𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ²

fifty seven.

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN
daddy's little girl

Jamal

Jamal had just finished talking to Tory, and was headed back home. He honestly wasn't stressing anything she had said.

Tory had tried to instill doubt into him about Warren, but that would never happen. Warren had been by Jamal's side since day one, always helping him and his family out, and he'd never done any shady shit, unlike Mateo and Tory. So since everyone wanted Jamal to choose so bad, he was choosing Warren. And he wasn't gonna regret it.

Where did that leave him and Tory? He didn't know. There was a lot of tension between them right now, and she clearly didn't like Warren, so Jamal guessed they couldn't be cool anymore.

Oh well. People come and go. He knew that all too well.

He arrived at his condo and Warren was standing on watch like always. There was tension between them too unfortunately, because Jamal had accused him of sabotaging his relationship with Mateo when he didn't.

Jamal put his key in the door, and Warren didn't even acknowledge his presence. Jamal opened the door and spoke to him. "You know you can come inside, right?"

"I think it's best if I stay out here."

Jamal wasn't allowing that. "Man, bring your ass inside."

He grabbed Warren's arm and forced him to come inside before closing the door behind them. Warren had an attitude. "Why am I in here, Jamal? I need to be on watch."

"No, you need to talk to me."

"Now you wanna talk?"

"I always wanna talk to you," Jamal told him softly. "I also just talked to Tory, and that didn't go too well."

"For real? Why?"

"I asked her if she liked me, and she said yeah. Then I rejected her."

Warren laughed. "Damn. I didn't know you were that cold."

He wasn't trying to be cold though. "I don't like women, and Tory knows that. I don't know why she grew feelings for me."

Warren fished for answers. "Who do you like then?"

He sounded flirty when he said that, so Jamal matched his energy. "I think you already know the answer to that."

Warren played coy. "I have a slight idea, but I wanna hear you say the words out loud."

So Jamal said the words out loud. "Look Warren, you've been loyal to me since the day we met, and I really appreciate that. So if I had to choose anyone to give my heart to, it would be you."

"And Tory's okay with that?"

"No, but who cares? She and I aren't cool anymore, and Mateo's out of my life, so there's nothing stopping us. So if you still wanna be with me, I'm down."

Warren was elated. "I have been waiting weeks to hear those words."

Jamal laughed and Warren kissed him. They didn't get to kiss for long because his baby brother interrupted. "Yo, Mal!"

Jamal and Warren quickly stopped kissing as Hakeem froze in shock. "Oh shit. My fault. I ain't know-"

"Shut up, Hakeem! And close the damn door!" Jamal quickly rushed to close the door before someone walked by and saw them.

Hakeem pointed between them awkwardly. "So, uh...what's going on?"

Hakeem