A Love Like This (Book 1) (24 page)

“
I can call my family
’
s lawyer first thing in the morning just don
’
t cry.
”
 

I look into his worried eyes and my heart melts.
 
I reach for his hand and pull him over to the bed.
 
He sits down and I sit on his lap and rest my head on his shoulder.
 
He kisses my cheek.
 

“
I love you,
”
 
he says holding me in his broad arms.
 
“
I promise I
’
ll never hurt you.
”

“
I love you too,
”
 
I say tracing his lips with the tip of my finger,
”
 
but that
’
s an awfully big promise.
”

Chapter 11

 
 
 
 
 
The thought of telling
 
Xavier Peterson that his baby girl got drunk married in Vegas sends cold chills up
 
Pookie
’
s
 
spine.
 
 
“
He
’
s
 
gonna
 
fuckin
 
kill me,
”
 
Pookie
 
says falling onto the couch and covering his face with his hands.
 

“
Just let Leila tell him.
 
You know he never gets mad at her,
”
 
Nickie
 
says.
 
She
’
s sitting on the opposite end of the couch wearing Riley
’
s shirt.
 
His
 
head is resting on her lap and
 
she
’
s stroking his hair.
 

“
That
’
s exactly what I
’
m going to do,
”
 
Pookie
 
says slapping his hands on the couch and bounding to his feet.

“
Where were you last night anyway?
”
 
Nickie
 
asks.
 
 
“
You disappeared for most of the night.
”

“
I met a guy.
 
A few guys actually.
 
It was nice to have a change of scenery.
”

“
Did you meet the love of your life?
”

“
No I wasn
’
t looking for love.
 
Just like you, I was looking to hook-up.
”

Nickie
 
mouths the words,
 
‘
shut up
’
 
then bends down to kiss Riley on the forehead.

“
Anyway, I met a photographer named Yuri who
’
s starting his own magazine.
 
I threw out a few editorial ideas and he asked if I
’
d be interested in doing some freelance editing.
 
If things work out I
’
ll be spending a lot more time up here.
”

Sarah and Steve walk in from the patio laughing and coughing.
 
A cloud of smoke follows them as they make a beeline for the kitchen.
 
They rummage through the refrigerator and start constructing the
 
world
’
s
 
largest sandwich.
 
Sarah looks over at Riley and
 
Nickie
 
while she eats.
 
 
“
Nickie
 
please don
’
t fall for my brother he is diabolical.
”

“
Diabolical,
”
 
Steve says laughing.

Nickie
 
doesn
’
t want to tell Sarah that she has absolutely no intention of falling for Riley.

Sarah and
 
Nickie
 
were standing at the bar talking last night when Riley walked over. He saw
 
Nickie
 
and his green eyes darkened.
 
He licked his lips like a wolf about to slaughter a baby lamb.
“
Introduce me,
”
 
He said nudging Sarah with his elbow.

“
This is my loser brother Riley,
”
 
Sarah said with an eye roll
.

“
I
’
m
 
Nickie,
”
 
She said extending her hand.
 
Riley brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly while looking into her eyes.
 
 
Nickie
 
thought he was cute but nothing spectacular.
 
If she
’
d walked past
him on the street she probably wouldn
’
t have given him a second look.
 
Like
 
Pookie
 
said
 
Nickie
 
just wanted to hook up.
 
She wanted to sleep with a guy that she was in no danger of falling in love with and Riley Goldman fit the bill perfectly.
 

“
Alright we should get going,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.
 
 
“
We have a long drive ahead of us.
”

Nickie
 
taps Riley to wake him.
 
 
“
We have to drive back to LA now.
”

“
Can
’
t you leave the rental car at the airport and take a flight out of Oakland?
”
 
Riley asks lifting his head from
 
Nickie
’
s
 
lap.

“
A last minute flight will be too expensive,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.
 
“
Now come on girl chop
 
chop
 
let
’
s go.
”

Nickie
 
heaves herself off the couch then bends down to kiss Riley goodbye.
 
She feels a little sad when she looks into his bright green eyes. She knows it was just a hook up but being with him was so easy.
 
She hadn
’
t thought about Damian once.
 
 
“
I
’
ll call you when we get home,
”
 
She lies then turns to walk away.

“
Wait,
”
 
he says reaching for her hand.
 
He fishes around his pocket for his wallet then pulls out a credit card and hands it to
 
Pookie.
 
 
“
Make the flights as late as possible,
”
 
he says and turns to follow
 
Nickie
 
up the stairs.
 
 
Pookie
 
get
’
s on the phone to make the arrangements.
 
He hangs up and places the card near
 
Nickie
’
s
 
purse along with a written list of charges.
 

Sarah and Steve are lying on the floor surrounded by plates of food.
 
They look dazed and they
’
ve taken to laughing at arbitrary moments.
 
 
“
My cheap brother just pulled out his credit card to pay for something other than internet porn.
 
 
Nickie
 
must have a magical yoni,
”
 
Sarah says reaching over to kiss Steve.

There
’
s moaning and laughing coming from every corner of the house.

“
The Peterson girls have lost their minds,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.

“
Yep and my brother
’
s going to put a baby in your sister.
”

“
Knock her up Riley,
”
 
Steve yells.

“
I have to get out of here.
 
Tell
 
Nickie
 
our flight leaves at six and I
’
ll be back to pick her up at four.
”

“
Six four got it,
”
 
Sarah says straddling Steve and reaching down to twirl his dreadlocks between her fingers.

_______

DJ bursts into his parent
’
s room early Sunday morning.
 
 
“
Momma
 
wake
 
up,
”
 
He says shaking the bed.
 
 
“
Noah shitted on his self and the whole house stink.
”

Keisha lifts her head from the pillow and looks at the boy,
 
“
I told you about your mouth,
”
 
She says groggily.
 
Douglas Jamal Junior is ten years old with sandy brown hair and high yellow skin just like his fathers.
 
Keisha can
’
t believe how fast her oldest boy is growing up.
 
It seems like just yesterday she was bringing him home from the hospital.

“
Where
’
s your daddy?
”
 
She asks sitting up in bed.
 

“
He
 
watchin
 
the game,
”
 
DJ says.
 
”
I know that
 
nigga
 
smell it.
”

Keisha slaps
him on the back
of the head as she walks past
.
 
“
Don
’
t say that word,
”
 
She demands.

She ambles across the hardwood floor into the living room where Doug is sitting on the couch balancing a beer on his knee watching ESPN.
 
He looks over at Keisha standing in the door way with her hair wrapped in a pink head scarf and her arms crossed over her chest.
 

“
Ay Key,
”
 
He says tha
n averts his attention back to the TV.

“
Doug can
’
t you smell this baby?
”
 
She asks scooping Noah up from the play pin where he sits surrounded by toys.
 
Noah squeals laughing and swats at the loose end of Keisha
’
s head scarf.