StaR-CrosseD🔱 {Book 1}

Part Eight: R's

Omniscient

"If you like níggas you like níggas, who gives a shit? Why you making this harder than it needs to be?"

Rico scowled at his brother as they ate lunch in Q's office at the club. Quincy was only back three hours and Rico already felt like bitchslapping him back to the cabin he and pops had been at. This craziness was all he had to say after Rico just spent the last thirty minutes catching him up on everything that went down in his absence.

"You think if I liked níggas i won't know that shit by now? It ain't that."

"So why you bothered?"

"I'm not! I just ain't with that gay shit." Rico blurted, then cringed internally at the nasty look Q gave him.

Quincy was just going to let that weak shit slide because he understood too well what Rico was going through. "Look bro, all I'm saying is...you're clearly pressed about this, that's all you been talking about since I've been back. Ring made a move, i respect that. But if you ain't feeling him like that all you gotta do is take that shit up with him on some G-shit. Tell that nigga he's moving wrong and that you ain't with allat and he'll back off, I know that much." Quincy said all this with a mouth full of food, most of it came out distorted but somehow Rico managed to understand every word. Rico frowned, he hated when Quincy was right, like he was right now.

Ring had gone out of town the day after Toya's party, and Rico had been so thankful about that because then he didn't have to face the torrent of emotions that were bubbling up inside him.
When Ring had called last night to say that he was back in town, Rico had been tempted to slam the phone down in his ear, but not before telling him to leave him alone. But he couldn't do that, because the unvarnished truth was he didn't want Ring to leave him alone.

The torrid kiss they'd exchanged had left him shaken and confused. Up until that moment Rico had never even considered himself curious, or anything other than straight. Yet he hasn't been able to stop thinking about how his body had reacted to that kiss, he felt betrayed by his own body.

In the end, he'd hung up the phone on Ringo last night without saying a word.

Rico looked up at Quincy who was now on his feet getting ready to head out, he wondered if he should bring up the elephant in the room. Quincy seemed a lot better than he was before he left two weeks ago, a lot more grounded, whatever they did on that trip was productive in his opinion... well, so far.

Rico decided to be safe than sorry, he'd rather know what's on Q's mind now before he went out and did some dumbshit. "So how you plan on going about the Sebby situation? With Niko in the picture and all?"

Quincy gave him a smug look and waved the question off. "I ain't worried about no Niko mane, that ain't no thang'. Imma get my shawty back easy, watch."
Rico wasn't so sure about that but he wasn't gon say nothing.

__

Hours later, Rico just stepped out of the shower in all his naked glory when his phone buzzed, it's Ringo again. He scratched his head grudgingly, then answered. "Hey." Ringo said cautiously from the other end of the phone. His voice sent an unexpected chill through Rico's body, causing him to clear his throat before speaking.

"Hey." He finally managed in return.

Ring chucked, which added fuel to Rico's already racing heart. "At least you ain't slam the phone in my ear this time, that's progress right?"

"Keep talking, there's still time."

Ringo chuckled again, then his voice became serious, and husky. "I'm not calling to apologize, I'm not sorry."

Rico didn't pretend to misunderstand. "I ain't think you were."

"Good. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, can we cut to the chase?"

"Which is what exactly?"

"I didn't mean to skip town on you, but I had to go take care of business. But I'm back early, for you. So spend a day with me, let's talk about this."

Rico was tempted to hang up on him again, yet the audacity in Ring's tone did something to him, something he didn't have a definition for, and he couldn't deny it... which was even more of a reason to call a halt on this madness before it went any further.

"Ricardo?"

"I'm still here."

"Then answer me," his voice softened. "Please."

Good, because Rico was about to tell him to fuck off using that tone with him... but not really. "Look I got a lot of shit to do, positions to fill and whatnot."

Ring scoffed. "Q is back, let him handle his own shit for a change. Cancel all your plans tomorrow and play hooky with me."

The nerve! "His unstable ass just got back, do you really think that's a good idea?" Rico countered.

"No."

His honesty rattled Rico. "Then why..."

"Because I want to see you."

Rico shivered. He wasn't sure if it was from this conversation or from the water still drying off on his naked body. "And do you always get what you want?"

"Most of the time." He replied casually. His voice was barely audible, and he always sounded like he had all the time in the world when he spoke.

Rico was amazed at this part of his friend that he was experiencing. He'd known this man two decades yet he'd managed to stir up all these feelings inside Rico's stomach that made him see the male in a new light. "What did you have in mind?" Rico asked, figuring it didn't hurt to hear him out.

"I'll pick you up at six tomorrow."

"P.M?"

"A.M. I told you already, clear your schedule. And don't make me wait." With that, he hung up.

Rico stared at his phone a moment longer, then slammed it down. His gaze shifted down to his dick, he was rock hard. "Damn it!"