Never Again, No More 3

by Untamed

  Since it was finally warming up, I decided to jog in the neighborhood instead of driving all the way to the gym. After putting on my nylon pants and sport tank top, I grabbed my iPhone and water bottle then headed out the front door.

  A good fifteen minutes into my awesome jog, I heard a faint noise behind me, so I pulled out my earbuds and turned only to see none other than Lincoln Harper jogging. Great. And of course, as soon as he spotted me looking over my shoulder, he called out to me. The absolute last thing I needed in my life was to be bothered by him, so I put my earbuds back in and increased my pace. Now, why did I do that knowing he was in the NFL? He could’ve run circles around me, and sure enough, within a few seconds, he was next to me.

  “Why you make me run for you?” Lincoln asked, a little winded from his mini sprint.

  I pulled out my earbuds and laughed. “Somebody needs to condition a little more. You sound like you’re going to huff and puff and blow my house down,” I joked.

  “Maybe I’ll sign up for your dance class,” he laughed cynically. “Why are you out here by yourself?”

  I rolled my eyes but made sure to keep them looking forward. I wasn’t even going to address the comment about my dance class. “Not that it’s any of your business, but this is my ‘me’ time,” I answered. Just for shits and giggles, I asked. “And you?”

  He looked over at me, which I refused to acknowledge. “This is my workout time.”

  Note to self: go to the gym all the time.

  We jogged side-by-side in silence for a few seconds more, and I began to feel really uncomfortable. I refused to give Lincoln the satisfaction of thinking we were even remotely cool with each other, and I damn sure didn’t want him to feel as though I had any lingering feelings for him. That chapter in my life was closed, and never again . . . no more was I reopening it.

  “Well, nice chat. Have a good one.” And with that, I placed my earbuds back in my ears and jogged ahead.

  I felt a hand on my arm. “Can’t we just jog together?” Lincoln asked with desperation.

  “No.” I pulled away without breaking my stride.

  “Why not?” he yelled.

  My blood pressure was beginning to boil. Unbeknownst to him, he’d already ruined my last ten minutes of good sleep, and I refused to let him ruin the first thirty minutes of my day. I turned and jogged backward. “Look, man, this is my ‘me’ time. That means me and me alone. Nawimean?” I said sternly, mocking his New York accent.

  He laughed. “Look at who is picking up the New Yitty accent and slang. It’s kinda cute to hear you speak. You sound like a born and bred New Yorker.”

  I shook my head in frustration. “And you sound like you’re getting on my nerves. Be gone, Lincoln.” I turned around and began to jog forward again.

  “Charice, I just want to talk to you.”

  Now I was pissed. Pissed. What part of being left alone didn’t this fool understand? It was the same way he had asked me to leave him alone, so why in the fuck couldn’t he do the same?

  I stopped jogging and turned to face him with my hands on my hips. “I wish you’d respect my wishes the same as you requested of me. Ten months ago, you asked me to leave you alone, so please abide by your own request. Leave me alone.”

  He put his head down as if I’d taken the wind out of his lungs. He took a deep breath and looked up with eyes full of sorrow and regret. “Charice, there’s so much I should’ve told you that night. So much I regret—”

  I didn’t need or want to hear this shit. We’d crossed this bridge long ago, and I wasn’t taking any trips down memory fucking lane just to relive that heartache.

  I threw my hands up. “Why does it matter now, Lincoln? What could you possibly have to say to me?” I asked with an attitude.

  He jogged up to me and stood right in front of me. His overbearing presence was too much. I bit my lip, unable to move. I knew I should’ve run for the hills, but it was as if my legs were cemented to the ground, and my heart was racing a mile a minute knowing he was about to say something that I both dreaded yet longed to hear. He stood so close to me that the sweat that dripped off the tip of his nose landed on my T-shirt. My God, Lincoln was still as fine as ever. Even in the early morning before the sun rose, I could see the chiseled jaw line I’d caressed many a night, that masculine chest I’d lain on more times than I could count, and those powerful arms I’d been held in. Those massive thighs had locked around my legs during lovemaking too many times to remember. And those lips. Those kissable . . . LL Cool J lickable . . . lips. Those lips had been on every inch of my body.

  The intensity in his eyes was so real it was as if he’d waited for this moment for a lifetime. “I need to tell you that I am so sorry, and I . . . I still love you. I love you so much.” He struggled to get his thought out, and his voice was filled with emotion.

  Before I knew what happened, I was in his arms, being kissed with wild passion. My knees buckled, and I swooned from the pleasure he unleashed. Instantly, I thought of Ryan and pushed him back.

  “Bastard!” I gasped for breath and wiped my mouth. “How dare you kiss me? Have you lost your fucking mind? I’m married.”

  He put his hand to his chest apologetically. “I’m sorry, Charice, but I’ve waited so long to apologize to you. I just couldn’t help myself. I never stopped loving you,” he confessed hurriedly.

  Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I shook my head. “Why are you doing this to me? Was it not enough for you to ruin my life one time, so you have to try to do it again? Please stop this. What did I ever do to you besides love you? I have a life that I’m happy with and a husband who loves me as much as I love him. Stop interfering in that and leave us alone. Leave me the fuck alone, Lincoln.”

  He shook his head as if he couldn’t, nor wouldn’t, do that. His eyes pleaded for me to just listen to him. “Charice, there’s something you need—”

  “No!” I shouted, interrupting him with a finger point. “Nothing. I don’t want to hear nothing else. Leave me alone, Lincoln, and if you ever force yourself on me again, I will hurt you.”

  He threw his hands up. “Charice, I’m so sorry—”

  “Save it,” I said angrily and jogged off.

  I was so distraught that I couldn’t finish my workout and went straight home to shower. I had to wash Lincoln’s scent off my skin. I couldn’t believe he had tried to push up on me. I washed everything from my hair to my toes and let the warm water from the multiple showerheads rain in a fury down my body. I touched my lips with my fingertips; I could still feel his kiss burning there. His scent was etched in my nostrils, even after scrubbing my skin. I closed my eyes, and a vision of Lincoln came over me. All the memories I’d fought so hard to suppress started to invade my thoughts. I remembered the first time we made love and how he slept, so peaceful and naked, in my bed. I remembered how we made love on the terrace in Paradise Island. I could almost feel him standing behind me in the shower like he used to, slowly making love to me through the back door. Still to this day, he was the only man that was able to make me enjoy anal penetration. I was so lost in the thought that I moaned.

  “Thinking about me already?” Ryan whispered in my ear from behind me.

  I jumped. “I was . . . I was . . . umm . . . you scared me.” I trembled, refusing to turn around out of fear that he’d sense something was wrong.

  He snickered softly then kissed my neck. “I just wanted to give you something to think about today,” he sibilated in my ear as he stroked his manhood up and down my ass. “Let me try the back door,” he urged, breathing huskily.

  Lost in my erotic thoughts about Lincoln and our anal moments, I consented. He grabbed the KY Jelly and smeared it on both of us, and my back hole twitched with excited anticipation. Once I felt the head of his erection making its entrance, I directed his path and moved to show him the direction to wind. He followed suit and slowly penetrated me, going deeper until he reached the destination. I stroked my clit as he glided lovingly in and
out of my back door.

  “Oh, shit. Ricey, you feel so fucking good,” Ryan moaned.

  “I’m about to come,” I mumbled, flicking my finger back and forth over my throbbing bud.

  Ryan held my waist tight as he buried his dick deep in my ass. I flattened the palms of my hands on the shower wall. “I’m ’bout to explode,” Ryan said, winded. He couldn’t hold off his climax any longer, and he shouted my name as he came.

  With my eyes closed tight, my climax erupted as the last time Lincoln and I made love like this invaded my thoughts. “Oh gawd. Oh gawd. Oh, Lincolnnn,” I yelled, quivering uncontrollably.

  “What!” Ryan screamed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lucinda

  Yes, I was still mad. Mad as hell. What if Aldris had walked in our house and saw me hugged up with Raul? Exactly. He thought I should let it go just because he explained that there was nothing going on between them. He was such a genius. I knew that much. I was not stupid, but I damn sure wasn’t blind either. Jennifer still loved Aldris, and even though he hurt her, knowing how good of a man he was, she’d take him back in a New York minute. Especially since she had so-called first dibs on him, and her ex-husband left her for his ex. What loyalty did she owe to me? None. Like she so eloquently put it before the paternity test, she didn’t know I existed.

  But I can’t get Aldris to see that. I swear men have tunnel vision. Well, damn it, I saw the big picture, and the writing was on the wall in big, bold letters. Jennifer wasn’t going to play me for the okey-doke, and neither was Aldris. If I let that shit slide one time, it was going to keep sliding until Jennifer managed to slide my man right out the door with her. I might have been younger than both of them, but I wasn’t born at night, and it damn sure wasn’t last night. Life had made me wise, and I wasn’t going to let anybody make a fool of me.

  Sitting at home, chilling with my cup of hot cocoa and studying up for my test, I’d opted not to go to Sunday morning service with Aldris since we still weren’t gellin’. Sure, it had been three days since that little incident, but Aldris just didn’t seem all too sincere with his apologies, if I could call them that. It was more like he was apologizing because it was the right thing to do and not because he truly meant it or saw something wrong with what he did. I wasn’t the one to accept half-ass apologies, especially not from men.

  I’d put up with way too much bullshit from Emilio Rojas and Raul Garcia to allow room for anybody else’s half-ass anything. And I didn’t feel like sitting up in church, trying to praise the Lord, while I was full of nothing but pure hell. I mean really, how could I sing, “He Saw the Best in Me” while the worst in me was ready to kick some ass? Exactly.

  “Hey,” Aldris said quietly as he came in the house from church.

  “Hey,” I replied and drank my hot cocoa.

  Aldris walked over to the breakfast table where I was studying and just looked at me for a moment as he jiggled his car keys in his hand. Then, he bent down to kiss me, and I turned my face, only giving him access to my cheek. He pulled off his suit jacket and sat down across from me.

  “So, are you studying for a test?” he asked, sitting back and staring at me as if that was supposed to make me stop.

  “I’m trying to.” I flipped a page aggressively, showcasing my irritation.

  Aldris pointed to himself. “So, I guess I’m disturbing you, huh?”

  I continued to look in my book.

  He sat back, releasing a slow and deliberate breath. Then, he tapped on the table, looking at me as if he was contemplating what to say to me next. “Church service was good. The pastor and a few members asked about you.”

  “Uh-huh.” Was he not going to get the hint that I had nothing to say to him?

  “The message was great. Do you want to know what the sermon title was?”

  My harsh expression flashed as I tossed a heated glare his direction. “What, Aldris?”

  “Pardon my past.”

  He honestly looked at me as if I was supposed to take what he had just said to heart. Not so subtle of a hint now, was it? He was on my nerves, and if he thought this was in his past, he was sadly mistaken.

  “Sometimes you can’t just pardon the past,” I said snidely.

  He threw his hands up. “Are we still on this?”

  “When did we get off of it?”

  Aldris stood up and paced. “Lu, I’ve apologized for my actions. What more do you want? My blood?”

  That was it. I jumped up and threw my hands on my hips. Attitude on go. “Your way of apologizing was saying, ‘Lu, it wasn’t like that. It was nothing, just a friendly gesture. Come on. You know me.’ I don’t remember an honest ‘I’m sorry’ coming out of your mouth.”

  Aldris shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you are acting like this. I mean really, Lucinda.”

  Now I was offended. Was he trying to say I was being childish? “Okay, so now I’m being petty. Is that what you’re saying?”

  Exasperated, he threw his hands up. “Well, if the shoe fits.”

  I wished I had on some shoes right then. I would’ve fit them right up his ass. “Okay, so if you ever in your life walk up on Raul and I being all hugged up close and personal, I don’t wanna hear a damn word about it. Just remember that, Aldris! Turnabout is always fair play, papi.”

  “So what, you’re going to do some intentional shit?” he asked, his expression getting angrier by the second.

  I shrugged. “Why should it matter to you?” I asked just to be a bitch about it.

  He looked at me as if I were crazy. “It fucking matters because you’re my fiancée.”

  “Exactly! And you’re mine! So why the fuck should I just ‘be cool’ with what happened? Why must I brush it off and let it ride as if it was nothing? It may have been nothing, but damn, it hurt my feelings, Aldris, and that should mean something to you,” I yelled, my voice quivering, full of emotion.

  I hated the fact that he’d gotten me this upset. When it came to my emotions, I was an introvert. I never wanted anyone to see me sweat, and I damn sure didn’t like for them to see me cry. Showing that I was upset or angry didn’t bother me, but showing my vulnerability bothered the shit out of me. Even though I loved and trusted Aldris, he’d only seen me vulnerable once, when his boys popped up at his mom’s house and told her about Spanish Fly, my on-stage stripper persona when I used to dance in Pooch’s strip club, Moet. I didn’t even shed a tear when he proposed—well, at least not in front of him, and that was definitely a hard feat. Seeing as how he was the source of my emotions now ensured I didn’t want to showcase them, especially not in front of him. I cursed myself for being so damn weak for this man.

  Aldris knew immediately that I was extremely upset, and he instantly walked up and reached for me. “Come here, baby,” he said, attempting to hug me.

  I waved him off. “No, just give me a minute.” I turned my face, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall.

  He turned me to face him and hugged me anyway. “It’s okay to be vulnerable in front of me, Lu. We’re getting married, so we’re entitled to share those emotions that we’d rather not show anyone else.”

  With that, I hugged him back and let a few tears fall. The truth of the matter was I didn’t want to lose Aldris. For the first time in my life, I was truly in love. The thought of that love being threatened was enough to break me down. Damn, I never knew love like this before.

  He held me tight. “I’m so sorry, Lucinda. You’re right. I was wrong for what I did, but I promise you I wasn’t trying to do you dirty. I would never do that to you. I love you, mami.”

  “I just don’t want to lose you, Aldris,” I confessed.

  “Baby, you’ve got me. I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed my forehead.

  He tilted my chin upward, and the sincerity in his eyes shone just brightly as his love for me, and we began to kiss passionately. There was nothing that ended an argument better than make-up sex, and I was prepared to give him some
of this Spanish Fly booty until my cell phone rang.

  “It’s my phone, Aldris,” I said between kisses.

  “Fuck that phone,” he said, kissing me on my neck.

  “What if it’s my mom about Nadia?”

  He eased up. “Ugh. You’re right.” He relented as I answered.

  “Yeah, Mama.”

  “Lucinda? Can you come over here, please?” she asked, panicked.

  “What’s wrong, Mama?” I asked fearfully. “Nothing is wrong with Nadia, is it?”

  “No, no, not Nadia. She’s fine. Your father is over here . . . and Raul. Raul stopped by to see Nadia, and Emilio was here, and it’s a mess,” she yelled frantically.

  “Dios mío,” I exclaimed. “I’m on the way!” I hung up.

  “What’s wrong?” Aldris asked me for the millionth time.

  “My dad and Raul are over my mama’s house,” I said hurriedly.

  “Oh, damn,” he said as he grabbed his keys.

  I stuck my feet in my tennis shoes, and then we headed out of the house.

  “What the fuck is your dad and Raul doing at your mom’s house?” he asked.

  “All I know is Raul stopped by to visit Nadia, and my papa was there. Why? I do not know,” I said to Aldris as we hauled ass to my mama’s house.

  With all the shit going on with Jennifer and Aldris, I had completely dismissed the whole fiasco brewing between Raul, Maria, and my papa. Of course, when Raul claimed Rosemary and Emilio Jr. as his kids, the paternity test papers went straight to my papa’s house. You wanna talk about furious? Try listening to your “wife” explain that she had been sleeping with your daughter’s baby’s daddy behind your back, and that he was possibly the father of not only your stepdaughter but the baby she just had. My papa was so damn livid he kicked Maria and all the kids out of the house—even Eva, whose paternity wasn’t in question, but with a ho for a housewife, you never knew. As of now, they were staying with Maria’s sister in her three-bedroom apartment.

  Now, why the fuck my papa was at my mama’s house—or even Raul, for that matter—was beyond me, but I was about to find out. I wasn’t letting nobody put my child’s life in any type of danger. I didn’t give a damn who they were.