I open my eyes to Yemi lying down on my chest, arms folded, in a daze. Her hair is a fuckin' mess... with her fine ass. Wait, is she overthinking something, right now? She doesn't even realize I'm looking at her. Shit, was she trying to cuddle with me? I must've pushed her off again.

She starts smiling. "Good morning."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"Honestly... I can't figure out what to get you for Christmas."

Phew. "...You don't have to get me anything."

"People don't really mean that when they say it." She caresses my face. "So, tell me...what do you like? I feel like you're a minimalist. You just work, go to church, and look out for others. You don't even have anything on your walls. No art, no pictures... nothing."

This isn't the first time I'm hearing about the walls in my crib. When V first moved to Cali, she asked me why I didn't have any decorations up. Then when I moved to the loft, she added a family picture on my wall and then got mad when I took it down the next day.

"Seriously. I have everything I want."

"Are you going to get me something?"

"I already got your gift."

"Then yes. I do have to get you something. I'll just ask Veronica to help me."

I laugh thinking about that family picture. "V gives me a Best Buy gift card every year... for Christmas and for my birthday. She's gonna tell you to get the same thing. I'm really hard to shop for, ma."

She pouts. "... You have to have something you strongly like."

"Just give me a Christmas card and write how you feel in it."

"What?" She laughs lightly.

"I love when you express your feelings to me. So, do that."

She slightly smiles before rubbing my chest. "You are too good to be true."

"I can say the same about you, gorgeous." I hear my phone ping, breaking our little moment. She grabs it off the floor, and then hands it to me.

"I'm gonna go fix my hair." She rolls off me, exposing her fat ass that I love so much. "Yeah, you do that," I tell her, smacking it.

"Whatever. It's your fault it looks like this."

I smirk. "Your ass or your hair?"

She laughs from the bathroom doorway. "You're such a perve."

Shit, I'm being good. I used to be worse. I look down at my phone, hoping this isn't one of my employees with some bullshit. I unlock it, and then read the message.

Nah, this sounds personal.

I exhale aggressively. I'm on vacation, and I'm not trying to hear shit Jamie has to say, right now. He wants to act like a bitch... then he can do that shit alone.

I put my phone down just as another ping goes through. I don't even care to see what he wrote back. I said what I said.

"Sammie!" Yemi yells from the bathroom. "Come help me!"

Damn. I should've made her put that damn bonnet on last night.

___

Yemi wanted to experience riding the train in New York, so we are currently riding on this very crowded one with Yemi sitting on my lap. We're on our way to a popular tattoo shop my brother Nate owns. After we leave from there, we're gonna hit up this Jamaican food spot and then hang out at my parents' after. They're having a few people over for a Christmas Dice Game, Gift Exchange.

"I think I'm going to get my mom's name. In small pretty writing."

"That's a good choice for your first tatt." I tell her.

"First and last."

"So later down the road, you wouldn't get a tattoo of me?"

"My momma once said, if you ever get the urge to get a tattoo, whatever you do, don't put a man's name on you. You'll regret it."

"I'm not just any man, though."

She rolls her eyes, smirking. "Would you ever get my name?"

"If I loved you that much, absolutely."

"You're not slick."

"What? I'm serious."

"Anyway, I'm so happy I came out here with you. It'll be my first real Christmas in years."

"I know she was a bitch, but did you and your cousin at least have Christmas dinners together?"

She shakes her head, sadness starting to take over her face. "She left me at the house, and spent Christmas with the relatives. The ones that- you know..."

"Hey..." I grab her hand, caressing it. "You don't ever have to worry about them anymore. My family is yours now."

She smiles softly before pecking my lips a couple of times. "Thank you."

I kiss her neck in return.

"I wish I could really say that I don't have to worry about Briana, though."

"Why? She got want she wanted. She's away from her man, and she doesn't even have to worry about rent for a few months. She has no reason to contact you."

"Sam... Jonathon came to my job last week."

She said that shit so low, I almost didn't hear her. "She told him where you work?" I ask in disgust. "Did he touch you?"

"No, I didn't see him. He found my old check stub in Briana's car, and then went to the office, demanding to see me."

"What the fuck? Why are you just telling me this?" I'm trying my best not to get loud on this train.

"I didn't want you to get mad at me."

"Mad at you? Are you serious, right now?" I need to get off this train.

"What would you have done if I had told you?"

"Are you testing me, Yemi?"

"No, I'm serious. You would've tried to contact him, right?"

"Not tried. I would have."

"Exactly. And I don't want you doing that."

"Are you protecting him?"

"No. I'm protecting us. You would've found him, then fought him, and then got mad at me for you having to get involved."

Breathe Sam.

"See. You're getting mad at me now."

"I'm mad because you didn't tell me, Yemi. I told you I was going to always protect you. How the fuck can I do that, when you don't tell me shit?"

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to get mad at me."

I pause for a second, trying to put myself in her shoes. "Look ma... I apologize for treating you how I did. I fucked up. And it was stupid of me. That was then, and this is now. Do I need to remind you... we're in a relationship now?"

I scowl at her, not knowing how else to instill that in her. At first she looks down in shame, but then she catches herself. She quickly puts her head back up, and then eyes me like a queen should.

"You're right. I can't keep holding on to the past if I want our relationship to grow. It's time to evolve," she says genuinely and with conviction.

I nod. Seeing her boss up like that is causing my anger to slowly fade away. "...Did he tell them why he was looking for you?" I ask calmly.

"... He told the receptionist I owe him for the drama that's happened since I left their place."

I can feel myself getting mad all over again.

"Myra had to call the police in order for him to leave the office."

"Alright. I'll handle it."

"Huh?"

"I'll handle it."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Don't worry about that. Just focus on having a good time out here."

She looks at me with worry in her eyes.

"Mamas..." I say warningly.

"Okay... okay." She looks away from me.

"Hey... You still love me?"

She smiles softly. "Are you asking me that because you're afraid to tell me?"

Damn, that caught me by surprise. "Someone's bold now," I say smiling.

"You said you like when I'm confident, right?" She says, arrogantly.

"I did say that." I nibble on her ear, making her squeal.

"Stop trying to avoid my question."

"You avoided mine."

"Whatever. Where did you say we had to get off?"

I look up and see we're at our stop. "Right here. Come on."

We hop up, and exit. Holding Yemi's hand, I watch her as she people-watches. I love how she's taking everything in, and I'm glad I'm the reason for her traveling for the first time. Even though I am mad at her, I understand her being torn about telling me. But I'm glad she recognizes she shouldn't let the past hinder our relationship. If this is going to work, we both gotta give that shit up.

Damn. I have a feeling when I get back to Cali, a lot of drama is gonna pop off. First Jamie, and now this Jonathon clown? Forgive me now, Lord.