15. Cemone

After catching our fucking breaths, Yolani and I took a shower as quietly as possible, meaning all a nigga could do was kiss her and cop a feel the whole time. I was fine with the shit, though, because I'd only ever taken a shower with Yolani Ian in my dreams, and it wasn't half as good as the real fucking thing.

After changing into her pajamas, which was a simple T-shirt, she joined me in my bed to kick it for a little bit, since she obviously couldn't sleep in here.

As she nuzzled up to me, smelling good as fuck, soft as fuck, I recognized my mans bricking up below. I also recognized that this was the first time in my life I felt like it was a privilege to have gotten some pussy. I usually felt the opposite, like the bitch I'd just given an orgasm to was lucky, but not with Yolani. A nigga felt blessed to have been in that.

"Deep thoughts?" She smiled up at me, hair a bit disheveled from the way she shoved it up into the shower cap due to us being pressed for time to clean up moments ago. Couple that with the fact that she could barely stand on her constantly shaking ass legs.

"Not really," I replied. "I feel like I got some new batteries in my fucking back though."

"Sex makes you feel that good, huh?" She giggled, pressing her chin into my chest as she watched me.

"Just sex with you."

"Just me?"

"Yeah, and I'm serious. Niggas wasn't lying when they said feelings make the shit way better. Empty sex ain't got shit on what we just did." I pushed her hair behind her shoulder so I could see that face better.

"That was the best I ever had."

"I know."

"That's exactly why I didn't wanna tell you that." She laid on me. "Is that how you fuck one-night stands too? If so, I can see why your baby mamas be tweaking. One is all you need to know what's up."

I laughed, saying, "Nah, them bitches is just weird. I only fuck you like that. I don't put my mouth on a damn thing with a one nighter."

"Hmm." She hugged the side of me. "You better not hurt me, Mr. Compton."

"You worried 'bout that?"

"No, not that, per se, just that you have the ability to." She lifted her head to stare up at me again. "I haven't been attached enough for a man to hurt me in long time."

"Then you ain't got shit to worry about. Only reason you not pregnant and sporting my last name already is 'cause we moving at yo' pace. But whenever you say word, I'm gon' make the shit happen."

She blushed, grinning widely as shit before covering her face until she could alleviate it.

"How many more kids you want again?" She put her small ass hand to mine.

"Just six like my parents."

"Just? That's a lot. Three is like okay, cool. Four is like damn, you doing the damn thing. Any more than that is a lot of damn kids."

"Aight. Well, how many you willing to give me?"

"I wanna say two, but after tonight I could see you getting four out of me." We chuckled in unison as she climbed on top of me. Lowering herself, she pressed her mouth to mine while her hand massaged my dick.

"Yolani, don't wake my shit up unless you gon' put it back to rest." I caressed her ass, feeling and loving that she didn't have any panties on.

"I'm sore, but we can go slow." She started to take the shirt off just as the bedroom door flew open, so she quickly brought it back down.

Avery stood there, mystified.

"Nigga, what the fuck you doing?" I snapped, irate.

Had Yolani not been on top of me I would've been on my fucking feet already.

"My bad. It was an accident." He gave Yolani one last look and hurried out.

"This nigga got me fucked up." I tried to move Yolani from being on top of me.

"No, my people are sleep. Let's lock the door and worry about it tomorrow." She climbed down and padded to the door, locking it.

Turning to face me, she removed her T-shirt to reveal her naked body. I would never get tired of seeing that work of fucking art.

Gripping her frame before she even made it to the bed good, I put her on her back. I got between her legs, tonguing her down as I reached between us, circling her clit.

"You trust me?" I asked, knowing raw sex wasn't something she'd ever done, and she nodded.

"I love you, Cemone," she moaned.

Positioning myself at her entrance, I interlocked our fingers before pushing my way inside as she gasped lowly. I had to pause for a second, not quite ready for the feel of Yolani with no raincoat. She had the type of shit that made a nigga's toes curl while he clenched his teeth.

Once I got my bearings, I resumed moving in and out, kissing her passionately as I did so. For the next fifteen heavenly ass minutes, we lay right there, making love.

I removed the safety off my gun as I stared down at Avery, and the sound made his bitch ass jolt awake. It was three in the morning, and I was about to get ready to go fish with Yolani's grandpa Leslie. However, before I did, I needed to make shit real clear for Avery's incest fetish having ass.

"Nigga, fuck is you doing?" He bucked his eyes, looking me over as if I was insane, and a nigga probably was.

"I'm only gon' warn you once, muthafucka, quit playing with me."

"That shit last night was an accident, for real! I was half sleep and stumbling to the bathroom?—"

"You been coming down here for years. You don't know where the fucking bathroom is when you half asleep? You should know the location with yo' muthafuckin' eyes closed, nigga."

"Right, but I do that all the time. Usually, nobody be in that room so?—"

Chuckling at the fact that this nigga thought he was so smart and everybody else was so stupid, I said coolly, "Quit playing with me."

We had a short-lived staring contest, my eye contact letting his bitch ass know this was the last time I was gon' be talking, and then I tread out of the room to go get ready.

By the time it was half past three, Leslie and I were heading out in his truck, taking the ten-minute drive to the fishing pond that was surrounded by a large brown fence.

"So you said you've done this before?" he asked as we sat in the foldable chairs he'd had me fetch from the garage.

I could tell the old nigga enjoyed having me around, even though he tried to remain stoic. In so many words, he'd explained that Avery was one of them soft, bitch-made ass niggas that didn't get into shit like he did.

"A lot with my father," I said as we waited with our fishing poles submerged in the water.

He nodded, looking at the water as if he were thinking, so I knew he was about to speak on some serious shit.

"You know, me and Harriet heard a lot about you, outside of basketball, well before Yolani said she was bringing you here. Now, at first, we were a bit worried since Yolani doesn't have the best track record in choosing men, but my wife pointed out to me that none of them have ever been willing to come down here with her. They hear small southern town and don't wanna leave that big city life." He smirked.

"Yeah, I ain't no small-town nigga myself, but?—"

"You'll come for my grand baby." He finished for me, and I bobbed my head to confirm. "I don't ever plan to or even want to control who she dates, but I love my first grandchild more than anything, so I want you to be sure you treat her right. I know you saw my gun collection."

"I did." I laughed, stroking my beard with my free hand.

"Then you know I have no issue with blowing your head off for getting her this excited about you just for you to let her down. Now I know you're no stranger to guns yourself, but son, I'm seventy-seven years old; jail nor death scare me at this point."

We guffawed.

"We ain't gotta worry about that, Mr. Wallace. I'm gon' always love Yolani more than she love me. It ain't even possible for her to catch up to me. I was in love with her mean ass even when she ain't do nothing but give me attitude, roll her eyes, and never answer my calls."

He patted my shoulder in approval with a smile as he reeled in a few fish.

"Good. Good."

"I just gotta work on my temper. It's getting more difficult, though, now that I got her because I don't like when muthafuckas think they can say anything about her." I shook my head at myself. "I don't even want people looking at her the wrong fucking way, let alone talking shit, especially when it's other niggas. Way I was raised, men don't sit up and gossip about females and shit.

"I got a sister and my mama, but I ain't used to feeling like this over somebody so fucking exposed like she is."

"Well, son, you may be talking to the wrong person, because I don't see an issue with it. You're supposed to be her protector. She's just gonna have to choose what she can and can't bring you to."

I laughed. "You right. But other than that," I reeled a few fish in, "you ain't got nothing to worry about with me and Yolani. She consumes my fucking thoughts too much for me to even contemplate cheating or anything else malicious."

"You're a man's man, and you seem trustworthy. I believe what you say. You surely have my approval." He reached out to shake my hand, and I obliged.

"Just gotta get her pops on board so I can buy a ring," I said, following with a laugh as her grandpa huffed, clearly showing he didn't too much care for his daughter's husband.

I definitely wanted Yolani's father to give his blessing, but I wouldn't let that shit stop me from asking.

For the next two hours, Leslie and I chopped it up, him inquiring about my family and me doing the same. I kept my real father and his transgressions under wraps, not in the mood to bring that nigga up, especially after the shit he'd said to Shakur.

For the most part, Devante was out of sight, out of mind, but if I ever ran into that bitch ass nigga, it was on sight.

Khari had mentioned going down to his church to whup his ass, but I was too under the microscope at the moment. The worst thing would be to lose my spot on the team behind that fuck nigga.

" I 'm trying to stay here with you." I kissed on Yolani's neck as she sat in my lap.

"You only wanna stay with me because you're nasty." She simpered.

"Nah, I wanna kick it you. You the best of both worlds; we can kick it or be fucking or making love."

She smiled softly before kissing me then jumped out my lap when she heard her grandparents coming. I smirked, seeing her grin widely and laugh at her own actions.

"Don't tell me I ain't the only one spanking you, Yolani."

"Please, nigga. I barely got spankings when I was a kid."

"Aight, you ready?" Avery forced a smile as he stared down at me seated next to Yolani.

"He is. Right?" She gave me a look, and as badly as I wanted to tell her no and that I knew tonight wouldn't go the way she thought, I would do whatever for Yolani.

Also, I wanted to prove to her once and for all that her theory about Avery and me getting along if we actually got to shoot the shit without her wasn't true.

I wasn't a friendly muthafucka and only hung with niggas I trusted, AKA my brothers. I never even had friends coming up. Only associates within basketball and shit had remained the same because niggas were suspect, usually always on some hating or sneaky shit or both. Only muthafuckas who had never crossed me and never would were my siblings, and that included Asif.

"Yeah." I stood up.

"You two, have fun, and maybe teach my quasi grandson here how to paint and do shit around the outside of the house," Grandpa Leslie joked, slapping Avery's back as I chuckled. Avery forced yet another smile onto his face as he glanced at Leslie.

Silently praying I didn't kill this nigga, I trailed Avery out of the house, leaving my girl to kick it with her grandparents, Yailey, and her mama.

He hit the alarm on some rental he'd been pushing, one Yolani claimed he'd gotten after realizing he wasn't gon' be running the streets in the one she'd booked or her grandfather's pickup.

As I slipped inside of the tiny ass car, I shook my head. I was tall as hell, and every car couldn't accommodate me, including this miniature ass Hyundai.

"Where we going?" I asked.

"Little spot me and the homie Hux always go to when we out here." He smiled a smile that looked a bit more genuine than his previous ones.

I nodded as Avery busted a bitch, a U-turn, and then sped off. Turning up his music, he dipped through the streets, clearly familiar with the territory. I kept my eyes on the scenery, paying close attention to our surroundings and the way to the spot, just in case I had to find my own way back to the crib. My gun was already on me and on ready just in case some other shit went down. I didn't know who the fuck this nigga Hux was, but I'd put a bullet in his ass too.

I shook my head. I had enough shit going on and enough issues with my behavior and my team. I shouldn't have even put myself in some shit like this, by going out with one nigga I couldn't stand and his homeboy who was probably just like his bitch ass. But when it came to Yolani, not much else mattered outside of my offsprings.

We made it to some small brick establishment, and from the way the music spilled through, I could tell that muthafucka was jumping.

"Oh shit!" The nigga playing security guard put his fist to his mouth. He had to be playing because at about five feet, five inches and one hundred pounds, he wasn't securing shit. "Cemone Compton!"

"What's good?" I nodded to him, already seeing him dig through his tight ass work pants for his phone.

He handed it to Avery's punk ass who exhaled heavily before holding the phone up to take a picture of us.

"What you doing out here, man? Ain't shit to do in Hollierville!" the security asked excitedly, scrolling through the couple photos Avery had snapped.

"Visiting my girl's family," I replied, peeping through the sliver of opening to peer inside of the club.

"Yolani! Yeah, Yolani people from here! Oh shit!"

"Nigga, can we go in or what?" Avery cut in, and it was the one time I was happy to hear his fucking voice.

Had I not been so on edge, dealing with the bad ass feeling in my stomach about how tonight would end, I would've been shut this inquisitive ass nigga down. I didn't mind taking pictures and signing autographs, but I wasn't agreeing to no fucking random interviews about my personal life and shit.

"Oh yeah, of course." He removed the rope both of us could've stepped over and waved for us to go in. "We got some pretty ones tonight!"

Ignoring him, Avery and I walked inside, and once he spotted who I assumed was Hux, we tread that way to the booth.

Hux was already in the middle of the semi-circle style booth, so Avery took one end, and I took the other. The small ass club was surprisingly lit, with a few pretty brown-skinned bitches twirling on poles in less than shoestrings. Niggas were already doing the most, throwing their very last fucking dollars just for a peek and dancing drunkenly to the music flowing from the elevated speakers.

Had I not been in a relationship, I could've definitely enjoyed this muthafucka. But I would never be stupid enough to jeopardize Yolani. No nut and no bitch was worth it nor would she ever be.

"Oh, Hux, this is Cemone, Yolani's?—"

"Boyfriend," I finished Avery's statement in case he tried to throw some other shit in.

"What's up?" Hux nodded. "You one of my favorite players," he threw out, but I felt it was disingenuous.

"'Preciate that," I said, trying to keep the peace and not be the rude muthafucka I was used to being.

The smoother tonight went, the quicker I could return back to Yolani.

"Heeyyy." One girl switched over in heels so tall it was a shock she could fucking walk. "I know you." She reached for my hands, but I moved them.

"I'm sure you do, love, but I'm good. You can focus on them two." I nodded to Hux and Avery.

"Oh, okay."

"Let me go get some damn alcohol. Y'all want anything?" Avery stood.

"I'm straight." He was a fool if he thought I would trust anything he brought a nigga.

"You ain't trying to drink at the strip club?" Hux frowned.

"Right. Nigga, we out partying. You 'posed to be getting twisted, especially since you away from yo' main chick." Avery grinned at his friend who nodded to agree. "Cemone?" he asked when I hadn't said shit.

"I already gave my answer, and it ain't up for fucking debate. Ain't shit else for me to say," I responded. "I don't get peer pressured; I put the pressure on niggas." I gave them both a nice amount of eye contact, making sure they understood shit could easily go left, and I would have no issue starting the muthafuckin' party.

Avery stalked off as Hux and I took the scene in, bobbing our heads to the music here and there until Avery returned. He set a drink in front of Hux, then sat down to sip on his.

Three women started over which I knew would happen because I hadn't been seated for thirty seconds before I saw them all pointing, realizing who the fuck I was.

"Hey, fellas," the girl in front said, cupping her wide hip. "First dance for you three is on the house. I'm Jelly. I'm sure I don't have to explain why." She did a 360 turn. "This is Peaches, and then here is Chocolate City." She pointed to the two behind her.

"I'm cool," I made it clear, "on all of y'all."

"Damn, why? You were the main one I came to dance on." Jelly stepped closer.

"Too bad, love. I don't want no fucking dance. Tell ya co-workers the same fucking thing."

"He with Yolani," Peaches whispered or did her version of a whisper, because we still heard the shit, even with the music blasting over the blue and purple hued club.

"Ohhh." Jelly half smiled devilishly as she folded her arms. "Well I won't tell if you won't. I mean, she's not here, so you clearly wanted to have some time to yourself." She reached to touch me, and I gripped her wrist, making her whimper at the way I was squeezing on that shit.

"If I have to tell you I'm cool one more time, I'm gon' snap this muthafucka. You?—"

"Let me go." She cried.

"You understand?" I asked.

"I do." She nodded, almost stumbling back into her homegirls when I freed her.

When I saw her look at Avery strangely, something clicked for me. This nigga brought me here for a reason, and it wasn't just to kick it. He was hoping I felt at home, falling into old fucking habits and fucked with one of these bitches.

"Aye, nigga, didn't I tell you quit playing with me!" I hopped up, snatching his ho ass up by his collar.

Before he could react, I slid him across the table, causing him to fly off onto the floor and hit the legs of a nearby table. His phone flew from his pocket, and I saw he had the voice memo application open, recording, which only confirmed that this was some plan to show Yolani I wasn't about shit.

"Nigga, fuck is wrong with you?" Hux hopped out, so I dopefiended his ass, knocking him clean out. He went flying across the slippery ass floor and went right to sleep as the girls screamed.

By this time, Avery was on his feet, charging at me as the whole room broke out in chaos.

A fight broke out between us, and though the nigga got one good hit to my nose, I wore his ass out. I blacked out seemingly, but when I came to, I was stomping his ass out as I heard cops rush the club. Next thing I knew, my arms were being yanked behind my back, and all I could think about was how I knew it. I knew tonight wouldn't go anywhere but to muthafuckin' hell. Moments later, I was being escorted out, head down in fucking shame.

Clearly, the manager or witnesses explained Avery was part of the mess because Avery came out the club lumped up and in cuffs as well, before being put into another cop car.

"Aren't you an NBA player?" the cop who had put me in the patrol truck asked. They knew to bring a truck, so it was clear they understood they'd be arresting a tall nigga.

I said nothing, so he slammed the door. Half an hour later, both Avery and I were booked and in a holding cell. Soon after, I was granted one call, and though I wanted to make it to Yolani, I figured getting out of this muthafucka made more sense.

"Hello?" Bashar answered skeptically.

"It's me," I said, gripping the phone.

"Cemone? Nigga, you in jail?"

I could hear his reprimanding ass tone already.

"Yeah, man, I?—"

"Nigga, I thought you was out visiting her family. What the fuck is you doing?" he spat, and I could tell he was sitting up in bed. "You supposed to be working on ya temper and shit, Cemone."

Keeping my eyes closed as I massaged the bridge of my nose, I replied, "I know and I am. I tried hard, but her fuck ass brother tried to set me up, and I lost it. The nigga been doing shit here and there that I let slide, but tonight I just… I couldn't."

"The god brother that you said be acting like her man?"

"Yeah." I cleared my throat, lowering my voice. "Nigga took me to the strip club, which is whatever, but he put a bug in them bitches' ear or something to be aggressive. I guess trying to make me bend and cheat."

"You an NBA player, Cemone, and a very well-known one. People who don't even watch basketball know you. Them hos could've been doing that shit on their own."

"Could've but I got a feeling. Every time I turned a stripper down, she'd look at him. Not to mention when I threw his ass across the table, his phone flew out his pocket and it was recording."

"Oh, shit. Well yeah, he definitely up to something. In that case, I can't fucking blame you." He got quiet like he was thinking, then said, "Let me make some calls, and then you should be aight."

"I appreciate you. I know my nephew been keeping y'all up, so I apologize," I spoke truthfully.

My sister-in-law Analicia had given birth to their son, Benton, a month and a half ago.

"You good. I would've been mad if you ain't call me."

We chuckled.

"I know. Aight." I hung up, then bypassed the cell with Avery, giving him a menacing look.

I could feel it in my bones that I was gon' end up murking that nigga. I just hoped Yolani didn't feel some type of way about the shit.

Avery made his call, and an hour later, Yolani and Tilsa were entering the police station to get us both. We couldn't even get out of the place without people snapping photos and recording Yolani and me as we tread to her rental. Thankfully, Hux had finally woken up and brought bitch ass Avery's rental to the house, so he and Tilsa would be riding separately from us.

The car ride home was quiet, with me not knowing what to say or how to explain shit. Yolani was unreadable, focusing on the road until we got home. Her people's house was only three minutes from the station in this small ass town, so the silence wasn't too fucking awkward.

Upon entering the door, Yolani led me to her bedroom, shutting the door quickly and locking it. The house was sleep, and I prayed that they'd been sleep so her people wouldn't know I came out here and got arrested. I didn't want them thinking I acted a muthafuckin' fool no matter where I was.

"So? How did this happen?" she asked, leaning against the door.

"I don't wanna tell you while you all the way over there." I was seated on the bed.

She pondered momentarily, then switched over, and even in the lounge shorts and tank top she wore, she was sexy. No makeup on, hair naturally placed, and in chill mode, she was still the prettiest girl a nigga had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. I didn't miss how far she sat from me on the bed though.

"Okay."

"Yo' brother took me to that club as some ploy to get me to fuck with one of them bitches out there." I ran my hand down my face before focusing back on her.

She stared at me for a minute then asked, "Did it work?"

"No, Yolani, that shit would never work. For one, I'm not a fucking idiot, and secondly, I'd have to want it already for that shit to work. Can't no other nigga make me or convince me to do shit I don't already want to."

"So how did the fight happen?"

"I realized what he was doing, and I just… I blew the fuck up." I shook my head. Lying on my side, I took her hand in mine, kissing the soft skin of the back. "I know you not used to a nigga like me, and baby, I tried. I tried to remain chill. Even when he and his homie were saying little shit that I don' knocked niggas out for, I didn't budge. But when I realized what he was doing, I reacted.

"I wish I wasn't like that and just able to let shit roll off my shoulders. It's the one thing I would change about myself for real, especially now that I got kids, and I got you. I got shit to lose."

"I love the way you are. You can be intense, but I know you try. And I would prefer this than a soft nigga or an impressionable one that falls for games and plans like tonight." She caressed my face. I was surprised to hear her say that shit. She looked upset, like she was about to chide a nigga for not staying calm. I was clearly wrong, though, so it made me wonder why she looked the way she did. "Plus, you're not like that toward me."

"I wouldn't be. I ain't that way with people I love. My siblings ain't never seen my temper directed toward them, except for maybe when I was younger. But it only happens with other niggas, ones who try to fuck with me or act tough. I was raised right, even though it may not seem that way, and first thing I learned was not to put my hands on or be aggressive with females.

"I haven't been that way with women I hate, and I've wanted to, so I would never do it to one I loved."

Lying on her side as well, she hugged my neck and kissed me.

"I'm sorry I made you go."

"You good. I know you was just trying to make us get along. But now you see, the shit ain't meant."

She looked off, that expression still on her face. Before I could ask why she looked like she wanted to curse a muthafucka out, she stood.

"I will be right back."

"Where you going?" I gripped her hand lightly, tugging her back to me. "I need that before I go to sleep." I gripped her hips and kissed the small piece of her exposed stomach.

"Are we supposed to have sex every day now?" She cheesed.

"Absolutely. You shouldn't have let me hit raw. I'm addicted now."

Giggling, she inquired, "Why are you going to sleep so soon? It's only midnight."

"Gotta wake up early to start on Yailey's shed. If I start early enough, I can finish the same day. Plus, I have to go to the hardware store for a few things for it."

"You know you don't need to. Your body is a part of your job; we don't wanna mess that up."

"Building shit is second nature, love. And I like it."

"Okay." She beamed. "I will be right back to put you to sleep."

"I can't wait," I admitted truthfully.