Don't Mess With the Carter Boys: The Carter Boys 3

by Desirée

  So, with the music blasting from the DJ on the radio, playing live from a party, I took a much-needed shower, thinking about what to wear. I wanted to take my mind off Shiloh, and if a mindless party was going to do it, by all means, I was down for the cause.

  Niya and Tiffany went home, deciding to meet us at the club. Tyree had outfits already picked out from his collection for Layla and me, so once I was done with my shower, I let her take hers, with Tyree following soon after. I definitely needed a music change. With TLC’s “No Scrubs” playing throughout the house, I peeped the extremely short dress Tyree had picked out for me. All red—Shiloh’s main, and only, color.

  “What the fuck is this, Tyree?” I pressed, holding up the silk teddy dress. He stared at me, smiling, with the towel wrapped around his chest like a woman. Layla held up her lace black dress with a smile. It was all see-through.

  “Where we going is a lingerie theme party, boo,” he said, taking the dress and holding it up to me with a smile. “Girl, trust me! I style women for a living. I know what I’m doing. Hurry up and put y’all shit on so I can do y’all hair and face. I don’t let females roll with me looking average, boo.” Snapping his fingers, he walked out the room. “Clock is ticking, ladies!”

  “Layla, is he serious?” I pressed, looking at her as she smiled.

  “Bitch, I like my outfit. I don’t know about you, but I love mine.” With that, she immediately started to change into hers while I stared at mine.

  Fuck it.

  Before long, we were both sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, with him finishing up our hair and makeup. Layla had braids, so she just threw her hair into a side ponytail coming down her shoulder. My hair was given a side-swoop bang, with the rest coming to my shoulders. Makeup was flawless. Tyree was definitely an artist with his work. He wore his black, grey, and white skinny harem pants, nearly showing his underwear, and a simple blazer jacket, shirtless underneath, showing off his cut body.

  “Damn, look at my bitches,” he said, looking back at us both. “Layla, you look like you been fucked too many times and still look good, bitch. I see you!”

  “Nigga, shut up!” she snapped as they both laughed.

  Then his playful eyes came to me, shaking his head slowly.

  “What?” I asked, looking down at my silk dress, barely covering my thighs. My ass pretty much poked the dress out in the back, and my breasts were so out, nipples piercing through. I looked like a sexy porn star with the red heels to match. “I still don’t understand why I can’t wear a bra.”

  “Honey, you might just turn a nigga straight for a night,” Tyree said, looking me over with his tongue sticking out. I immediately hit him on the chest, and he laughed. “Take it as a compliment, bitch. Damn! I’m not about to actually try you. Vaginas and me don’t mix, boo. Something nasty about females.”

  “Ain’t nothing nasty about mine,” I retorted, and he smirked at me.

  “Oh, I bet,” he said.

  I hit him again, causing him to laugh. “Can we go? I’m so ready to get the fuck out of here before I break down and start crying over this nigga again.”

  “We can go,” I said, grabbing my house keys. “Whose car are we taking?”

  “We can take mine since y’all both staying here,” Layla said as we walked toward the front door, coats put on over our scandalous outfits.

  * * *

  Of course, our night that was supposed to be filled with turn-up and forgetting about crazy men turned into the worst night of our lives. We ran out of gas in the middle of the highway. Layla thought it was funny, but Tyree went off on her while we waited for help. I kept checking my phone for any messages from Shiloh. Nothing. Oh! Then, of course, when we got to the party, it was the most freaky, sex-craved, white-people-infested type of party. We were the only blacks there, and Tyree was the only gay there—the only one that was open, at least. He claimed he got somebody’s number, but I didn’t believe him.

  So, we were now at a gas station, parked, going through Facebook and Instagram, trying to find another party to go to. I just wanted to go home. I hated being the one out of the group that was the sulky worry wart, but I was tired. I was too old for this.

  Niya and Tiffany had decided to stay in, never even bothering to show up, so it really was just us three.

  “Okay, how about this?” Tyree said, popping Skittles into his mouth as he read the party flyer out loud from his Instagram. “Ladies free all night. Dress code is ultra-sexy. It’s going to be—ah, hell nah. Nuh-uh, we not doing this one,” he said, shaking his head suddenly.

  “What does it say?” Layla asked with a laugh before she read the screen. “Fuck no, we not doing that one. Africans are crazy. They party too hard for me.”

  “Let me text a few people,” Tyree said, typing fiercely on his phone.

  I sighed in the back seat.

  “Bitch, let me hear you sigh one more time and we putting you out this damn car.”

  “Why can’t we just go home?” I flipped. “Obviously it’s not meant for us to be out like that!”

  “Pass her a bottle,” Tyree demanded.

  Layla handed me a bottle of vodka. “Drink it and just be chill, Noelle. Relax for once and have a little fun for the night.”

  I took the bottle but didn’t drink it as they continued to look for a party to hit up. When we finally found one that was close by and worth going to, we started the car up and rolled out.

  Now, you would think the night would get better, right? Fuck no. The moment we walked in, coats off, looking like we just came from a slumber party for adults, I immediately spotted familiar faces.

  “Shit!” Tyree hissed as we entered the small room. “It’s packed as fuck in here!”

  It seemed like the crowd was at a standstill, with everyone shoulder to shoulder, lights flashing and DJ hollering out to the crowd as “Touchin’, Lovin’” by Trey Songz played loudly. It was so hot in there I almost forgot I had taken off my coat already.

  “Aye!” Tyree yelled close to my ear. “Let’s go stand over there! It’s room over there!” He pointed.

  We followed his lead, hand in hand, linking up as we maneuvered through the crowd, with me catching the eyes of the familiar faces. Shiloh’s friends were there, which meant he was there. I thought he was at the damn house. Looking around, I tried to see if I could spot him, all while keeping up with Tyree and Layla. The moment I saw him, smiling in the face of another girl as he leaned in close, whispering something in her ear, I nearly fell out.

  “Do y’all see that?” I screamed, pointing at Shiloh as Ty and Layla looked back, mouths dropped.

  “See, I told you you should have called that nigga up,” Tyree sang with a laugh and a shrug. “Girl! When I say that nigga is wanted by every bitch in Atlanta, and you were the only one lucky enough to have his attention? You think he was going to wait on you? You see those girls surrounding him?” He pointed as I eyed the girls who were hanging around him, watching, waiting, and looking thirsty. “Bitch! Those are the hoes in line just to get that nigga to smile at them!”

  “You should have at least slept with him!” Layla let out. I damn near had to stop myself from hitting her in the face.

  “Aye!” Ty called out, getting my attention as he wrapped his arm around my neck, coming down to my level to whisper in my ear. “You see all these niggas that are following behind yo’ ass, though?”

  I looked around, seeing guys literally watching and waiting for me to break free from Tyree as they started making their way closer to me.

  “Bitch, you know they not here for Layla’s short ass. They got their eye on you. If you want Shiloh’s attention, then, bitch, get that nigga’s attention. Keep it classy and cute.” With that, he let me go and walked off with a laugh, following behind some man before dipping into a hallway.

  Layla turned to me with a wide smile. “I’m about to go get me something to drink. You want anything?” she asked over the music.

  I shook my head no
, watching her walk off, leaving me alone. The club was so damn packed I couldn’t tell who was who, because people were starting to blend in together. Feeling a hand on my lower back, I turned around to see this tall, light-skin guy smiling down at me, wearing all black with a NY fitted cap tipped up.

  “Yo, what’s good, beautiful?” he asked against my ear. I smiled, loving the northern accent. “I see you got fans, ma,” he pointed out as I looked at the guys who couldn’t take their eyes off me.

  “I guess I do.” I laughed with a shrug. He was definitely young in the face, probably younger than me.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, standing close by me with his arm slinking around my neck.

  “Noelle,” I told him.

  I guess he couldn’t hear me, because he bent down to put his ear close to my mouth so I could repeat it.

  “Noelle!”

  “Ah, shit, that’s a beautiful name, baby. Where’s yo’ dude at? I know you didn’t come here by yourself.”

  “I did,” I mouthed.

  He dropped his head in a dramatic tone, making me laugh. “Nah, that nigga is gonna pop out somewhere and try and fuck me up for talking to you. Ain’t no way you came here with nobody, ma.”

  “I did!” I laughed. “I’m single for the night.”

  “Ah, for the night.” He nodded, rubbing his chin playfully as I laughed. He was definitely cute. Young, but cute.

  “Yo, this for all my wild ATL girls out there that’s trying to get down! Here we go!” the DJ yelled as the song switched to Travis Porter, “Make it Rain.” Ohhh! I had my hand in the air ready like I was about that life.

  “You about that life, ma?” he teased, already coming behind me with his hand on my back, ready to push me forward. His dick was pressing hard against me.

  Fuck it. What the hell? Why not? While in Atlanta, right? I bent down and started going slow, waiting for that beat to drop. He had already lifted my dress up to where it was just my ass showing. He was grabbing onto my hips just as Layla came back with her guy, and two drinks in her hand.

  “Bitch, I knew you had it in you!” she screamed, handing the two drinks off to the guy as she started dancing.

  It was all fun and games until I stood back up, turning around to see NY guy nearly mesmerized.

  “Yo, I’m not letting you out of my sight, chocolate! Not for a second, ma!” he let out with his arms wrapping around me, hand gripping my ass.

  To say I became uncomfortable was an understatement, but I spotted Shiloh’s friend Lamar eyeing me hard before walking back, disappearing into the crowd.

  Good. Go run and tell your friend.

  “Aye!” I looked up at NY guy, licking his lips as he looked down at me. “You trying to bounce tonight, ma? You want to leave with me for the night?”

  “Where would we go?” I questioned, knowing good and well I wasn’t going anywhere with him.

  “Anywhere you want, ma. I don’t see no other female but you tonight,” he assured me.

  I looked around one last time, hoping Shiloh would at least see me before I decided to take NY’s hand, letting him lead the way.

  “Noelle!” Layla shrieked, mouth dropped as I followed behind NY, hand in hand, waving at her shocked expression. “Bitch, I know you not about to walk off with this nigga of the minute! You—”

  “I’ll be back. I’m just stepping outside real quick!” I yelled back over the music before disappearing into the crowd behind him. Looking to my left, I spotted Shiloh, who was definitely looking around with one of his friends, pointing in my direction.

  “What up, playboy?” Someone greeted NY as they slapped hands, coming in for a hug with me standing by his side, trying my hardest not to look back. “This you for the night, bruh?”

  “Hell yeah. You know I got a thing for chocolate girls,” NY said with a laugh as he winked at me.

  I put on a fake smile before looking back, seeing Shiloh standing right behind me, eyebrows coming together in confusion. NY didn’t even freaking see this man and his crew standing heavy behind him, because he was too busy running his mouth, trying to show me off to his friends.

  “So, this how we doing it, Noe?” Shiloh asked, barely audible over the loud music.

  “This is how you’re doing it, Shiloh! Not me!” I flipped, letting go of NY as I turned my full attention to him. “You didn’t call me, you never came to see me, and the first time I’m seeing you, you smiling in the face of another girl!”

  “Noe, we not—”

  NY guy immediately pushed me behind him as he stepped to Shiloh, who just looked annoyed, head tilting to the side.

  “Yo, we got a problem, B? You fucking with my girl?” NY pressed, back hunched over as Shiloh’s lips pursed, expression beyond irritated. I tried to step in between, hoping not to let this get any further than it already had.

  “Wait, don’t—”

  “Nah, baby, I got you! These niggas down here be disrespectful as fuck! You seen me with her. Why the fuck you trying to come at her like—”

  “Bruh, you making me uncomfortable. Back up,” Shiloh said calmly before looking dead at me. “Noe, if you want to talk, want me to explain everything, then we can talk. But I’m not doing this shit in front of everybody.”

  I stepped in between them, putting my hand on NY’s stomach to back him up, because I already knew what Shiloh was capable of.

  “It’s fine. I know him,” I told NY, trying to calm him down.

  “I don’t give a fuck if you do or not. That was straight disrespectful, son!” He flipped.

  Shiloh cocked his head back slightly, almost smirking, like he was trying to keep himself from laughing. I rarely say the N word, but this nigga was sick in the head, and I couldn’t believe I still liked someone like him.

  “I don’t play that shit! You saw her with me and you still—”

  “I’m a disrespectful-ass mothafucka, bruh. Fuck you still in my face for?” Shiloh retorted as his friends laughed.

  Oh, Lord. It was my first time hearing him be sarcastic. At least I hoped it was sarcasm. Either way, NY didn’t take it too well.

  “You think you funny, nigga? You think—”

  “Aye!” Lamar snapped, stepping up. “Nigga, this is his girl in the first—”

  “Ohhh! So you do got a nigga!” NY laughed, looking hard at me as I swallowed a pit of nerves. I wasn’t even fucking drunk, so I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol like I wanted to. I had caused all of this.

  “I am so sorry,” I told NY, hoping he would drop it, because I could see his friends start to round up behind him. “I didn’t mean to lead—”

  “Noelle?” Shiloh called out, hands in his pockets. “We leaving.” With that, he walked off with his crew, and I shamefully followed behind, with a few of his friends keeping me close. No doubt, the whole club was watching about thirty-something guys slowly make their way through the crowd with ease as we walked out the main doors after grabbing my coat.

  Waiting by his car as he finished up talking, I texted Tyree and Layla that I was leaving with him. I hated that I even . . . Why was I still entertaining this man even the slightest bit after what I saw? He was crazy, mean, ruthless, and reckless with his anger, yet here I was, waiting by his car like a fucking idiot.

  Watching him walk back with that strut like he was cool with his life, I pursed my lips together with attitude as he unlocked the doors. Slipping inside, he cut the car on, letting the engine roar before cutting the heat on. He reached in the back seat, grabbing my pink blanket, and handed it to me.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, covering my legs as I looked at him, watching him look at me with those low eyes.

  “Why the fuck you wearing that?” he asked.

  I looked down at myself, wrapped in the pink blanket. He couldn’t even begin to think about all the questions I had for his ass.

  “Why did you threaten to kill someone with a gun? Why when I first met you, you put a gun to my head? Why do I see you after a week of ignoring me, sm
iling in another girl’s face at a club? Huh?” I snapped, looking hard at him. “Why, Shiloh, do you smile so easily with other girls, but not with me? Why?” I shook my head as I looked out the window, trying to hold back tears. “Why the fuck am I still in this car with you even through all of that? Why do I still like you?” I mumbled, more to myself than him.

  Feeling the car move, I looked at him, watching him back out of his parking space. “Where are we going?”

  “We just riding, Noe,” was all he said, cutting his radio on.

  With him slowly trying to explain himself and the situation with his sister, I somewhat understood his actions. Somewhat. Yes, if that was me, I would want someone to defend my honor as much as he did his younger sister. Occasionally glancing at him, watching him play with a toothpick in his mouth, leaned back in the seat with a gun in his lap and one hand on the wheel, I sighed. We had to be on the highway for at least a good hour, maybe even more. I had no clue where we were going, but it was definitely away from the city life. People think of Atlanta, and only Atlanta, when they think of Georgia, not realizing there is no difference between Alabama and South Carolina. It was nothing but fields, dirt roads, and peach trees if you drove through Peach County. It’s a typical country state.

  Sitting up, I rolled the window completely down, letting my hair whip in the cold wind, smiling as I took in the smell of clean air. Cold, but clean. I was feeling closer to home than ever. I looked back at Shiloh. He gave me a side glance and a small smile.

  “What you feeling right now, Noe?” he asked softly as I rolled the window back up.

  “Like I’m home. I’ve been homesick for the longest,” I told him, and he nodded.

  “You want to drive?”

  “I don’t know how to drive this thing.” I laughed, watching him pull over on the side of the road. “Shiloh! I’m serious! I don’t know how to drive this thing!”

  “You can drive a car, shawty. This is no difference. Just more powerful,” he said. “You can drive stick, right?”

  “Yeah, but—” I watched him get out as I hopped over to the driver’s seat, forgetting about the blanket as I closed the door.