Are you ready to fight just to see what's lost behind my flaws?

Saturday morning...

This morning I woke up right before the ass crack of dawn to move into Dave's condo.

I stood in the middle of my naked living room, checking to see if I was leaving anything.

I'm going to miss this place. My small Brooklyn apartment with the noisy neighbors and broken heater. This was my first apartment after graduating college. I remember how scared I was to slyin here by myself for the first time. Every time a door slammed or the floor boards crept, I'd shoot right up from my sleep.

I eventually just learned to ignore it all and loved this place just as it was.

Interrupting me from my thoughts, the moving man told me that everything was packed up and ready to go. I grabbed my backpack and keys, taking one last look and locked the door.

About forty-five minutes of driving and God knows how long we were stuck in NYC traffic, we finally arrived to what I assumed was East's condo building.

"Wow I guess this is what you call luxury", I breathed as I stared up at the enormous building.

All my years of living in New York and I never got tired of staring up at the buildings like a tourist.

I instructed the movers to wait downstairs while I went up to let East know that I arrived.

While opening the message app on my phone, I checked to see what floor his home was on and travelled up the elevator to get there.

I pressed his floor number and entered the code. A few moments later the doors opened to reveal a spacious penthouse.

My mouth hung opened as my eyes scanned the large open kitchen and living room area.

Aw shit Allaya, you living good now girl.

As I walked beyond the foyer, East immediately came into view, rendering my admiration of his home fruitless.

I hate to admit it, but this man is fine...too damn fine.

There he stood in nothing but grey sweats, a blue durag and gold chains around his neck. All of his tattoos were on full display and his upper body basically begged for me to touch it. It looked like he just rolled out of bed, morning wood present and all.

East walked towards with me with his muscles flexing with each step. My breath hitched and I was paralyzed in place. All I wanted to do at this point was climb and slide down him like a stripper pole.

Wait is that even possible? Shit, I'd like to find out.

I was suddenly snapped back into reality by his rough voice.

"Do you even fuckin' knock yo, you know what time it is?" he asked looking pissed off.

"Uhh I texted you that I was on my way up, so I assumed that you knew..", I told him with a confused look on my face.

I just want today to go smoothly, I really don't want any contact with this man and his rude ass attitude.

He then sucked his teeth and started to walk to the left of the room.

"You coming or not?"

I sighed playing with my fingers and trailed behind him as he walked to a door that was tucked into the corner of the room.

"This is where you'll stay, there's two bedrooms and two bathrooms..."

East went on to describe the room's contents but I tuned out.

He opened the door to reveal an huge room the size of my apartment.

I walked in to the bare living room with windows surrounding it, providing another amazing New York view.

The room was sectioned off by a wall. On the other side we're the two bedrooms and bathrooms.

"Wow. Is there a kitchen?", I asked him looking around the room.

"Nah you can use the main one in there. I had Mrs. Jones clear a space for you in the fridge and pantry."

That's basically his way of telling me not to touch his food.

"Who's Mrs. Jones?" I asked.

"She's my housekeeper. She comes three times a week. Aye you remember the rules we talked about?"

He looked at me with raised brows.

I flared my nose and my inner voice mocked him.

"YoU reMemBEr ThE ruLeS wE tALkEd AbOuT"

Dumbass.

"Yes I remember", I spoke shyly.

I hate when people talk to me as if I'm a child. Usually I have no problem speaking my mind, but around him I'm suddenly more quiet and reserved than I normally am.

"You got any questions?" he asked.

I shook my head "No".

"Good, here's your key card to get in the building and the key to the penthouse and your room. Don't lose em'. Imma let you get ya shit unpacked and I'm going back to bed"

And with that he walked out.

I called the movers and told them to bring my things up.

It's gonna be a long day.

/•/

Fourteen long hours later I sat on the hard wooden floor of my new "home", unpacking the last of my items. The only thing I had left to do was transform the small second bedroom into my home office.

My ass was soar and my back was killing me from sitting on the floor for so long. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my sweatpants and stood up from the floor, my knees shaking a bit.

If only I had Meg's knees.

So far my space was coming together rather nicely. The living room had a small velvet sofa and a gallery wall with some of my favorite photos. The bathroom and walk-in closet were packed with all my essentials and then some. I couldn't wait to finally take a bath in the tub. But my favorite room of all was the bedroom. It was a place so tranquil and personal, that I knew I would never want to leave it.

I've been in this room from eight this morning and it was now ten at night. I haven't left all day, not even for food and now I'm tired and starving. But too tired to eat.

I took a quick shower in my new bathroom and threw on some pajamas before sliding comfortably in my bed.

/•/

Tossing and turning, I kicked off the covers and sighed. It was too hot and too loud for me to sleep.

And what the fuck is that sound?

I stretched over to my nightstand to flick on the lights and check the time on my phone

2:23 am

"Who could be crying at two in the morning?", I grunted.

If it was anything that I loved in this world, it was sleeping and someone was preventing me from it.

I stared at the ceiling for another ten minutes, debating on whether I should go out and investigate or stay in bed.

Finally, I climbed out and slipped on a hoodie over my cami crop top and put on my glasses.

I checked my appearance in the bathroom mirror and grunted while fixing my hair into a messy top knot.

"You look like shit."

Then, slowly I opened my room door and the crying got even louder. There was also another voice added to the mix.

"Alright baby daddy's got you but you have to stop crying from me mammas", East whispered.

I stared at the site in front of me. East held a little girl who couldn't be more than three in his arms while caressing her back.

Her wild curly hair was frazzled as she whaled and shifted in her father's arms. She was naked except for the pull-up that she was wearing.

And East...well I've never seen him so stressed and worried. It was almost as if he was in pain seeing his daughter cry.

The entire moment was sweet, so wholesome...well except for the crying.

I decided to stop being a creep and staring from my position at the door, and walked out to them.

His head snapped toward me and he opened his mouth to say something to me. But I interrupted him,

"Ahh... is everything all right out here?"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING'S ALL RIGHT?!", he snapped at me.

Cool cool. I'll admit I deserved that for asking such a stupid question.

I flinched at the sound of his voice and the little girl just cried even louder from hearing him.

He looked back at me with apologetic eyes,

"Look I'm sorry but I'm busy here and I can't get her to stop."

I straightened up and nodded my head.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked. Getting closer to inspect what was going on.

"Obviously if I knew she wouldn't be crying right?", East rudely retorted.

I flared my nose and bravely reached for Kairi, who happily went into my arms. I placed my hand on top of her forehead and under her chubby chin onto her little neck.

"What are you do-"

"She has a fever, do you have a thermometer?" I said ignoring what he was about to ask.

I was already pissed that he shouted at me and I didn't need him acting like a bitch when I was trying to help.

"Lemme see if I can find it" he sighed while rubbing his hands over his braids.

I rubbed Kairi 's back and bounced her in my arms, trying to soothe her.

"Kairi baby, can you show me where it hurts? Huh? Show Laya so I can make it feel better"

She tenderly pulled away from me and touched her belly.

"My tummy hurwts", she said while crying.

I nodded my head, while bringing her back to my shoulder.

East finally came back with the thermometer and I inserted it into her ear.

101.4

"Yeah she definitely has a fever. Do you have a medicine cabinet? I think she may have a stomach bug too." I said to him while looking at the thermometer.

He gently ushered me to one of the bathrooms down the hall and opened up a cabinet under the sink.

"My ma usually keeps some stuff down here" he said.

Kairi finally stopped crying and was now whimpering with her hand in her mouth.

I tried to pass her to him so that I could look in the cabinet for medicine but she only started crying again.

"Ok I'll hold her. Just take out all the medicine for me" I said.

After he did that I found exactly what I was looking for. Gravol and Children's Motrin.

After reading the back for the prescribed amounts, I sat on the toilet and placed Kairi on my lap to administer them to her.

"Here baby open up for me please"

She did as she was told and nestled herself back onto my shoulder.

"What were they for?" East asked me.

"Well the Motrin is for her fever and the Gravol should help with her stomach ache. But I'm going to need to steam her in this bathroom to get this fever down more."

"It's way too high and I don't think it's a great idea to take her to the hospital at this time."

He nodded his head. And turned on the hot water in the shower.

In no time steam filled the room and it became humid.

"I'm gonna go get her clothes to change her for bed when you're done."

I nodded my head watching him disappear out of the bathroom.

______________

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(Naked by Ella Mai)