First Down

45. Adrian Brown

It'd been a month since Jae and I went to the Banks Awards, and shit had been smooth sailing since and I was more than happy to be over the bullshit that was Adrienne Starr.

Adrienne had fallen back from me quite a bit, she told Johnny she was going to chill for now but she was keeping her sights on me for the day I broke up with Jae, he found it funny but wasn't shit funny about it to me. Regardless, I knew the end of Jae and I wasn't happening. She'd be waiting a lifetime, I was just happy she was off my back and it was no more bullshit with the blogs.

As much as Jae didn't want to be in the limelight her face was definitely out there now, she was bothered when blogs put it together that she was seen with Miles and then was my date for the Banks Award, she said it made her look like she was some kind of leach, or a girl looking for the next big baller and she didn't like it. I found it comical, I told her she should have stayed her ass home that night; but it was easily cleared up between Miles and I as I made it known she was my girl and he confirmed the two of them were just friends. I respected that he did that, but it was still fuck that nigga.

Now, I stood on the balcony of our apartment as I spoke with Tessie. We were getting closer to the proposal and she had been heaven sent with helping me. Besides, who was better to help me with this than her best friend?

"Okay, so you already booked the venue, you got her grandparents tickets, your parents and brother are coming, Drake got ours, I hit up her roommates from college they haven't confirmed anything yet but it honestly no biggie if they don't show. She'll be excited that her grandparents and I are there." Tessie let out.

"Hell yeah she will be." I let out, "do you think I should invite her mom?" If Jae had been in contact with her mother, I wasn't aware. I didn't know where they stood, I just knew that Debra made it known she wanted to work on their relationship. Last time Jae and I really talked about it, which was the day after it happened, she wasn't ready. She felt like she was in a good place and adding her into it right now wasn't what she wanted to do. Any time after that I've brought it up she's waved it off, saying she didn't feel like talking about it.

Tessie sighed, "shit, you would know better than me. She hasn't brought her up to me. Next time we talk I can try and gauge where she is with it. I know she's been going to therapy so her head could be in a space where she's ready, or maybe she's not. I'll ask." I nodded, "alright, cool. If she wants her there I'll get her ticket too. I'll try and get it out of her too, we do like a little weekly catch up on her therapy sessions, they might be to the point where they are talking about that."

Tessie squealed, "Aww, that's so cute. I'm happy y'all talk about it." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm so excited about this proposal, and that fucking ring. Jae is going to lose her mind." I smiled, I had got her a 5 carat round diamond ring like she wanted. She always said she didn't want anything too big but people needed to know her nigga fucked with her too. I felt like the shit was a perfect combination of both. I was willing to get her whatever when it came down to it. "I hope she loves it." I let out as nerves started to bubble up in me. The engagement party wasn't taking place until two and a half weeks from now but the shit was getting realer by the minute.

"She will." Tessie reassured me, "she's going to be so happy. She loves your ass Adrian, she wouldn't care if you got her half a carat or ten. The fact that you want to marry her would be all that she cared about." I sighed, "I know, but let's be fucking forreal with the money I'm making her ass would cuss me out if I walked in with half a carat."

Tessie laughed, "Adrian you missing the point, shut up!" I turned around upon hearing the front door open, figuring Jae was back from the store. "Alright, I'm going to get at you, Jae just walked in." Tessie said bye and I quickly hung up as I walked back in the house, closing and locking the balcony door. "Hey baby." I smiled as she sat grocery bags on the counter. "Hey." She smiled back as I neared her, helping her to take items out of the bags before we both began to put them away.