July 23rd

"Come on ma, two more." King encouraged, he and Renae were working out together but she was having trouble with doing 100 sit-ups.

"Ninety-eight is enough." She mumbled laying back fanning herself as she panted.

"You had no pro'lem wit doing dem luh ass squats." He stated and she laughed.

"You had no problem with watching." She countered sitting up and he smirked. "I mean you are my girl... and I'm a man, so of course I'ma look."

"And get a feel in?" She questioned raising a brow and he chuckled.

"What else did you want me to do? You scared of da dick."

"It's not actually that." She spoke picking up her Gatorade bottle.

"Are you afraid of me triggering something?" He asked sitting in front of her, opening his legs, he pulled her forward and she opened her legs placing them on top of his.

"Being close like this does something to me." She admitted as she placed her drink down.

"Trust me, I want to go there with you but I'm scared of things getting crazy on my end." She told him.

"Did you forget I'm still a virgin?"

Chuckling, he shook his head.

"Nah, I didn't, but those luh dance stunts you be pulling says otherwise." He replied then laughed when she hit his arm.

"It's how I express myself, don't act like you don't like it." She stated and he pulled at his chin hair grinning.

"I wouldn't want you doing it any other way." He spoke licking over his lips and she laughed.

"Because you get a free show correct?"

"More like a private show." He corrected and they both laughed.

"I can't stand you." She replied tracing his Medusa-like tattoo. "So you don't love me?" He asked leaning back and she shrugged keeping her eyes on his tattoo.

She wasn't so good at just coming out and saying "I love you" like he was.

"Still can't say it huh?" He asked a little hurt.

"I don't know how." She admitted. "I'm scared King."

"Of me?" He asked making her look at him. "No... look at the stuff I've been through, everyone I ever loved has hurt me in some type of way and never owned up to what they've done. I don't think you would actually hurt me, but I can't put myself through that anymore. You're the only one I fully trust, I just hope you can give me time." She told him.

"I can do dat." He replied grabbing her hand.

"You know I love you right?" He asked looking down at her wrist.

"I do." She answered, "Have you had any urges?"

"A few days ago... but I made sure I threw my razors away." She promised.

"Wanna give me those last couple sit-ups?" He asked and she laughed.

"Seriously?"

"Why not?" He asked raising a brow, "Fine." She replied laying back and he scooted back then sat up on his knees placing his hands on her feet.

"Give me four." He said and she cocked her head.

"You said two."

"You can do four ma." He replied, pursing her lips, she placed her hands behind her head and waited for his cue.

Each time she sat up he stole a kiss.

On the last sit up, he kissed her deeply.

Cupping his face, she laid back pulling him down with her.

They made out for a good 3 minutes until someone rung the doorbell.

"Every single time." They both said then laughed.

"I'm starting to think downstairs is bad luck for us." She spoke staring at him. "From here on out shit is going down upstairs and upstairs only." He asserted as he got up and pulled her up.

"I'm gonna go shower." She announced picking up the yoga mat.

"Don't forget we got plans tonight." He reminded, nodding she jogged up the stairs as he made his way towards the door.

Opening the door, he laughed forgetting he ordered pizza.

"Let me get my money woe." He told the delivery guy before he walked into the living room and picked up his wallet.

Pulling out a twenty, he headed back and paid.

"Keep da change," King told him before closing the door.

Putting the pizza inside the oven, King headed upstairs to take a shower in the hall bathroom.

2:45 that afternoon

"I thought everything was going good for us?" Dajon inquired as he walked into his mom's room.

Sitting up, Egypt rubbed at her eyes before she motioned for him to open the curtains.

Once he did, he handed her the mail.

"How are we backed up on rent already?" He asked and she read over the letter.

"Where's the money going mom?"

"The bills." She answered laying back and ran her hands down her face then sighed.

"So why in the world does it say the water wasn't paid for June?" He asked picking the letter back up.

"I put half towards the light bill and the rest to the sewage."

"I thought dad was paying those?" He spoke, "No, I wanted him to focus on the rent and cable." She answered.

"So what this means? The water gon get cut off?"

"I just gotta make sure I pay this month and the rest of June's." She informed and he shook his head.

"Here we go again." He said turning to walk out.

"Watch your mouth, I'm breaking my back every damn day just to make sure I keep food in this house, keep clothes on your back and paying for damn therapy just so I can figure out how to speak to my damn daughter. Until you slaved for a damn job who barely offer forty hours and pays below minimum wage, don't say anything to me. I'm making a way." She spat getting out the bed.

"You act like Walmart ain't hiring, they got telemarketing jobs that pay more than that lil eight dollars, it's YOU who aren't applying." He argued.

"How many interviews have I attended this past week?"

"Seven! And they all told me I needed my GED! You don't think I'm scared of us going backward instead of forward?! You don't think I'm afraid of shit going left and my daughter who's fed up with struggling just decides one night to actually kill herself? You don't think I worry about what's going to happen? I am stressed the fuck out but I get my black ass up every fucking morning and take my ass to work! Don't stand here like I'm doing this shit on purpose, this is why I didn't want to rush moving in because I knew my income wasn't enough and your father has his car payments, his insurance, rent, cable AND Renae's insurance to worry about. I am TIRED of feeling like I have to depend on him when things get a little shaky and I am TIRED of your disrespect. I let a lot of shit slide because of your sister but don't you ever in your everlasting mind fix your lips or your face and disrespect me again! Do you understand me?!"

Nodding, he walked out of the room.

Shaking her head, Egypt sat down and opened her drawer.

Pulling out her checkbook, she sighed before she began to fill it out.

She just hopes floating this check would give her time to come up with the money.

**

25 minutes later

"Are you ok with me wearing this?" Renae asked just as King was lacing his sneakers.

She was rocking a gray cropped tank, with denim ripped jeans and matching sneakers.

"You grown ma, wear what you like." He told her as he put his chain on then grabbed his jacket.

"I just wanted to make sure." She replied as she grabbed her red shades and put them on.

"I appreciate dat ma, but you grown shorty, ain't like you tryna walk out butt ass naked. We going to da beach, shit finna packed and hot as fuck." He reminded and she laughed softly.

Picking up her lipgloss, she applied it to her lips then sprayed perfume on her neck and shirt.

Once they were ready, they headed out.

"Feeling alright today?" He asked backing out the driveway.

"Yeah... I noticed my mood normally goes down if I'm home for too long... I know it's because I still blame my mom for what happened." She answered as he held her hand.

"That's why I want you to try to find some way to forgive her ma, that's the start of you recovering." He told her.

"Yeah, I know.. I'm working on it." She replied as she replied back to Dajon's message telling her that they needed to talk.

"Who's underscore thatbitchautumn?" She asked looking at the comment Autumn left under the picture of her and King.

"My ex, why?" He asked looking to his left before he eased over.

"Oh ok." She replied deleting the comment.

"What? What she do?" He questioned glancing over at her briefly. "Just being mad that's all." She answered as she went to block her.

"What she say?" He asked.

"I forgot, I just deleted it and blocked the girl." She answered then laughed as she commented under Zina's picture.

"If you wanna know something ma I don't mind answering." He told her and she nodded.

"I don't care about that, I trust you." She replied clicking on Zina's message.

"Can I tell you something then?" He asked getting into the right lane so he could head east on Washington Street.

"Yeah." She answered laughing at the meme Zina sent her.

"We broke up, but like in April I ended up at her crib and we fucked." He revealed.

"Did you use a condom?" She asked and he chuckled.

"I always do ma." He answered and she looked over at him and just stared for a moment.

"Ok." Was her simple response.

"You not mad?"

"For what? I was still in the center and we barely knew each other, she was your ex. At least it wasn't some random one night stand." She stated putting her phone down and leaned her seat back some.

"I haven't dealt with her or any other broads since you and I been kicking it." He told her honestly.

"I know King." She replied then laughed softly.

"You never lied to me before, I believe you." She assured as he merged onto US-13 N/US-58 E.

"Now what if I was sitting here lying?"

He joked and she turned her head and gave him a look.

"You were listening when I said you would lose yo life right?" She asked in all seriousness and he laughed.

"I'm just fucking wit you ma." He told her and she smiled.

"I know."

The ride was quiet but comfortable, they held hands the entire time and every few minutes King would give her hand a slight squeeze.

"I need one of these jobs to call me back." She mumbled as she checked her emails then call log.

"It's da summer time, I think most call center jobs are slow around dis time." He told her as he cut his headlights on since it had gotten dark.

"Somebody gotta call me though, I'm tired of dipping into my savings." She stressed.

"You tryna get away from me already?" He asked jokingly and she smiled.

"Nope, just want to get my life in order."

"I can dig it." He replied turning down onto 21st street.

"You scared of guns?" He asked and she gave him a funny look.

"Why?" She asked sitting up.

"I got mine in da glove compartment along with my chapstick." He informed.

"Do you have your license?" She asked opening the glove compartment about to touch it but he grabbed her hand.

"Don't do dat and yes I make sure I play by da books out here." He told her as he grabbed his chapstick then closed the glove compartment.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked.

"I don't need yo fingerprints on it ma, only mine." He replied before rubbing the chapstick on his lips.

"I just wanted to see if it was heavy."

"For you it is, I'll buy you one on yo twenty-first birthday." He promised.

"How you know we'll still be "hanging out" by then?" She challenged.

"Because last I checked you were my girl." He spoke and she laughed.

"I am huh?" She asked then smirked.

"Yes, you are, pretty ass."

Smiling at his response, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his neck then reached down and grabbed his dick.

Groaning, King put the car in park and reclined his seat back some.

"Come on ma, don't do dis now." He mumbled trying to keep his thoughts clear.

Ignoring him, she continued to suck on neck as she eased her hand inside his jeans and grabbed his dick.

Feeling him grow, she pulled back and stared at him as she stroked him in her hand slowly.

"Nae." He mumbled then groaned.

"Ok fine." She spoke pulling her hand free, sitting back in her seat, she laughed at the look he gave her.

"Why do you keep doing dat?" He asked running his hands down his face.

"I just wanna make sure I can get you aroused by my touch." She replied grabbing her phone.

Shaking his head, he waited until his soldier calmed down some before he pulled from the sidewalk and headed down 23rd street until they reached the Oceanfront.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked once they got out of his car.

"Nah." He answered sliding his keys in his pocket along with his phone.

Walking over, he pulled her into him as they headed towards the now packed boardwalk.

"Next time you do dat, we just gon have to fuck." He told her and she giggled.

"Not if I don't want to." She replied, kissing his teeth, he wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her neck.

"You will."

*

*

*

How we feel?

Y'all think Nae will ever take it to the next level with King?