off the plane.

As we got off the plane, the first airport decoration I saw gave away the location. A big, silver statue with the letters "LAX."

"Oh my God, we're in California!" I jumped up and down and punched Jayvin in the arm a few times.

"Lo, can you calm down?" He chuckled "Come on we gotta go this way to get the rental."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Well first, to the hotel to change. Then, we're going to see my family. They're excited to meet you." He smiled at me.

We walked all the way to the parking structure to grab our rental and put our things in the trunk.

"You would get a convertible ." I chuckled and got in the passenger seat. After sitting down, Jayvin let the top back on the car, pulled out a sunglasses case and handed it to me.

"Put em on. I got em for you." He smiled. I pulled out a pair of black Ray Bans and put them on my face. He smiled at me & drove the car out of the parking structure. I rested my head on the seat just staring out of the window as he drove. There were palm trees everywhere, so many beautiful restaurants and buildings, and beaches of course. I always imagined what L.A. would look like but it's ten times better in person. "Beautiful, huh?" Jayvin put his hand on my thigh.

"So beautiful. You grew up out here?!" I grabbed his hand and held it.

"On this side of town?! Hell no." He laughed. "I grew up on Crenshaw."

"Where's that?" I asked.

"You'll see when I take you. Watch your hand we're almost there. I'm about to roll up the windows and put the top up."

We pulled up to a beautiful hotel that looked 100 floors high. There was a big pool out back and the lobby was big as hell when we walked in. The elevator took us all the way to the top floor. Jayvin rolled both of our suitcases to the door right in the middle of the hallway we stayed in and scanned the card key. He opened the door and my jaw dropped. There was a huge window overlooking the whole city. Now I didn't wonder why he got us a room on the top floor.

"This is so beautiful." I said. He came behind me an wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm glad you like it." He kissed me on my forehead, turned me towards him and put my face in his hands. "I love you." He said it with such seriousness. I couldn't believe it. "You don't have to say it back right now." He laughed. "Just know that I love you, okay? I'll never let anything happen to you. I'll protect you with my life and you'll always be safe with me. Understand?" I nodded. I still didn't know what to say so I got on my tip toes, pulled him down to me and kissed him. A little tear fell down my face. "I'm gonna get showered and get changed." He said as he smiled at me.

"You mind if I join?" I smerked.

"Absolutely not. Lead the way gorgeous." He smiled and I walked us into the hotel bathroom where I saw the walk in shower. He turned it on and turned back toward me. Sometimes I think it's crazy this nigga has seen me naked without having sex and that we've showered together a million times. But he didn't wanna rush me and for that, I was thankful.