Chapter 33: A Leap of Faith

"Life is a gamble. There are no sureties. If you want something badly, you'd have to trust your heart and your instincts and then take a leap of faith."
[Author Unknown]

Dave

"Damn I fucked up" Dave said out loud and groaned as he woke up to an empty bed. This is not how he saw vacation turning out. It was supposed to be peaceful, stress free, and a complete turn up for everybody. But it happened again. Millie called and as usual disaster struck. The match had been struck and a fire was ignited. He could see flashes of the night before and they weren't pretty. He just figured if he got drunk enough that he could drink Millie and this whole she wanted to talk to Kairi business away but it proved to be an absolute failure. Alcohol was never the answer. It was just a temporary blinder and fix that most of the time caused more harm than good. All it did was make matters worse. A vibe is what this trip was supposed to be but instead of a vibe it was anything but that at the moment because Dave and April were doing everything but vibing. Dave knew that April was going to pretend to be happy for the remainder of the trip and he wasn't here for that so he had to fix it. She had been happy about this whole trip, the wedding planning, and just being with the family on a beautiful island.

Dave honestly didn't know how to fix it at this point though. He just knew he was going to end up in the dog house and that's somewhere he had never been or wanted to be. He was low key scared of what being in the doghouse consisted of. All he knew was that he had to make shit right so that meant he was going to do whatever it took. He was supposed to be the one who calmed April down and just be there for her but he had done everything but that last night. He knew something was wrong when he answered Millie's call and April's face hadn't moved a muscle. He had seen the distress all in her eyes last night and still he pushed and pushed when she didn't need that at the moment. She just needed her man, some time, and a good ole booty rub and he gave her neither. Then he thought about how she had come at him like he was the enemy. She had come a little too hostile from the jump and although he knew she didn't mean it he did feel away. He thought the conversation could've gone another route but then again with two people in their feelings anything was bound to happen especially when Millie was involved.

Then he thought about how he had said to her that they needed to have this talk for Kairi. He instantly felt bad because he knew everything that she had actually done for Kairi. She kept her ain't shit mother alive for her sake knowing damn well if the roles were reversed Millie wouldn't dare hold the same sentiments. He hadn't thought about how she had felt or how she was feeling. He figured since she got the fight out of her system that she was good but nope she wasn't. Shit had changed Millie was no longer just his ain't shit baby mama she was also the woman sitting in jail behind bars for conspiring to have his woman killed. So shit was very different nowadays just like the situation itself hit different. With what had gone down between April and Millie their relationship or lack thereof most likely would never be mendable. If the shoe was on the other foot Dave wouldn't dare try and mend shit and anyone who put a hit out on him would be DOA so he understood if she was still pissed over that. At the same time he would never truly understand what April had actually done not only for their child but also for himself. Yet knowing what he knows along with all the street codes he knew damn well that Millie along with the others should've been dead. But it was Millie his child's mother and no matter what she did he just couldn't have her killed. Being Kairi's mother sort of made her invincible to a certain degree.

Dave rolled over on his back and looked up at the ceiling before finally getting up. He looked over at his nightstand ready to roll a blunt to help nurse his hangover only to see two Aleve pills and a bottle of water. He knew April had left it for him. Even with him being a complete ass she was still playing her role and willing to make sure he was straight when she could've just said fuck him. Dave picked up the two tiny pills and knocked them back with the quickness then cautiously stood up. He wasn't down bad but he was certainly fucked up enough. He got up from the bed all together and headed for the bathroom. He took a piss, washed his hands, brushed his teeth, and hopped right in the shower. Dave leaned forward and placed both of his hands on the wall allowing the water to pounce and rain all over his body while April's face from last night kept playing over and over in his head. The look on her face had spoke volumes.

Seeing the look on Bully's face when he exited the room last night made it even worse. He had asked him nothing not one single question. He knew that something was wrong but he had allowed Dave time to open up when he was ready. Bully had did for Dave the same shit Dave should've done for April which was give her some time because she damn sure needed it. This wasn't the usual push her to talk situation. This wasn't about the typical shit she would shut him out for. This was entirely a different situation. This affected the both of them differently. For Dave it was the father in him trying to shield his child and give her the option of having her mother around. While on the other hand this was April doing what she does all the time...sparing everybody else's feelings except her own.

Time...That's all she had asked of him was some time but yesterday he just didn't get it. He was blinded by his own thoughts and feelings about the call. One thing for sure he didn't know how today would play out but he was ready to get it over with. It was time to put all of their cards on the table. Besides he had some shit to get off his chest too and he was tired and fed up with April keeping shit to herself. They had got to a point where they kept no secrets and told each other everything but ever since shit popped off on New Years April hadn't said a thing about Millie to him anymore. If she felt a way she kept it to herself and that's how it had been for the past few months. Granted he sort of understood why she kept it to herself because he really didn't want to talk about Millie again. But keeping shit to yourself was never any good if you wanted a happy and healthy relationship.

He too like April knew that something had to give. They couldn't keep making these huge strides only to end up five steps backwards. Last night he had realized that they had both struck a nerve in each other and it shouldn't be that way. He knew that what they had to talk about wouldn't be a regular let's sit down and talk and that bothered him a little bit. He knew that an argument would most likely ensue and blow up but maybe an argument is what they needed. Sure they could talk like adults but he sort of wanted April to fight. Sure he understood some things didn't need to be an argument but sometimes arguments were needed.

"Daddy grandma said come eat" he heard Kairi behind the door as she jiggled the door knob. Luckily he had locked the door because if it was open she damn sure would've walked on in. Nobody could go to the bathroom in peace. He was honestly surprised that all three of their girls hadn't woken him up this morning. He figured April had probably told them some shit to give him some time to sleep.

"Ok Lil Butt I'll be right there. Daddy needs to finish washing up"

"Okayyyy" she dragged before he heard her little feet taking flight out of the bedroom.

Dave took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face. There was no way around it him and April needed to talk today. With the way they both felt and what they had been keeping to themselves it was no way in hell that they could wait a week to talk. If they waited a week or just a day longer shit would definitely escalate. Truth be told he had been avoiding shit too. There were things on his mind as well and they were both at fault for keeping things to themselves instead of being adults and talking like they normally do. One thing that had been heavily bothering Dave was the baby or lack thereof. It had been four months and still there was no baby and he couldn't understand that shit for the life of him. Sure he knew that it took time for birth control to leave the body especially when you've been using it faithfully. But at this point he didn't know what was going on with April's body and he knew birth control wasn't full proof.

He knew for a fact that his seeds were potent because Millie had gotten pregnant with Kairi. He also knew that April could get pregnant because she had two kids of her own. Sure Jr had an unfortunate demise but April could definitely still get pregnant and Charlie was proof of that. It was just his luck though. He also knew that April had plans to go back to work right after Charlie's first birthday and honestly September was slowly approaching. It was only three months away. He didn't know how her going back to work and him leaving home to head back to Jersey for filming would work out. She had been home for almost a year, they had a good routine going, and the girls were used to seeing her on a daily now how would it work if they were both working. Sure he understood that April couldn't be a stay at home mom. That wasn't they type of woman she was. She had only taken a break so she could experience her pregnancy journey like she couldn't the first time around and she didn't want to miss out on any of Charlie's first.

For one Dave knew she loved her job. Two with the type of job and income she had there was no way she could stay at home that much longer. He knew she had pushed it with the time she had already taken off. Three he couldn't ask her to stop doing what she loved and worked so hard for. He knew from experience how that felt to get hit with an ultimatum like that. Sure he knew that they could hire a nanny but he was iffy when it came to it. Him and April were very much hands on parents and didn't want random people in the girl's lives like that or even in their space period. Then with the way people were shady and had ulterior motives he didn't know how he felt about it. He didn't know if a nanny would be there genuinely for the kids or just to get a quick story and fifteen minutes. They were celebrities with celebrity family members and the story of the lives they were living now was definitely juicy to some so he could see someone applying to be the nanny but really chasing dirt.

Besides the baby issue Dave felt like April had thrown a low blow his way when she tossed Millie in his face. What she had said had been the very same thing that his boys had been telling him for years. Millie was still a sore spot to him though. So for April to throw that in his face he felt like she sort of came for him in a way. Dave felt like he was still going through the motions when it came to Millie. He knew she was piece of shit but after finding out everything that he did about her and what she had been on from the very start he felt like it was still a fresh wound. He felt like his situation was a little bit different from April's because he had just recently found out the full extent of what Millie had done to him while on the other hand April had already dealt with her past relationship issues. Sure he knew she was still dealing with certain things but for the most part she had let that shit go. He felt like the shit was still new to him so he wasn't at the let it go stage.

Dave didn't love her or like her ass not one bit but when it came to Millie he felt a mixture of emotions towards her. There was betrayal, sadness, anger, pity, and more. He felt like she had betrayed him in the worst way. Like how could she say she loved him and wanted to build with him but was plotting on him and married to his so-called friend? For years they had both been in his face screwing him over without a care in the world. He felt like he had let her in, gave her all that he had to give then some and she just said fuck him and gave him her ass to kiss. He felt sadness because he thought he had his child with the woman he once loved. But while he had thought their baby had come from love her mother only had her for a permanent check and that alone was a lot to deal with. There was anger because after learning what she had done to both him and Kairi the damage was already done before he had the chance to stop it. So right now his emotions were playing tug of war.

To Millie everything was a game but everything they had gone through it was all real to Dave. He felt foolish and blinded by good looks and a fat ass. He felt foolish for not seeing what it was from the very start but Millie was good at the game she was playing. Throughout all of these feelings, mixed emotions, and what had been done to him and Kairi he still couldn't let go of Millie. He had given her chance after chance to redeem herself but she could never fully commit. He knew that she was no good for both his self and Kairi but he couldn't let go like he wanted and needed to. He couldn't understand why he couldn't fully let her go. It wasn't like she was there for Kairi anyway. He didn't know what it was or maybe he was just holding out hope that something would finally switch in her head and make her see the light. He wanted to say that it was all for Kairi but sadly it wasn't. Millie had once meant something special to him. He had once loved her and made so many promises to her and now he was left with nothing but bullshit in return. Wherever Millie went some shit was going to follow and linger.

Dave was just at a lost. He felt like he was so close to his happy ending but something was preventing him from making it to the actual finish line. He had found his best friend in the form of a woman. He had found someone who genuinely loved and gave a fuck about him. He fell in love with who he knew was his soulmate and his person. He found the person he deemed worthy of letting in his daughter's life. He found his daughter a mother who would always be there for her and never falter. He found everything he didn't know he was searching for. He just couldn't understand why shit couldn't be simple. He couldn't understand why he felt like Allah kept testing his and April's relationship. Hadn't they both been through enough? He had thought that he had gotten over shit but clearly he hadn't. Going back to Millie had just allowed him to see beyond those rose colored glasses but they both had issues to deal with that involved each other. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks maybe it was the promises he made her that no matter what he would always have her back and be there for her. His words rang true and he had been the only one keeping promises. Something had to give because at this rate the finish line was beginning to look a little further rather than closer.

Dave finished up in the shower, dried off, and finished the rest of his morning routine. Dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and his tatted bare chest on display he made his way to the balcony to get that first blunt of the day in his system. Standing out on the balcony looking out over the island and blunt to his lips he tried to think positive thoughts but he really didn't know what the outcome would be. Dave heard the bedroom door open and shut. He heard light footsteps making their way towards him. He could smell cocoa and shea butter body butter with a hint of fresh mangos. He knew it was April. He could tell by the light footsteps and the fragrance of her body butter and how his body reacted every time she was close by. He took a deep breath slowly inhaling then exhaling you know to help clear his mind even more. Her scent even more potent than when she first entered the bedroom he felt her wrap her small arms around his waist as she sighed and laid her head against his back hugging him tight as if she didn't want him to go. She didn't say a word it was as if she just wanted to live in this very moment for a little while longer. They stayed that way for what seemed like an hour but had only been a mere few minutes.

"Good morning Papi sorry bout last night" April said finally speaking up but what Dave didn't expect was for her to be apologizing. Sometimes he felt like she didn't know what sorry meant when it came to certain things.

"Good morning ma. I'm sorry bout last night too" he said and sighed before taking another pull from his blunt then turned around in her arms. He looked down at her taking her in. Her gorgeous chocolate skin perfectly sun kissed by the summer sun, her hair in long chunky butterfly locs styled in a bun on top of her head, and her pretty brown eyes on nothing but him damn how could he not love this woman? She did it for him without even having to try.

"Morning kiss" she said then poked out her plush pillowy lips. Without hesitating Dave grabbed the back of her neck with his free hand and gave her a kiss. Pulling away from her lips he rests his forehead against hers just taking in the moment knowing that after this shit might go left.

"I hope you don't mind but I scheduled the family a few excursions this afternoon. I figured-"

"We need to talk" Dave said cutting her off and finishing her sentence all at the same time.

The sun was shining brightly. The birds were chirping. It was hot as all hell but still enjoyable nonetheless. The ocean was calm only making whips and splashes when people swam or played around in the water splashing about. People were out in their swimwear not giving a care in the world what they looked like in them because one they most likely would never run into the same crowd. Two they just didn't care. Three they were comfortable in their skin. But at the moment Errol didn't seem to care about anything or anyone in front back or the side of him unless your name was Tesha. Boy oh boy Errol and that damn Tesha. They had been glued to the hip since Tesha had clocked out of work yesterday afternoon.

They had been reminiscing about their childhood. You know when they were younger and simply playing a little catch up since they had spent so many years apart. It was as if they had picked up right where they had left off at. They were back to being those two little kids running around the hood running amuck and they loved it. Maybe because they still had some kind of bond or now they were both at the age where they could say fuck the bullshit and give each other a chance. Now they were both young adults who were free to do just as they pleased. To Errol Tesha had long ago been that little girl who lived two doors down. Long ago she had been the little girl who followed him everywhere, got in trouble with, and got in trouble behind. They were the best of friends who used to do what kids do chill, play, and explore.

But now things were different. They might have been the same people but they were no longer children. Now they stood in front of each other as adults. Now they were older, wiser, both working to be better versions of their selves, living life, enjoying it, and grinding. Now they were both at the age and stage in their lives where they knew exactly what they wanted. Now it seemed as if fate was giving them one more chance to try. Would they take the chance though? Did they see this as fate? Was what Errol feeling one-sided? He hoped not and he was damn sure willing to see what would come about. They were leaving Sunday and here it was Tuesday so he had more than enough time to chill and feel things out.

"E...E...Errol" Tesha called and snapped her fingers at Errol trying to get his attention. He had zoned out on her.

"Huh" he shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times. He hadn't even noticed that he had zoned out. All he remembered was talking to her and they had stopped so she could take a picture. She had been flicking it up like they all were and besides how could he blame her. They were on a beautiful island, she was enjoying herself, and she had been looking good so why not flick it up and show herself off on the Gram.

"What's up witchu? I asked you to take my pic and you zoned out on me" Tesha asked looking up at him wondering where his head was at.

"My fault Pooh it was nothing" he replied with a smile on his face just looking at her in awe as he looked at who she had grown up to be. She was no longer the little chubby chocolate girl with glasses who lived two doors down. Or the little girl who always had her hair done up in all the latest and hottest braided styles and wore different color beads. She was no longer the chubby chocolate teen whose body was going through an awkward stage. She was none of that. She...Tesha was standing in front of him as a whole ass woman with some extra loving to give. To Errol she wasn't cute. She wasn't pretty. She was beautiful. She was beautiful inside and out and had always been.

"Oh so I'm Pooh now" she gave him a small smile not wanting him to know that she loved hearing him call her by her childhood nickname. It was a nickname that he had given her and he was the only one allowed to call her Pooh. She honestly hadn't been called Pooh in lord knows how long.

"You were always Pooh"

"Then act like you know because Tesha ain't ever sound good coming from your lips. Let's stick to Pooh and by the way Pooh still wants her picture taken" she smirked and backed away from him then stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yea...yea...yea do ya shi" he said about to curse but caught himself because he knew for a fact that his nieces were around somewhere.

"Just make sure you take a lot of them" Tesha playfully sassed as she did a cute little pose. Errol shook his head but nonetheless his ass still did as she said. He even instructed her on a few poses making sure he got her at all the right angles. "Hey come take a selfie with me"

"Bet" Errol said and made his way to her. They including the family were at the Original Bajan Walking Food Tour at the moment. Errol and Tesha had gone their separate ways but were still close by to the family. "You ready" Errol asked as he looked down at her.

"Almost" she said and got a little closer to him. "Don't be shy now" she said talking her shit.

"Still a shh- talker" Errol said and shook his head. He didn't mind how close she was. If anything he wished she was closer.

"Remember I can back that shh- up" Tesha said and laughed. They had put her ass on game when it came to cursing just like they did for any other new person that would be around them. So if she wanted to keep her funds in her pockets she'd have to learn how to adapt like everyone else. Besides she had seen firsthand how shit went down. She had seen Kairi and Royalty hit up both Dave and Chris up the night before. One curse word had got them both two dollars. She loved the fact that their whole family was actually working together to not curse in front of the kids though. Like there wasn't anybody who was on that fuck those kids I'm a say what I want and that's that. They were all on the same page and accord.

"I don't know bout all that. A couple of years done passed by so I don't know if you still have ya hood card or not" Errol joked as he eased his way behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her body closer to his with ease, then placed his head on the crook of her neck. "Now say cheese" he looked up into the camera smiling to see her flustered.

"Whatever" she said with a fake attitude pouting.

"Stop all that pouting and smile for me so I can get these pics you so desperately need" he said with a smirk then smiled into the camera.

"Oop" Tesha said and smiled nonetheless. This wasn't little Errol with the big head from down the hall. He wasn't playing shy. He was on his grown man shit sending out the vibes and Tesha was certainly feeling and catching them. They took a few more pictures before going about the rest of the tour.

"So we've been talking bout back in the day but what's been going on with you today" Errol looked over at Tesha and asked as they strolled down the strip in search of what dish to try next.

"Nothing much" she shrugged. "Just working, living life, and enjoying life. I've finally paved a way for myself and it's coming together pretty well if I may say so myself. I'm not at a dead end job or working for anybody. I work for myself. I'm my own boss. I don't get up and say I hate my job or try to find excuses on why I need to call out. I've created something for myself that I love and enjoy doing" she said and paused.

"I know to others it might not look like a legit job but what I do is legit and gets my bills paid. I may not be sitting in a corporate office playing blue collard but I still look the part and I do have my very own office" she said with a big smile on her face. She loved what she did and not only did she love it but she caked off of it. It was a very lucrative business. Some people frowned upon it because she wasn't the usual lawyer doctor type. But she found her lane and stuck with it and now she was making more than a name for herself.

Errol smiled. He could tell she loved her job just by the smile on her face and the way her eyes lit up when talking about it. "And that's all that matters. I'm happy you found something that you love to do. You never seemed like the usual 9-5 type anyway. You always made your own lane"

"True, true how bout you though" she had never been one to stick to the usual rules. She had always done what felt right to her.

"Man for a while I didn't know what I wanted to do or even be" he said looking off into space at nothing in particular. "I tried the nine to five. I've tried rapping and neither seemed to fit me. I didn't and don't want to be Dave's shadow. I didn't wannabe known as his lil brother but as me Errol" he said expressing himself. He had never really been one who didn't express himself. He was vocal when he needed to be. Being Dave's little brother didn't bother him. His issue was that he wanted people to see him for himself. See the real him. Get to know him because he's a cool dude and you genuinely want to get to know him and not use him for your very own personal gain. Don't get close to him just to get into his brother's circle. Don't give him anything because he's Dave's brother but off the merit that he earned that shit. That's all he wanted and to him it wasn't much to ask for.

"I did some traveling you know tryna find my way but nothing really clicked until I reconnected with my brother. I pretty much came home and fell in love with my family old and new. When you have a family like mines all you want to do is protect it. Now all I want to do is protect mines and make sure that my family is all the way good. As you see I got lot of women in my family and I know they can handle themselves but I just want to make sure that my moms, nieces, and my sisters are protected at all costs. They're precious cargo" he continued as Tesha looked up at him in complete awe. Errol had always been a family man even when he was growing up. Family meant a lot to him. It was something he valued. Yet his family was priceless. Family is what got them by when they had nothing but each other. Family is what kept winter nights warm. Even when he and Dave weren't on speaking terms he was still calling home and speaking to his parents. He always asked about both Dave and Kairi. Just because he wasn't fucking with Dave didn't mean that he didn't care about or didn't love his brother. "When I say moms I mean all of them from mines to Lil Birdie's even Chris's. They all play a major role and I know that at the end of the day that not only will my mother have my back but they would all have my back"

"Aww E ya such a mama's boy" Tesha playfully teased him. She actually admired him. He knew that the women in his family were special and he felt the need to protect them as he should. In today's climate it was becoming rare to see black men stand up for their women...black women. Trust she knew that there was still some black men who still protected, loved, and cared about black women but nowadays media only focused on the shitty ones who thought that black women were damn near the scum of the earth. All the while not realizing that the black women were the blueprint for some of the very same women they lusted over. It actually felt good having someone like Errol by her side. Then again growing up Errol had always been her protector. If anyone tried to come for her they'd have to go through him first and if they made it through Errol then poor you because then you had to go through Dave and neither of them was going to let anyone fuck with her.

Errol mugged the shit out of her then laughed. "You knew this already" he said. It was no shame in his game. He didn't mind being a mama's boy.

Tesha laughed. "True luckily you aren't one of those mama's boys you know the ones who are damn near dating their mothers"

"Oh nah I love my moms but I couldn't be one of those dudes" he said and laughed.

"Ok so tell me more. Your family already has more than enough security so why you" she asked because one she definitely knew it was more to the story and two she was intrigued by his passion to protect his family.

"You know with Dave being who he is and Lil Birdie being who she is I just want to make sure that whenever my brother is traveling around the world that I'm amongst the rest of their security team making sure that his home and family is safe" Errol said letting her in by sharing his story. Family had meant a lot to him and seeing the new addition to his family and how everyone meshed and blended well together all he wanted was in and to protect their circle. "I'm just starting at my new job. You know the whole armed security shit. My uncle has me under his wing teaching me the ins and out. I fucks with it because he doesn't treat me like family at work. He treats me as if I'm just like everyone else. Yet he's harder on me because I am family and he knows that I know what's at stake and what our family has dealt with. I took this job because I wanted to make sure that while my brother is on the road that he has someone qualified and willing to do all to make sure that he's safe out in these streets. I know Bully and Shooter have him a 100% but I feel like I need to be there too. I'm my brother's keeper and I just want to make sure that he has somebody to watch his back like their supposed to" Errol explained. Errol had always been off Dave's friends and how they were supposed to be security but couldn't secure shit. Sure he was his little brother but he wanted in on the security team to make sure that there weren't any slip ups.

Training had been extensive. From combat training mental training all the way down to armed training they went through it all. Even now he was still training even though he had more than secured the job. Uncle Ny-Reek didn't play any games at all or even show an ounce of favoritism. He was thorough in his ways and his teachings. He didn't care that Errol was family. At the end of the day he had a job to do and with its reputation and continuous growing success he had with his security company anybody who wanted in had to be highly trained, skilled, level headed, and ready for whatever. So slackers weren't getting in and so far Errol was proving that he was far from a slacker. He excelled like he had a purpose and he did. His purpose was his family and being able to support and have the life that he had always wanted for himself. It gave him purpose. It gave him that feeling he had been searching so long and hard for. He had been traveling the world to see what would call out to him but what he was searching for had been right under his nose the whole time just waiting for him for when he was ready.

"Well it looks like you found what you were looking for and it looks good on you" Tesha said with a smile still on her face still in complete awe. Errol definitely wasn't the little boy she remembered. Sure he was still the same ole big head Errol but this right here was a man. Errol had matured, he was even more level headed, and he spoke with so much purpose. She loved it. Most men that she had been ducking and dodging were the complete opposite of Errol so to see him like this and share this moment with him was refreshing and definitely different than her normal.

"I guess I did and thanks. Being a boss looks good on you too"

"Hey what can I say I was born to be a boss" she chuckled.

Errol chuckled. "Talk ya shh- so besides business how's ya personal life doing? How's Pooh doing" he asked wanting to know more about her personal life and what's been going on.

"You know I really can't complain. Life's been good lately. You know the usual ups and downs but nothing big enough to kick my big ass down. Lately I've been more focused on myself and family. I guess I'm at the point where I'm wondering what's next for me. Like career wise I'm cool but personal wise what's next. I don't have any kids but I'd like some in the future and my dating life in nonexistent. These fools ain't shit out here. They got a whole list out here with qualities that they want you to have claiming that they're high value men but ain't bringing shit to the table but fuckery" she said keeping it real with him.

"Seems like we're in the same situation" he chuckled. It seemed like they were the only ones missing out on love.

"I guess we are" she laughed herself. "Sometimes I just want more you know but I'm not in no rush. I rather let shit find me these days instead of chasing it" she said and shrugged. She definitely wanted more out of life and she simply was patiently waiting for her turn.

"Why do I feel like I'm talking to myself" Errol asked feeling like she was him. They were definitely experiencing the same things.

Tesha laughed. "We've always been this way"

"True" he nodded. "So what do you want? What are you looking for" he questioned.

She looked up at him as they now stood in front of a booth. "I want what most people want. I want love, a family of my own, the house, and the dog. I can get it from anyone but will the love be genuine. Will I be stuck with a man who doesn't love me but still have to see him because we share a child together? Or I can get the house and the dog on my own but I want it with the one I love. I've done enough chasing after ain't shit men who weren't worth my time so I'm a sit this one out and wait for my Prince Charming because I know he's out there. He just hasn't found me yet"

Errol couldn't do shit but smile. Tesha was speaking his language. In this very moment Errol felt like he found exactly who and what he was looking for. Listening to Tesha was like a breath of fresh air to him. None of the chicks he had been dealing with had been on this page with him and that's why he had to cut them loose. It was always what you could do for them but never a what could we do for each other or what could you do for me. He felt like the chicks he had dealt with were stunting his growth. But just hearing Tesha he knew he wasn't alone. If he needed confirmation on whether to pursue her then he definitely didn't need it anymore. He had his answer. The sign was clear as day and standing right in front of him. "Sounds like we were both looking in the wrong direction" he looked at her with so much awe. It was if he had found his one. Sure it was way too soon to tell but he damn sure didn't mind finding out.

"Maybe we were" she looked up at him with the same look of awe in her eyes. They were definitely having a moment.

"Aww shit look at the way lil bro looking at her" Shooter said to Mimi as they were strolling past alongside the rest of the crew.

"Shhhh" Mimi, Ebony, and Alaina said not wanting to ruin Errol and Tesha's little moment.

"Aww shit look at her giving him the same look. I think I'm seeing heart eyes" August of course added in.

"You do know we can hear y'all right" Errol said as he kept his eyes focused on Tesha but talking to his nosey ass brothers and sisters. He knew for a fact that the boys were going to be on his heels tonight.

"Well in that case carry on" Shooter joked. He was actually happy to see Errol getting some play and he knew that Tesha was one of the good ones.

"And this is what you deal with every day" Tesha asked Errol as she looked over at August and Shooter then back at Errol.

"EVERY DAY" Errol, Shooter, August, Bully, Trey, and Chris said together making them all laugh.

"I love it" Tesha laughed.

"Looks like we got another one" Alaina whispered to the girls.

"Yay me so I won't be the newbie anymore" Vonnii said excitedly although she didn't mind being the newbie. She understood why everyone was cautious. Yet no one really treated her like a newbie anymore.

They all laughed.

"We'll leave you two love birds alone for now. Come on lil baybeh" August said looking at Alaina.

"You said you love it so if you plan on sticking around my family you better get used to this. What you see is not an act" Errol said laughing.

"Can't scare me away that easily" she joined him.

"Oop" all the women said looking on wondering if she really knew what she was signing up for.

"We like her" Ebony said before they all started walking away giving them some privacy.

Tesha chuckled. "I like them too" and she did. Normally when she was surrounded by a group of women there would be a few haters passing out backhanded compliments, bitches just hanging around to get on, and bitches who thought the world revolved around them. But being surrounded by April, Alaina, Ebony, Mimi, and Vonnii she had experienced none of that. April had been the same woman she had first met and even with her hair let down she was still just as nice, chill, and down to earth like she was on day one. Nobody thought that they were better than anyone. It wasn't any subtle shade and there was absolutely no hate. If anything they all spoke highly of each other and hyped each other up. Even with them all having different careers and bank accounts it didn't show. They all treated each other kindly, with care, and with respect. Tesha could tell that their sisterhood was pretty strong even with the older women. Ananda, Faye, and Joyce were a vibe all in their own as well. So if Tesha had to pick and choose to be surrounded by a group of females she would choose them all day long. She had even found out that Vonnii was a newbie in their click but from how everyone was treating her she couldn't even tell. They were the type of people you wanted to have in your corner.

After trying some more Bajan cuisine it was time for the real fun to begin. Not only had April booked them a Bajan food tour but also some fun in the water. Jet skis were lined up and ready for them and they couldn't wait. Errol knew they were about to cut up in the water. They had all been hype since April had told them about it this morning. Dave and April were supposed to meet them there but so far they had been a no show. They were about to miss out on a good time though. Errol knew something was up with them but he wasn't sweating it because it was Dave and April and they would be alright. They always bounced back. But as time passed they never made it but that didn't stop everyone else from enjoying themselves.

*******

"I swear we're better yet ya gonna have a problem if I fall off of here" Tesha said as she hopped behind Errol and took a seat behind him on the jet-ski. This was her first time on one. She loved playing in water but some shit she just wasn't beat on doing but Errol had convinced her to try it.

"Sounds like a YOU problem Pooh but if you hold on tight enough I promise I won't let you fall" he said and he wouldn't.

"Boy bye" she sucked her teeth and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That doesn't seem secure enough to me" he teased yet he enjoyed the feel of her arms around him. It was a new feeling and a feeling he wouldn't mind getting used to. Tesha took a quick deep breath and tightened her arms around him.

"You know it's just me right. You can relax" Errol said with a little smirk in his voice. He loved fucking with her.

"Just know that if I fall I'm telling ya mama" she said as soon as Errol started the jet-ski.

"Same ole Pooh always running to my mama to tell on me when you can't have ya way" he shook his head and laughed before taking off in the water riding alongside the rest of the men. They had all been out in the water on jet skis.

"ERROLLLLLL" Tesha screamed and dragged as he caught her off guard as they whipped about the water splashing about.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU" he kept teasing her. He was enjoying the moment though. Her braids were whipping back and forth hitting him every now and again. There was water splashing all around them and the feel of her arms wrapped around his waist low key gave him the chills. Her big ass titties covered in a life jacket were pressed to his back like extra soft padded cushions and for some reason he wished it was his head resting on her breast instead. He felt a rush like never before. He knew there was only one thing left to do...take a leap.

*******

"Hey Pooh can I be a lil forward with you right now" Errol asked as they now sat side by side in the sand. They had finished with the jet skis and were actually back at the villa but chilling on the beach. They didn't want their day to end. They had really been enjoying each other's company.

"Sure that's never stopped you before" she said teasingly then playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

Errol chuckled but it didn't last long. It seemed as if the world had slowed down and got quiet for a second just to let him clear his mind. "You know growing up you was always the play cousin and I respected that. I respected it enough to back away when I stopped looking at you like a play cousin. Tesha I've been crushing on you since I was thirteen and I fought against my feelings until I no longer could. The more we hung out the more my feelings grew but when sixteen hit I knew I had to leave you alone before I fucked up the whole play cousin vibe we had. You know knowing that you would never look at me the same way that I looked at you. I've watched you from the sidelines you know checking up on you here and there to see if you were good but I let you be" he said as he looked off into the ocean. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he would be confessing any of this to her but he had to especially after the day they had today.

Tesha looked off into the ocean as well with a little smile on her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. Yet she didn't say anything.

"I always thought that if I bust a move that I would fuck us up but after today I feel like you're worth taking that leap" he said then finally looked over at her.

Tesha laughed some. "I guess we're more alike than we think. I've always wondered why you backed away. I thought it was because we both had new friends and we were just growing up. I never would've thought it was because you liked me" she admitted. "Truth be told I've been crushing on you before I even knew what a crush was but I never said anything because just like you I was afraid to fuck shit up. I didn't want to have awkward moments with you. It could be anybody but you. The friendship I had with you was one that I couldn't afford to mess up so I kept my feelings to myself" she said and looked over at him. He wasn't alone. He was far from it. She had always felt the same way. Even her friends knew about her crush on Errol and every time they told her she should speak up she refused and brushed them off.

Errol looked at her flabbergasted. He would've never known or guessed in a million years that she had felt the very same way. "So what ya saying is that we both missed out on something that could've been potentially good because we were both afraid to fuck up our friendship"

"Exactly that...but I don't think we've missed out on anything. Maybe this is our beginning" she said and reached out for his hand and of course he took hers into his and intertwined their fingers. "Ya not lil E from down the hall anymore. You're a grown ass man that knows what he wants and I admire that"

"And ya certainly not the lil cute chubby chocolate girl with the glasses from two doors down. You've blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Ya head is on tight. You know what you want and I want in. I want to get to know who Tesha Pooh Savoy is...the grown up you" Errol confessed.

"I'd like that" Tesha said trying her best to calm herself down from all the eternal excitement she was feeling. She was happy as hell to be on the chocolate side so he couldn't see her blushing like a damn fool.

"So what do we do"

"We take a leap of faith..."

________________________________
-Hey guys happy reading I hope y'all enjoyed. Sorry for the extra long wait. I didn't expect to be gone this long🥴
-I know y'all were thinking that this would be a part 2 to the last chapter but who would I be if I gave y'all what y'all wanted 😂😈. Honestly last chapter got me thinking so I'm about to do what I do best and get shit cracking and shake some shit up. Y'all might want to ask for my location and catch me outside 😂.
-Its definitely sounding like some trouble in paradise. Like I always say everything isn't always rainbows and sunshine. Yes April and Dave are growing but they still have issues. Their relationship is far from perfect but as you can see they both want to fix it.
-How are y'all feeling Dave at the moment and how he feels about Agnes. Do you think April needed to apologize 🤔
-Y'all look at Errol out in the world on his grown man shit. I don't know about y'all but I'm excited to see where him and Tesha end up. Don't be coming for his pic either 😩😂. I tried looking and none of the pics I seen of him were hitting and they were far and few in between. The only reason I had this pic is because Papi was in it 😂. Thankies sis for coming through with the daily pics 😘.
-Thoughts about Tesha...Are we feeling her 🤔
-Any, who y'all know the drill sharing is caring so tell a friend to tell a friend. Don't forget to comment, vote, & add to your libraries 🥰
-If you are reading & not commenting no problem just make sure you color the ⭐️ please & thank you 🥰

🛑 I feel like I need to be real with you guys for a second. I know y'all are use to me updating frequently and I'm sorry that I've been slacking off majorly. Since moving into my new home life has been throwing curveballs left and right our way so focusing on my book comes last these days. I really miss you guys and I really miss writing as well but my actual life is way different then what it was when I first started this book series. Point blank period adulting fucking sucks. It comes with advantages and disadvantages. Then the outside world is just something else entirely. I feel like I'm dealing with too much shit all at once. Not to mention I just started a new job so I'm going through the motions with that as well. You know trying to find my new routine. I know some ppl can give 2 fucks about author's private lives and they just want to read and be updated regularly so sorry I have to be that author. Any, who I really hope you guys are doing well and staying safe. Thanks for rocking it out with me and continuing to support my some timey ass 😂. Stay blessed, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and don't forget to tell your love ones you love them 🥰