Forever and a Day
I can’t believe it’s been a year since I published Because of Love! The For Keeps series will continue this fall. Until then, here’s a quick update on Nina and Mecca!
(if you haven’t read, BOL, I wouldn’t advise reading this as it contains spoilers!)
Mecca
“Lucky, how do you feel about navy and gold?”
I shrugged. “Whatever you want, babe.”
She smiled at me, then pulled out her phone to send a text.
I went back to my notepad; my pen moved swiftly across the lined paper as I wrote my first song for my upcoming album. I had been itching to get back in the studio. After coming off another successful tour, it was only right I get started on my next album. It was still hard to believe I was about to start working on my third album. A few years ago, my music career felt like a pipe dream. The success I had experienced was sweeter than I could have ever imagined. My life had been moving nonstop from collaborations to touring to signing endorsements, my label and Puma kept me busy. I wanted to complain, but this was what I wanted. Plus, I had a family now.
I glanced at Nina and shook my head. She was switching between studying for an upcoming exam and reading wedding magazines. Nina was in wedding planning mode, and I was in album mode. The two couldn’t coexist right now. Besides, we agreed to have the wedding after she completed medical school, which was two years away. For some reason, she’d been obsessed with our wedding lately. I wasn’t sure what she and our mothers talked about last night after dinner, but ever since then, all Nina talked about was the wedding. She woke up talking about venues, number of attendees, and now she was back on the colors.
Today was our first time alone in three weeks. Our parents came to town to help us move into our first place together. It was a four-bedroom, three-bathroom brownstone in Brooklyn. I was damn near perfect. The only thing missing was a studio, but I planned on changing that within the next few months. Our new home was near my label and her school. I couldn’t see us living anywhere else. Once Nina got settled into her career, we’d work on expanding our family.
Running my hand over my face, I tried to focus on the words on the notepad before me. I’d just come off a twenty-city tour, and exhausted was an understatement. On top of that, I missed my baby. She was deep into her studies as she wrapped up her second year of med school. Our lives were hectic as hell right now. And when I was here, we only saw each other in passing.
As we sat in our living room, surrounded by unpacked boxes, textbooks, and notebooks, I sighed. We’d just moved into our first home, and I felt the most disconnected I’d ever felt from her. Hopefully, the next few days would bring us closer. Puma cleared my schedule so I could get my house in order, literally and figuratively.
“I think you’re gonna have to make your cousin, Lou, a groomsman.”
My eyebrow rose, and irritation brewed from the pit of my stomach. The wedding party had gone from just having Nina’s cousin, Selimah and my bro, Puma to four bridesmaids and four groomsmen. We were straying further and further away from the wedding we wanted to what our mothers wanted.
“Gwen and I have gotten really close and I want her to be apart of our wedding,” she whined.
Dropping my notepad down beside me, I sighed. Nina’s eyes widened and she chewed on her bottom lip. The silence between us spoke volumes. She removed her notebook from her lap and crawled over to me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“Nothing.”
“Tell the truth.”
I pushed out a breath. “I miss you.”
“I’m right here.” She ran her hands up and down my thighs while smiling sweetly.
Shaking my head, I replied, “Nah. Your mind is elsewhere.”
“I just want everything to be perfect. Every time I bring up the wedding, you shut down.”
“I’m not shutting down. That’s not my focus right now and it shouldn’t be yours.” I glanced at her textbooks, then back to her.
Nina sat on the back of her legs and twirled one of her waist-length cornrows around her finger. I fell back onto the couch and glared at her. My heart raced and my stomach knotted as looked at the woman that I loved more than life itself. We went from taking shit day by day to only talking about our wedding. She was subtle about it at first, only sending links to venues and color palettes for the reception. As time progressed, it became all she talked about.
The argument we had a month ago slowed all wedding talk for a minute. I was on the road away from my woman and I wasn’t trying to spend the little time I had talking about it. I let my exhaustion and frustration build, and I took it out on her. I still felt terrible about that shit. It was rare for me to lose my temper, especially with her. Nina didn’t deserve that. I love and respect her too much to speak to her that way.
“But Momma Watson said that we need to-”
“Nina.” She tore her gaze from mine and looked at the hardwood floors. “Come here,” I said, reaching for her hand. I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“I think we should move the wedding date up.”
“You? Or our mothers? We talked about this already. We’re waiting until you finish school.”
Nina sighed. “Okay.”
“With my music career, your schoolwork, moving into this house, and trying to maintain our relationship; planning a wedding is too much right now, baby. I’m not going anywhere. Are you?”
She looked at me and shook her head.
“I thought so.”
“I’m sorry for being so obsessed with our wedding. I’ll admit, I was using it as a distraction from school and missing you while you were away. Listening to our mothers last night only made it worse. I care more about our marriage than I do the ceremony.”
“Well, I’m here now and will be for a while. I can distract you from school and whatever else.” I kissed her neck, making her giggle in the process.
“I will tell my mother to relax next time she brings it up.”
“And I’ll do the same.”
I loved the relationship Nina had with my momma, but sometimes my momma took advantage if their closeness. I’d told her numerous times we weren’t ready to plan the wedding yet. Nina and I had a plan. After she took the Medical Licensure Exam, then we would hire a planner and all that. I wanted Nina to focus on her studies first.
“We should’ve eloped in Paris,” she said after a moment.
I chuckled. “We should’ve, but we can honeymoon there and Spain, too.”
“Will you have the time for that?” she asked, raking her hands down the nape of my neck.
“I will always have time for you. Never question that. Will you have time for me is the question, future doctor.”
Nina’s cheeks flushed. “Yes.”
“How about right now? You have time for me?” I whispered against her ear.
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.
I kissed her neck and pulled her closer. Running my nose along the curve of her neck, I inhaled her sweet-scented perfume and groaned. Her lips met mine at the same time, her arms wrapped around my neck. Nina smiled against my lips before repositioning herself. Now straddled across my lap, she reached for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. I slid the straps of her tank top off her shoulders, then met her lips for a passionate kiss.
Damn, I missed her.
Her scent.
The warmth of her body against mine.
The way she moaned when I kissed her neck.
Years later, and I was still undeniably infatuated with her.
No matter what, that would never change.
Nina rocked against me while nipping my bottom lip. I slipped my hand between her legs and pushed her panties to the side before pulling my shorts down. We moaned in unison as her warmth covered me. My eyes closed and my head fell back against the couch. Nina gripped my shoulders as she moved her hips in slow circles. I gripped her waist with one hand and her braids with another. Gently, I wrapped her braids around my hand before tilting her head back. Nina’s giggle turned into a moan when I ran my tongue down her neck to her collarbone.
“Lucky,” she crooned as her hips moved faster. I released her hair and leaned back, moving my hips to match her speed. Leaning forward, Nina kissed me before slipping her tongue into my mouth. “I love you,” she said against my lips.
“I love you too, baby,” I replied between grunts.
My stomach muscles tightened as I continued to rock into her. Nina’s head fell back, and her lips parted as she released a guttural moan. Shortly after, I reached my peak releasing a satisfied groan in the process. For a moment, we sat in silence. Nina laid her head on my shoulder while raking the nape of my neck. Held her tightly while running slow circles on the small of her back.
A smiled formed on my lips as I looked around our living room. I was living the life I wanted with the person I loved.
It couldn’t get any better than this.
“Forever and a day?” Nina asked, still rubbing my neck.
I nodded. “Forever and a day.”