"Remember what I said, Armani," Nai said, as she watched him and her father get ready to board.

"I know, Nai," he said. "I'll see you tonight. I love you,"

"I love you too," she sighed. "Be safe, daddy, I love you," she smiled at her dad, hugging him tight.

"I love you too, princess. Drive home safe, okay? Don't crash my baby," he pointed. He let her drive the benz, for once.

"I gotchu, dad," she laughed. She watched until they boarded the plane, and she said a silent prayer that he'd listen to her.

Once landed safely in South Carolina, Armani followed his usual routine of getting an uber to his house, leg bouncing up and down the entire way there.

"You're gonna be alright, Mani," G said, watching him. "I'm not gone let nothing get outta hand, aight?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

They got dropped off and Armani sighed in relief seeing that his father wasn't home. His sisters were on summer vacation so they'd be here and of course his mother. Hopefully he could get whatever he needed and go before his dad came.

He used his keys to get in and his sisters were both in the living room. Their heads snapped in his direction and they were immediately on their feet. He told them what happened on the phone the night after everything happened and they were rightfully livid. They did their best to help him get some of his stuff together but their dad caught them and they had to stop.

"We're so sorry," Josefina sniffed, hugging him around his waist. She really didn't want to see her big brother go, but she knew life would only get worse for him if he stayed.

"It's not your fault, conejita," he rubbed her back, trying to get her to stop crying. "Y'all say hi to Nai's dad," he gestured to Gionni who was just standing behind him awkwardly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, hi, I'm Josefina," she jumped back and wiped her eyes.

"I'm Camila," she smiled and waved. "We really love your daughter, she's great,"

"Nice to meet you both," G smiled graciously. "Thank you very much," he nodded.

"Where's mamá?" he asked, walking towards his room. He grabbed the bag they already packed for him and started grabbing more stuff and throwing it in his other suitcase. He didn't even bother folding it, like his sisters did for his other bag. He made sure and grabbed the pictures of Farrah and Jeremiah off his nightstand as well as his dad's old chain Farrah let him take home the other day.

"She went to the store with him, they're coming home soon, let us help," Mila said, going into his closet and taking clothes down.

"I love y'all so much, you know that right? I appreciate you so much," he paused what he was doing.

"Te queremos también," (We love you too,) they responded simultaneously.

They worked silently, trying to get his stuff together when fifteen minutes in, they heard the door open. All their heads snapped in one direction, and Gionni wasn't too sure what to do. He knew Mani wanted to confront his dad, but from what Nayeli told him, that probably wasn't the best idea.

"Mani, don't," Josefina spoke.

Armani's mind was in a fog. On one hand he heard the words his girlfriend said to him repeating, like they were on a loop, but on the other, he saw his mom crying. He heard her saying how hard she tried to see him and be a part of his life and the only thing stopping him was the man in the living room.

Before he could stop himself, he was walking into the living room.

"Hijo! You're home ear—what's wrong?" Sofía asked, seeing the dangerous look in Armani's eye.

"Did he tell you? Did you know?" He asked his mom, looking straight at his dad.

"Tell me what?" she furrowed her eyebrows, looking between the two. "Did I know what? What happened?" she asked again.

"I met up with my mom this weekend," he chuckled bitterly, already feeling the anger rise in his chest. "You'll never guess what she told me ma," he continued speaking in an eerily calm voice, to where it actually scared his mother.

"You remember how many times I told you and dad I wanted to see my mom again when I was a kid? You remember? Well she told me that she tried to see me," he said, watching his mom's face contort into confusion. "Yep, she told me she came by the house in the Bronx for so many years and he wouldn't let her come near me," he nodded his head in his father's direction.

"T-that can't be true, he-he told me he couldn't find her—he said he tried looking," she stated. He was clearly lying to his wife too. "That's not—is that true?" she looked to her husband, who didn't look like he felt an ounce of guilt.

"See how he's not denying it?" Mani chuckled. "Don't got nothing to say for himself,"

"You're my child," Joseph finally spoke up. "If I feel like certain people shouldn't have access to you then they won't, and I'm not sorry about it,"

"I'm her child too!" he immediately yelled back. "I am her only son. She needed me. I wanted to see her! But I forgot it don't matter what I want if it's not beneficial to him. As long as I'm on the road to making him money it don't matter if I'm happy right?!" he ranted, making his mom tear up. "He told her I hated her. He told my mother that I hated her after all those years I cried to y'all. After all those times I cried and told y'all how much I missed her and I was determined to see her at least one more time and this is what he does?"

"Cómo se te ocurrió?" (How could you?) Sofía gasped softly. To see her baby so hurt was taking a toll on her. More and more every time she saw his heart break hers did the same.

"Like I said, he's my son," Joseph defended himself once again. "Why do you think I push you to do things that I know will benefit you? I know what's best for you,"

"Clearly you don't! I told you frequently what actually makes me happy and you—you made me do the opposite. I say I wanna cook, I have to play basketball. I say I wanna see my mom, suddenly I hate her and she's the reason I'm fucked up in the head. You don't give a damn about me! Everything you 'push me to do' is about you! I am not you! I don't live to please you, I live to please me,"

"You owe me! You live a good life because of me! You eat and you have a home because of me! You wouldn't have anything if we didn't save you from—"

"I never asked you to!" Mani cut him off, walking closer to him. "I didn't ask for shit! You wanted to be a 'father'. Y'all wanted me! I didn't ask you for a God damn thing. You did all that on your own and suddenly I owe you? I don't owe you shit and I never will. You don't gotta worry about me no more and I put that on my actual daddy's grave. You not gon see me again, I can promise yo ass that," he spat.

"Armani I—don't go hijo, please! I didn't know, I promise I didn't, don't leave," his mom begged as he walked back to his room to get the little bit of stuff he was able to pack.

"I know you didn't," he muttered. "I'm not leaving your life mamá, I'm leaving this house. I can't stay here. You know I can't," he explained to her.

"Bu-but are you gonna be okay? I'm scared for you, son,"

"Ima be aight. I always am," he half smiled and gave her a tight hug. "Te quiero, mamá," he mumbled to her and she quickly said it back.

Armani dragged his small suitcase and Gionni carried his duffel bag, toward the front door. His father still stood there and Armani threw his head back letting a long sigh leave his lips. "What? Why won't you move? What else could you possibly strip from me?" he asked calmly.

Instead of putting up another argument, Joseph moved aside silently, but didn't allow his sisters to follow him out.

"We love you Mani! Be safe!" he heard Josefina yell out the door as he put his stuff in the car.

He smiled to himself, turning and blowing them kisses before he got in his car with G.

An hour into the drive, G and Armani switched places because he was literally speeding on the street because he was so mad. The last thing Gionni needed was to be pulled over with an angry 20 year old in the car, then they'd both go to jail.

"You doing better now?" he looked over at Armani whi just started out the window.

"I guess. It felt good to say all that, but it's like part of me was hoping it wasn't true," he chuckled. "Hoping he actually did love me for myself but you don't always get what you want, right?"

For the first time in a long time, Gionni didn't know what to say. He was at loss for words.

"But you know what?" Armani sat up a little bit in his seat. "He don't wanna see me happy, then I don't need em. I'm gone be aight without em. I'm gone open me my restaurant. I'm gone marry the love of my live and we'll have some lil cute ass babies and I'm gone love my kids. Ima love em with everything I have in me and whatever they want, Ima give it to em, don't matter what it costs, they can have everything I got. Nayeli never gonna have to worry about a damn thing or want for nothing, I got her for the rest of her life, never in my life would I lie to her and disrespect her," he ranted.

Gionni honestly wanted to laugh, because he thought Armani forgot who was in the car with him. He was cussing and talking about having kids with his child, but he just let him keep going, he clearly needed to vent.

"Nayeli is really the reason I'm here right now. She been so supportive and patient with me. I don't know how she puts up with me but I'm glad she does or I'd be all over the place. Nobody can't keep me together but her," he continued, making G raise his eyebrows. Every time Armani talked about Nai, he felt like he was talking to himself when he was 28 and ready to marry Nadira.

It scared him a little.

"I hope Jojo and Mila get outta there because if he ever in his life puts his hands on my sisters I'm going to prison for a very long time," he chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "I don't even—I'm not gone think about that," he stopped himself from even imagining what he'd do if his mother was harmed.

"You're a good kid, Armani," Gionni said finally after Mani was done with his rants. "You're gonna bounce back from this stronger than you thought you could, trust me," he assured him. "Like you said, you gone be aight,"

"Thank you," Mani said. "You're...really a good person, honestly I thought you'd hate me," he said, making G laugh.

"Nah, I'm not weird like that. As long as my baby is happy I'm happy, if she's not, that's when we have an issue," he side eyed Mani, looking a lot like his son the day before, but far more threatening.

"But, you needed help, and I can't watch someone suffer, as long as I can I'm gon help," he nodded.

After their 4 and a half hour drive, Gionni got them some waffle house, which was his favorite late night food, even though it was only 6:30. He made sure to get some for the kids and. Nadira because they'd definitely be mad if he didn't.

Once they finally pulled up at home, they went inside and G was ready to call out for someone on his way to the kitchen, but was shushed by his oldest son.

"Shhh dad! Nini's sleep," he whisper yelled. He walked into the living room and sure enough, Nayeli laid there with her head in his lap, sleeping still in her leotard from work. "She was tryna wait for him," he explained to G, making him smile softly. His babygirl was really in love.

"Well she gotta get up, I bought y'all waffle house for dinner," he said, making Omari grin. "Yup, so wake her before it gets cold because you know she won't heat it up, weirdo," he chuckled, leaving the room to get his wife and three other children.

Omari effectively got her up and she stretched out, just as Armani retuned from the basement.

"Baby!" she jumped up, quickly scrambling to her feet to greet him.

"Hi mi vida," he smiled down at her, finding an overwhelming sense of comfort in her eyes.

"Hi papito," she cheesed, kissing him. "How was it? Did you do anything crazy?"

"No mamas, I promise, ask your pops," he chuckled. "It sucked ass, like bad, but it's for the best. I'm gonna be okay," he nodded, kissing her forehead. Her expression remained concerned for him, though, she couldn't help herself. "I promise, baby,"

"Alright, as long as you're okay," she looked in his face for any hints of sadness or anything negative.

"I'm back with you, hermosa, I'm feeling better already," he said sweetly, kissing her on the lips quickly. "Your dad bought waffle house—"

"Deadass?! Lemme go pick the best one before Ajani fatass come down here," she rushed away from him to look through the bag. "And it's still hot!" she squealed, making him laugh at her greediness.

well, he did it!

hello everyone i hope you enjoyed this chapter!

let's chat!

how do we feel about what armani said to his dad?

his dad's reasons behind why he did these things?

how do we feel about g? isn't he just being so sweet. i love him.

armani's car rants lol?

the summer chapters end here! we're back to Louisiana in the next update, back with the gaaaaang. it won't be long till season one is over y'all 👀

i see a lot of people still ship duck and samara. i didn't know y'all wanted that to be a thing 💀

bonus question: what time do y'all think it is rn as im done writing and editing? take a wild guess lol.

leave me some thoughts or questions or anything in betweennnnn i love you guys!

till next time 🤍