Page 173 of Own It

I forgot Rakim was even here with anyone because as soon as I saw him, I had tunnel vision. I spoke softly to Mylo who’d sat down and helped himself to a drink while bobbing his head to the music.

“Jojo.” Rakim called to his brother, and when he looked, he subtly shook his head at him, I guessed to tell him to leave Kasia alone.

Josias remained still, turning back to look down into Kasia’s face. He contemplated for a bit, then walked away from her. She was pissed, and like the rest of us, Josias must’ve peeped that Kasia wasn’t playing with him.

I looked for my sister and spotted her taking everything in before walking up to Rakim and me.

“Thank you for the night, Mr. Rakim.” She beamed, and I could sense how drunk and relaxed she was which made me happy.

“Just Rakim is cool. And anything for this one right here.” He kissed the side of my face, and I felt the heat engulf me as I blushed.

I led him to the couch and then straddled his lap. He grinned widely before we started to kiss. The world around me faded into the back as Rakim and I tongue kissed for a nice good while, him expressing how perfect I was and how good I smelled in between. He’d blown my head up something serious. I felt like a queen around him, as cliché as that sounded, because he seemed to worship everything about me.

“I love you.” I spoke against his lips, the alcohol causing me to be free with my tongue, though I would’ve said this sober.

I couldn’t stop the recollection from replaying in my head of the way he ate my pussy among the Mykonos skies and seas. If you’d never been fucked overseas, outside, above a private pool and in the midst of the beach behind it by a fine ass, extra chocolate ass man, . . . try it.

“I love you more, baby.” He grabbed at my ass, then said through clenched teeth, “Relax, though, ’cause you got my dick hard, and I’m gon’ need that.”

“So . . .” I smiled, but then “Hello” by Cardi B came on, making me hop up to dance along with my sister and friends as Rakim, Mylo, and Josias chuckled.

We knew all the words, of course, rapping along with Cardi and the other club goers. All was well until I saw Serene dancing in front of Rakim. He tried to ignore it as if he didn’t see, but when she tried to sit in his lap, he blocked her, and I yanked her ass back.

“What the hell, Daylin!” she screamed, stumbling and almost falling.

“I don’t play like that, Serene.” I shook my head, trying to give her the benefit of the doubt that she was attempting to be funny and not actually dance on my man for any other reason.

“Don’t fucking pull on me!” She came up and shoved me back.

“Ladies, come on.” Shardaya tried to intervene verbally, but I was already pushing Serene in retaliation.

She slapped me across the face, and everything seemingly went quiet. I spotted Rakim stand up along with Josias and Mylo, but it was too late. I’d cocked back and hit my sister dead in the eye.

“Ahhh!” She screeched loudly as Josias tried to calm her down. “You jealous rat!” she hollered, hand cupping the eye I hit as I struggled to get to her. However, Rakim was bear hugging me.

“Relax.” He spoke into my hair. “That’s ya sister, baby.”

“My sister who just tried to dance on my fucking man!” I was responding to him but looking her way, still fighting to get to her.

“She can’t though. I’m yours, Daylin.”

“She—”

Gripping my face and making me tune out Serene screeching while Josias did his best to relax her, Rakim peered deeply into my eyes and said, “If anybody understands, baby, I do. You hit her for what she did. That’s good enough. If you fight her ass, it’ll be for nothing, love. I’m yo’ nigga; you ain’t ever gotta fight over me. You handle her for the disrespect and move on.”

I nodded as much as I could despite my head being clamped between his big hands. He was right. Serene couldn’t even fight. Though I was younger, I often had to beat bitches up for messing with her when we were growing up. So punching her in the eye was more than enough for what she’d done. Beating her ass would prove nor do anything, because Rakim would never entertain her and belonged to me already.

“I guess the sleepover is cancelled,” I heard Kasia voice as Rakim led me out of the club.

He sent off a text message after helping me into the passenger seat of his car, then climbed in himself.

As soon as he started driving, I began crying.

He pulled over, unbuckled us both, and then pulled me into his arms as I sobbed. He didn’t say a word, just rubbed my back, which I appreciated.

“First the fight with my dad and now this.” I cried. “No matter what I do, these people will never respect me.”

“They will. I’m gon’ make sure of the shit,” he promised, and I believed him. If someone could make the seemingly impossible happen, it was Rakim. “What fight with ya pops you talking about though?” Rakim queried.