She's Gotta Have It: A Hood Love Story by Shvonne Latrice

tonight. I don’t remember if I told you that or not,” he said as he looked over my body.
    I was wearing a strapless jade green dress, black stilettos, and gold jewelry. My long dark hair was hanging down my back, freshly straightened, and my lips bore nude lipglass from MAC.
    “Thank you,” I batted my eyes playfully, and he kissed my neck.
    “Smell good too,” he added.
    My vagina throbbed a little, letting me know she was beyond ready and in need. I hadn’t had sex in two long years.
    “Hey Cass,” some random hoe said as she stood outside of the VIP area, in front of the bouncer. I guess she wanted to come in with Cassian’s people. “Tell Deebo here to let me by,” she added and bit her lip.
    “Nah Lani,” Cassian shook his head, and it caught me off guard that he knew her name.
    She wasn’t one of the video hoes that I saw claiming him on social media, so I was really intrigued now.
    “Really? Okay. Fuck you then nigga!” she screamed so loud that some people around jumped.
    Her facial expression was more hurt than angry, which was another red flag. She switched off in her tight gold dress, and the bouncer watched her ass.
    “Who was that?” I asked Cassian as I tugged on the hood of his jacket.
    “Nobody,” he smirked and sipped on his drink. “Come on, let’s go,” he said and set his drink back down.
    He tapped his bodyguard, who then escorted us out the back. The whole ride to his home, I kept thinking about that girl. I didn’t want to deal with any crazy exes; I wasn’t gonna deal with any crazy exes.
    ***
    “Cassian, I need to know who that girl was,” I said as soon as we walked into his bedroom.
    He exhaled heavily, and plopped down on the edge of his huge bed. Cassian was so sexy. His toasted brown sugar complexion was smooth, his fresh fade was cut to perfection, and his perfect teeth were so beautiful as I watched them nibble on his bottom lip. His lean, yet muscular build was to die for. I walked closer to him, and got between his legs to sit on his lap.
    “I promise I won’t get mad,” I half smiled and caressed the nape of his neck.
    “Lani was a girl I used to date when I first got signed. It was just a real bad relationship. We fought a lot, and one time we fought so bad that she miscarried. After that happened, I couldn’t bear to look at her anymore without feeling guilty,” he shook his head and my heart felt as if it would stop.
    “You hit her?” I inquired.
    “No, we just argued real bad. The doctor said it was too much stress too early in the pregnancy, which is why she lost it,” he explained. “I mean, we were nineteen years old and had no business trying to act grown like we were doing.”
    “My grandparents and parents got married before nineteen,” I raised a brow. Age was no excuse in my book.
    “And they were probably mature. I wasn’t, to be perfectly honest,” he said and touched his chest. “I was just a young nigga who thought making money and fucking bitches in a house with my name on the deed was maturity. And Lani thought just because she didn’t live with her mama, and she could lie on her back that she was mature. It takes way more than that,” he added.
    “That’s true. You love her?” I asked. I had to know. I was no one’s rebound bitch.
    “Nah. I did, but not anymore,” he replied as he looked up into my face.
    “Do you think you would ever love her again?” I quizzed as I rubbed his chin hairs.
    “Nah babe. That was an unhealthy relationship all the way around. I don’t even like to count that shit as a relationship. But I know who I love right now,” he said and kissed my shoulder.
    “Who?” I inquired with bated breath.
    “Josalyn Michele Richardson,” he responded and laid me back on the bed to kiss me.
    “You love me?” I questioned with squinted eyes. I had no idea he felt as strongly about me, as I did about him. He was a big-time rapper, in love with a regular girl.
    “I do. Am I scaring you?” he smiled