Chapter 65

August

I watched Esined sleep peacefully in my arms. I rubbed her lower half, squeezin' a hand full often.

She mumbled somethin' in her sleep. She lifted her left leg, gettin' mo' comfortable. She talked in her sleep and even said Erica's name a few times.

I looked at her, makin' sure she didn't have a frown or anything. I knew she wasn't havin' a nightmare, so I let her sleep.

I listened ta her breathin' and her heartbeat. I loved sleepin' wit her next to or on me. Even when no words were exchanged, I felt and heard her words so much. I felt her vibes and energy. She had good intentions.

Truthfully, I didn't trust Esined until I fell asleep wit her. Some say dat you don't know someone until you sleep wit them and I believe it. You're completely vulnerable when you're sleep because you can't control your actions. Ta fall asleep in front of or wit someone is a huge step. You trust them enough not ta do nothin' crazy while sleepin'.

I knew dat Esined trusted me and I trusted her too.

I heard Esined say my name and I looked at her.

"I love... Him so much," she mumbled. "He's..." her words became inaudible. "I told him... About you. Promise,"

I played wit her fingers and looked at the time. I hadn't noticed it was near midnight and I needed ta go home.

I tried ta lift her up and she clung onto me. I chuckled lightly. "Baybeh,"

She pretended not ta hea' me.

"Babe,"

She frowned.

"I gotta go,"

She shook her head. "Don't,"

"My mama gon' beat my ass," I laughed. "I can't stay,"

"Snugga, please,"

"It's late. I'm sorry, Pooh,"

She sat up and started whinin'. She had her arms folded and she was poutin'. She was very whiny and difficult when she was sleepy.

"Chill," I said, sittin' up.

She glared.

"Get up," I sat up and she got off of me.

She walked me ta the door and she had a pout on her face the entire time.

"Gimme kiss," I said after I was ready ta go.

She turned away from me.

"What is wrong wit you? Why you bein' clingy tonight?"

She folded her arms and stared down at the floor. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't like the clingy stuff, but it's one of those nights where I can't sleep unless you're with me. It's strange,"

I looked at her.

She sighed. "I'm sorry,"

"I understand. Don't apologize," I took off my jacket and shoes dat I put on.

"You don't have to stay. I have to learn how to sleep without you. I can't just whine and call you while I'm at Princeton," she said.

"Then this will be your last time bein' able ta do it. We'll let it slide dis time,"

"Just this once?"

"Yeah. I mean it, Es. Dis is da only time,"

"Thank you," she said.

I followed her ta her room quietly. I removed my shirt and jeans, remainin' in my boxers.

Esined's eyes traveled down. She covered them when she noticed dat I knew she was starin'. "I'm sorry,"

"It's cool," I chuckled.

She slowly uncovered her eyes and smiled a lil, makin' me laugh.

"You so weird," I turned and searched her dressers. I grabbed some of my shorts and put them on. "You got a whole drawer wit my clothes in there,"

"I know," she giggled. "I always wear your stuff,"

"Cute," I chuckled.

She removed her shirt and I tried ta refrain from starin'. She came by me and got a shirt from her dresser. She slipped it on and switched into a pair of shorts.

I went ta her bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush. I grabbed the toothpaste and brushed my teeth. Esined came in shortly afta and repeated my actions. I rinsed my mouth and wiped my face. I left the bathroom as she finished brushin' her teeth. I pulled the covers back and climbed into her bed.

I unlocked my phone and sent Mel a text.

Don't worry. With Esined. 12:39 am

He simply said okay and I exited out of my messages.

"Babe," Esined said.

"Mhm?" I looked up.

"I was thinking about something,"

"What's dat?"

She walked ova ta me and got onto my lap. "You know, since I'm leaving for Princeton... I wanna do something special with you before I leave,"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I wanna go all the way," she said shyly.

I looked at her and she was messin' wit he fingers while lookin' down.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why do you ask that every time?"

"Because I'm curious ta know if your answer is eva gonna change,"

She sighed. "I'll be ready by then,"

"That's not a valid reason fa me,"

"I'm starting to think that you just don't want to,"

"Trust me, I do,"

"Then let's do it,"

"Why?"

"Because I want to and you want to,"

"Esined,"

"What?"

"That was the dumbest reason I've eva heard," I laughed.

She frowned.

"Babe, no. Just because you feel pressured or anxious about it doesn't mean you can make me feel dat way too. I know that I want ta do it and you do too, but I don't think we're at that level, honestly,"

"I understand... I'm sorry for pressuring you. I guess you really meant it when you said you care about my virginity,"

"Definitely. I'm tellin' you, you aren't like otha girls ta me. If you were, I would have been smashed and left you,"

She looked at me shocked. "Really?"

"I'm just bein' honest,"

"So what did you used to do? Get with a girl just to have sex with her and leave her?"

"Hmm... When you put it like dat,"

"August,"

"Yeah. Kinda," I admitted. "Sometimes I didn't have ta wait and be in a relationship wit da girl,"

"How do I know you aren't going to do that to me too?"

"We've gotten dis far, right?"

"That doesn't mean anything,"

"What do you mean dat doesn't mean anything? You think I'd build yo hopes up fa a year and have you connected ta me like dis just fa some pussy?"

"Well," she mumbled.

"Esined, if I wanted ta fuck fa'real, I would have been fucked,"

She folded her arms and that's when I knew she didn't have anything ta say. "What makes you think that?"

Of course, Esined bein' Esined, she wanted ta be right and would say anything ta try and make her statement valid.

"You've given me so many opportunities. Shit, you just gave me one a few minutes ago. So, what makes you think I wouldn't have?"

She stayed silent.

"Exactly,"

"Whatever,"

"Now you mad?"

"I'm not,"

"Sure," I raised my eyebrows fa a second and let them go back ta rest.

We were quiet fa a few minutes.

"So..." I started off. "Did I stay fa no reason or are we gonna move on from dis?"

She stayed quiet.

"I hate when you do dis shit," I said.

She looked at me. "Do what?"

"You always tellin' me ta just tell you da truth, then when I tell you, you wanna catch an attitude and shit. Like, don't ask fa the truth if you can't handle it. It's my past. I'm clearly not like dat anymore,"

"Okay, August. I'm sorry, okay? I'll admit, this one is my fault," she sighed. "Can we drop this?"

I sucked my teeth. "Aiight. I'll let it go afta I say dis,"

She looked at me. "Go on,"

"I'm not gonna eva do dat ta you. You know dat I love you. I know it's a lil scary ta know dat I used ta do girls like dat, but I promise you, baybeh. I couldn't even break your heart like dat. I ain't been wit you fa a year just ta get one thing. I'm wit you because I love you and I love havin' you by my side, not fa sex. You hea' me?"

She nodded. "I hear you,"

"Good. You know I love you,"

"I know, Snugga and I love you too," she pecked my lips.

I kissed her back and she looked at me.

"I don't think I'm going back to sleep,"

"Why not?"

"I had a dream,"

"About?"

"Erica. Every once in a while, I have this dream where I get to see her and we're sitting somewhere. We're both older and she looked so beautiful, Aug,"

"What's she look like?"

"She's took more after mama, so she had brown skin with greenish eyes like our Grandpa. She had shoulder length hair that was curly," Esined smiled.

"She sounds beautiful,"

She nods her head. "This time, we were at a nice coffee shop. I was catching her up on my life. She brought you up too. She was all tell you husband and kids about me," Esined laughed a lil. "Then she asked me what your name was again. I told her and then I started telling her how much I love you and our kids. After a while she told me to shut up,"

I chuckled. "You was talking about us a lot, huh?

"Yeah, I guess I started rambling on,"

"How many kids did we have?"

"We had three and I was pregnant with the fourth one,"

"Damn," I chuckled.

"We wasted no time. Our first two kids were a year apart. Our third baby was a few months after our second baby. Our fourth baby was a year after the third baby,"

"Goodness. Are you really dat fertile?"

"I don't know," she giggled. "I kinda hope so,"

"Yeah, 'cause you want a whole football team,"

"Yep," she smiled.

"We're any of their names backwards?"

"No," she laughed. "They had the weirdest names. They were all Chinese names,"

"What were they?"

"Shaolin,"

"What does dat mean?" I laughed.

"Let's find out," she grabbed her phones and searched it up. "It means Monastery in the woods of Mount Shaoshi,"

"Did he grow up ta be a monk?"

"I don't know,"

"What was the second baby name?"

"Jun. It means ruler, supreme, talented, and handsome. Fits him perfectly, he was an overly confident little boy in my dream,"

"Just like me,"

"We had another boy. His name was crazy and I don't remember it. But guess what?"

"What?"

"We had finally got the little girl that we wanted,"

I smiled. "What was her name?"

"I wanted to name her Mei Ling in my dream. It means beautiful soul,"

"Dats nice... You know, if we have kids, those aren't their names, right?"

"Of course," she laughed. "I don't know why that was their names in my dream anyway. It was so strange,"

"What would you name your kids?"

"I love names that start with a D or an E. If I had a boy, I would name him Dylan or Erin. I'd name my daughter Delilah or Emily,"

"Interesting,"

"What would you want your kids names to be?"

"Non and existent," I smiled.

"August, I'm serious," she laughed.

"Me too,"

"You're horrible,"

"Hm... I don't know. I don't know any names. I'd probably use a baybeh name generator,"

She shook her head before coverin' her mouthed. She yawned.

"Finally sleepy again?"

She nodded and got off of my lap. She turned on her fan and climbed back in bed. She laid next ta me and snuggled close.

I pulled the cover ova us and I looked down at her.

She was starin' up at me.

I gave her a kiss and she smiled. I reached above my head and cut the light out, makin' the room completely dark.

I wrapped my arm around her and she put her leg ova mine.

I stared into the darkness and silence filled the room. I held her closer ta me when the thought of her goin' off ta college came into my mind.

Truthfully, I was proud of her fa gettin' accepted. As much as I wanted ta beg her ta stay, I couldn't and would neva stop her from followin' her dreams.

I wanted her ta be happy and livin' her life. I couldn't enable her or force her ta let me take care of her anymore. She was growin' up and I had ta deal wit it. All I can do is grow wit her and be mo' understandin'.

I didn't know how I was gonna deal wit her bein' so far away from me.

-Hi. How are y'all?

I'll touch on where Don & August stand in the next chapter.

Idk if I want to make this book 70 or 68 chapters.

I love when y'all tell me about yourselves or life in my messages. I love when y'all tell me how y'all relate to Pieces or a chapter in general. Or even how my book helps with your situations.

Tbh, I cry while reading some of them lol. I fw y'all fr.

I'm gonna stop talking at the end of chapters lmao. Sorry.

Okay until next time.

Excuse typos please.

Comments & Votes are appreciated.

Much love, Shia. Xoxo